Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
This time of the year, nature kicks right into top gear. Try spotting the eager young fledglings learning to fly; listen out for the calming sounds of trees in full leaf; let your senses follow the beautiful summer flowers that are in full bloom or watch the bees and butterflies play an important role as they pollinate our planet. For a country blessed with such outstanding natural scenes, here are just some examples of summer nature treats on offer for us all to savour…
If you’re around north Wales this summer, head over to RSPB Conwy. In early summer, the reserve is taken over by orchid season. Thousands of southern marsh orchids and hundreds of bee orchids will bloom. You might spot young stoats scurrying beside the lagoons. Keep an eye out for the stunning black and red six-spot burnet moths feeding on flower heads. Dragonflies like southern hawker and common darter will also be busy laying eggs in the water or soft mud of the smaller ponds.
At RSPB South Stack, the seabird cities that cover the cliffs burst into life over the summer. Guillemots, razorbills and puffins gather, flying and diving back and forth from sea with food for the young ones. A real spectacle and not to be missed. Don’t forget to also look overhead for the reserve’s famous red-billed choughs!
Down the road at RSPB Cors Ddyga, our serene nature haven on Anglesey, adorable lapwing chicks will be waddling around. They will follow their mother’s every footstep in their early age, hoping to learn about everything that’s required to thrive in our countryside.
If you’re in Pembrokeshire, RSPB Ramsey Island lies just off the coast and will be alive with thousands of nesting seabirds. Peregrines and choughs will nest on the cliffs whilst Manx shearwaters will be in their burrows. Carpets of heather will cover the island providing an eye-catching contrast of lush green and fluorescent purple.
Or how about spotting some special summer visitors to Wales, such as wood warblers and pied flycatchers? They love spending their time here as our warm, wet summers typically mean that a lot of insects are around. Our long summer days will also give parents more time to feed their growing chicks before they embark on their journey to winter in West Africa. Both wood warblers and pied flycatchers can be heard singing in the western oak woodland found here in Wales, none more so than at some of our woodland reserves in mid and south Wales like RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas, RSPB Ynys-hir and RSPB Carngafallt.
Living in Wales provides you with scenery and spectacles that’s enough to capture anyone’s imagination. If you can think of further summer nature treats around Wales, please leave a comment below. We’d be more than glad to hear from you.
Image credits in order they appear: Puffin by Ben Andrew; southern marsh orchid by Andy Hay; wood warbler by Graham Goodall.