The coal spoil grassland at Cwm Clydach supports a variety of wildflowers, fungi, lichens, reptiles and invertebrates, as well as some very special species including the tormentil mining bee and round-leaved wintergreen.
Clydach Vale Country Park, with its coil spoil grassland, ffridd, woodland, heath, stream and lakes is wonderfully biodiversity rich. Once the site of the Cambrian Colliery, this superb mosaic of habitats hosts an array of spectacular species.
At any time of year, the two lakes are great for waterbirds. Spring is best for the dawn chorus and sunny, cool mornings for spying common lizards. Through to autumn there is a succession of beautiful native wildflowers, with orchids at their peak in June. In winter look out for tumbling ravens and listen for twittering flocks of siskin and redpoll in alder trees.
The quarry is one of the few places in Wales that supports a nationally important colony of the rare Deptford pink flower. Maintaining the plant’s home on the sunny rock ledges is key to its survival. The lakes are great invertebrate habitat, so look out for broad-bodied chaser and black darter dragonflies, while house martins and swallows catch may and stone flies. Coot, moorhen, little grebe and heron can all be seen, and a flash of blue along the stream will likely be a kingfisher.
Bee Orchid - © Paul Denning
Tormentil Mining Bee - © Liam Olds
Adder - © Wayne Withers
Southern Marsh Orchid
Brown-Banded Carder Bee - © Liam Olds
Common Lizard - © Wayne Withers
Round-Leaved Wintergreen - © Paul Denning
Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary - © Liam Olds
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