Lockdown easing, Observations 7th July

Five years ago this week I moved from the Cotswolds to the Llanelli area, somewhere I had sworn I would never come to live, how wrong I was, whilst I very much miss the great friends I had in the Cotswolds with so much to do within easy reach, I feel quite settled here. Having "retired" I went back to work and what a job I have, well it's what you make of it I suppose.

Anyway observations, this blog is more about the dead than the living but sometimes the dead can tell us so much.

In the past few weeks there have been two Short-beaked Common Dolphins washed up along with very young Harbour Porpoise.

Short-beaked Common Dolphin, the gulls had been feeding

Young Harbour Porpoise

Sea Gooseberry and Moon Jellyfish have also come ashore in bigger than usual numbers.

Sea Gooseberries

Sea Gooseberry, a "Comb Jelly" with tentacles,
these are almost always lost when beached

Moon Jellyfish, these have a mild venom

An update on the Long-eared Owls would appear to confirm that at least one juvenile is still being fed by the adults, Mistle Thrushes appear to have had another successful breeding season with a flock of 11 seen on the north side of the park with another uncounted flock on the south side.

I get the impression that the Pyramidal Orchids have not been as showy this year, I met ranger Oliver on the woodland trail at Pembrey Country Park where he had encountered around 50 butterflies, including Marbled White, Small Skipper, Ringlet,

and Meadow Brown, in a sheltered glade designed for, butterflies!









I hope we have a spell of summer weather soon, however for many migratory birds autumn has already begun, so watch the beach for a gradual build up of Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns especially around Old Pembrey Harbour.