Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, is among the best seabird locations in the UK. Over four days in late May 2025, I led a small group staying on the island overnight, giving us access to the colonies at first & last light when the day-trippers had gone.
Day 1 – Arrival & First Encounters
We crossed from Martins Haven to Skomer Island under mixed skies, with enough breaks in the cloud to give us workable light. After dropping bags, we walked the main paths so the group could get their bearings & I could show them where the puffin burrows sit relative to the best backgrounds.
Our first photographic subjects were the iconic Atlantic Puffins, perched on the cliffs of The Wick, Garland Stone, & High Cliff. These charismatic birds, with their bright bills & comical waddling gait, were busy flying in with sand-eels or standing sentry at their burrows.
As we traversed North Valley, Short-eared Owls glided silently overhead, their broad wings cutting through the evening light – a distinctive sight. We attempted golden hour shots, but the shifting clouds limited us to backlit compositions before the light faded.
Day 2 – The Island to Ourselves
The day dawned fine but very windy, forcing the cancellation of day boats – leaving us with the rare privilege of having Skomer entirely to ourselves.
We rose early to chase the sunrise, capturing Atlantic Puffins bathed in golden light. The morning was particularly productive, with the Atlantic Puffins carrying sand-eels in their bills, Choughs performing acrobatic flights, & Razorbills & Guillemots clustered on the cliffs. A Grey Seal lounged near The Landing, watching us with mild curiosity.
Through the afternoon we worked the Northern Fulmars riding the updrafts along the cliff edge – good practice for tracking a bird in flight against a clean sea background. In the sheltered valleys, Wrens, Pipits & Warblers were singing from the bracken, offering opportunities for perched portraits with soft, diffused light.
The evening gave us a narrow window of golden light. We used it for puffin silhouettes against the sea – exposing for the water behind the bird & letting the puffin go dark. Cloud closed in after about twenty minutes, but everyone had frames they were pleased with.
Day 3 – Bluebells & Owls
The wind had calmed, but clouds dominated the sky. Undeterred, we ventured out before dawn to photograph Atlantic Puffins in the soft morning light – some posed against the dark cliffs of The Wick, while others foraged amongst the delicate White Campion flowers.
The afternoon yielded sightings of a Shoveler Duck on the island’s ponds, Linnets perched on gorse, & a Curlew probing the grassland with its long bill. Best of all, the Short-eared Owls reappeared, hunting over meadows still dotted with the last of the season’s bluebells – a dream scene for any wildlife photographer.
Rain & a rising wind shut us down that evening earlier than planned.
Day 4 – Farewell to Skomer
Damp & overcast on the final morning, but the wind had dropped enough for the boat back to Martins Haven. The weather had pushed us to adapt on every session, but that is Skomer – you work with whatever conditions the island gives you, & the proximity to the birds makes it worthwhile every time.
Species Photographed on This Trip
- Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) – Carrying sandeels, in flight, amongst wildflowers
- Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) – Hunting over North Valley & bluebell meadows
- Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) – Aerobatic flights, red bills gleaming
- Razorbill (Alca torda) – Nesting on cliff ledges
- Guillemot (Uria aalge) – Crowded on cliffs
- Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) – Resting near The Landing
- Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) – Gliding effortlessly on updrafts
- Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) – Singing from dense vegetation
- Meadow Pippit (Anthus pratensis) – Perched on fence posts
- Sedge Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) – Flitting through bracken
- Shoveler Duck (Spatula clypeata) – Dabbling in island ponds
- Linnet (Linaria cannabina) – Feeding on seed heads
- Curlew (Numenius arquata) – Probing the grasslands
Skomer remains one of the most reliable seabird photography locations in Britain. The puffins are confiding, the owls hunt in open view, & staying overnight means you get the light that day visitors never see. We will be returning.
