Shoresearch Cymru rocky shore surveys October 2021
With the nights drawing in, surveying low tide in daylight around North Wales becomes trickier, so we made the most of the large Spring tides earlier in October, before the clocks turned.
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Purple laver
This purply-brown seaweed is a common feature on our rocky shores and on our dinner plates.
Deathwatch beetle
Famed for its tapping in the middle of the night, supposedly heralding tragedy, the Deathwatch beetle is a serious wood-boring pest. In houses, their tunnelling can cause major damage.
Common darter
The Common darter is a red, narrow-bodied dragonfly that can be seen throughout summer and autumn. It is hovers around all kinds of waterbodies, darting out to surprise its prey.
Round-leaved sundew
The carnivorous lifestyle of the round-leaved sundew makes this heathland plant a fascinating species. The round leaves have sticky, 'dew'-covered tendrils that tempt in unsuspecting…
Welsh Beaver Project
The Welsh Beaver Project has been investigating the feasibility of bringing wild beavers back to Wales since 2005. This work is being led by the Wildlife Trusts in Wales as part of our Living Landscapes strategy and we now hope to undertake a managed reintroduction to Wales.
Discovering a winter rockpool
At first glance a beach in the middle of winter seems like a bleak, lifeless environment. However, when you look closer you will realise that life still thrives despite freezing air and stormy…
Common butterwort
The carnivorous lifestyle of common butterwort makes this heathland plant a fascinating species. Its leaves excrete a sticky fluid that tempts unsuspecting insects to land and become its prey.
Emperor dragonfly
The emperor dragonfly is an impressively large and colourful dragonfly of ponds, lakes, canals and flooded gravel pits. It flies between June and August and even eats its prey on the wing.
Honeysuckle
A true wildlife 'hotel', Honeysuckle is a climbing plant that caters for all kinds of wildlife: it provides nectar for insects, prey for bats, nest sites for birds and food for small…
Dipper
The chocolate-brown, plump dipper can often be seen bobbing up and down on a stone in a fast-flowing river. It feeds on underwater insects by walking straight into, and under, the water.
Scorpionfly
The scorpionfly, as its name suggests, has a curved 'tail' that looks like a sting. It is, in fact, the males' claspers for mating. It is yellow and black, with a long 'beak…