Steep Holm Island
Ringing Totals 1975 - 2005 | Paul Moon Visit 2005 | Visit 12th June 2006
| Paul Moon Visit 2007
2006 Sailing dates:
The following dates have been offered to the trust as available dates. Some or all of these dates will be offered this year:
April - None
May - 27th, 29th
June - 12th, 14th, 27th, 29th
July - 12th, 27th, 29th
August - 10th, 12th, 24th, 26th, 27th
September - 8th, 10th, 24th, 26th
It's been over 20 years since I last visited Steep Holm but the trip obviously made an impression on me as I have some very strong memories from my visit. It was my first ever island trip and started off my love of visiting islands.
Steep Holm is owned by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust. There are only a handfull of trips that run to the island each month and this is due to the tides. The boat makes a 5 mile journey from Knightsone jetty at Weston-Super-Mare to a pebble beach on the east side of the island. From there, a steep ascent to the islands plateau takes you 256 feet above sea level giving great views of the surrounding area.
Once on the island you are left to explore the islands 50 acres for the whole day. Being an SSSI means that there is plenty to keep you occupied. Probably the most well known are the wild Peonies. Muntjac deer can still be found grazing the island and have been present since their introduction in 1977. The island also used to boast one of the biggest gull colonies in britain but with the increase of nesting on factory rooves in Weston, Cardiff and Bristol this is no longer the case. The Cormorant colony is now increasing and has about 80 pairs. Not many rarities have been recorded on the island but this would be due to the lack of regular observations. Alpine Swift and Melodious Warbler have both been recorded in the past.
Steep Holm also has a history of human habitation and there is evidence still there today. Even from the mainland you can see the 7 ton victorian cannons.
The 2006 schedule has not been published yet. Check back here and I will post as soon as it becomes available.
Paul Moon visited the island during the summer of last year. Read his account below:
Paul Moon visit:
Dear all, finally had a minute to mail our sightings, here is our full daylist: (birds not in Voous order)
Grey Seal seen at low tide off the beach. Pale/light markings on either side
of head.
2 Muntjac briefly seen near the path to South Landing
Woodpigeon (plus young heard calling from nest on path to plateau, near the
back of the Inn)
Wrens seen and heard - noted slightly different song from mainland birds -
it seemed softer, smoother, quieter (maybe because of less background noise
on the island?)
Dunnocks x2
Blackbird
Crows x2
Feral Pigeon
Chaffinch x2 (maybe 3 birds eating ivy berries)
Herring, Lesser & Greater Black Backed Gulls in numerous numbers including
juveniles.
Black Headed Gull seen from boat on crossing over.
Peregrine Falcon seen strafing gulls on East end of the island mid morning.
Cormorants
Raven seen and heard "honking" around the NE corner of the island late
afternoon.
Whimbrel seen flying round the island - possibly landing on the mud in front
of the Inn? Mid morning.
Redshank seen in brief flight going towards Calf Rock at low tide.
(Lunchtime)
Possible 8-10 Common Scoter coming down the channel around 5pm. Seen very
briefly in two different positions by both of us. Coming towards the NE of
the island. Slender short necked, all black birds flying fairly low over the
water. Noted V flying formation. But lost from sight as birds crossed the
East of the island (heading out of the channel) as we were watching from the
north west corner.
Butterflies:
Small Whites, Large Whites, Red Admiral x2, Painted Lady x1, Meadow Brown
x1, Comma, Gatekeepers.
Odonata:
Common Blue Damselfly
Hawkers up to the 3 behind the Inn. Looked like faded Migrant Hawkers
3x7 Spot and 1x2 (Black form) Spot Ladybirds.
Regards
Paul
Ringing Totals 1975-2005:
7 Sparrowhawk
3 Kestrel
6 Stock Dove
4 Woodpigeon
1 Turtle Dove
1 Nightjar
1 Wryneck
5 Skylark
2 Sand Martin
474 Swallow
15 House Martin
6 Tree Pipit
199 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
852 Wren
1174 Dunnock
389 Robin
21 Redstart
21 Whinchat
2 Stonechat
4 Wheatear
668 Blackbird
276 Song Thrush
11 Redwing
4 Grasshopper Warbler
11 Sedge Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
6 Lesser Whitethroat
41 Whitethroat
37 Garden Warbler
129 Blackcap
2 Yellow-browed Warbler
2 Wood Warbler
386 Chiffchaff
721 Willow Warbler
508 Goldcrest
13 Firecrest
17 Spotted Flycatcher
14 Pied Flycatcher
65 Blue Tit
17 Coal Tit
3 Great Tit
8 Treecreeper
1 Raven
145 Starling
100 Chaffinch
34 Greenfinch
29 Goldfinch
1 Siskin
25 Linnet
6 Redpoll
1 Reed Bunting
Natural History report for Saturday 19 th May 2007.
Anyway, another great trip to the island with a few new sight ticks for both of us, but a pity we did not locate Raven or Peregrine.
Left 1055, strong winds from a West, South Westerly direction at 20 mph, 1 heavy shower on the island soon after landing. Cloudy until mid afternoon when the sun broke through and remained pleasant for the rest of the stay, though the wind did not let up. The channel was too rough for a full lap of the island. We landed about 1210.
Departed 1930 and returned to dock a little before 2000.
In Voous order:
Manx Shearwater about 15 minutes from finally landing I saw 2 singles then a line of 8+ moving out of the channel between Steep Holm and Flat Holm. (Paul Bowyer was scoping from Birnbeck who was seeing 50 + passing through in half hour periods. He also had 1 Pomarine Skua, Gannets, Fulmars and an Artic Skua all moving in the Channel!)
Gannet x1 18:40 finishing the day sat outside the barracks a full adult flew by close in and moved west along the side of the island.
Cormorants west of Summit Battery 40 plus birds counted (from my photo’s) including some very young chicks on the two cliffs.
Shelduck a resident looking pair greeted us as we landed and departed the island, mainly associated off Cliff Cottage
Mallard x1 walking west from a Summit Battery a drake flew right over the centre of the island, heading East.
Oystercatcher another resident looking pair greeted us as we landed and again as we departed the island, these were on the rocks below Tower Rock, facing the beach These were also present as we took a walk down South Landing and cut round Calf rock. From the beach at low tide another bird was present below Cliff Cottage, this was then flushed by some other day trips and two birds took off to sea and came back and landed on the island so 2 pairs definitely.
Skuasps x1 about halfway over on the boat I noticed a large gull flying quite high up and heading towards Wales, I then noticed another bird bank away from the gull, as though it had been attacking it and head further up the channel. Even though it was very distant it was definitely a Skua and possible an Artic as with other sightings in the channel that day. It was an all dark form and about a third smaller than the Black Backed Gull it was harassing.
Lesser Black Backed Gulls these were generally the most numerous gulls on the island.
Herring Gulls smaller numbers than the Lesser Black Backs
Greater Black Backed Gulls finally saw two perched on Calf Rock as we came down South Landing, then 20 minutes later a possible 3 rd bird was alone on the pebble spit at low tide.
Stock Dove x1 seen flying along the side of the island.
Woodpigeon x1 seen late afternoon flying over the island.
Swift only really seen on the journey over to the island, with 5+ birds seen at a time flying fast over the waves heading to Wales.
House Martin x1 and this was only seen flying over the waves on the journey over.
Swallow a few mainly observed flying from Weston towards Wales on the boat over.
House Martin x1 over with the above Swallows all heading towards Weston.
Rock Pipit x1 only really confident we saw 1 Rock pipit, again this was flying and calling around South Landing / Calf Rock / Tower Rock as we walked back round to the beach.
Wrens x1 heard
Dunnock x1 heard
Blackbird x1 heard around Tombstone Battery .
Song Thrush x1 as we walked past the path to South Landing on the way back to the boat one was heard singing from the top of the island.
Chaffinch x2 maybe more heard east of the barracks.
Butterflies:
Very few sightings, probably down to the windy conditions:
Small White x1 seen on top of the island
Large White x1 seen near the Priory
A possible Peacock flew right down the foot path/incline railway as we descended to South Landing, alas did not get a top view to confirm the ID.
Odonata:
None seen – guess it was just too windy
Paul Moon
To visit the island visit:
http://www.steepholm.freeserve.co.uk/trips.html