Easter Bunny Adventure

Rabbit juvenile - Richard Bowler

Spend your Easter with a truly wild Easter bunny!

Skomer Island is renowned for its breath-taking #wildlife and stunning scenery. People come from all over the world to witness the waddling walk of a Puffin and hear the mysterious calls of the Manx Shearwaters. With dolphin sightings from the cliffs, perching razorbills and the slender guillemot, the island really is a true wildlife haven to behold.

But what some visitors may often be surprised about when visiting #Skomer is the abundance of rabbits on the island, and the diversity of colours within them. From an ordinary sandy brown right through to white collared rabbits and even black rabbits, the variety is intriguing.

Rabbits were introduced to Skomer around 700 years ago by the Normans and the island was used as a rabbit farm, or coney island.  Skomer rabbits only produce one litter, usually in April, consisting of about three kittens (baby rabbits).

Rabbits have numerous positive effects for nature conservation on Skomer and they have a three main beneficial effects in maintaining Skomer’s wildlife diversity:

Puffin & Rabbit - Charles Thody

1. Although Manx Shearwaters and Puffins can dig their own burrows, they will also use old rabbit burrows as well.

2. By keeping the vegetation low when eating rabbits allow plants to have access to light which increases the botanical diversity of the island.

3. In good rabbit years it is thought that less seabirds are predated upon by the islands top predators.

April is also a special time on the island for seabirds, especially Puffins as they will return to land where their courtship takes place. The bonus of staying overnight is that at this time of year, Puffins will often spend their days out at sea and then return to Skomer in the evenings, sometimes putting on a spectacular wheeling display in North Haven.

So why not spend Easter on an island surrounded by rabbits and Skomer’s truly amazing wildlife! April is a great time to visit the island and watch as the Puffins settle into their summer houses. 

To book a stay on Skomer this spring call 01656 724100.

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Sea views in Wales

PEMBROKESHIRE’S luxury holiday letting agency Experience Môr will be adding a new cottage to its collection this summer: a coastal stone longhouse, Penmynydd Uchaf, midway between Fishguard and Newport.

The three-bedroom house will be the company's eighth property. It has uninterrupted ocean views to Dinas Head and Fishguard, it’s set in almost five acres of land, and is 900ft above sea level.

Available from early July, the house sleeps seven, and has two bathrooms. Prices start from £780 a week, rising to £2,295 during peak season.

It’s 2.4 miles from the village of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, which has a sand-and-shingle beach, while the village of Dinas Cross and a Newport Sands are only minutes away.

www.experience-mor.org


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Picture Credit: www.experience-mor.org

National Park volunteers … they’re winners

NATIONAL PARKS UK has announced the names of the winners of its 2015 Volunteer Awards, reflecting the very best of the hundreds who work to protect and improve Britain’s breathing spaces. 

The annual awards are a way of saying thank you for the thousands of volunteer hours put into the UK’s 15 National Parks. The awards are presented in four categories: Individual, Young Person (under 25 years), Group, and Project. Winners of the individual categories receive their choice of kit from outdoor specialist and National Parks UK brand partner Merrell, while winners in the group and project categories get a £1,000 bursary toward future volunteering efforts.

Including highly commended nominees, the awards acknowledge efforts from volunteers spanning the British landscape, with the Brecon Beacons, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast, and Yorkshire Dales all represented.

Frances Bland, a volunteer in Yorkshire Dales National Park, was named as the winner in the Individual category. A strong advocate of volunteering, she walked more than 170 miles of Yorkshire Dales footpath as part of her work.

All three nominees in the Young Person category impressed the judges, with New Forest’s Karl Epps being named winner. A wheelchair user, Mr Epps has worked with the New Forest National Park to ensure inclusiveness at national park events.
In the Group category, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Youth Rangers were named as winners.

The winning Project in 2015 was the Fit for Work scheme taking place within the boundaries of Peak District National Park. Targeted at individuals from outside the traditional national parks audience, the project helps participants earn qualifications in countryside management. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46943749@N06/14954433549">Nidderdale Portrait</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/21081514@N08/5386749097">The Green Bridge of Wales - Pembrokeshire</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), Beech woodland in Bignell Wood, Wittensford, New Forest by Jim Champion. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons