Strumble Head

My hope of setting foot on one of Pembrokeshire's famous bird islands was blown away by a 35mph northerly this morning. So, with our trip to Ramsey Island called off by the captain I dropped Tamara in Cardigan and marched up Cemaes Head from Poppit Sands. The wind was so strong I couldn't hold my goggles steady and had to call it a day.

After hours of house-bound boredom and the invention of the Ultimate Raven Feeder™ (surprisingly didn't work) I finally took inspiration, as I have for the whole trip, from Pembrokeshire Birds and headed to Strumble Head for some sea-watching.

With the sun setting, a deafening six-foot swell crashing against the rocks below and a storm rolling in over St.George's Channel it made for a pretty dramatic place to be. Adding to the sense of occasion were my first British Gannets (two stunning adults) and my first Manx Shearwater whose wings didn't beat once in the strong breeze unlike the constant stream of Guillemots and Razorbills who occasionally stopped to feed.

With the storm upon me I made for the car and despite vertical sleet lashing my head and a genuine struggle to open the driver's door against the winds you couldn't have wiped the stupid grin off my face.