Pembrokeshire comes alive with nature

The Pembrokeshire coast is coming alive with nature this autumn, as scientific research and seal births get underway.

Pembrokeshire Gannets

Scientific researchers from the University of Exeter have recently been working with the RSPB on the nature reserve of Grassholm, an island just off the south-western Pembrokeshire coast. The research undertaken by these groups is looking to discover the behaviour of the UK’s largest seabird, the gannet, which is a common site for residents of local Pembrokeshire cottages. The leader of the project, Dr Steve Votier of the University of Exeter, has been carrying out research of the seabird at this location over the past eight years in order to learn more about their behaviour and interactions with other birds.

As the birds spend most of their time at sea, away from the nesting sites on land, the study has involved attaching miniature cameras, which have been developed by the RSPB Conservation Science team, to some of the colony members to record their flight movements and behaviour over water.  The researchers have released a Vimeo video of the footage they collected that you can watch here.

Pembrokeshire Seal Pups

On the small settlement Ramsey Island, just off the coast of the St Davids Peninsula and round the corner from other popular holiday destinations in Pembrokeshire, around 600 grey seal pups have recently been born. Close to the mainland, the island provides the ideal location for seal mothers to suckle their young, with the estimated 620 seal pups that have been born in the past three months set to provide a great sight for visitors staying on coastal Tenby cottage holidays. Ramsey Island is reported to be the home of the largest colony of pups in southern Britain, as most are born in Scotland. 

Ramsey Island and the Pembrokeshire coastline is often a top site for seal action, as the different seasons bring different activity, with the public able to visit the island at the end of March and through the summer.

Image Credit: NWCouncil (flickr.com)