Paul's Blog - All comments and views are my own,

Well no one can say the weather forecasters didn't say it may be thundery, but WOW what a storm in the early hours of this morning, practically unbroken lightening for nearly two hours, and the rain, 18mm recorded by the weather station on the information shelter. Temperature 29th April - 27th May (only 24th -27th applies to Pembrey) Wind records 29th April- 27th May (only 24th - 27th applies to Pembrey) So in sharp contrast to yesterday, the weather is overcast, breezy and damp but not as humid as it was last night. Well with a 9.0m tide, and no jet skiers this morning the marsh looked ad sounded great, with a nice selection of birds, Shelduck, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Mallard, Greenshank, and Redshank. And the downside, well another member of the herd in F2 decided to go walkabout.... with some information from "Brian the fence" I located the escape point, the sand has built up along the barbed wire with only the top strand showing and a

It's been quite a busy week, so with a great forecast I thought today would be ideal for a lazy morning before going out to Amroth  in the PCNP for a few hours  to sit by someone else's beach.... I ran the moth trap at home last night and caught a Scarlet Tiger and Poplar Hawkmoth, so after a late night I had a lie in....  Scarlet Tiger Poplar Hawkmoth However, an early 'ish call from a regular visitor to the reserve alerted me to the presence of two water jet skis on the reserve, actually on the flooded marsh, this really is anti-social behaviour which needs dealing with, so.... I made my way to Burry Port Harbour to locate the said offenders sure enough another member of the public pointed out the two vehicles that had brought the jet skis then an "unknown" number appeared on my mobile, it was the Coastguard Co-ordination centre at Milford Haven, letting me know that they had received reports of the jet skiers but as it was not a "t

Last night, after along busy day, with good mothing conditions I went back to the reserve at sunset, beautiful time of day, and after body rolling under the barbed wire fence... I set up just to the north of the main track. I stayed until midnight and had a nice variety of moths, with SMALL ELEPHANT, PALE PROMINENT, ELEPHANT, (3) COMMON CARPET, FOX MOTH AND PEPPERED MOTH, being the best. Here are just a couple of photos... Small Elephant Moth Pale Prominent

Wednesday, volunteer day, post bashing, habitat management, monitoring, public engagement... it's all go at Pembrey LNR. A busy day with the refugia for the endangered Strandline Beetle placed at selected locations along Cefn Sidan. Amazingly whilst clearing broken glass off the beach...thank you public idiots... I picked up a discarded trainer, shook it and out popped one of the rarest and most threatened species of beetle in the UK, The Strandline Beetle, Eurynebria complanata   at last I've seen, held and photographed this amazing little beetle. (I repositioned the trainer!) Strandline Beetle Earlier whilst finishing off some fencing I checked some refugia including some "forgotten" ones, just the odd Slow Worm and Common Lizard, then I checked ref 4, where I have never found anything of interest but today bingo!, a GRASS SNAKE, even better it was an immature from last year, quite dark in colour about 25cm long. Grass Snake , Wikipedia photo

In less than perfect conditions I set my moth trap out in an area of Willow Scrub, Phragmities and rough grass. I ran the trap from sunset until 23:00hrs, a short but interesting session, with Fox Moth, Pale Tussock, Middle Barred Minor, Treble Lines and Sharp Angled Peacock the best. Another session on Wednesday night when hopefully it will be a bit warmer.... Sharp Angled Peacock Middle Barred Minor Treble Lines Fox Moth Pale Tussock

I was not a perfect child but I did know right from wrong, why? because my parents and older siblings brought me up correctly.... What am I going on about.... this afternoon as I drove through the reserve I watched two young lads delighting in throwing sticks and stones at a group of young cattle  while "dad" sat on his bike oblivious to what was going on.....I didn't have an opportunity to engage and educate as they  all cycled off before I could say anything.... An additional contingent of young cattle has arrived and I went off to count them, a total of 10 newbies giving us 33 head on site, I also noticed someone? had kindly picked a few bags of litter from the beach, sadly they left them against the field fence and the cattle have been at them now there's litter in the cattle field! On a brighter note a regular nature photographer stopped me to point out  newly emerged Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies, Libellula depressa, my first chasers of the year, t