5th - 8th March 2016 Catch up

Big Skies and busy busy ......

The picture does not capture these dense old clouds inland from the estuary

I've been a bit busy over the last few days, well too busy to write the blog plus its been a bit quiet.

Carmarthen Bay is really one of the Big Sky parts of the UK the formations are, at times, awe inspiring the scene above, although inland was fitting for the time of day, late evening, and the temperature at around 4'c.

In my last blog I mentioned  that the small red Kite was feeding on something on a post, well a bit of a walk and I found out it was a rabbit, not much left now just a few bones and the skin. After watching the same bird today ( a few primary feathers are damaged in the left wing) actively hunting the marsh just like a harrier would I'm wondering if it had caught the rabbit as I rarely find dead rabbits lying around. The bird was being mobbed by a Little Egret, a pair of Carrion Crows and then 7 Shelduck joined in the fray.

This is what the Red Kite had been feeding on a few days ago

The cattle fence around the first field has begun to look like the OK Coral, since as the original posts rot a replacement is positioned adjacent to provide continuity. Now that so many posts need replacing or have been previously replaced, a new fence using Chestnut posts is being put in, when just changing the odd one or ten we use a hand held post rammer, clearly the contractors are not going to be doing that they are using a post rammer attached to a tractor!!

Easier than banging them in by hand with a post rammer

new fence line going in on the left

The winter storms have taken their toll on the Fore Dunes, my stick marks where the Fore Dunes were three months ago, about 15m has been washed away, all is not lost as in the far distance the sand is accreting again and so starting the process of dune formation all over again.

In my blogs I have referred to points as CE53, 52, or 51, these are numbers given to specific access points onto the beaches in the area, it means that in an emergency if you call the Coastguard and tell them you need help at CE51 they will know exactly where you are simple really.

 On Sunday the reserve was quite busy and I spoke too about 20 groups/individuals and had some great interaction, then at going home time...

I had this conversation at 5pm on Sunday:

Me: "hello there, do you realise this is a nature reserve"

Public: " yeah of course"

Me: "then why are you allowing your three lads to ride their scrambler bikes across the dunes causing so  much damage"

Public: "well its only waste land"

After I had politely pointed out that the "wasteland" was in fact

an internationally recognised area of conservation value, a Site of Scientific Interest, part of an SPA and SAC, and that he had "....intentionally or recklessly damaged a Site of Scientific Interest" and the associated penalty,.....

we became best of friends he could not have been more apologetic and left without another word.

One persons enjoyment is another persons annoyance, its hard to find a balance but where different activities can be enjoyed on the same site, walking, horse riding, bird watching a fair, responsible attitude by all is important.

NOTE:- all views and opinions expressed are personal.