Blue lagoon
Post categories: Anglesey,ÌýSpringwatch
| 10:31 UK time, Monday, 8 June 2009
Cemlyn Bay is situated on the northern tip of the Anglesey and consists of a crescent shaped pebble beach edged by sea kale, beet, thrift and other hardy marine plants.
Simon King will be broadcasting from this location sometime this week, so keep an eye out for the tern footage currently being filmed by our intrepid duo, Jamie McPherson and Jenny Price. More on that soon.
To the east lies Wylfa nuclear power station, which resembles a giant spaceship that has just crash landed at this wild location.
The pebble bank, known as Esgair Gemlyn, is formed by the process of longshore drift and alters shape as the tides and winds batter it each day.
Beyond the pebble bank lies a small, shallow lagoon filled with brackish water, containing two naturally occurring islands, perfect for nesting on.
Sea Kale:
Clustered on these islands, is a large and internationally important sea bird colony, including breeding common and arctic terns.
The site is home to one of the UK's largest nesting populations of sandwich terns, with thousands of birds descending here each summer.
I'll go into more detail on terns in a future blog so don't panic!
The reserve is home to many other species of birds.
An oystercatcher strolls along the lagoon shore line:
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Shelducks, oystercatchers, merganser, ringed plover, herring gull, black backed gull, mallard and a variety of wading birds and ducks can also be found here as well as rare migratory species such as the sooty tern.
In addition to being a Wildlife Trust reserve, Cemlyn is a Special Protection Area, a candidate Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
The crescent shaped bay at Cemlyn:
The shingle ridge and lagoon are owned by the National Trust but leased by the North Wales Naturalists' Trust, whose volunteers stand guard over the terns every hour of the day, scaring off any would-be predators and counting and monitoring the birds as they swoop in and out.
Gull
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Comment number 1.
At 8th Jun 2009, redprinty wrote:Hiya Simon and crew, I contacted you last night about Traeth Dulas but Cemlyn is an excellent choice too. The lane looks like a farm track so that puts many people off going there so it reains relatively undisturbed, happy hunting. I really do hope you will be so enchanted by our beautifull island that you will re-visit us soon. Our climate is quite unique, and although we get the prevailing westerlis is reasonably mild. Ynys Mon was well known for this in the past as it was the bread basket of Wales during difficult times in history. We also have some rare plants too, there are orchids aplenty on the cliff paths around Porthdafarch near Treaddur Bay where you were last evening. I wouldlove to chat to you and try and pick up some tips on how to have your patience. Don't worry I have absolutely no desire to be on telly whatsoever not my scene at all, much prefer the other side of the lens. would appreciate some tips on what type of digi camera is best for the photos and videos of wildlife, mine is hopeless. Well hope you gow to love our island home as much as we do.
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Comment number 2.
At 9th Jun 2009, Dicderyn wrote:Hi Simon and crew ,so glad you are on our
lovely Isle,really enjoyed the clip on
South Stack. -Question-Anglesey is home to
several hundreds Buzzards with numbers growing every year but I have only noticed them in the Last 10 years or so ,why have they come back in such numbers ? and you have mentioned all the other birds of prey
in Wales but not Boris the buzzard.
Keep up the good work-Dick Griffiths.
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