Thursday 9th August 2018

A lovely cool calm and sunny morning on the Pembrey Burrows LNR, a change to the long run of oppressive heat.

The salt marsh is in bloom with swathes of Common Sea Lavender stealing the show, and a host of Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Grayling and Large White butterflies taking advantage of this nectar source.

On the dryer areas patches of the vibrant Sea Holly, most past their best but still some stunning blue flowers to be seen and enjoyed by a wide range of invertebrates.

I was actually recceing the guided walk on Saturday, although the weather forecast is a moving feast at the moment so if you intend coming along please book in advance.

Plenty of signs of Badger activity, the most obvious being the well used latrines which they dig at points around their home range.

Badger poo in a latrine, this individual has been eating Dewberry fruit

Although worn, you can still see the broadness of the print and the claw marks

Footprints in the mud and sand can be useful but are easily worn away the photo is the best print of a Badger I could get this morning.

Despite the recent heavy showers the ponds on the reserve are in need of a top up, especially the pond on grazing field 2 which is now officially dry....

Officially dry!!

A walk along the beach was interesting as you can now see very clearly one of the unique features of the Pembrey dunes, the formation of embryonic dunes, an increasingly rare sight on the West coast of the UK.

The plants growing on the beach are Prickly Saltwort and Sea Rocket these are known as pioneer plants growing in bare sand they along with beach debris start the process of dune formation, the photo clearly shows the build up of sand around the plants and the driftwood; the foundations of a line of embryo dunes, if they survive the winter storms then they will begin to consolidate and become more vegetated thereby deepening the dune system; a guided walk with Llanelli Naturalists on Sunday 12th August may reveal more, see their website for details:- 


http://www.llanellinaturalists.org.uk/

Saturday 4th August 2018

Not a lot happening but a noteworthy sighting in Pembrey Country Park this afternoon in the shape of a juvenile Yellow Legged Gull.

There have bee a few sightings of YL Gull in the past few weeks but its always nice to find one yourself.

There are a number of short grass fields which the gulls like to roost on either at high tide or in stormy weather, although todays sighting was not influenced by either.

Good numbers of Pied Wagtails can be found late in the afternoon around the admin offices or the ski centre, after the drop of rain we've had Mistle Thrushes are evident again.

Don't forget next Saturdays Salt Marsh walk meet at 10am PROMPT at the entrance to the Pembrey LNR

Putting the nature back into rangernaturenotes Wednesday 1st August

My recent blogs seem to have been dominated by topics other than nature, well to be honest that's the "nature" of the mixed role I have, but nature is never far away.

I spent a few hours at the Pembrey LNR yesterday morning, generally looking around but also doing a reptile survey.
It was not good with only one Slow-Worm found under the survey mats, and no Common Lizards seen, in fact the best I found was a Wood Mouse. Last year we were literally falling over ourselves with lizards, perhaps the cold winter early spring took it's toll this year, or maybe they have given up using the mats watch this space.

Slow-worm

On the bird front autumn is well and truly underway with numbers of Med' Gulls, and Sandwich Terns building up, as well as Sanderling numbers along the beach; don't forget the Carmarthenshire Bird Club Tern Watch meeting on 12th August at Old Pembrey Harbour (17:30).

Butterflies along the track to the hut are still present in good numbers, with up to 10 species being seen.

Common Blue on Woody Nightshade

A shoe stealing Fox cub has been reported from the car parking area at CE53, I've not seen this foxy criminal myself but there are photographs.

Fox cub about five months old (VH)

Flocks of post breeding birds are evident with a lovely flock of c45 Linnets hanging around near the hut.

Many of you will have read/heard that parking restrictions will be in force shortly along the Factory Road and in the top "parking" area opposite the reserve entrance. Parking will be available in the lower parking area plus parking in the country park is still an option and great value at around 13p per day for an annual pass.

The next event at the reserve will be on 11th August at 10am, a Salt Marsh Tramp. Parking will be available on the reserve for a prompt start.

Sea Holly

Just another day......three ambulances, HM Coastguard and the Police

Well, what a change in the weather wind and heavy cold showers.

The day started off quite slowly, then a tree with limbs damaged by last nights wind needed attention which tied two of us up for a couple of hours, the tree was made safe but will need felling on Monday, no one injured all safe.

I took one of the new guys out on a beach patrol as it was quiet in the office, on our return trip down the beach we were flagged down by the RNLI lifeguard on a quad bike looking for a lady with a Cocker spaniel the wife of a kite surfer who had suffered an injury. We found the lady sat in her car and delicately informed her she was needed on the beach. A while later RNLI informed us that a 999 call had been made and an ambulance was on the way, the paramedics and then the coastguard duly arrived.

Oh I forgot, in between finding the lady and taking her to the beach the Police arrived lights blazing on what turned out to a HOAX call. 

Wikipedia free to use

The coincidences continue as the technician in the first ambulance informed that there was another unit on the way responding to another incident in the park... I'll come back to that one

Wikipedia free to use

Clearly it would be inappropriate to report anymore on the incident suffice to say the paramedics carried out their job Well done to them and of course the RNLI lifeguards. I wish the gentleman a speedy recovery.

Wikipedia free to use

And so to the second incident, a lady had slipped and damaged her hip, she seemed cheery enough when we arrived ahead of the ambulance paramedic responder car; but was actually in  a lot of pain. Another full size ambulance was needed and the lady whisked off to hospital.

I got in around 20:15 and my mobile rang, it was the campsite warden asking if when I left the entrance barrier was ok, well it was but not apparently now, as it is in two pieces!!!

URGENT URGENT, Control from.......Sunday 22nd July 2018

And so it was at around 3pm today I was checking the car parks when I was flagged down by a visitor, it's usually bad news when someone flags us down, who told me that he had seen smoke coming from the forest just inland from the beach near the wreck on the western end of Cefn Sidan.

The result was of course a radio call to our control to alert them to the information; the team sprung into action as we set about locating the fire  which was found outside the park boundary in the NRW Pembrey Forest. Other members of the public were already attempting to tackle the fire and had alerted the Fire Service via 999 as had our team at control.

On this point the gentleman who called 999 was amazed he had a mobile signal, it's worth mentioning that 99% of the time when you dial 999 your mobile will pick up any network not necessarily the one you pay for... technology eh!

Well anyway it was soon apparent that the cause of the fire was a DISPOSABLE BBQ and a campfire, I cannot understand the selfishness of people WHY. A fire crew from Llanelli station arrived on site but due to the location couldn't get a hose close enough so had to carry water in buckets; the use of "fire beaters" helped contain the flames but the damage had already been done and the fire had burned deep into the ground, ( as we discovered when two of us revisited the incident around 18:30)

you can see the disposable BBQ in the lower centre

If any of my readers wonder about the decision to ban BBQ's and fires etc in the Pembrey Country Park believe me when I say the difficult decision was taken to take into account the stupidity and selfishness of some visitors (my personal view)

Well on a brighter note, apart from being bitten by a Horsefly again! we were joined by the incredible GIANT WOOD WASP, busily laying eggs in the bark of a Pine tree which was still smouldering.
These harmless insects are very impressive being around 40mm long.

Giant Wood Wasp  (Wikipedia free to use )

Morfa Berwig, Carmarthenshire Bird Club walk Saturday 21st July part 2

After the little drop of rain yesterday evening the air felt damp when we met at Morfa Berwig for a stroll around the reserve. The morning soon warmed up....

As is usual at this time of year it was quiet on the bird front save for a fly through Peregrine which proved to be the highlight.

Butterflies on the wing today included Ringlet, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Blue.

Dragonflies were thin in the air with only Azure Blue and Southern Hawker making an appearance, the Southern Hawker performed amazingly well resting on a Dock plant in full view.

Southern Hawker

A wide range of plants including Fleabane, Greater Willowherb, Red Bartsia, Wild Parsnip, Scentless Mayweed, and Scarlet Pimpernel.

Greater Willowherb

I hope the small group of nine enjoyed the walk, July doesn't see the reserve at its best however there is always something to see.

Food for thought, Saturday 21st July 2018 part 1

Yesterday I received the weather data from the Met office for the weather station at Pembrey AWR.
The first six months makes for interesting reading.

The photo isn't particularly clear, however it shows that June 2018 (the blue line) recorded 8.8mm of rain v 88.2mm in June 2017 and 116.0 in June 2016, I wonder what July will look like.....