Limestone pavement
Slabs of smooth grey rock, incised with deep fissures and patterned with swirling hollows and runnels sculpted by thousands of years of rainwater, form an unlikely wildlife habitat. Look a little…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
My spa day
For Lucy, the wind and salty spray of the Atlantic Ocean is more relaxing than any spa treatment and being surrounded by amazing wildlife, like Common Dolphins, Minke Whales and Harbour Porpoise…
Sedge warbler
In summer, the sedge warbler can be spotted singing from a reed or willow perch in wetlands across the UK. Males never sing the same song twice, adding new phrases to impress the females.
Marsh tit
Despite its name, the marsh tit actually lives in woodland and parks in England and Wales. It is very similar to the willow tit, but has a glossier black cap and a 'pitchoo' call that…
Oak apple gall wasp
Living up to its name, the oak apple gall wasp produces growths, or 'galls', on oak twigs that look like little apples. Inside the gall, the larvae of the wasp feed on the host tissues,…
Yew
The Yew is a well-known tree of churchyards, but also grows wild on chalky soils. Yew trees can live for hundreds of years, turning into a maze of hollow wood and fallen trunks beneath dense…
How to provide bushes for nesting birds
In the spring, birds choose the best locations to build nests, so why not offer them a safe place to settle?
Spiral wrack
This brown seaweed lives high up on rocky shores, just below the high water mark. Its blades are usually twisted, giving it the name Spiral Wrack.
Cushion star
It's easy to see where this small starfish got its name, it really does look like a little star-shaped cushion. Keep an eye out under rocks next time you're rockpooling for this little…
Shoresearch Cymru rocky shore surveys June 2021
In June we visited a couple of areas of shore which are not within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering the intertidal area, but which are part of wider areas of protection.
Red mason bee
The red mason bee is a common, gingery bee that can be spotted nesting in the crumbling mortar of old walls. Encourage bees to nest in your garden by putting out a tin can full of short, hollow…
Picnics, rocky shores and friendships for life
Three of our Living Seas Champions have developed a firm friendship through their love of the rockyshore and the need to be a part of helping to conserve the special patch of nature that is…