Saturday 3oth January 2016

One month almost gone......

Beachcombing project........

With the weather has unpredictable as ever I've been diverted to do some beachcombing on Cefn Sidan, not only is it good exercise (its a three mile round trip), its also very interesting.

I've started making a collection to use with visitors to the Pembrey reserve, its quite basic but already I've turned up a few exciting finds.

When I get around to it I'll label the items separately in the meantime I'll explain each photograph.

A selection of "Tellins"top and middle left: Horse Mussel, Necklace Shell middle and bottom centre:, Dog Whelk bottom right: Striped Venus top right and the  gold shell is a Banded Wedge Shell middle centre

Sea Potato Urchin bottom left, Pod Razor Shell middle:, Common Cockle and Prickly/rough Cockle top row: and Pharus legumen (no common name) bottom right

Egg Cases of Dog Whelk Left, and a Sea Heart, a vine seed from tropical America, Right:

Cuttlefish bone centre:, egg cases from Small Spotted Catshark (dogfish) top centre and top left under Cuttlefish bone, with Ray cases in the lower middle.

The high water mark on any beach is worth exploring and identifying most items is pretty easy.

There was another positive out of the exercise, I didn't find any dead or dying Sea birds, given the rough and stormy weather this winter I think that's a good and surprising thing.

Wednesday 27th January 2016

Poachers, scramblers and beachcombing.........

The weekend on the reserve has been busy and interesting in many ways.

On Saturday I did a bit of beachcombing, collecting samples for use as an educational tool, I'll go into beachcombing in more detail soon (+photos).

A phone call from a member of the public telling me that there was a suspicious vehicle and someone with a gun on the reserve!! As it turned out the suspicious vehicle belonged to a poacher, he didn't have a weapon only a Spaniel and a ferret.

As there is a total ban on any form of hunting and shooting on the reserve the Police were called, duly arrived and dealt with the offender.

On Sunday I had a brilliant morning with the reserve devoid of people and dogs, the afternoon was much busier when I recognised two vehicles in the car park and a third suspicious van?

A little investigation revealed two men poaching, they were escorted from the reserve and duly reported to the Police. Well that was one vehicle dealt with.

Another piece of detective work revealed four scrambling bikers!! after reading them the riot act, details taken and reported to the police normality returned to the reserve....(two more vehicles tied into the offence)

The local Police Wildlife Officer has taken on all three incidents and matters are proceeding.

Over the Christmas period we also suffered criminal damage when the fence to one of the grazing fields was cut by scramblers, allowing the cattle to escape....

To close this blog the offences committed lie in the Wildlife & Countryside act/CROW act for damage to an SSSI (poachers digging in the Rabbit burrows and scramblers damaging the vegetation and soil) and the Road Traffic Act driving a motor vehicle on land that is not a road, without lawful authority........

Sorry no pictures this time.