Seasonal Wildlife Wonders: Walking the Wales Coast Path in North Wales

Nia Hâf Jones, Living Seas Manager at the North Wales Wildlife Trust, breaks down the rich and varied wildlife and biodiversity that visitors to the northern stretch of the Wales Coast Path can expect to witness and enjoy throughout the seasons. 

Spring March-May 

In March we experience the Vernal Equinox (usually March 20th or 21st), when night and day are of equal length, which gives us the lowest tide of the year. It is then that the weird and wonderful creatures that are usually never uncovered by the tide can be seen. Creatures such as squat lobsters, blue-rayed limpets, sunstars, sea slugs and all sorts of anemones are suddenly visible to those curious enough to discover them. Head to any rocky shore at low tide (making sure that you’re keeping an eye on the tide), my particular favourite stretch is from Trearddur Bay to Porth Dafarch, where boulders and crevices hide a wealth of surprising creatures at low tide.

And then in April, as temperatures begin to rise, creatures start to breed, ready to release eggs and larvae in time for the plentiful food that will be available during the spring plankton blooms. Plankton are drifting organisms often only visible with a microscope. Some types – the phytoplankton - photosynthesise and so the increase in availability of light as the days get longer and warmer causes a bloom.

As a result we see an increase in larval and animal plankton – the zooplankton, which eat the phytoplankton. This is the basis of most food chains in the marine environment and so this increase in food availability during spring and early summer means that we also start to welcome the arrival of migratory species such as basking sharks, mackerel and several species of seabirds.

On the seafloor, annual seaweeds will have started appearing whilst those perennial in nature will start their spring time growth. You may also start noticing translucent gelatinous balls known as sea gooseberries with their two trailing tentacles, stranded on the beach or in rockpools. Look carefully and you may see the iridescent ripple of the “combs”.

Next to arrive in late spring will be ghostly blooms of jellyfish - several species can be seen in Welsh waters jellyfish - several species can be seen in Welsh waters. The most common is the moon jellyfish, easily identified because of the presence of four bluish purple rings that can be seen from above. Places such as Bangor and Llandudno Pier are hidden gems for wildlife spotting where jellyfish can often be seen floating by – look closely, how many different types can you see?

This is a truly magical time of year when things really start changing, as the water starts warming it’s time to start preparing for some late nights when the alerts of summer bioluminescence start being shared far and wide.

Summer June-September

Summer is particularly excellent time for our bird wildlife, so keep an eye out for our largest and most remarkable seabird, the gannet, with its gleaming white plumage, broken only by the yellow tone of its neck and its jet black wing tips. Gannets diving like torpedoes into the sea are often indicators that creatures such as porpoises are present, feeding on the same shoal of fish.

As you walk the Coast Path keep an eye out for the signs, there’s a reason why terns have found themselves the inspiration for the Anglesey section. Terns can be seen (and heard!) all around the island fishing for sand eels. It would be remiss of me not to mention Cemlyn Wildlife Nature Reserve, near Cemaes, which can be considered a true wildlife spectacle in early summer. A unique sweeping shingle ridge, which in itself an important habitat for all sorts of specialist coastal plants, separates the sea from a coastal lagoon. Within the lagoon small islands house Wales’ largest Sandwich tern colony along with hundreds of common and Arctic terns.

There is nothing better than sitting on the shingle watching the terns fly in with fish for their young – take a minute to close your eyes it has an even better soundtrack! Beyond Cemlyn fulmars, stiff winged in their gracious flight, bank effortlessly through the peaks and troughs of the waves. Vertical cliffs of South Stack and the Great Orme provide spectacular seabird nesting colonies for birds such as razorbills, guillemots and puffins. The eggs of these birds are mostly hatched by now and the parents are busily finding food. 

In mid-summer (as well as other times of the year) whales, dolphins and porpoises can be seen from nearly anywhere along the Welsh coastline, but rocky outcrops and headlands are particularly good spots to catch a glimpse. For the best chance of seeing something, head to the north coast of Anglesey or the Llŷn Peninsula, and the stretch of coast between Bull Bay and Cemaes on Anglesey has always been hard to beat However, there are plenty of other hotspots along the North Wales coast. Summer is also the ideal time of year to dust off your snorkel set. By August the water has had a few months of warming up and there are plenty of things to be seen.

So, what are you looking for? The answer to that is simple, anything and everything! At this time of year, look for jellyfish and sea gooseberries, and if you look carefully in the sand (many creatures are well camouflaged) you’ll see flatfish, sand eels and hermit crabs. Seaweeds and kelp forests are pretty in themselves but look for creatures hiding within them. Spider crabs will have arrived earlier on in the summer to breed; these big long-legged crabs are an incredible sight. Look for creatures such as spiral worms and the blue rayed limpets feeding on the fronds of the kelp.

Autumn October-November

As we head into autumn (and spooky season!), one of the strangest (and smelliest!) discoveries on our coastline is that of the washed up remnants of a dead man’s finger, which are not as grisly as they may sound, although if you find them on the beach it becomes very clear how they got their name. Once washed up dead on the beach their pale fleshy lobes can have the washed out appearance of the bloated hand of a human! Long, sweeping, sandy beaches are great places to start your searches, the coast from Prestatyn to Kinmel Bay is particularly fascinating at this time of year. When alive, dead man’s fingers can cover large expanses of rocky seabed creating a beautiful sight, each one being a fleshy mass with an irregular shape. They can be orange or white and when active have a furry appearance as the tentacles extend to feed.

Other strange creatures found along the shoreline as autumn storms start churning up the seabed include the alien looking sea mouse. Sea mice are not mice, nor are they related to mice, it is actually a worm that looks more like a mouse than a worm! A sea mouse is covered in felt-like fur and dark sturdy bristles lay within what can only be described as a beautiful golden blue green iridescent fringe. Head to the east coast of Anglesey to Llanddona, and you’ll be surprised at the variety of sea creatures you may see washed up.

After a strong north-westerly gale look out for goose barnacles. These are creatures naturally found out in the open sea growing in colonies on floating objects such as driftwood. Floating objects provide an anchor point for goose barnacles to attach and grow. These strange looking creatures have a flexible stalk which is greyish brown in colour and its shell has five large, smooth plates, translucent white in colour and separated by dark skin.

North Wales’ West coast beaches such as Rhosneigr’s Traeth Llydan, Porth Neigwl, Harlech and Criccieth are a great place to wander at this time of year when the weird and wonderful start arriving our shores from afar.

Winter December-February

As we head full swing into winter, head to one of North Wales’ wonderful estuaries to see some of most spectacular sights you’ll witness this year.

Whilst some creatures are curled up fast asleep and others have headed to warmer climes, others have flocked here in their thousands to escape the inhospitable winters of the north and to feed on the region’s richly nutritious mudflats; thanks to the incredible diversity of life found living within them which provide a feast for wildfowl and wading birds.

In every square metre of mud, worms may be found in their hundreds of thousands along with several thousand snails and some shellfish – rich pickings for birds which use their long beaks to root around for food in the mud. Because of this, wading birds such as oystercatchers, dunlin, curlews, knot and redshank gather in their thousands. It is a truly amazing sight to see thousands of birds rising in unison as the tide pushes them further up the shore.

One of the best places in North Wales to witness this, in fact one of the largest and most important sites in Europe, is the Dee Estuary where it is estimated that over 130,000 birds can be seen. Many species also use coastal farmland and saltmarshes for feeding and as roosts. Head east to the beautiful estuary of the Glaslyn/Dwyryd and wildfowl such as pintail are in nationally significant numbers in winter. Further east on the estuary of the Ogwen River, near Bangor, and adjacent to the vast sandy expanse of Traeth Lavan is the Spinnies Aberogwen Nature Reserve. A wonderful winter birdwatching spot where large flocks of birds can be seen. Pop into the reserve itself and you may be lucky to see a kingfisher from one of the hides. 

Further south at the Mawddach Estuary look for widgeon and teal amongst many others. Your view of the birds at any estuary will depend on the state of the tide. When the tide is low birds are often far out and are pushed towards the shore with the incoming tide, they therefore come in closer so you’ll get better views on an incoming tide - a couple of hours before it gets to its highest point.

Image: Goose barnacles (Jonny Easter)