Natural History

Within the Area there is a variety of wildlife habitats - seashore,  sand dunes, woodland and farm land .

The rocky part of the shore at Manorbier teems with plants and animals.  The best time to look in the rock pools is at low tide - Shore crabs, Edible crabs, Blennies [small rock-pool fish which can change colour to match their background], prawns, sea anemones and the many types of seaweed.  Along the shore, look out for Oystercatchers, feeding on the shellfish on the rocks.  Seals can sometimes be seen basking on the rocks further along the coast between the Dak and SwanLake Bay.

Above the beach is an area of sand dunes, fenced off to prevent erosion by trampling feet,  the sand is held together by the long roots of Marram Grass, the tall spiky grasses which causes the dunes to form.  Also on the dunes grows Vipers Bugloss, with its tough leaves and stalks of dark blue flowers.

Walking along the lanes and footpaths you will see many hedgerow birds such as Bluetits, Great Tits and Hedge sparrows.  You may see a Sparrow Hawk skimming fast and low over the hedges, or a Buzzard circling and mewing above the fields. The hedgebanks in summer support a profusion of wildflowers - Cow Parsley, Red Campion, Herb Robert and Foxgloves.  In the Spring you will see Snowdrops, Primroses and Violets.  In places, the banks are covered witgh the large heart shaped leaves of Winter Heliotrope, which flowers in January.  In wooded areas, you will notice the smell of garlic as you walk on the leaves of the Wild Garlic or Ramsons.