0:00:02 > 0:00:04Skomer is an unusual island
0:00:04 > 0:00:08off the west coast of Pembrokeshire in South Wales.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14It's a true island wilderness and a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19especially in spring when seabirds return to breed.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Skomer is unusual because it's one of the few places where
0:00:32 > 0:00:36rabbits live on sea cliffs alongside seabirds like puffins and seagulls
0:00:36 > 0:00:42and because each spring it's transformed by wild flowers.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46For a few precious weeks, they carpet the island,
0:00:46 > 0:00:51creating one of Britain's most beautiful natural spectacles.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02But Skomer hasn't always been a wildlife refuge.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06The rabbits are a reminder that it also has a story to tell.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11For a small island, Skomer has a long history.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Humans are very much part of the rabbits' story
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and long ago Skomer island was a sanctuary for them too.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36If you study its landscape carefully,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40you'll find echoes of ancient Celtic people here.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Two thousand years later
0:01:50 > 0:01:53their walls and foundations survive on the boggy land...
0:01:55 > 0:01:59..along with ruined farm buildings from more modern times.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Today, though, the people have gone and the wildlife remains.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Spring is the busiest time of year for Skomer residents.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25But as the island sticks right out into the Irish sea,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30late April finds Skomer still wrapped in its bleak, grey, winter coat.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35CACOPHONY OF BIRD CALLS
0:02:39 > 0:02:44That doesn't stop noisy colonies of kittiwakes nesting on the sea cliffs.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Their neighbours - fulmars -
0:02:50 > 0:02:53seem to actually enjoy the blustery weather!
0:02:56 > 0:03:00And, alongside the birds, there's an animal you might not expect to find
0:03:00 > 0:03:02on an island in the sea...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06..the rabbit.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Skomer rabbits aren't just special because of their location -
0:03:12 > 0:03:15they also come in different colours!
0:03:27 > 0:03:30In early May as the weather warms up,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32it's a good time to see baby rabbits feeding close to their burrows.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39There are no foxes, weasels or dogs here on Skomer,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42which gives these infants a head start.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55But they share their home
0:03:55 > 0:03:58with some nosy neighbours their mainland cousins would never see.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Puffins have spent the winter out at sea,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and now arrive to breed.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Time to spring clean and redecorate last year's nest burrows.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45What makes the Skomer rabbits special
0:04:45 > 0:04:48is that they're survivors of a bygone age.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51People brought them to the island in the Middle Ages.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Back then rabbits weren't common at all, they were a special delicacy
0:04:57 > 0:05:01and in great demand for their fur and as luxury food.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04So rabbit farming was big business.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08That's why the Skomer rabbits come in different colours.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12In the past, people released several domestic varieties
0:05:12 > 0:05:15to try to improve the wild population through interbreeding.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Today, though,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31rabbits have free rein and there aren't even any mammal predators,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34which makes Skomer a rabbit paradise...
0:05:34 > 0:05:37a marine version of Watership Down!
0:06:00 > 0:06:02But even Skomer has its dangers,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05especially if you're small or very young.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08An island full of breeding birds and rabbits
0:06:08 > 0:06:12inevitably attracts unwanted attention.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Short-eared owls patrol the moors...
0:06:16 > 0:06:20looking for baby rabbits caught out in the open.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And the owls aren't the only threats
0:06:24 > 0:06:27the little ones have to watch out for.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Some of the seabirds are killers too.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35A greater black-backed gull
0:06:35 > 0:06:38is fisher, scavenger and hunter all in one.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Much bigger than a herring gull, these heavyweights
0:06:41 > 0:06:44often mug and kill baby bunnies.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57A determined gull is patient and clever,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00little rabbits often innocent and curious.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Not a good combination.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Most rabbits take cover,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15but some brave mothers don't take kindly to baby bashing...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and fight back.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Rabbits, it seems, aren't always on the run!
0:07:33 > 0:07:37And for others, spring itself comes to the rescue,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39in the most unexpected and beautiful way.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45As May progresses,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50the warming sun creates ideal growing conditions for the plants.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54The low turf turns into a garden,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57a perfect hiding place for little rabbits.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10The gulls are foiled by flowers and Skomer itself is transformed.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17The whole island bursts out in bloom,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19just as it has for centuries...
0:08:23 > 0:08:26..becoming rabbit paradise again.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Subtitles by Mairi Macleod Red Bee Media Ltd
0:08:55 > 0:08:57E-mail us at subtitling@bbc.co.uk