Bardsey Island - RSPB Take Over
In a new development that ensures the island is farmed effectively for its wildlife, RSPB Cymru has become the farming tenant and will work with the Bardsey Island Trust in a to provide support and advice on the best way to maintain habitats for birds and other resident wildlife.
Llyn Peninsula
The island - just off the Llyn Peninsula - is owned by the Bardsey Island Trust and has been farmed by a series of tenant farmers in recent years, trying to make their living from this beautiful but isolated farm. RSPB Cymru will work with local farmer Gareth Roberts who will farm the island and carry out practical land management. Gareth said: ‘I'm looking forward to the opportunity to make a difference on the island'.
National Nature Reserve
The Countryside Council for Wales, which works closely with RSPB Cymru, has designated the island as a National Nature Reserve. It provides vital habitat for a range of wildlife including key Welsh bird species such as chough - the rarest member of the crow family. Wales is particularly important for chough, with around three quarters of the UK's population living here.
Manx Shearwaters
Manx shearwaters are also important nesting birds on the island. More than half the World's population of Manx shearwaters can be found in Wales, with up to 16,000 pairs on Bardsey Island at the height of the breeding season.
Richard Farmer, RSPB Cymru Senior Reserves Manager said: ‘The island is a special place for many people, and wildlife is a crucial part of its identity, history and culture. It's wonderful that the Bardsey Island Trust and RSPB Cymru can work together to maintain the island as a vital habitat for wildlife.'
Bardsey Island
It is one and a half miles in length and just over half a mile across at its widest point. Bardsey Island Trust bought the island in 1979 and manage it in conjunction with Countryside Council for Wales and CADW. It is a National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of the Llyn Environmentally Sensitive Area. Atlantic grey seals can be seen in the rocky bays of the island and a small population breeds on Bardsey each year.
Location, access & accommodation: Bardsey Island lies around 2 miles off the tip of the Llyn Peninsula. Bardsey Island is open for visitors during the summer months and accommodation is available on the island. For more information, please click here.
Grid reference: SH111224
Choughs are the focus of an RSPB ‘Aren't birds brilliant!' scheme at Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog. It will allow visitors to see live footage from a camera placed on a chough nest deep within the caverns. For more information about this project, click here.
These maps are intended as a guideline only; you must check the exact location of the reserve yourself. Wildlife Extra assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or usefulness of the information on this website.
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