WILDLIFE
Wildlife at The Woollen Mill
We are incredibly fortunate because we enjoy amazing biodiversity both at The Woollen Mill and in the surrounding countryside. When we first moved here, we couldn’t believe our eyes as we had never seen so many butterflies, birds, bees and insects. We are surrounded by wonderful fields, meadows and woodland. Better still, the lanes around the valley feature traditional hedgerows which are vital habitats for an incredible array of flora and fauna. The local farmers are careful to preserve the field margins for wildlife when they are cultivating crops and then there’s the river which attracts numerous interesting species.
To promote biodiversity, we have planted our gardens with flowers and shrubs which attract a multitude of butterflies, bees and insects. It isn’t unusual to see dozens of butterflies flitting around the garden in the summer months and gorgeous birdsong provides a pleasing soundtrack to life at the mill. Wagtails are a common sight together with blackbirds, great tits, swallows and blue tits. Herons and ducks are frequent visitors to the river where stunning damselflies add beautiful splashes of colour to the landscape.
As there is a small area of woodland opposite the mill, you won’t be surprised to hear that we are often visited by squirrels. Indeed, there’s one little chap who has taken a fancy to our strawberries! You might be fortunate enough to stumble across a badger or a hare if you take a stroll up the lane. There’s a particularly huge hare in the neighbourhood at the moment but he never seems to appear when we have the camera with us!
The Woollen Mill boasts a large bat roost in the basement, adjacent to the river. This is used by hundreds of bats during the winter and you are sure to see bats flying around the gardens at dusk during the spring and summer months. If you don’t like bats, don’t worry! They have never entered the apartments and unless you are looking out for them, you wouldn’t realise that they were here. These fascinating, harmless and endangered creatures are well-worth seeing, so look out for our little friends during your stay!
STUNNING WILDLIFE IN THE HEART OF THE WELSH COUNTRYSIDE
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE!
Beautiful Butterflies
Butterflies have become an increasingly rare sight in Britain, but not at The Woollen Mill! During the spring and summer months, it isn’t unusual to see dozens of butterflies flitting about the garden at any one time. Take a stroll down the lane and you will be dazzled by the different species visiting the wildflowers in the wonderful hedgerows. The beetroot in the field opposite attracts literally hundreds of small whites! Expect to see peacocks, small tortoiseshells, red admirals, wall browns and more. Learn more about these beautiful creatures on our butterflies page.
Bonny Birds
If you enjoy bird watching, you won’t to leave the garden! There are always plenty of our feathered friends to see about the place including great tits, wagtails and thrushes. Ducks regularly visit the river behind The Woollen Mill and there’s a heron who drops by most days, but he’s very shy! We often see birds of prey circling above the field next door, but we haven’t yet found the time to get the binoculars out to find out what they are! One of these days we will get around to identifying all of our avian visitors! Click here to find our more about the bonny birds of Gwynedd.
Marvellous Mammals
There’s a truly enormous hare in the neighbourhood but unfortunately sightings are rare. We saw him galloping down the lane on one occasion but he hasn’t popped up on any of our recent walks. Badgers and foxes live in the area as you would expect, but our most frequent visitor is a squirrel whose favourite game is running across the bridge from the woods, sneaking into the garden and then stealing our strawberries! We’re guessing there are plenty of rodents but we never seem them. Check our mammals page to learn more about our furry friends in North Wales.
Intriguing Insects
They may not your favourite creatures but insects are vital to biodiversity and all ecosystems. These little critters are crucial to the food chain and they aerate the soil. Insects also pollinate blossoms and control plant pests. You will see plenty of insects around The Woollen Mill including colourful dragonflies, pretty damselflies and an incredible number of bees. The bees are particularly welcome as British bees are seriously challenged and the population of bumblebees has fallen by a disturbing 70% in the last three decades. Our Intriguing Insects page highlights some of the interesting species which visit our garden.
Beguiling Bats
Bats tend to get a bad wrap! Many people seem to think that they are rather creepy but these amazing mammals are actually rather cute and inoffensive. Sadly, many of our native species are endangered. We are incredibly proud to have a bat roost at The Woollen Mill which provides a safe haven for these fascinating creatures. You are welcome to view the bats during your stay and from late spring through the summer months you will see them flying at dusk. But if you don’t like bats, fear not! They won’t bother you and if you aren’t looking for them, you probably won’t even realise that they are here.
Wonderful Wildflowers
A huge proportion of British wildlfower meadows, field margins and hedgerows have been lost. These habitats are complete eco-systems on which numerous species depend. If you have ever wondered where all the bees and butterflies have gone, their dwindling numbers are largely due to the loss of the meadows and margins. Happily, the area around the Woollen Mill is largely unspoiled. There is a wildflower meadow next door and the hedgerows in the lanes are bursting with life. We hope that you enjoy our gorgeous wildlfowers and the many creatures that they attract. Learn more on our dedicated page.
