North Wales Wildlife Tours with Iolo Williams

Depending on the time of year, we may take an optional pre-breakfast walk from the hotel for up to an hour. These optional walks are a lovely way to start the day and work up an appetite for the superb breakfast to come.

We usually walk alongside the River Conwy, right below the hotel, and enjoy a lovely varirty of birds and on very rare occasions a sighting of an otter – always a huge thrill. More likely we will encounter Common Buzzard, Goosander, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Jay, Raven, and always the chance of a Kingfisher. We have been lucky on some mornings to see Goshawk, Peregrine, Hobby, Mandarin Duck, Woodcock, Dipper, Stonechat, Great Egret and many more, every walk is different.

Breakfast is usually at 7.30am, depending on the activities planned for the day.

We usually set off from the hotel at 08.30 and return about 5pm – please note timings are flexible.

We will be flexible on where we go and what we look for depending on time of year, weather, tides, and latest information.

It is very likely that we will visit some of the following local wildlife hot spots during the three days.

Red-billed Chough one of the many birds found at RSPB South Stack.

RSPB South Stack – home of the wonderful Red-billed Chough and spectacular scenery. During April to early July the cliffs hold many breeding seabirds including Atlantic Puffins. Resident species here include Peregrine Falcon, Raven, Stonechat, Rock Pipit. In Spring and Autumn the area can hold migrant birds so will be looking out for passing through. Offshore we may be lucky enough to see harbour porpoise, and if very lucky dolphins several species can occur here. South Stack is one to wonderful wildflowers including the endemic South Stack flewort found no where else in the world! The silver-studded blue butterfly can be seen in mid-summer.

Everyone loves seeing red squirrels up close.

Red squirrel woodland is always a favourite destination with our guests, we hope to enjoy very close encounters with these most delightful animals. A great friend of ours knows everything there is to know about red squirrels and we will join him for a wonderful experince with these wild animals, do bring a camera or even your mobile phone to record these amazing animals.

Great Orme goat, they became an internet sensation during lockdown.

The Great Orme at Llandudno this limestone headland jutting out into the Irish Sea has spectacular scenery and lots of wildlife. We hope to see Atlantic grey seals, the famous Great Orme goats, Peregrine Falcons, Ravens, Shags and more. We may encounter Northern Fulmars on the cliffs and in the breeding season, April to early July, Common Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, and Black-legged Kittiwakes. The headland is home to wonderful wildflowers and silver-studded blue butterflies, we may catch a glimpse of a harbour porpoise or even bottle-nose dolphins offshore if we are very lucky.

Common Crossbills are resident in the upland forests of North Wales.

The North Wales uplands are home to some very special birds indeed and we will look for the elsusive and rare Goshawk – we have an excellent track record for finding this magnificent bird of prey. During April to August we will look for Ospreys that nest here along with resident species including Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Raven, Common Crossbill, Siskin, Redpoll and more. In the winter months we may be lucky to see a rare Great Grey Shrike, one often spends the winter in the area but can be elusive, Willow Tit is another winter species along with Brambling that could be present. During April and May we will look for migrants including Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Common Redstart, Tree Pipit, Common Cuckoo, and Whinchat. In early Spring we might be lucky enopugh to encouter a sunbathing adder.

Handsome Black Guillemots are found around the coast of North Wales.

Other sites we may visit include – RSPB Conwy, Cemlyn Lagoon, Llanfairfechan, Aber Ogwen, Llanddulas, RSPB Cors Ddyga, Holyhead Harbour, we really are spoilt for choice here in North Wales. We hope see around 100 species of birds on these five day North Wale tours and lots of wildlife.

We will take a light lunch at a local cafe, just occasionally we will take a picnic lunch if no suitable cafe is close to our route. With Iolo along there is very likely to be cake involved!

Each day we will visit the best birdwatching and wildlife areas within easy reach of our base. Occasionally there might be a longer drive involved and this will be discussed the previous evening when a briefing will be included about the following day.

We usually meet in the bar at 18.30 for drinks and to review the day, plan the following day, with dinner at 19.00.

Iolo always goes the extra mile to ensure everyone has the best time!

There may be an optional pre-breakfast walk from the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel at 07.30 and we then depart for the final morning of bird and wildlife watching at 08.30.

We will visit a venue fairly close to the hotel to maximise the time on our last morning. Maybe RSPB Conwy or the Great Orme if we haven’t already visited these spots. If time allows we will call in a beautiful old church, on the site of a Roman fort, overlooking the Conwy Valley, a lovely location to finish the tour.

We will return to the hotel about 12.30 for lunch.

We will complete the checklist either before or after lunch depending on timing.

After lunch we say our goodbyes and leave the hotel at the end of our exciting tour.

Extra nights at the hotel, either before or after the tour can be arranged, please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to extend your stay.

Alan, Ruth, and Iolo look forward to welcoming you to North Wales.