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| The main grey seal haul-out on Bardsey. Mostly mature females, some with pups tucked away on the adjacent shore. |
I was again delighted to visit Bardsey Island on the northwest corner of Wales to take a look at the seals during their Autumn pupping season. The highly varied shores of the island provide many nursery sites for them. Here are some images. A major storm (Storm Amy) came in during this visit.
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| Looking east towards 'the mountain' and the Bird Observatory from the south end of the island. |
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Welcome signs at the landing site.
The lower sign is an encouragement not to disturb the seals. |
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| Some of the locals. |
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The island is famous for its birds (here is a cormorant)
and its Bird and Field Observatory. |
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| The ancient walls blessed by clean air host a richness of lichens. |
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| Here a recently moulted seal pup shares a big rock pool with some mallards. This is a good opportunity to build swimming muscles before he makes his first trip out into the open sea. |
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| A whiskery kiss - mother and her white-coated pup. |
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| Looking west to the lighthouse as the light starts to fade. |
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A very new pup - still with a little bit of umbilical cord showing. This will shrivel and fall off soon.
This particular little pup also has some interesting dark markings on his face and paws. |
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Red-billed choughs are an island speciality. These two were gently preening each other.
They pair for life. |
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| Domestic ducks at the island farm. |
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| Another of the island's rarer life forms. |
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| The Bird and Field Observatory. |
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| The window in the old school house. |
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A raven passes high overhead.
Their distinctive - gronk, gronk, gronk - call is one of the island's characteristic sounds. |
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| Chough feeding on the strandline. |
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| A recently moulted pup perhaps thinking about what to do next. |
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The beautiful innocent face of a recently moulted pup.
At this age they know no fear.
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| Mother and pup. |
A fat little white-coated pup rests between feeds.
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| A sandy little pup after the storm. |
Storm Amy made 'marine snow' - the combination of wind and rotting seaweeds making a foam which blows across the island including the sites where the seals and their pups are living.
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| High seas off the island. |
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| Sea foam or 'snow'. |
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| A European shag. |
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Tracks in the sand - people and birds.
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| A mature bull calls out to warn off a competitor - he then chased him from the shore. |
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| A magnificent bull seal sleeps in the shallows. |
A wonderful new addition to this island with its creator Malcolm Hastings.
This work of art can be found in the boat house at the landing site.
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| Here the ferry comes to take us away. |
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| View from the ferry as we leave. The boat house to the right. |
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| View of the island from the boat - many friends and colleagues will recognise 'the cliff' viewing site from which teams of researchers used to scan for porpoises and dolphins. |
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On the mainland - the walk from the landing site is decorated with autumn berries,
including those of the dodder and the black thorn. |
Farewell Bardsey!
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| View from the island across The Sound. |
With grateful thanks to Mick Green for facilitating this visit and to the Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory for hosting. More about the Observatory HERE
