SKOMER ISLAND NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE ANNUAL REPORT 2013
B. Bueche & E. Stubbings
SKOMER ISLAND NNR ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CONTENTS
Summary
3
1.
Recording I: Biological and Physical 1.1 Habitats and communities 1.2 Flora 1.3 Mammals 1.4 Birds 1.5 Herptiles 1.6 Invertebrates 1.7 Non-biological features
5
2.
Recording II: Visitors, Human impact 2.1 Visitors 2.2 Human impact
24
3.
Reserve administration 3.1 Finance 3.2 Staff 3.3 Volunteers 3.4 Training 3.5 Health and safety 3.6 Management Committee 3.7 WTSWW recruitment 3.8 Friends of Skokholm and Skomer 3.9 Wildlife Adoption Scheme
28
4.
Reserve management 4.1 Education and Interpretation 4.2 Media and publicity 4.3 Liaison 4.4 Habitat/species management
30
5.
Acknowledgements
33
6.
References
34
7.
Appendix 1
36
2
SUMMARY The island was inhabited from the 3rd of March to 15th of November. Birgitta Büche and Edward Stubbings took on the role as Skomer Wardens. Nia Stephens was the Assistant Warden. 13,456 visitors landed in 2013 Many of our seabirds were late in breeding in 2013 and in some cases breeding was delayed for up to two weeks. This was probably caused by the exceptionally cold spring (it was said to be the coldest March in 50 years) and lower than normal sea temperatures. Once they got going, most of the seabirds did well, with the exception of the gulls. Puffin numbers were considerably higher than in the previous few years and this may be due in part to changes in (and between) the timing of breeding and the all island counts. No shearwater population census was done in 2013. Further details can be found in the 2013 Seabird Report and later on in this document. Two Long Term Volunteers were recruited to help throughout the early and late periods of the season. James Roden covered the early period from the 19th of April to the 19th of August and Helen Smith the later period till end of September. Rabbit numbers bounced back after the outbreak of myxomatosis over winter 06-07. However during 2013 myxomatosis was seen throughout the season and the average number of rabbits was 14.67 per hectare which is a sharp decline on 2012 (47.37 nos. / ha). Table 1 summarises the qualifying SSSI features and attributes that were not within acceptable limits in 2013. Feature
