Isle of May: Puffins, Whales and Aerial Attackers

The Isle of May National Nature Reserve is home to a vast array of seabirds including the one I was looking out for, the super cute Puffin. But what we actually found on the island was so much more than I expected.

To get to the island we booked tickets for the May Princess and picked them up next to the harbour in Anstruther. Along with the tickets we were given an information booklet on the Isle of May and a map of the island. The boat was packed with around 60 people from young couples and families to photographers and older hillwalkers. Once on board the journey took around an hour which passed very fast, despite the leisurely pace of the boat. Passing birds were pointed out by the boat staff and there were toilets and a small bar below deck. The boat has an inside area which would be useful on colder, rainy days but we were again lucky with the weather and got to enjoy the sunshine on the top deck.

 

 As we got closer to the Isle the boat slowed down and we observed the birds bobbing about the water on one side and the sharp cliffs of the island (dyed white from bird droppings) on the other. The noise was intense and I really got a sense that the island belonged to the birds that were nesting on the cliffs.

On the island one of the female researchers, who was staying on the island for a couple of months to carry out research and count the birds, gave us a brief introduction. She asked us to stick to the paths and give space to young chicks who were still learning to fly. On the island there is a new visitor centre which has some information on the Isle and the toilets which are behind. We were then let loose to wander round which the strict instriuction to be back for 5:45.

As we walked up the path towards the visitor centre a protective bird starting swopping anyone who walked past a young chick that was stuck on the path. The researchers asked us to put hats on if we had them and one older man informed us that the last time he had come to the island his white hat had been turned red from bird attackers. I wasn't prepared for that so decided to take the other route and head for the South of the island. We used the map we had been given and guided our way around the paths, stopping at viewpoints to observe the wildlife in more detail.

I went to the Isle of May with the hope of seeing my first wild Puffin and I shouldn't have worried, we saw plenty! The cute little birds with the brightly striped beaks were the star attraction of the isle and everyone was after a shot of one. Thankfully, they seemed quite happy to pose for us and I'm sure the professional photographers got some amazing shots.

Something that I didn't expect to see when on the island but was shocked and thrilled about was our sighting of a Minke Whale! At first we thought the slow fin arching through the waves was a dolphin but one of the researchers advised it was actually a whale.

On the island there were also some cultural spots of interest including the Priory where monks used to live, old lighthouses that protected and guided sailors in the past and foghorns that warned of bad weather. The paths around the Isle of May were very clear and although we felt quite high up there was no difficult climb. We were also interested in all the burrow holes around the island and guessing whether they belonged to rabbits or puffins.

Our 2hours 25minutes passed incredibly quickly and it was soon time to dash back to the boat for the journey home and some dinner at the famous chippy in Anstruther. I would like to make a trip back to the island in the future as I think each visit would be different depending on the season and weather, with a huge variety of wildlife to spot as well as an enjoyable wander around the Isle.

Here is a quick list of the wildlife we saw while on the Isle of May:

• Puffins
• Minke Whale
• Kittiwakes
• Shags
• Guillemots
• Razorbills
• Fulmars
• Grey Seals
• Red Admiral butterflies

The facts on a day out on the Isle of May:

• Tickets can be booked in advance by phone and must be collected 30 minutes prior to sailing.
• If the weather is bad sailings may be suspended so I would recommend checking in advance.
• Times of sailings can be checked on the website.
• Toilets can be found on the May Princess boat and on the island.
• No food is served on the island but you can take a picnic.
• The full journey takes around 5 hours with around 3 hours on the island.
• Take a hat to protect from bird droppings and aerial attacks!
• Wear: season appropriate clothes; waterproofs, walking shoes/ boots.
• Perfect for everyone from twitchers and wildlife photographers to those who can't tell a pigeon from a parrot.