Wildlife at Moel Famau

 

Mammals: A variety of mammals live in Moel Famau. Foxes and badgers forage at night. Hares and rabbits graze on the lower slopes. Weasel, polecat and stoat hunt in the area. Stoats are one of the most common carnivorous mammals, male stoats are slender, have a black tip to their tails, they are about 17” long and they are bigger than weasels. During the summer their coats are red-brown on top with a white underside. Stoats make their den in wooded areas where they settle in hollow trees or old rabbit burrows. The females produce one litter usually up to six in number. They remain with their parents and hunt as a family pack. Their main diet consists of hares and vermin (rats, mice and voles). They have poor eyesight, though their hearing and smell senses are highly developed. They kill their prey by a bite behind the neck and are relentless in pursuit of their prey. We have information about Badger

Birds: Most heather clad areas hold Red Grouse, but these are elusive unless accidently flushed. Meadow Pipits, Whinchat, Stonechat, Skylark and Wheatear are common in most parts. Raven, Buzzards, Peregrine and Kestrel can be seen over most of the moorland, with Merlin and Hen Harrier flying low over the slopes. These are the only birds of prey to have significantly increased their numbers in recent years. The male is a striking blue-grey bird and reaches between 44-52 cms on maturity. The female is distinctive with her white rump. They can be seen, appearing to be leisurely flyers, though when in search of food can be very systematic in their approach. They surprise their prey and seize it with their long legs. They feast on birds, frogs and snakes. The hen-harrier makes their nest on the open moorland, the nests are well hidden and 4 or 5 eggs are laid between April and June. During the breeding season the male does most of the hunting and brings food to within a short distance of the nest. The female then rises and takes the food from her mate whilst still in the air, foot to foot, flying upside down to do so.

Insects and reptiles: Bramble shrubs are found in even the most dense of woodlands. They can be erect, sprawling or rambling. Once the bramble is established a whole host of insects and birds visit and feed on the blossom and fruit. Aphids are to be found sucking the sap from the young shoots. The shield bug is one of the few insects that care for its young. During July the females can be seen on a leaf with her brood of 30-40 babies. Once her alarm has been activated she can be seen herding them to safety under the leaf while she stays on top to act as a decoy.

Habitats: Moel Famau woodlands is situated on the slopes of Moel Famau and Foel Fenlli on the slopes of East side of the Clwydian Range .
They form part of the diverse landscape of moorland, ffridd and forest area, where they host many species of wildlife including Black Grouse, Raptors and small birds.

Other places to go in this area
Ceri
Clwyd
Coed Sarnau
Dyfnant
Hafren
Hiraethog Forest
Mathrafal
Radnor

Contact
Steve Crosby
Local Area Manager
0845 604 0845
e-mail: steve.crosby@forestry.gsi.gov.uk