Iolo explores fascinating woodlands, searches for curlew chicks and uncovers the history of an ancient burial chamber nestled in the beautiful Conwy valley.
Iolo ventures into the Conwy valley, a region rich in history and natural beauty. His journey begins along the estuary opposite the iconic Conwy Castle, where a variety of shorebirds are feeding. Among them is the whimbrel, a migratory species making a brief stop to refuel on its journey northward.
From there, Iolo follows an ancient Roman road within Eryri National Park, pausing to visit a historic burial chamber. Nearby, the melodic song of a redstart - a stunning migrant from Africa - echoes from the trees. On the valley floor, Iolo explores the floodplain, where he discovers a colony of little egrets nesting in trees above the river. Once rare visitors from Europe, these elegant birds have now spread across much of the UK. The valley also boasts some of Wales's finest woodlands.
At Coed Dolgarrog, autumn brings a vibrant display of fungi, while spring near Betws-y-Coed reveals the magic of the dawn chorus. Here, Iolo spots a pair of pied flycatchers building their nest and even catches a wren dozing on its perch. The farmland around Ysbyty Ifan is one of the last strongholds in Wales where curlews still breed in the summer. However, their chicks face a precarious battle for survival. Iolo s an RSPB team in search of a brood of chicks, an extraordinary sight he hasn’t witnessed in over two decades.
His final stop is the expansive Migneint moor, a vast blanket bog often seen as barren, but actually teeming with life. It’s here, near Llyn Conwy, that Iolo is thrilled to witness a male hen harrier gracefully hunting - a fitting end to his adventure through this remarkable valley.
