Another day, another island...or two!

Thursday
Today’s boat trip took us first out to Annet, an uninhabited island, protected as a nature reserve for colonies of sea birds, including puffins, which lies to the NW of St. Agnes. It was a gorgeous morning as we were waiting on the quay and then on the boat as we awaited our departure. We dropped a few people off at St. Agnes first - I guess the direct boat had been full - then continued to Annet. We did see a few puffins bobbing about on the water, as well as gannets, shags, kittiwakes and razorbills. We also saw a few seals sunning themselves on a few isolated rocks. There was quite a swell, so the skipper needed to be pretty skilled, getting in close to the rocks, so we could see, yet keeping us safe from the jagged rocks! Meanwhile, the clouds had been gathering, and suddenly there was a scramble to get the rain gear out, and put the cameras away, before the rain started! The boats are completely open, except for the skipper and his crew who can get in the little cabin, and we got well and truly soaked! We got another great sighting of some more razorbills on the rocks, but nobody was going to get their cameras out in the rain. Then, almost as soon as it started, it began to lessen, and by the time we returned to St Agnes, the sky was clearing, the sun was shining, and the sea was turquoise - like a different day! We treated ourselves to a hot chocolate at the pub by the quay, to warm ourselves up, then set off walking. It was low tide, so this meant the sand and shingle bar (top right in my collage), which links St Agnes to the adjacent island of Gugh was high and dry, so we started by walking around the island of Gugh. Then we crossed St Agnes, passing by the short stout white lighthouse, no longer lit, but useful as a day mark. The light was extinguished in 1911, in favour of the Peninnis Light on St. Mary’s. We continued on to Troy Town Farm, near the west coast, where we enjoyed some of their homemade ice cream. We passed a field with four calves, where the farmer was mending the fence. We got talking to him, and I asked him about the ages of the calves - they varied in age from about three months old, down to a small black one, just four days old! Near the farm we passed the stone snowmen in another little field! We walked a stretch of the shoreline trail, before taking a more southerly path across the island, past a few more fields of cows. Arriving back at the quay in good time, we enjoyed a drink sitting out in the sun, while we waited for the boat.