Wandering Birder| Europe 2003| Ireland Page 1 Page 2 / 4 Ireland - Page 2 Skellig Michael The Puffin Steps Ireland Page 1 Skellig Michael .The small boat with ten passengers left at 10:30 AM. Getting on the boat was no problem and the trip out took less than an hour. On the way out I saw Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots (murres), but not one Storm-petrel. The islands were covered in fog and this condition persisted during our visit. The monks must have endured many cold, foggy days. We disembarked onto stone steps with the assistance of the captain and the mate. This was a difficult disembarkation. This trip is not appropriate for anyone with limited mobility. We were to have 4 hours on the island. The cliffs near the landing were covered with Kittiwake nests. Notice that they nest on very narrow ledges. The cacophony of their calls made it hard to distinguish the three syllables call that gives them their name. We walked about 200 yards to the coast guard jhelicopter landing station and then began to climb the stairs. The Puffin Steps The monks had 3 sets of stairs to the monastery. The park service has restored one set of 200 steps. The steps are easily climbed, but there are many. The climb to the monastery took me an hour. Climbing is made much easier by the close Puffin experiences. Here a photographer stops for two Puffins standing on the steps. Notice the dense fog which covered the island the whole time we were there. Puffins prefer to nest in burrows they dig into the ground. Here a Puffins returns to the burrow with a mouth full of Sandeels. How do they catch so many? After climbing for some time you come to the saddle. Take a good rest in this pleasant meadow because while you are almost there, the next 30 or so steps are the steepest. Finally you come to a level path with a stone cliff on one side. I was startled by the groaning call of a Puffin concealed in its burrow in the rocks that lined the path. Here he ( or she) is peering out at me. Puffins prefer to burrow in soft dirt, but those that fail to get a burrow site will settle for a hole in the rocks. Skellig Michael continued Next Page Wandering Birder| Europe 2003 Next Page 3