Busy weekend of walks Sunday 25th June 2016

With walks on both Saturday and Sunday its been quite busy....

Saturday was our Summer Flowers walk led by Dr Simeon Jones our Conservation Officer, with a small group we had an interesting walk looking at the change in plants through each of the areas of the dune system, starting on the fore-dunes and ending in the fixed dunes, a good variety of plants seen in less than perfect weather including the stunning Sea Holly.

Sea Holly

We didn't find the Bee Orchids, but the Pyramidals put on a great show.

Sunday saw the west Glamorgan rspb local group visit for a look around, again a small but enthusiastic group saw 33 species of birds, including some distant Gannets, 70 species of wild flowers, and a few butterflies, (in less than perfect conditions of wind and drizzle) but Marbled Whites were quite abundant.

Marbled Whites

This Golden Plover caused momentary excitement as it was very confiding in fact fearless as it showed no fear of us at all, so was either sick or very tired. (It could easily have been an American visitor!!)

Another Busy week ahead  starting with a BSBI (Botanical Society of the British Isles) field trip visiting Pembrey Burrows LNR on Tuesday.......

Heatwave phew and moths Wednesday 21st June 2017

Well its hot, no mistaking that although all change tonight?

At 9am it was 26'c at the shelter to hot for work so just a morning of monitoring, no Strandline Beetles found on the section I checked today but I did find a special moth the Sand Dart.

On the subject of moths I ran the trap overnight on Monday into Tuesday with a great catch with a smattering of common moths plus some "goodies" and a NEW moth for Carmarthenshire a Reddish Light Arches, Apamea sublustris, here are a few pictures.

Reddish Light Arches, new to Carmarthenshire

Broad-barred White Scarce in Carmarthenshire

Shore Wainscot rare in Carmarthenshire Nationally scarce

Shark, uncommon and local

Carmarthenshire Bird Club guided walk Saturday 17th June 2017

The annual bird club guided walk took place this morning, a month earlier than usual, with perfect weather of clear blue skies and a gentle breeze keeping the temperature pegged at around 16'c.

There were 11 club members who enjoyed the walk through one of the grazing fields where we saw a wide range of flowering plants including: Lesser and Greater Spearwort, Bloody Cranesbill, Pyramidal Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Marsh Helleborine, and a host more.

Bloody Cranesbill

The Dragonflies put on a show with Emperor, Broad Bodied Chaser and Black tailed Skimmer, as well as Azure Damesleflies.

Emperor ♀ egg laying

The butterflies were a little disappointing but first of the years included, Dark Green Fritillary, Marbled White and Large Skipper with just one Green Hairstreak seen by a select few.

Dark Green Fritillary

Spearworts - pretty buttercups!

Another beetle.. Thursday 15th June 2017

A cooler blustery but bright day and another Strandline Beetle survey, disappointedly only one beetle found...

Interesting sightings included another location for Dune Tiger Beetle, and good numbers of Dune Chafer, Anomala dubia, flying and mating, this beetle is classified as having a "local" distribution in the UK largely on the West coast with South Wales a good area for them.

Dune Chafer

I was also lucky enough to find three breeding pairs of Ringed Plover, and using some field craft managed to locate a nest with three eggs, field craft, [so lacking these days amongst many people who don't "get it"] is really important if you really want to discover some hidden gems. Of course you can just stumble on these things but how many people know how to react to the behaviour of the creature being observed without stressing it. As I left the area one of the adults had returned to the eggs.

Clear night mothing Tuesday/Wednesday 14th June 2017

With the first reasonable weather for quite a while I put the moth trap out in the garden, it was a clear night with a heavy dew.

Getting up at 3:30am to "close" the trap and retiring to bed until 7:30am seemed a great idea!

Disappointedly when checking the trap the sum total was six moths of five species!

Here are the best..

Peppered Moth

Buff Tip, head on

Buff Tip, side on

Sunday 11th June 2017 Pt 2

Before the walk/event this morning, I went for a look around, it was great to see so many Southern Marsh Orchids and Pyramidal Orchids in flower, with many more flower spikes yet to open.  The yellow of the Biting Stonecrop is beginning to make a nice show on the dryer areas of the dunes.

Infloresence of Pyramidal Orchid

Biting Stonecrop

I also came across a Spider-hunting Wasp which may be Arachnospila anceps,(no common name), I've submitted the record for confirmation.

?

The high winds of the past week have damaged the bearings on the anemometer on the weather station, and now its not spinning just shaking....., I'm not surprised really as its been in use for about five years and experienced a few storms.. I'll have to get a ladder to check the damage properly.

Creepy Crawlies and Bug hunt event Sunday 11th June 2017

Another low turnout, but those that joined in had a good time, nothing like poking about in a pond or mashing up cow pats in your hands to get the proverbial naturalists juices flowing.

In blustery conditions, (the sun did make a brief appearance) we delved into the pond in F3, there have been no cattle in the field for a few months, so it seemed the right choice.

I am no expert on aquatic life so the identifications will be to a Genus, only, still very interesting.

The most surprising find was a Coot, which happens to be a new bird for the site and species 110 of the year. No one else saw it as it dived into some vegetation, swam underwater to the far end of the pond then sneeked out into a pile of logs.

More expected life included , Newt efts spp, (immature newts), Water Baotmen, Diving Beetle spp, Blood Worm, Pea Mussel spp, Great Pond Snail, along with Damselfly and Dragonfly nymphs.

Dragonfly nymph, either a "Chaser" or "Darter"

Damselfly nymph

Immature Newt, (Eft)

We then went and looked at a damp area which had both Lesser and Greater Spearwort in flower as well as Yellow Flag, a bit of vegetation beating with the butterfly net yielded what appears to be a Black Snipefly.

Black Snipefly?, very distinctive wing pattern

A quick look at some cowpats saw us looking at some fungi, (awaiting ID), beetle larvae as well as worms.

Yes that's Cow poo with a nice little fungus!