Wildlife at White Park Bay

Otters

We love to see otters using White Park Bay. Why? The sight of otters indicates the water is free from pollution. Otters are able to fish in both fresh and sea water.

Orchids

There are at least nine different species to spot at White Park Bay. They can be colourful like the Pyramidal orchid or just blend into the landscape like the Frog orchid with its green flower. How many can you find?

Butterflies

From April to September the dunes and the grassland are home to several butterfly species. Over a 12 month period our conservation warden counted 17 species in total, from small copper and orange tip to common blue and peacock.

Birds

Each spring fulmars patrol the cliffs with their distinctive cry. They come to land to breed, spending the rest of the year at sea. A relation of the albatross, they are easily identified by their stiff winged flight.

Your bird recordings

Sheila Blane has recorded the progress of a raven family from nesting to fledging. It’s unusual for ravens to nest on the North Coast so we were particularly pleased with these latest arrivals. Easily mistaken for house sparrows, tree sparrows have a few distinct differences. They are smaller, their tail is almost permanently cocked and they have a chestnut brown head.

As you have been reading, White Park Bay is a valuable site for conservation and there are a number of bird species which we are keen to record. Some of these birds such as ringed plover, fulmar and meadow pipit are Species of Conservation Concern. Others which are at greater risk are called priority species and include grasshopper warbler, song thrush, linnet and skylark. If you spot any of these birds please contact us and we will add your sighting to our records.