Spread over Snowdonia National Park is Nature's wildness and beauty. Many environments give rise to a diversity of floura and fauna. From mountain crags to sand dunes, glacial lakes to woodlands, river gorges to sheltered valleys, pine forests to estuaries there is so much to discover. In some special pockets the species are totally unique reflecting the geological history of the land. I feel privileged every time I spot wildlife and carrying a pair of binoculars is opens up hidden worlds. In the summer some of the wildflowers could easily go missed they are so small, each like perfect jewels.

Listed below are some of my favourite species:

Category	SPECIES	DESCRIPTION	IMAGE
WILDLIFE	Peregrine Falcon	Fast, striking bird with defined black hood over eyes + head. Can 'stoop' in excess of 200mph
	Osprey	Migrating bird with impressive wingspan. Lives on fish, plunging in a fast dive into the water.
	Wild Goats	Rugged woolly hardy animals. Males have fantastic horns + gather in large groups at times.
	Badger	Nocturnal animal with distinctive beautiful striped face. Lives in sets and shies away from people.
	Salmon	Large streamlined fish with pointed fins. Exciting to watch jumping up white water rivers on it's journey upstream to breed.
	Dragonfly	Extraordinary, large insect found near water, whose fast speed, humming drone, beautiful striped body and lacey wings captivate.
	Woodpecker	Striking bird with distinctive red, black and white markings can be seen drilling on tree trunks. Flies in rythmic small swoops.
FLOWERS	Butterwort	Pretty, carivorous plant with star shaped, sticky leaves and a single purple flower on a longer stem.
	Bog Cotton	Attractive, fluffy, cotton puffs on long, single stems found growing in large groups on boggy ground.
	Foxgloves	Striking tall flower stalk with long pointed leaves and many purple bell shaped blossoms with spots. Popular with bees.
	Bluebell	Purply blue drooping flowers on single stalks, giving glorious displays seen carpetting woodlands in the spring.
	Snowdon Lily	Rare pristine white lily on long stems found only in a few special mountain spots where glacial + volcanic activity has been.
	Sundew	A 2nd carniferous plant low to the ground with pincushion flowers trapping insects with beads of sticky droplets.
	Welsh Poppy	Pretty, bright yellow or orange flowers growing in clusters in damp, shady places on rocky ground.
TREES	Mountain Ash (Rowan)	Hardy tree with bright red berries found often in hostile mountain conditions growing out of rocks.
	Holly	Striking tree with distinctive white bark growing in rocky ground often in a twisted, characterful way.
	Beech	Impressive tree with smooth white bark and pretty oval pointed leaves, turning a familiar nutty + russett brown in autumn.
	Hawthorne	Frequently knarled tree with spikes along it branches and small deep red berries popular with birds in autumn.
SOME PLACES TO SEE NATURE	Glaslyn Osprey Viewing Site nr Prenteg, 3 miles Porthmadog	Hide with spotting scopes + live osprey pictures from the nest. Only breeding pair in Wales 2009. Ospreys are migrating birds. Visitor's site is open April to September.
	Conwy Falls	Exciting deep gorge cut through rock with impressive twin falls with salmon run. Otters can occasionally be spotted. Cafe nearby. SSI
	The Cob, mouth of Glaslyn estuary, Porthmadog	Birdlife especailly around low tide. Osprey may be seen fishing between April - September.
	Ynys headland and island, on Dwyryd estuary	Superb, quiet spot for viewing sea birds especially at low tide.
	Barmouth Toll Bridge (small charge)	Stunning views of Mawddach estuary, Barmouth and out to sea. Many sea birds at low tide.