# Grassholm, Island of Gannets…



## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Having lived here most of my life I've pretty much seen and experienced everything this part of Wales has to offer, that is all except for one place. A place I've only ever seen through binoculars from afar, a place that is literally out on it's own, this place is called Grassholm Island.

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One of the lesser visited of all the Pembrokeshire Islands, it sits roughly ten miles from the mainland. It's a small rock in the middle of nowhere but plays a very important part to one particular species of bird; the Gannet. Grassholm Island serves as a breeding site for 39,000 pairs of the birds, and supports around 10 percent of the world population. It's the third largest Atlantic Gannetry in the world behind the Scottish islands of St Kilda and Bass Rock respectively.

From afar this island appears half white, the is mainly down to the (guano) mass of Gannets tightly packed into one small piece of rock.

You don't realise how large these birds are until your up close, with a wingspan up to 2 metres in some cases these are seriously big birds to be amongst.

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More photos and write up on my blog >> http://www.drewbuckleyphotography.com/blog/2011/07/28/grassholm-island-of-gannets/

Thanks for looking :thumb:

drew

_Canon EOS 7D with 400mm f/5.6L
_


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## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

Some really good photos there.
Strangely beautiful birds with their painted faces.
I live near the Bass rock and the rock looks white even when the birds are gone as the guano is their mess.
Guano (from the Quechua 'wanu', (dung) via Spanish) is the excrement (feces and urine) of seabirds, cave dwelling insectivorous bats, and seals.


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Lovely shots Drew


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## pooma (Apr 12, 2008)

Nice, very nice:thumb:


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

#3 & 5 are very good Drew. 

You didn't get bombed whilst shooting did you


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

No. 3 is fantastic  Great shots.


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## Maxtor (Feb 23, 2007)

Stunning mate, truly stunning.:thumb:

Maxtor.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Thanks guys, very much appreciated :thumb:



cheekeemonkey said:


> #3 & 5 are very good Drew.
> 
> You didn't get bombed whilst shooting did you


hah yeh, thankfully not but I did think about it whilst we were floating nearby....big birds = big bombs :doublesho


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Superb Drewster, as always.

Did you take these from a boat? If so, was it choppy and did it interfere with focus and composition at all? I would imagine it will be difficult shooting from a boat if it was rocking up and down.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Shiny said:


> Superb Drewster, as always.
> 
> Did you take these from a boat? If so, was it choppy and did it interfere with focus and composition at all? I would imagine it will be difficult shooting from a boat if it was rocking up and down.


Cheers Shinester, yeh taken from a boat. You can't land on the island so just go around it a few times bobbing about, was a bit tricky but was a calm ish sea so just had to made sure shutter speed was v.high for it not to be a problem :thumb:

drew


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