Puffins on Skomer
Skomer Island is best known for it's breeding colony of Puffins, though they are heavily outnumbered by the Manx Shearwater's. But the Shearwater's can only be seen at night, so for day visitors the puffin is the main attraction. There are at least 6000 breeding pairs using the island, nesting in burrows along the cliff edges mainly in North Haven and The Wick, but dotted around in other locations as well.
They lay a single egg in early May and incubate it for around six weeks. The chick will be tended for another six before leaving the nest and getting ready to depart Skomer at night, to protect them from Gulls, towards the end of July.
Best Time to See Puffins on Skomer Island?
The Puffins return in April to start nesting and laying eggs at the start of May. There may be quite a few Puffins to see at this time, or there may be quiet days, but the main time is when the chicks hatch in mid June until the end of July. At this time the parents are busy bringing sandeels back to the nest to feed the chick, and the nesting sites can be hectic, with the air full of Puffins, especially around North Haven. The Wick allows visitors to get very close to the Puffins and the burrows, and can get a little crowded as the path is very narrow in places. Once into August the Puffins depart and the numbers deplete quickly.
