It feels a long time since I visited Skokholm Island , even though it was only a few months ago. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales along with the volunteers and friends of the islands have worked incredibly hard to get the island back up and running, with a few new mod cons added in as well.
The fear for regular visitors like myself is that with all the improvements, the island looses the soul it has developed over the years with less than fancy accommodation. So far all the changes have done nothing to change this, although I am not sure about the on tap hot and cold running water from?the well.?In a way I miss the old jug and bowl for washing, with the extra treat of getting some hot water after doing the washing up!
The beauty of visiting the same place regularly is that after a while pictures can be previsualised and planned. With my last visit I wanted to develop further my images of the Razorbills and Guillemots, that I started two years ago, but was unable to do at my visit last year. Most photographers visiting the island concentrate on the Puffins, that are always fun to photograph, but I like to concentrate on the less popular subjects.
The other benefit of visiting regularly is meeting up with other familiar faces who like me visit the island regularly. We all have our own reasons to visit; photography, walking, bird watching or just trying to escape the modern world for a few days. Like me we have seen a few wardens come and go, but we all wish the new joint wardens of Richard and Giselle well with their new roles.
