|
Skomer
Skomer () or Skomer Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, in the community of Marloes and St Brides in west Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the Atlantic puffin colony is the largest in southern Britain, and the Skomer vole (a subspecies of the bank vole) is unique to the island. Skomer is a national nature reserve (United Kingdom), national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area. It is surrounded by a marine nature reserve and is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Skomer is known for its archaeological interest: stone circles, standing stone and remains of prehistoric houses. Much of the island has been designated an ancient monument. Description The island has an area of . Its highest point is above sea level at Gorse Hill, while the majority of the island sits at around above sea level. Skomer is intersected by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skomer Map
Skomer () or Skomer Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, in the community of Marloes and St Brides in west Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the Atlantic puffin colony is the largest in southern Britain, and the Skomer vole (a subspecies of the bank vole) is unique to the island. Skomer is a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area. It is surrounded by a marine nature reserve and is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Skomer is known for its archaeological interest: stone circles, standing stone and remains of prehistoric houses. Much of the island has been designated an ancient monument. Description The island has an area of . Its highest point is above sea level at Gorse Hill, while the majority of the island sits at around above sea level. Skomer is intersected by a series of slopes and ridges givi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skomer Marine Conservation Zone
Skomer Marine Conservation Zone is an underwater marine nature reserve located off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales. The nature reserve completely surrounds the islands of Skomer and Middleholm, and encompasses the mainland coastline around the end of the Marloes peninsula, including the small bay of Martin's Haven. The sea bed and rocky shelves of the island are teeming with life. Common eelgrass, ''Zostera marina'', one of the very few plants that flower underwater, grows on beds of sand and gravel in sheltered waters and its long, grass-like leaves form underwater lawns that provide food and shelter for other plants and animals. Species of lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans abound, and grey seals give birth on the coast in October and November. History Although the island of Skomer had long been a protected area, the Marine Nature Reserve was not established until 1990. It was one of only three Marine Nature Reserves in United Kingdom. Since the introduction of Marine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Park occupies more than a third of the area of the county and includes the Preseli Hills in the north as well as the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Historically, mining and fishing were important activities, while industry nowadays is focused on agriculture (86 per cent of land use), oil and gas, and tourism; Pembrokeshire's beaches have won many awards. The county has a diverse geography with a wide range of geological features, habitats and wildlife. Its prehistory and modern history have been extensively studied, from tribal occupation, through Roman times, to Welsh, Irish, Norman, English, Scandinavian and Flemish influences. Pembrokeshire County Council's headquarters are in the county ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manx Shearwater
The Manx shearwater (''Puffinus puffinus'') is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English ''pophyn'') for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters. The Atlantic puffin acquired the name much later, possibly because of its similar nesting habits. Taxonomy The shearwaters form part of the family Procellariidae, a widespread group containing nearly 100 species of medium to large seabirds. They have long, narrow wings and the characteristic “tube nose”. Although it was considered a monotypic species, recently an endemic subspecies for the Canary Islands has been proposed ''P. puffinus canariensis''. The large genus ''Puffinus'' includes several species formerly considered to be subspecies of the Manx shearwater, including the yelkouan shearwater, Balearic shearwater, Hutton's shearwater ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skomer Vole
The Skomer vole (''Myodes glareolus skomerensis'') is a subspecies of bank vole endemic to the island of Skomer, off the west coast of Wales. The bank vole was probably introduced by humans at some time after the last glaciation. It is one of four small mammal species on Skomer. There are approximately 20,000 voles on the island. The vole's main predators are owls, but it is also eaten by other predators, including common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where n ..., common buzzard and peregrine falcon. Like other voles they are short-lived, surviving to around 18 months old at most. At their largest they are roughly long and weigh a maximum of . Discovery The Skomer vole was discovered by Robert Drane (d. 1914), a pharmacist from Swansea who was a founding memb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atlantic Puffin
The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern Pacific. The Atlantic puffin breeds in Russia, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Faroe Islands, and as far south as Maine in the west and France in the east. It is most commonly found in the Westman Islands, Iceland. Although it has a large population and a wide range, the species has declined rapidly, at least in parts of its range, resulting in it being rated as vulnerable by the IUCN. On land, it has the typical upright stance of an auk. At sea, it swims on the surface and feeds on small fish and crabs, which it catches by diving underwater, using its wings for propulsion. This puffin has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches, and a white body and underparts. Its broad, bold ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Sound
Jack Sound is a treacherous body of water about wide between the island of Skomer and the Pembrokeshire mainland that contains numerous reefs and a tidal race of up to 6 knots. It is used by boats to avoid a three-mile detour around the island, and has its share of sunken shipwrecks. The most popular wreck for divers is the MV ''Lucy'', which sank in good condition in February 1967 after being abandoned by its crew owing to its cargo of calcium carbide. The Netherlands-registered coaster, , was en route from Uddevalla, Sweden to Barry. The sound is part of the Skomer Marine Conservation Zone Skomer Marine Conservation Zone is an underwater marine nature reserve located off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales. The nature reserve completely surrounds the islands of Skomer and Middleholm, and encompasses the mainland coastline aroun .... References Tides {{Pembrokeshire-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Middleholm
Middleholm, also known as Midland Isle, is a small island lying off southwest Pembrokeshire in Wales, between the island of Skomer and the mainland in the community of Marloes and St Brides. It is roughly circular with a diameter of about and an area of . It is separated from the mainland by Jack Sound and from Skomer by Little Sound. History The name Middleholm was documented in 1325 in the reign of Edward III, when ferreters were paid for catching rabbits. The island has been in use for considerably longer, with traces of Iron Age walling, and may have been used for summer grazing, despite the lack of natural fresh water. Since 1966, when the rabbit population was killed by myxomatosis, the island has been ungrazed. The name Midland Isle has been used at least as far back as 1578, when it was abbreviated in Latin as ''Midlan Insul''. This name was also used in 1833, when it was cited in Lewis's ''A Topographical Dictionary of Wales''. Modern Ordnance Survey maps use the latter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bank Vole
The bank vole (''Myodes glareolus'') is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in much of Europe and in northwestern Asia. It is native to Great Britain but not to Ireland, where it has been accidentally introduced, and has now colonised much of the south and southwest. The bank vole lives in woodland, hedgerows and other dense vegetation such as bracken and bramble. Its underground chamber is lined with moss, feathers and vegetable fibre and contains a store of food. It can live for eighteen months to two years in the wild and over 42 months in captivity and is mostly herbivorous, eating buds, bark, seeds, nuts, leaves and fruits and occasionally insects and other small invertebrates. It readily climbs into scrub and low branches of trees although it is not as versatile as a mouse. It breeds in shallow burrows, the female rearing about ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wildlife Trust Of South And West Wales
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Natur De a Gorllewin Cymru) is a Wildlife Trust in south and west Wales, one of 46 such Trusts in the United Kingdom. History Forerunner of the WTSWW, the former West Wales Naturalists' Trust traces its origin to a meeting held in Haverfordwest in February 1938. It was convened by L. D. Whitehead, the Welsh industrialist and owner of Ramsey, and the naturalist and author R. M. Lockley, then living on Skokholm. Seventy-eight people were present at that inaugural meeting and on the motion of Mr. Hugh Lloyd-Philipps, of Dale Castle, the Pembrokeshire Bird Protection Society was formed. In 1943, the society was urged to promote the establishment of nature reserves in readiness for post-war conditions. A meeting in 1945 decided to widen its area, so as to cover the counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen, Cardigan, and Merioneth, in compliance with requests from those counties, and considered a selection of alterna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marloes And St Brides
Marloes and St. Brides (Welsh: ''Marloes a Sain Ffraid'') is a community in the West Wales county of Pembrokeshire. The main settlements are the villages of Marloes and St Brides. Both villages lie on the southern shore of St Brides Bay The islands of Gateholm, Grassholm, Middleholm, Skomer, Skokholm and The Smalls The Smalls are a Canadian hard rock/metal band formed in 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They were influenced by jazz, hardcore punk, speed metal and country music. They were one of the most prominent Alberta bands in the second wave of per ... lie in the community. The community population taken at the 2011 census was 305. References External links Contact details for Marloes and St Brides Community Council Communities in Pembrokeshire {{Pembrokeshire-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marine Nature Reserve
Marine nature reserve (MNR) is a conservation designation officially awarded by a government to a marine reserve of national significance. Republic of Ireland Lough Hyne, a marine lake off of County Cork, is Ireland's only marine nature reserve. United Kingdom Marine nature reserves were introduced in the UK by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and were designed to conserve marine life and geological or physiographical features of special interest. They have similar status and protection to national nature reserves, but were specifically concerned with a marine environment, including both the sea and seabed. In the UK, there are only three statutory MNRs: Lundy Marine Nature Reserve at Lundy Island (Bristol Channel), Skomer Marine Nature Reserve (Pembrokeshire) and Strangford Lough (County Down). There is a non-statutory voluntary MNR at St Abbs Head, Berwickshire. Marine conservation zones Schedule 12 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 allows the conversion the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_head.jpg "Click for more on -> Atlantic Puffin")
