When I think of the Isles of Scilly, I see an untamable archipelago off the South-West of Penzance. This collection of islands is unique, each one is characteristically different and beautiful. However, what interests me most is the range of wildlife and conservation projects on the islands. Projects such as rat eradication for seabird nesting and bringing the community together to help protect nature. My first time on the Scillies was spending one day on each island, walking the coastpaths with my camera. However, this year was a data collection field trip with my University.
St Agnes was the island we camped on all week. For me, this island felt isolated and wild, with a sense of disconnect from the outside world. With a population of less than 100, it is very easy to wander along the coast without seeing anybody for hours.
Our university organised for us to spend the first few days on boat trips, behaviour and diversity data collection practice and talks with local conservation experts. Later in the week, we designed and carried out our group project data collection. Overall, it was a truly amazing experience seeing conservation in practice and seabirds thriving in their natural environment.
Whilst we did not get to see dolphins on our Scillonian trip, we managed to spot a minke whale as we turned into St Mary's. With a perfect crossing and sunburnt nose, it was an amazing start to the trip.
With a campsite completely exposed to the West, we had the best panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. Eating breakfast on the beach at sunrise and watching the sunset after a busy day of walking was truly a reconnection with nature. My phone screen time even decreased by an average 89%!
Our first walk when we arrived went from a short wander to making it around the whole island. We explored beady pool beach but sadly did not find any of the terracotta beads. We did get to reward ourselves with the local ice cream from Troy Town Farmshop, which was so good we visited most days of the week.
Our boat trip took us around Annet and the Western Rocks, right out towards Bishop Rock Lighthouse. These uninhabited rocks house hundreds of breeding seabirds, which we were able to see through our binoculars. We managed to spot Greater Blackback Gulls, Shags, Cormorants, Razorbills, Guillemots, many seals and my personal favorite-Puffins! These colourful little birds were a joy to see and a memory I will keep with me.
Our guide informed us of the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project. This amazing project managed to declare St Agnes and Gugh rat-free in 2017. The non-native rat removal has resulted in successful Manx Shearwater chicks being bred and Storm Petrels recorded returning. On our tour around Gugh, we saw nesting Greater Blackback and Herring Gulls from a safe distance while they were being surveyed to not disturb them. We were also lucky enough to see how Manx Shearwaters are surveyed, by playing the call of males into a potential nest entrance and listening for a callback, which we received!
We found St Agnes had a large species richness once we started rock pooling, from hermit crabs and starfish to coilworms in the seaweed. Nice low tide times allowed us to have later starts and make the most of the morning free time exploring. We practised designing projects and data collection methods on the rocky shores, an amazing way to gain practical skills!
Our group project focused on whether there is an invertebrate preference for native and non-native flora on St Agnes. Whilst we only had two days for data collection, we managed two different collection methods - flower-insect time surveys and tree beating. However, the point of our project was not completely focused on the data we collected, but on our techniques and ability to work together in improvising when plans go wrong in the field.
During our week at the campsite, we got to experience island tameness with local birds. This was something I had never heard of until arriving. Island tameness is when species on isolated islands lose their wariness to potential predators. We experienced the most tameness with blackbirds, especially at camp. When we sat at lunch, we had birds landing on our heads or sitting next to us.
After a week of data collection, we celebrated with a pasty and homemade, foraged tomato salad around a campfire. There was an abundance of herbs we found while walking, including fennel. The campfire was well-earned, with us collecting driftwood all day and carrying it back to camp. However, we did have a lack of marshmallows to roast.
Overall, it was an amazing field trip where we learnt lots about practical skills, gained firsthand experience of seabird surveying and viewed seabirds in their natural, breeding habitats.
I would recommend St Agnes to anyone wanting to experience wildlife and coastal walks all week, with mostly sunshine and amazing views. My one regret is not taking my snorkel! This little island has an amazing history of wildlife conservation and successful improvement, I think anyone interested in seabird conservation should go and have this experience. Future projects are being developed to help rat eradication on other islands in the next few years, where there will be positions for volunteers to help. However, if you want a more social holiday, St Marys or Tresco would be more your match. Any place in the Scillies has an abundance of wildlife to experience, so I would recommend trying to experience as many islands as possible for your first trip and then deciding which suits your preferences.
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