Wildlife and bird watching in Wales
What wildlife can be seen in the sea off Wales?
There are two principal areas for watching marine wildlife in Wales, Cardigan Bay and the Pembrokeshire coast, particularly the Llyn Peninsula.
In summer, Minke and Pilot whales are most commonly seen with Fin and Killer whales (or Orca, actually a species of dolphin) more rare. Dolphins are present and can be seen all year round, and while Bottlenose dolphins are reasonably common, Risso’s and Atlantic white-sided are more unusual. It is thought that the resident population of dolphins in Cardigan Bay number 150-200. It is occasionally possible to see whales and dolphins from the shore, though luck is needed. Newquay pier and Lynas Point (Anglesey) probably provide your best chances. Harbour porpoises are probably the most common sighting, while Grey seals, Basking sharks and Sunfish are also seen.
Grey Seals may be seen on the coast at various places in Wales, such as Cardigan Island, Ynys Lochtyn, Cwm Tudu and New Quay.
There are two principal areas for watching marine wildlife in Wales, Cardigan Bay and the Pembrokeshire coast, particularly the Llyn Peninsula.
In summer, Minke and Pilot whales are most commonly seen with Fin and Killer whales (or Orca, actually a species of dolphin) more rare. Dolphins are present and can be seen all year round, and while Bottlenose dolphins are reasonably common, Risso’s and Atlantic white-sided are more unusual. It is thought that the resident population of dolphins in Cardigan Bay number 150-200. It is occasionally possible to see whales and dolphins from the shore, though luck is needed. Newquay pier and Lynas Point (Anglesey) probably provide your best chances. Harbour porpoises are probably the most common sighting, while Grey seals, Basking sharks and Sunfish are also seen.
Grey Seals may be seen on the coast at various places in Wales, such as Cardigan Island, Ynys Lochtyn, Cwm Tudu and New Quay.
Birds in Wales
The big news is that Ospreys are once again breeding in Wales, at Glaslyn. They first appeared in 2004, and though the nest was blown down in a storm, they bred successfully in 2005. Red Kites are another signature species, and are best seen at the now famous Gigrin farm where as many as several hundred Kites will appear at once (the worse the weather, the more kites appear, usually). Other key species include dippers (try RSPB Lake Vrynwy or Gilfach nature reserve), choughs, puffins, guillemots and razorbills (all on Ramsey Island and Skokholm Island), short eared owls and the world’s largest population of Manx shearwaters (Skomer Island), whimbrel and winged plovers (Snowdonia).
With a wide variety of rocky coastline, coastal marshes, a mountainous interior, upland heaths, numerous lakes and reservoirs and some large swathes of broad leaf and conifer forest, Wales attracts more than it’s fair share of bird species, around 420 different species have been recorded (compared with roughly 530 in England).
The big news is that Ospreys are once again breeding in Wales, at Glaslyn. They first appeared in 2004, and though the nest was blown down in a storm, they bred successfully in 2005. Red Kites are another signature species, and are best seen at the now famous Gigrin farm where as many as several hundred Kites will appear at once (the worse the weather, the more kites appear, usually). Other key species include dippers (try RSPB Lake Vrynwy or Gilfach nature reserve), choughs, puffins, guillemots and razorbills (all on Ramsey Island and Skokholm Island), short eared owls and the world’s largest population of Manx shearwaters (Skomer Island), whimbrel and winged plovers (Snowdonia).
With a wide variety of rocky coastline, coastal marshes, a mountainous interior, upland heaths, numerous lakes and reservoirs and some large swathes of broad leaf and conifer forest, Wales attracts more than it’s fair share of bird species, around 420 different species have been recorded (compared with roughly 530 in England).
Mammals in Wales
The biggest non-marine mammals in Wales are Red deer, one of five deer species found in Wales; Fallow, Roe, Sika and Muntjac deer are also found but deer numbers are not high and they are much less common than in England or Scotland. Polecats and Pine Martens still inhabit the forests of Snowdonia though are very rarely seen, and stoats, weasels, hares, rabbits, otters, badgers, foxes and hedgehogs are all present. Red squirrels can still be found if you know where to look; try the Clocaenog Forest (a good place for black grouse too) in North Wales, not far from Corwen.
13 species of bat have been recorded in Wales, including Greater and Lesser horseshoe bats.
Reptiles in Wales
Grass snakes, adders and common lizards (try Oxwich bay) are all present, though not often seen. There have been several succesful reintroductions of sand lizards into north and west Wales, click here for more information.
The biggest non-marine mammals in Wales are Red deer, one of five deer species found in Wales; Fallow, Roe, Sika and Muntjac deer are also found but deer numbers are not high and they are much less common than in England or Scotland. Polecats and Pine Martens still inhabit the forests of Snowdonia though are very rarely seen, and stoats, weasels, hares, rabbits, otters, badgers, foxes and hedgehogs are all present. Red squirrels can still be found if you know where to look; try the Clocaenog Forest (a good place for black grouse too) in North Wales, not far from Corwen.
13 species of bat have been recorded in Wales, including Greater and Lesser horseshoe bats.
Reptiles in Wales
Grass snakes, adders and common lizards (try Oxwich bay) are all present, though not often seen. There have been several succesful reintroductions of sand lizards into north and west Wales, click here for more information.
County by county
Recent Wales news
- Osprey chicks in UK
- Very unusual bird spotted on Welsh border
- Peter Hain resigns as shadowm minister to promote Severn Barrage
- The white kite of Gigrin Farm
- Drought conditions playing havoc with bluebell season
- New habitat created for Endangered Southern damselfly in Pembrokeshire
- Call for ban on sky lanterns and balloon release in Wales
- Welsh Assembly abandons badger cull in favour of vaccination programme
- Restoring Wales's climate-saving peatlands
- UK government announces 12 large scale 'wildlife zones'
- Otter poo reveals surprising facts about otter's diet - Includes birds and mice
- Shining (infra-red) light on Welsh woodlands wildlife
- Pigeon fanciers investigated by police for Peregrine persecution
- African mystery surrounds Welsh-born osprey
- Welsh wetland turned over to wildlife
More Wales news
- £1million raised to buy the home of the Welsh red dragon legend
- Wales is home to 13 new sea sponge species
- £700,000 boost for Welsh nature reserve
- Hundreds of birds saved in two dramatic rescues
- Birds flock to restored coast at Llanelli
- Unusual behaviour in Welsh dolphins
- Tracking young Scottish osprey’s zigzag tour of Britain
- UK Seabirds falling through safety net
- First ospreys fledge at Cors Dyfi in over 400 years
- 12.5 million birds rely on Britain’s coasts and wetlands
- Last chance to protest against badger cull
- Welsh osprey chicks to be satellite tracked
- Osprey update July 2011
- Osprey in Mid Wales
- Armed police crackdown on poachers - In Wales
First ospreys fledge at Cors Dyfi in over 400 yearsThis is the first time that ospreys have successfully bred on the Dyfi since 1604 and marks a milestone in the conservation of ospreys in Wales.
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21 Fin whales spotted in Irish SeaOne of the largest ever known gatherings of Fin whales in British waters has recently been observed in the Celtic Deep, 50-70 nautical miles off the coasts of north Cornwall and south west Pembrokeshire.
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First ospreys arrive back in the UKThe ospreys are back. EJ has arrived at Loch Garten, and the romantically named 03(97) is back at his nest at Rutland Water, and other ospreys have been sighted all over the UK, but as yet there is now sign of the 'Lady of the Loch', the amazing 25 year old bird from The Loch of the Lowes.
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Severn Barrage abandonedA barrage like the one proposed between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare would not only destroy huge areas of estuary marsh and mudflats used by 69,000 birds each winter and block the migration routes of countless fish, but, as confirmed by this report, it would dramatically increase risk of flooding to residential properties.
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Welsh badgers saved as cull declared unlawfulCampaigners celebrated as the Court of Appeal handed down judgment finding the proposed Welsh badger cull to be unlawful on all three grounds they raised on appeal.
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Osprey update 2010 - First ospreys arrive back in the UKThe bird thought to be oldest breeding female of its kind ever recorded in the UK returned for the 20th consecutive year to the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve, astonishing wildlife experts.
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Are Sea eagles coming back to Suffolk? Vote on what you think should happenIn any debate about conservation, it is always important to discount 10% of the arguments at either end of the range, as some people will support all conservation, no matter what the cost or practicalities, and others would complain about spending 5 Euros to save the last elephant. Somewhere in the middle is a rational debate and, usually, the right answer.
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Britain’s only resident orca pod – No breeding for 20 yearsThe conservation status of the group is thought to be critical since no live calves have been sighted since research began almost two decades ago.
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Blue Marlin found on Welsh beach. Remarkably, just a few weeks after a Swordfish was found on a beach in South Wales, a Blue Marlin has washed up onto another Welsh beach.
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New species of ‘ghost’ slug discovered in WalesThe bizarre subterranean Ghost slug has been named Selenochlamys ysbryda by experts at National Museum Cardiff, Wales.
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Swordfish found on South Wales BeachA rare and endangered swordfish has been discovered dead on a South Wales beach.
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Seashore safaris
Best activity book of the year
Summer is here, we have warm weather, and the beach is beckoning. A swim, build a couple of sandcastles, a bit of beach cricket, but what to do next?
Click rockpooling to read more
Articles about the wildlife of the UK
- The best seal-watching spots in Britain
- Where to see the deer rut
- The Bottlenose dolphins of Scotland's west coast
- A visit to the Red kites of Gigrin Farm, near Rhyader in Wales
Great British Marine Animals - 3rd Edition
Many people think of the waters around Great Britain as cold, grey and fairly lifeless. This book will put you right (though noone can argue about the water temperature).Read full review »
The Gannets of Grassholm Island
Gannets have now colonised the island in huge numbers. Grassholm covers only 22 acres and there are at least 60,000 Gannets plus their chicks, as well as small colonies of Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Shags.
