RSPB nature reserve, Llandudno Junction

button link to welsh translationlink_to_french_translationRSPB Conwy nature reserve, Llandudno Junction

The area covered by this reserve was previously an expanse of mud on the outside of a large bend in the Conwy estuary. It provided excellent feeding for wading birds with each receding tide.

Silt excavated during construction of the A55 tunnel, including its eastern approach cutting, was dumped in this area. The original plan was to plant grass over the newly formed landmass, but instead the area was landscaped to form lagoons, compensating for the loss of natural habitat. The project was guided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which manages the area as a nature reserve.

The waymarked trails around the reserve were laid out so that people in wheelchairs could use them easily. Members of the public can pay to enter the reserve (free for RSPB members) and take a close look at a variety of wildlife from the strategically positioned hides. The reserve’s plant life is also an attraction, growing in areas of reedbed, grassland and salt marsh which have become well established since the early 1990s.

There are many species of birds to watch at the reserve, some of which are seasonal. Highlights include the black-tailed godwit, lapwing, sedge warbler, water rail and shelduck. Little egrets did not appear in significant numbers in Britain until 1988 but are now often seen at RSPB Conwy.

In 2008 the reserve’s site manager, Alan Davies, gave up his job to travel the world with his partner, Ruth Miller, with the aim of spotting as many species of birds in one year as possible. They broke the world record, sighting 4,341 species in 27 countries.

Where is this HiPoint?


Postcode: LL31 9XZ

RSPB Conwy website