Bird Watching

Skomer Island

My daughter is fascinated by the dead ones:

127 Manx Shearwaters.

But did we need to fork out extra cash for the binoculars?

She tells everyone about our dead bird watching,

points to the scrub and does, in fact, use the binoculars

to see their twisted spinal columns in grotesque detail.

Other visitors think the seals are more rewarding.

They urge us, hand us their very own binoculars

to watch them lounging on rocks – pregnant.

We oblige,

we make the right oohs and ahhs,

then return to our counting.