Shoresearch rocky shore surveys - August 2022
With our shores being busy with tourism and the tides being low early doors and evening, we’ve managed to get some Shoresearch surveys in for August, by heading out early and late. Thanks to keen…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Daubenton's bat
Look out for the Daubenton's bat foraging over wetlands across the UK at twilight. Its flight is fast and agile as it skims the water's surface for insect-prey.
Coot
A familiar black bird of our lakes, ponds and rivers, the coot is widespread; look out for its large and untidy-looking nest on the water in spring. The coot can be distinguished from the similar…
Moorhen
A familiar black bird of our lakes, ponds and rivers, the moorhen is widespread; look out for its large and untidy-looking nest on the water in spring. It can be distinguished from the similar…
Autumn gentian
A late-flowering plant, Autumn gentian displays pretty, mauve, tube-like flowers atop its reddish stems. It favours dry, chalk grassland and sand dune habitats.
Marsh gentian
The bright blue, trumpet-shaped flowers of the marsh gentian contrast deeply with the pinks and purples of the wet heaths it inhabits. The New Forest holds a large population of this late-…
Meadow saffron
A late-blooming flower, Meadow saffron looks like a crocus, displaying similar pink flowers once its leaves have died back. It is a highly poisonous plant of meadows and woodland rides and…
Swallow
Look out for the swallow performing great aerial feats as it catches its insect-prey on the wing. You may also see it perching on a wire, or roosting in a reedbed, as it makes its way back to…
Gardens for wildlife: a New Year's resolution
Last year, we relied on our outdoor spaces to help us cope with the many changes that were made to our normal lives. Our gardens became meeting grounds and offices, new places of calm or new…
A collective noun for wardens
In the final of our series of blogs to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cemlyn as a nature reserve we recall the wardens and volunteers who have played such an important role in protecting the…
Wellbeing and Writing
Last summer, we held a wellbeing and writing walk, at our Spinnies Aberogwen Nature Reserve. We guided our participants through a wellbeing meditation, using their five senses to map out the…
Committees and caravans - their role in saving terns
In the final two blogs to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cemlyn as a nature reserve we recall some of the people who have being involved in the protection of the Cemlyn tern colony and celebrate…