Butterfly survey 2018, want to lend a hand? Wednesday 31st January 2018

In 2017 we conducted a butterfly survey during May to September,. The survey was carried out on a suitable day once a month May to September, thanks Veronica for doing the leg work.

PEMBREY BURROWS AND SALTINGS LNR BUTTERFLY SURVEY 2017
Weather notes -	O/C 0/8	Sunny	Sunny	Cloudy	Sunny
	ESE 15mph		Mod West	Sun ints	cool, sl.
	22.6 C		breeze	breeze	N breeze
Dates -	25-May	17-Jun	20-Jul	09-Aug	17-Sep	TOTAL
SPECIES
BRIMSTONE	No record
CLOUDED YELLOW	No record
COMMA					1	1
COMMON BLUE	28	5		28	1	62
DARK GREEN FRITILLARY		1				1
DINGY SKIPPER	2					2
GATEKEEPER			17	21		38
GRAYLING			8	1		9
GREEN HAIRSTREAK	1					1
GRIZZLED SKIPPER	No record
HOLLY BLUE	Recorded	outside	transect
LARGE SKIPPER		1				1
MARBLED WHITE		2	1			3
MEADOW BROWN		6	10	34	15	65
ORANGE TIP	Recorded	outside	transect
PAINTED LADY	Recorded	outside	transect
PEACOCK				2		2
RED ADMIRAL		1		1	7	9
RINGLET				3		3
SMALL BLUE	43	24	10	6	1	84
SMALL COPPER
SMALL HEATH	3	1		2	1	7
SMALL SKIPPER		5				5
SMALL TORTOISESHELL	Recorded	outside	transect
SPECKLED WOOD		1	1			2
WALL	Recorded	outside	transect
GREEN VEINED WHITE	Recorded	outside	transect		1	1
WHITE LARGE		2	1	5	1	9
WHITE SMALL				3		3
Date totals	77	49	48	106	28	308

We are looking for help with the 2018 survey, which will be WEEKLY, fancy a go? (you don't have to do every week)all we need is your time and confidence to be able to identify the species likely to be seen on the reserve. If you are interested in discussing the idea please get in touch by email. paul.pembreylnr@outlook.com

Trouble ahead Meles meles, Monday 29th January 2017

Before I get to the core of todays blog, let me say thanks to the Monday mencap volunteers who turned turn out regardless of the weather to carry out tasks at Pembrey Burrows LNR.

Today was wet, not by usual Welsh standards, just drizzle and mizzle but the kind that gets you wet, today we fixed a step on a stile into one of the fields, there was a photo but there was a bit of "builders bum" going on so I've deleted it!, still thanks lads.

I carried on checking around, getting to the information hut for a cup of tea, (from a flask before anyone thinks I've taken up the suggestions of a tea/coffee machine) I got out of the van to be faced with badger trouble, I'd noticed a lot of activity on the track such as old bedding and scuffling; but the have clearly been busy in the bank outside the hut, it quite a job they've done and the photos don't do it justice..

So what may they be up to....

Lets have a bit of background information about Badgers, the largest British member of the weasel family, the mustelids, nocturnal by habit and an omnivore with a taste for most things!.

The females, sows, come into season after the birth of the cubs in late winter early spring, which coincidently is when the males, boars, are fertile.

The sow goes through a process known as -delayed implantation- so the blastocysts do not implant into the uterus until December prior to a 6-7 week pregnancy, with most cubs born in February.

I suspect that the sow is getting ready to give birth and has been doing a bit of house keeping and foraging widely in anticipation of the arrival of the cubs.

Badgers are predators and impact on a wide range of other species, such as Bumblebees, and ground nesting birds, but nature has a way of maintaining a balance.

WOW busy busy, Friday 26th January 2018

An early morning to see the contractors at Morfa Berwig, refurbishing the bridges on the main path. The first Primrose flowers, Cettis Warblers, Robins and Blackbirds singing in the morning sunshine,- the first dry day for what seems like ages.

A phone call from one of our regulars at Pembrey Burrows to alert me to the fact that there had been a breakout from F2, with three of the boys munching on the salt marsh!!.

Having found the breach in the fence and repaired it, I wandered over to see what could be done to get the boys back in the field.

They showed no interest in moving, and why would they, with all those lovely tasty salt marsh plants to graze.

They soon moved with some mechanical encouragement when the grazier turned up,  with a little effort we got the three across the marsh and into the field.

A flip side of rounding cattle was a count of 55 Snipe, oh then 54 as a male Peregrine took advantage of the situation....

Common Snipe, (Colin Dalton)

Meanwhile back at Morfa Berwig, the contractor found that the lorry was bogged down in the mud!!!!

Surprising what my little van is capable of.....problem solved

The first bridge is 90% refurbished  complete and safe to use.

Burry Port Woodlands Wednesday 24th January 2018

Today saw us with Simeon Jones, Conservation Officer, in Burry Port Woodlands, at the Western end of the Millennium Coast Park.

The woodlands are part of a four year Glastir scheme, (the Welsh Government scheme for sustainable land management) and are about 15 years old. Today was about selecting one in three trees, from an area not yet thinned, and marking them for felling as part of the cycle of thinning the woodland to ensure the habitat is in the best condition it can be.

See the  Welsh Government website for more details

http://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/farmingandcountryside/farming/schemes

The woodland is mostly comprised of Grey Alder, Silver Birch, Willow sp, Corsican Pine, Whitebeam Sp, Blackthorn, Ash, Oak and a few Maple spp and Holly; we didn't see a great deal of Ash dieback but it is present, some of the Holly in the woodlands have a very symmetrical shape, which is probably indicative of the total lack of grazing.

Considering the proximity of the sea, less than 500m, there were very few wind affected trees with many of them having very straight trunks.

Simeon pointing out the Oak not to mark! (opps)

Luckily the worst of the weather had passed through by the time we started, the shocking thing for me was the amount of dog mess within the first two hundred metres of the car park, unbelievably disgusting, it was like "hopscotch" not to step in it, then the number of bags of dog poo hanging from the bushes beggars belief!

Veronica marking away

WEBS count Cefn Sidan/ Pembrey Coast SSSI Sunday 21st January 2018

Today was the WEBS count, so in appalling weather I met Edward the WWT Intern at high tide and we drove the five miles of the beach from Pembrey Country Park to Tywyn Point.

We got the timing perfect this morning and the poor weather mean't there were very few people on the beach

Section A was a bit quiet but we soon got into some decent birds and good numbers in section B; highlights included:

OYSTERCATCHER 7363, HERRING GULL 1021, SANDERLING 465, DUNLIN 353,                GREY PLOVER 40, GBB GULL 66, KNOT 189, & BAR TAILED GODWIT 25

Sanderling

The oddest discovery was a TAMWORTH PIG, although it would have taken a very good Vet to bring it back to life.....

Where the hell did this Tamworth come from?

Morfa Berwig Fungi Friday 19th January 2017

A couple of regular visitors to Morfa Berwig kindly let me know about an Earthstar fungus they had found growing on the edge of the main hard surfaced route through the reserve.

With great directions I found it without really looking to hard, I took a photo to help id it at home, yes it was obviously an Earthstar. despite some decay, it was in a remarkably good condition considering it would have been fruiting in the autumn.

It's species identification was determined by the ever helpful Dr Philip Jones, or local fungus guru, as being the Collared Earthstar, Geastrum triplex, one of the commoner species of Earthstar to be found.

Collared Earthstar at Morfa Berwig

A Wikipedia, free to use and share,

photo of "fresh" Collared Earthstar

On the bird front the Willow Tit has reappeared after being absent for a few days, I apologise that the public cannot see the feeders, its a matter of keeping them safe, they are part of a ringing project and they need to be as secure as possible, however if you want a chance of hearing/seeing the Willow Tit walk along the main paved route onto the rough gravel path and stop at the first wooden seat, and look/listen to the northwest of the river.
There are at least five Water Rails calling across the reserve.

Habitat management Wednesday 17th January 2018

We are so fortunate, along the Llanelli coast, to have so many great habitats to explore, and many of the best are protected one way or another, either through legislation and ownership or just the sheer logistics of getting to the site.

There are many plants which are generally scarce through the UK, and one with a tenuous grasp on Carmarthenshire is the Small Flowered Catchfly, Silene gallica, which occurs naturally in one location in the county and that is around the walls of Burry Port Harbour.

Follow the link for a more detailed appraisal of the plant

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/application/files/4114/7913/4089/Silene_gallica__dossier.pdf

Silene gallica, Small flowered Catchfly, look for the plant from May onwards

The habitat at Burry Port has not been as closely managed as it could have been, with invasion by Couch Grass, Gorse and Radish.

before, no substrate visible for any seed to set,

Hopefully the small amount of work we have done today will go some way to maintaining, and improving the population of this plant 

after,

after, more substrate exposed

This afternoon was spent carrying out a Knotweed and Rhododendron survey at the Pwll Lagoon LNR, sadly we found far too much of both, however subject to funding being available it's the sort of job that contractors can safely tackle.

Pwll Lagoon doesn't have particularly easy access, which is a good thing!!, but if you visit the habitat is one of woodland carr with lots of Birch as well as a fen type habitat, more information via the link below.

http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/residents/your-community/biodiversity/nature-reserves/