We sailed overnight from northern Wales to south Wales. The anchor was on the south side of Skomer Island and was surrounded 80% by high, steep cliffs. No place to go ashore, plus, we were not allowed to as it is a bird sanctuary. Thousands of birds, great black-back gulls, gannets, cormorants, razorbills, oyster catchers, guillemots, terns, kittiwakes and, our favorites, the puffins. They have such an awkward way of landing in the water, they rear back, stop flying and then do a face plant with a big splash. One puffin landed on top of another one, which begs a question. They are very social, hanging out together in the water. Are they pranksters and land on each other for fun, just like a kid would do? Or am I anthropomorphizing? The next morning was not so fun. First we found two dead guillemots, in the dim light of the dawn they flew into our rigging and died. But the other birds gave us what for - our boat was covered in bird pooh. We left by 5:30 a.m., for a 26-hour sail to the Isles of Scilly, and I spent the first hour cleaning off as much pooh as I could, as it stains if you let it dry hard in the sun.