Wildlife spotting at Brownstone and Coleton camp

A young boy wildlife spotting in the countryside

A huge variety of wildlife can be seen in the countryside around Brownstone and Coleton Camp, and a trip just down the road to the Dart Estuary to Brixham countryside provides even more wildlife spotting opportunities. Here are the top three types of wildlife to look out for.

Seal spotting

The Mewstone, off Froward Point, is a great place to see seals - as many as 10 or 11 can be seen on a good day at low tide. The Mewstone is the most eastern haul out for grey seals in the English Channel, and can be seen from the coast path between Brownstone Battery and Coleton Fishacre. Seals also frequently make their way up the River Dart all the way as far as Totnes, and can be spotted from Greenway.
 
 

Birdwatching

You are spoiled for choice for bird watching spots in the English Riviera countryside. There is a bird hide at Man Sands, which is a great place to see a variety of birds throughout the year, and a walk along the coast path gives you the chance to see song birds and even peregrine falcons. At Greenway kingfishers are often glimpsed from the Boathouse, and there is a heronry at the top of the garden.
 
 

Butterfly sighting

Kelly’s Cove along the coast path towards Froward Point is a perfect place for wildflower spotting; the bracken has been cut back providing the best conditions for wildflowers to flourish. Where there are wildflowers, butterflies won't be far away. The West Bank in Coleton Fishacre garden is another great place to see butterflies; it is a rare area of unimproved grassland where large anthills have been undisturbed for hundreds of years, where wild flowers and fine grasses grow.