#Skomer Island

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Who knows what this bird is called? 🤔 (It flew over my head on Skomer Island recently. 😊🐦)

📸 by @carlbovisnature

[heartofadreamer]

[dansnaturepictures]

15 years ago today I visited Skomer Island for the first time. In this photoset is a picture of me on that day, and there last year, as well as photos from our visits to and boat trips around there over the years of; Puffin in 2013, Razorbill and view in 2017, Puffin, view and Kittiwake last year and Gannet from a boat trip around and view in 2014. It really has been a magical place for me to go over the years, giving me those valuable chances to get glimpses into the world of some of my very favourite birds the seabirds and others and amazing experiences right from the very early days of my birdwatching interest. I have grown up with Skomer and fallen in love with Pembrokeshire first going when I was eleven; and getting to go so many times, the anticipation of each of those trips and visiting similar locations across the country has been one of the biggest sources of passion for me over the years. 

Still basking in the glow of the post-trip euphoria a month on from our time in Pembrokeshire in 2022, on this date last year I re-posted a poem I wrote about visiting Skomer in 2013: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/685419514206289920/a-poem-i-wrote-back-in-2013-about-visiting-skomer

[mikehowemusic]

In anticipation of the sun returning…

New track called Sun Gaze coming soon. Here’s an amazing video clip by Sam Howe

[bentbox-co]

[overproductivemind]

[vox-anglosphere]

The magic of Wales is subtle, but it gently beckons you onwards..

Golden Glow on the cliffs of Skomer Island

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Odd question but - I'm looking to study in the UK this fall, and I'm trying to get to grips with the grading system. Could you explain the grading boundaries to me please? It's different from the US, as far as I can see!

I found this handy table which you might find useful - I don't really understand the US system either lol.

Here's what I will say though - I have many times before seen Americans online seeing the percentages for the UK grade boundaries and immediately wax lyrical about how EASY and SIMPLE it must be to do well in the UK because OH MY GOD I could tooootally get 70%!!! In the US that's barely a C!!! Wow education must be soooo simple in the UK -

And uh. I have seen very few Americans in those discussions stop and ask themselves how much harder it might be to hit 70% in the UK. Which, as the international academic office in every university will tell you, is the crucial question you absolutely should be asking. Does an American 70% look the same as a UK 70%?

(It Does Not.)

So don't be fooled by that! Over here, at undergrad the pass mark is 40%. 40-49% gets you a third; 50-59% gets you what's varyingly known as a lower second (formally), a 2:2 (most commonly), or a Desmond (by sad people. It's a reference to Desmond Tutu - two two). A 2:2 is also the most commonly awarded degree classification over here.

60-69% is a 2:1, or upper second class honours. And then the top level is the first - 70% and up. The vast majority of firsts are earned by students who got 70-79%. Exceptional work pushes into the 80s. It is incredibly rare that you ever see a mark in the 90s, and when you do, it's almost always on maths papers where there are right or wrong answers and that's it.

I can't remember how the US's summa cum laude etc stuff maps onto that, though you could probably find that on Google as well. But as a rule of thumb, think first = excellent, 2:1 = good, 2:2 = fair, and third = you need to be careful and see what you can do to improve (although that is still a pass at university and that is not to be sniffed at).

Ooh, as a final point, though, there's also how assessment works, which again, I know is very different over here (again I don't really understand it in the US). Your lecturer cannot set random work here and there to count as summative assessment. Every module is different in how it's set up, but let's give an example:

Module: Coastal and Marine Conservation Two assessments, each worth 50% of the final grade. Assessment 1: A report on the biodiversity of Ramsey Island in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Explore the cause of the lower biodiversity there than nearby Skomer/Skokholm; how was this challenged/rectified? How have species recovered since? What should be done into the future? Assessment 2: A two-hour closed book exam. Half of this exam (50 marks) will be a mix of short and medium length questions; things like "Define these five terms (two marks each)", or "Describe the process of longshore drift and its impact on sedimentation patterns (15 marks)" or what have you. The second half is a 50 mark essay - pick one of three essay questions offered, and off you go. (Essay questions are a staple feature of exams over here, and multiple choice questions are extremely rare and generally frowned on as being Not Sufficiently Academic.)

Now, in the case of this module, these are the only two assessment points. Both the report brief and the exam paper are registered with the academic office in the summer before the academic year even starts, and both are triple verified - by the lecturer who writes/sets them, by an internal verifier in the department, and an external verifier from another university. This is part of quality control.

If, for some reason, you fail one of these, or cannot submit them by their due date, or what have you, you still have to do them. If you claim for Extenuating Circumstances (e.g. "I was made homeless and my cat blew up, so I couldn't do it in time") then you get an extension on it; as long as you submit by the end of the academic period, you're fine. If you don't, you need to resit it. This normally means over the summer after the main term ends.

But, in the UK system what we can't do is go "Okay never mind, how about you submit a write-up of the volunteering you're currently doing with SeaLife instead and we'll count that?" The reason being, under the UK system that is not a quality-controlled solution. That has not been checked and verified as an equivalent assessment to what the rest of the class has done; so if you do that and get a 2:1, there is no assurance that you are actually of the same academic quality as one of your peers who got a 2:1 for that research report on Ramsey's biodiversity.

Which... don't let it scare you! As I say, there are a LOT of systems that can help you if things start going wrong (always, always, always keep Student Support and your lecturers in the loop). But that is a different system from what I understand you might be used to, so heads up on that.

(I am not arguing that one is better than the other, by the way. Last time I explained a difference in the UK university system I got a very hostile and aggressive American in the notes throwing a right strop over how terrible the UK system clearly is because XYZ, right up until I had to actually say "I am literally just describing how it's different, not claiming superiority," and then they went mysteriously quiet and stopped replying. So to forestall that, I am only describing the differences. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

The UK system is certainly more inflexible. But it does, incidentally, at least free you from the tyranny I see reported so often by US students of the dreaded Tenured Professor who deliberately as a matter of pride sets impossible exams that everyone fails. Over here, that shit Does Not Fly. So there's that.)

Anyway - hopefully that answers your question! Any others, hit me up. Good luck, and enjoy your studies!

[seasoflife]

Skomer Island

Ali (ul) Abdulraheem

seasoflife

[jaketeachesdeath]

Third day of Mammal Week is all about Rodents!

There are a total of 17 different Rodents across the British Isles and we have less than half of that.

Here there is

Grey Squirrel

Brown Rat

Bank Vole

Field Vole

Wood Mouse

House Mouse

Theres also Red Squirrel, Eurasian Beaver, Hazel Dormouse, Water Vole, Harvest Mouse and Yellow Necked Mouse, all of which are native. On top of that theres also some Island subspecies, the Skomer, Guernsey and Orkney Voles. Skomer being a subspecies of the Bank Vole and the latter of the Common Vole. Not forgetting the Edible Dormouse and the Black Rat both of which have been introduced.

So out of our list theres two species which have been introduced. The Brown Rat and of course the Grey Squirrel, the Brown Rat came in from Asia and the Grey Squirrel is native to North America. The Grey Squirrel however is classed as an Invasive Species.

Both of these species are adaptable, agile and unfortunately are known for spreading disease. Notably the Grey Squirrel having a huge effect on Red Squirrel populations who have no immunity to pox. In addition thier aggressive behaviour (amongst other complications) forced Reds into a select few locations, entirely absent from Southern England Mainland.

But now lets talk about teeth!

Teeth are the easiest way to seperate the last 4 species. Mice have cusped molars and Voles have molars that continuously grow. Then to seperate that further the distinction between Wood and House Mice is the notch in the back of the incisors of the House Mouse which the Wood lacks. In Voles its a little more complicated, sometimes its notable by the length of row of teeth, sometimes even the shape of the teeth pattern as seen from the underside but the distinction between Field and Bank Voles is the second molar the Bank Vole has a paired root and the Field Vole have a single open root on the 2nd upper molar!

24/04/24

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Meadow Pipit and campion. 😍 Taken earlier in the summer on Skomer Island. 😊🐦

📸 by @carlbovisnature

[typhlonectes]

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Running for its burrow with Lesser Sand Eels (Ammodytes tobianus)

photograph by Charles J. Sharp | Wikipedia CC

[dansnaturepictures]

Post ten of my wildlife and photography highlights blogs 2022: Summary of our wildlife holidays/time away this year: Seabirds, Bee-eaters, butterflies and more

It was another stellar line up of three holidays/trips away this year which took me to some of the most wonderful wild places in the UK. The two weeks away in April to Pembrokeshire and June to Yorkshire were both big seabird watching experiences at their heart some of my very favourite wildlife to watch and the first birds I loved and they were some of my best ever moments with some of my favourite birds. It really did feel like pinnacles of my year when immersed in the seabird colonies of Skomer Island a place I adore the centre piece for Pembrokeshire and RSPB Bempton Cliffs another astonishing location the centre piece of our Yorkshire trip. The Puffins of course starred on both seeing these clown faced wonders so intimately gearing up for nesting season on Skomer Island was an honour again this experience swells my heart, seeing them embedded in clumps of sea campion with one pooing right in front of us was fantastic I took the first picture in this photoset of one on Skomer and we saw them well in Yorkshire. The Gannets took centre stage in Yorkshire being mesmerised by seeing these enormous birds in flight so closely and on the cliff including bill rubbing seeing young birds too I took the fifth picture in this photoset of some from Bempton. Razorbill in one of my strongest ever years for seeing this big favourite bird of mine, Guillemot as shown in the second picture in this photoset on Skomer, Kittiwake and Fulmar were ones we saw phenomenally on both trips too, with Chough and Manx Shearwater key stars of the Pembrokeshire adventure. Skomer also brought me perhaps my moment of the year when unexpectedly another of the birds I adore and loved very much early on an Osprey flew over whilst I was looking at Puffins and the other seabirds and then Bempton Cliffs’ answer to that almost was of course us seeing the iconic Albie the rare Black-browed Albatross a sensational experience. They really were two weeks of splendour and a glorious natural spectacle observing the hustle and bustle of these seabird colonies. There were poignant undertones of just enjoying this and feeling so lucky to with bird flu devasting many colonies in this country.

The Pembrokeshire trip came at the height of spring migration so we managed to pick up a lot of other year ticks across the county and wider Wales including Wheatear seen a lot, Dipper, Common Sandpiper and Willow, Sedge and Reed Warbler all becoming some of many stars of the trip and this along with the seabirds helped my year list surge ahead of how many I had seen on the date in all of my previous years which stood out this year. If that’s a tag line from Pembrokeshire then Yorkshire’s was that it was more towards the time young birds were about with a few of them seen, but it wasn’t without its bonus year ticks with my first Tree Sparrows for four years, Common Scoter and Whinchat stars of the trip.

Both these holidays were at simply breathtaking locations in my favourite type of habitat that dramatic coastline I took the third picture in this photoset of a view from Skomer Island and sixth of Thornwick Bay in Yorkshire, with us staying in lovely places at both with lots of wildlife around and a brilliant variety of places visited crossing into other habitats like dramatic watery woodland walks and the North York Moors. Both trips had big mammal moments in my amazing year for seeing marine mammals especially Grey Seals and Harbour Porpoises seen on both two I adore I took the seventh picture in this photoset of Grey Seals. Both trips were significant for my butterfly year with amazing species seen like Dingy Skipper in Pembrokeshire and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary in Yorkshire as shown in the eighth picture in this photoset at Fen Bog nature reserve at different parts of the season. Both were big flower trips with the notable thing about Pembrokeshire being how the flower season jumped ahead as I was seeing species I expected a few weeks or months down the line at home from red campion to oxeye daisy as shown in the fourth picture in this photoset at Stackpole with thrift, squill and scurvygrass key coastal ones seen and in Yorkshire great willowherb, chamomile and northern marsh orchid starred as it was an addition to the going into summer species at home at that time. Full of inspiration I took so many photos of all the different aspects of both wildlife and landscape, they really were key times in my year.

It was amazing to visit the Global Bird Fair at Rutland Showground in July a pleasant re-birth of this event we loyally attended from 2008-2019. It was an amazing weekend with the spirit of the event, all the valuable social interaction it allowed me to have and all for a good nature conservation cause all very much back. We took a detour to Norfolk on the way to see the history making Bee-eaters who nested at a quarry near Trimingham one of my valued list of new bird species I saw this year a list with some crackers on I took the tenth picture in this photoset of one. This led the highlights in a marvellous weekend of birdwatching with my first Water Rail and Yellow-legged Gull of the year seen at the Rutland Water nature reserves where we also went that weekend and of course Ospreys again in a very strong year I had for them with some captivating moments seeing them, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, Kingfisher, Common Crane, a Bittern flying, Egyptian Geese, Bullfinch, Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover and Wren chicks starring across the Rutland and Norfolk locations as we visited Hickling Broad too with a Sparrowhawk being ringed at the Bird Fair ringing demonstration a smashing moment to see that stuck in the mind. At the beginning of the Big Butterfly Count it was an incredible weekend of butterflies with me enjoying doing the counts and also seeing my first ever Essex Skipper at Hickling Broad as well as Purple Hairstreak, Small Copper, Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Peacock, Red Admiral and Comma other highlights. Muntjac Deer by a road and Fox and lots of hemp agrimony and bird vetch were highlights in a top weekend of mammals and flowers, and it was also a pivotal moment in my dragonfly year with Brown Hawker and Ruddy Darter added to the year list and seen so much in Rutland and Norfolk wonderful species. There were some good other wildlife moments like seeing Roesel’s bush cricket and moths like Common Nettle-tap, I took so many photos of the beautiful landscape as the ninth picture in this photoset shows and wildlife and it all came in one of the hottest parts of the year in a heatwave in this hot and dry summer making for a very unique experience. In all three trips away we were very lucky with the weather seeing so much of the sunshine, these were wonderful spring and summer memories in two relaxing and packed weeks away and one happy long weekend.

A key post I did about each at the time are:

https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/682811257713246208/28042022-skomer-island-blog-1-of-2-the

https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/687615349094580224/20th-june-2022-bempton-cliffs-post-one-of-two-the

https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/690140439866638336/16072022-the-global-bird-fair-in-rutland-and

[ornithological]

just found a livecam for puffin burrows on skomer island (in wales), and since shearwaters also nest on skomer.....maybe i will see some if i check the cam at night

[pfhwrittes]

hi p!! for the plant ask game: aloe vera and cactus pretty please - kiko

hi @mikichko!! i love you!!

aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

i want to go see the puffins on skomer island! my ex, S, did some volunteering on the island and they had a great time.

cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)?

right now i'm learning welsh! dwi'n ddrwg am siarad cymraeg (a sillafu cymraeg)... oops?

plant ask game