Large thyme
The aromatic fragrance of Large thyme can punctuate a summer walk over a chalk grassland. It is an evergreen that grows low to the ground, with erect spikes of tiny, lilac flowers appearing over…
The aromatic fragrance of Large thyme can punctuate a summer walk over a chalk grassland. It is an evergreen that grows low to the ground, with erect spikes of tiny, lilac flowers appearing over…
Allt Rhongyr is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, adjacent to Craig y Rhiwarth Nature Reserve and offers dramatic views of the Tawe Valley. It features a diverse mix of limestone grassland…
The reserve comprises an area of flower-rich unimproved grassland including numerous flushes which are slightly base rich. An area of alluvial marsh borders the Nant Ty’n-y-swydd, and there is a…
This reserve, once the site of extensive coal mining, is a great example of how nature has reclaimed the landscape. It is a rich mix of wildlflower meadow, rhos pasture and young woodland. It is…
A pale member of the violet family sometimes known as ‘milk violet’, the fen violet has a delicate and unassuming appearance. A real specialist of the wetland habitat, this species has seen a…
Chance finds dating back 9000 years tell a new story of Skokholm Island, Pembrokeshire.
Water-logged and thick with reeds and robust tall-herbs or tussocky sedges, fens are evocative reminders of the extensive wet wildlands that once covered far more of the lowlands than they do…
Emma Whatley is an undergraduate student studying Biology at Swansea University. She joined the Skomer team as part of her research year placement this September to assist with fieldwork during…
This small finch nests on moorlands and coastal crofts, spending the winter on the coast. The UK population has declined dramatically.
The whinchat is a summer visitor to UK heathlands, moorlands and open meadows. It looks similar to the stonechat, but is lighter in colour and has a distinctive pale eyestripe.
The eerie, 'cur-lee' call of the curlew is a recognisable sound of wet grasslands, moorlands, farmland and coasts. Its long, downcurved bill is an unmistakeable feature and perfect for…
A spindly tree of heathland and moorlands, and dry and sandy soils, the Silver birch is well known for its paper-thin, white bark. It is a great coloniser and can quickly spread in an area.