Record numbers of puffins on Pembrokeshire's Skomer Island
The island is renowned for its iconic Atlantic Puffins, who are particularly precious as their numbers are in decline in most of their habitats.
But happily, that is not the case on Skomer.
The island's recent annual Puffin Count has tallied 43,626 of the species, whose colourful and comical appearance has led them to be dubbed 'the clowns of the sea'.
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Skomer Island and the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales announced the results of the count in a recent Facebook post.
And Skomer has 43,625 more puffins than this one! (Image: Amy Compton)
They said: "The numbers are in and it's another record breaker!
"We're thrilled to announce that 43,626 Puffins were recorded on Skomer Island as part of our annual Puffin Count.
'This count is no small undertaking, with six members of staff working to count every Puffin on Skomer. The island is broken up into seven sections and we systematically count every bird on the land, rafting on the sea and we estimate the number in the air during our counts.
"Big land falls this year have led to Puffins being seen further up the cliffs than ever before!
It's only a 20-minute sea voyage – operated by .Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips - from the mainland, but is so popular with visitors that there are no day trips bookable before July 25. (Image: Lucy Crockford)
'Although numbers are increasing on Skomer, they are a species under threat and are rapidly declining elsewhere.
'We are acutely aware of the threats facing these charismatic birds and we must do all we can to continue to protect them.'
Alongside the Atlantic Puffins, the seabird population of Skomer includes nearly 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters, thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes and hundreds of Fulmars.
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Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
'We live in a caravan, work two days a week and spend just £330 a month'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Wales Online breaking news on WhatsApp A couple have shared how they manage to work just two days a week by spending a mere £330-a-month living in a caravan. Rachel Hale, 39 and her husband Lewis, 35, have been full-time residents of a campsite in Anglesey, Wales since March 2024, after deciding they "didn't want all our money going on bills". In April 2023, the pair sold their three-bedroom home in Lancaster, Lancashire for £130,000 and bought a £30k campervan to travel around the UK for a year. As their savings started to run low, they found jobs at the site through a Facebook group and have since upgraded to a £15k caravan. With no rent or bills to pay as their pitch on the site is included in Lewis' job as a campsite warden, they save a full wage every month and estimate they will have saved £8,000 this year by October. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Rachel, a cook, said: "We got a campervan in March 2022. "We were going away every weekend when we could and I just didn't want to come home. "We had some savings and decided to sell up and do a year travelling around the UK. "Last year we got our jobs as wardens. "Literally anyone could do it, you can pick up a caravan for £1,000 and pick up a job. "We've got the caravan and a massive field to ourselves. "The job is March to October so you get four months off. "We will probably have saved about £8,000 for this year. "We're only half an hour away from Snowdonia so we tend to go there a lot. "We have days out in Anglesey, and I love wild swimming so we'll go to local beaches". They chose to sell their property after initially pursuing the family path. Rachel explained: "We had a miscarriage, then a still birth, then tried to conceive for two years and couldn't. "You have to have been trying for two years before they send you down the fertility route, but after the two or three years we'd had enough and wanted to enjoy life again." Rachel previously worked as a chef at a local hospice whilst Lewis was employed as a mental health support worker, securing their new positions last year via a Facebook group. 'We've got it cushty here' Both initially worked one day weekly on a part-time basis, but after realising it was more suited to a single person, Rachel moved on to become a chef at a nearby café. Rachel explained: "It involves doing reception and check-ins, most of it is maintenance like strimming and weeding, and cleaning the facilities. "This year now I work in a local cafe two days a week, and Lewis still works as a warden two days a week. "Sometimes we think should we go to different campsites and travel around a bit more, but we've got it cushty here. "We live off Lewis' wage in season and save my wage, and then we've got that to travel with. "We each earn £1,000 per month." With such minimal overheads, the pair spend just over £300 monthly. Rachel noted: "We don't pay anything for rent or bills as it's included. "It's just gas for the cooker we pay for, that's £8.75 per month. "For our laundry we have to go and do that on site, that's £12 per month". The monthly food shop represents the couple's largest expense at an average of £240 per month. Rachel said: "We are lucky to have five days off per week. "The downsides are not actually being able to travel between March and October. "You've got to go and fill your water tank as there's no running water and empty the toilet. "But you just get used to it. "The pros are the freedom it gives us. "Being able to have all this spare time to go hiking and exploring, just living out in nature I love it. "I know some of our friends say they couldn't do it because of the small space. 'We'll keep doing this forever' "In our house, we had a man cave, I had a spare room for a walk-in wardrobe but we just got used to the smaller space, it's all worth it. "We sold most of it and were just left with the minimum amount of clothes we needed for the van. "My dad, Chris, died last year and he left us a bit of money so we used that to buy the caravan". The pair are prudent with their finances, never exceeding Lewis' monthly wage and occasionally opting to park in roadside lay-bys or car parks rather than paying for campsites during their days off. "We're going to keep doing this as long as we can. "Eventually we see ourselves going up to a static caravan, but I can't see ourselves ever going back to house life because we'd have to get full-time jobs. "I think we'll keep doing this forever." Rachel and Lewis' monthly expenses are as follows: Rent/bills: £0, Gas: £8.75, Laundry: £12, Food: £240, Phone contracts: £60, Caravan insurance: £10, Total: £330. Previously, when they were homeowners, their monthly costs were: Mortgage: £500, Council tax: £130, Water: £30, Gas and electric: £70, Subscriptions (like Sky, Netflix and Amazon): £100, Phone contracts: £60, Food shop: £240, Takeaways: £200, Total: £1,330. Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter
North Wales Live
7 hours ago
- North Wales Live
'We live in a caravan, work two days a week and spend just £330 a month'
A couple have shared how they manage to work just two days a week by spending a mere £330-a-month living in a caravan. Rachel Hale, 39 and her husband Lewis, 35, have been full-time residents of a campsite in Anglesey, Wales since March 2024, after deciding they "didn't want all our money going on bills". In April 2023, the pair sold their three-bedroom home in Lancaster, Lancashire for £130,000 and bought a £30k campervan to travel around the UK for a year. As their savings started to run low, they found jobs at the site through a Facebook group and have since upgraded to a £15k caravan. With no rent or bills to pay as their pitch on the site is included in Lewis' job as a campsite warden, they save a full wage every month and estimate they will have saved £8,000 this year by October. Rachel, a cook, said: "We got a campervan in March 2022. "We were going away every weekend when we could and I just didn't want to come home. "We had some savings and decided to sell up and do a year travelling around the UK. "Last year we got our jobs as wardens. "Literally anyone could do it, you can pick up a caravan for £1,000 and pick up a job. "We've got the caravan and a massive field to ourselves. "The job is March to October so you get four months off. "We will probably have saved about £8,000 for this year. "We're only half an hour away from Snowdonia so we tend to go there a lot. "We have days out in Anglesey, and I love wild swimming so we'll go to local beaches". They chose to sell their property after initially pursuing the family path. Rachel explained: "We had a miscarriage, then a still birth, then tried to conceive for two years and couldn't. "You have to have been trying for two years before they send you down the fertility route, but after the two or three years we'd had enough and wanted to enjoy life again." Rachel previously worked as a chef at a local hospice whilst Lewis was employed as a mental health support worker, securing their new positions last year via a Facebook group. 'We've got it cushty here' Both initially worked one day weekly on a part-time basis, but after realising it was more suited to a single person, Rachel moved on to become a chef at a nearby café. Rachel explained: "It involves doing reception and check-ins, most of it is maintenance like strimming and weeding, and cleaning the facilities. "This year now I work in a local cafe two days a week, and Lewis still works as a warden two days a week. "Sometimes we think should we go to different campsites and travel around a bit more, but we've got it cushty here. "We live off Lewis' wage in season and save my wage, and then we've got that to travel with. "We each earn £1,000 per month." With such minimal overheads, the pair spend just over £300 monthly. Rachel noted: "We don't pay anything for rent or bills as it's included. "It's just gas for the cooker we pay for, that's £8.75 per month. "For our laundry we have to go and do that on site, that's £12 per month". The monthly food shop represents the couple's largest expense at an average of £240 per month. Rachel said: "We are lucky to have five days off per week. "The downsides are not actually being able to travel between March and October. "You've got to go and fill your water tank as there's no running water and empty the toilet. "But you just get used to it. "The pros are the freedom it gives us. "Being able to have all this spare time to go hiking and exploring, just living out in nature I love it. "I know some of our friends say they couldn't do it because of the small space. 'We'll keep doing this forever' "In our house, we had a man cave, I had a spare room for a walk-in wardrobe but we just got used to the smaller space, it's all worth it. "We sold most of it and were just left with the minimum amount of clothes we needed for the van. "My dad, Chris, died last year and he left us a bit of money so we used that to buy the caravan". The pair are prudent with their finances, never exceeding Lewis' monthly wage and occasionally opting to park in roadside lay-bys or car parks rather than paying for campsites during their days off. "We're going to keep doing this as long as we can. "Eventually we see ourselves going up to a static caravan, but I can't see ourselves ever going back to house life because we'd have to get full-time jobs. "I think we'll keep doing this forever." Rachel and Lewis' monthly expenses are as follows: Rent/bills: £0, Gas: £8.75, Laundry: £12, Food: £240, Phone contracts: £60, Caravan insurance: £10, Total: £330. Previously, when they were homeowners, their monthly costs were: Mortgage: £500, Council tax: £130, Water: £30, Gas and electric: £70, Subscriptions (like Sky, Netflix and Amazon): £100, Phone contracts: £60, Food shop: £240, Takeaways: £200, Total: £1,330.
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I quit my job to work as a caravan park warden & live for free – I applied on Facebook, work 2 days a week & save £1000s
Find out just how much their monthly costs have reduced by WHEEL GOOD I quit my job to work as a caravan park warden & live for free – I applied on Facebook, work 2 days a week & save £1000s Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN revealed how he and his wife can afford only working two days a week after quitting his job to work on a caravan park. Lewis, 35, quit his previous mental health job to work as a park warden after seeing an opening ad on Facebook. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A couple revealed how they afford working just two days a week Credit: SWNS 6 Lewis and his partner Racheal, 39, now live on a caravan site Credit: SWNS The couple revealed they now spend just £330 a month living in a caravan after they "didn't want all our money going on bills". In April 2023, they sold their three-bed home in Lancaster, Lancashire, for £130,000 and purchased a £30k campervan to travel around the UK in for a year. When their funds began to dwindle, the pair found jobs at the site through a Facebook group and have since upgraded to living in a £15,000 caravan. With no rent or bills to pay due to their pitch on the site being included in Lewis' job as a campsite warden, they save a full wage each month and estimate they will have saved £8,000 this year by October. Rachel, a cook, said: "We got a campervan in March 2022. "We were going away every weekend when we could and I just didn't want to come home. "We had some savings and decided to sell up and do a year travelling around the UK. "Last year we got our jobs as wardens. "Literally anyone could do it, you can pick up a caravan for £1,000 and pick up a job. "We've got the caravan and a massive field to ourselves. Watch the video to see inside the family-of-seven's caravan home "The job is March to October so you get four months off. "We will probably have saved about £8,000 for this year. "We're only half an hour away from Snowdonia so we tend to go there a lot. "We have days out in Anglesey, and I love wild swimming so we'll go to local beaches". They decided to sell their home after initially going down the family route. Rachel said: "We had a miscarriage, then a stillbirth, then tried to conceive for two years and couldn't. "You have to have been trying for two years before they send you down the fertility route, but after the two or three years we'd had enough and wanted to enjoy life again. Rachel was previously a chef at a local hospice, and Lewis was a mental health support worker, finding their new jobs last year through a Facebook group. 6 The couple found their jobs through a Facebook group Credit: SWNS They both initially worked one day a week part-time, but after discovering it was more of a one-person role, Rachel moved on to become a chef at a local cafe. Rachel said: "It involves doing reception and check-ins, most of it is maintenance like strimming and weeding, and cleaning the facilities. "This year now I work in a local cafe two days a week, and Lewis still works as a warden two days a week. "Sometimes we think, should we go to different campsites and travel around a bit more, but we've got it cushty here. "We live off Lewis' wage in season and save my wage, and then we've got that to travel with. "We each earn £1,000 per month." With such minimal overheads, the couple are spending just over £300 each month. Rachel said: "We don't pay anything for rent or bills as it's included. It's just gas for the cooker we pay for, that's £8.75 per month. "For our laundry we have to go and do that on site, that's £12 per month". The monthly food shop is the couple's biggest outgoing at an average of £240 per month. Rachel said: "We are lucky to have five days off per week. "The downsides are not actually being able to travel between March and October. "You've got to go and fill your water tank as there's no running water and empty the toilet. "But you just get used to it. "The pros are the freedom it gives us. "Being able to have all this spare time to go hiking and exploring, just living out in nature I love it. 6 Now they spend their time enjoying the outdoors Credit: SWNS "I know some of our friends say they couldn't do it because of the small space. "In our house, we had a man cave, I had a spare room for a walk-in wardrobe but we just got used to the smaller space, it's all worth it. "We sold most of it and were just left with the minimum amount of clothes we needed for the van. "My dad, Chris, died last year and he left us a bit of money so we used that to buy the caravan". The couple are careful with their money, never spending more than Lewis' wage each month and sometimes choosing to park up on the roadside in lay-bys or carparks, rather than paying for a campsite when they travel on their days off. "We're going to keep doing this as long as we can. "Eventually we see ourselves going up to a static caravan, but I can't see ourselves ever going back to house life because we'd have to get full-time jobs. "I think we'll keep doing this forever." Rachel and Lewis' monthly costs The couple's monthly costs have reduced by £1,000 Rachel and Lewis' previous monthly costs now: Rent/bills: £0 Gas: £8.75 Laundry: £12 Food: £240 Phone contracts: £60 Caravan insurance: £10 Total: £330 Rachel and Lewis' previous monthly costs as home owners: Mortgage: £500 Council tax: £130 Water: £30 Gas and electric: £70 Subscriptions (like Sky, Netflix, and Amazon): £100 Phone contracts: £60 Food shop: £240 Takeaways: £200 Total: £1,330 6 The pair live on a campsite in Wales
