Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
The islands of south west Wales have become renowned for their ever-increasing breeding Manx shearwaters population. Over 50% of the world’s Manx shearwaters now breed on the Pembrokeshire islands of RSPB Ramsey, Skomer Island and Skokholm.
Image: Chris Gomersall, rspb-images.com
At night time in September, thousands of young fledglings leave the comfort of their burrows and make a 7,000-mile trip to the coast of Argentina. They head out to sea but struggle in gales or storms and can be blown inland as a result. This can also happen during foggy nights when mainland lighting disorientates them.
If you come across one of these black and white seabirds, we would encourage you to place them in a ventilated cardboard box and contact or deliver to one of the following locations who will arrange their safe release. However, if you come across more than the one stranded Manx shearwater please do place them in separate boxes.
North Pembrokeshire:
Voyages of Discovery – 1 High Street, St Davids 01437 720285
Thousand Islands Expeditions – Cross Square St Davids, 01437 721721
Mid / South Pembrokeshire:
Please contact The Wildlife Trust South and West Wales on 07970 780553
Elsewhere in Wales:
Please follow the instructed guidelines above and contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
Image: Martin Reith, Wikimedia
Manx shearwaters spend over half their life at sea, only returning to land to breed. They feed in waters around the Irish Sea and Celtic Deep and then migrate to the coast of Argentina for the winter.
Of late, RSPB Ramsey Island staff have been deploying geolocators on the birds. These are miniaturised tracking devices that record sunrise and sunset. These devices are small enough to fit on a plastic ring and stay on the birds all year round. This enables us to ‘spy’ on the birds when they are on the other side of the world, help us spot any issues that arise at an early stage and discover more about their travels.