At last Morfa Berwig Saturday 22nd July 2017

All effort has been directed at preparing for the official launch of the Morfa Berwig Local Nature Reserve.

And so it was on what will probably be the wettest day of the summer 27 hardy souls gathered to hear short speeches and genuine thanks before a bit of pond dipping and a walk around the reserve.

The walk was quite interesting as two Water Shrews  (dead) and a Common Shrew (dead) were found and proved interesting to the young folk.

Water Shrew

Common Shrew in reality its half the size of the Water Shrew

Mothing Monday 17th July - Tuesday 18th July 2017

After an evening of bird ringing, I set the moth trap and the trail camera, well the trail camera revealed nothing but the moth trap came up with some goodies.

Some nice moths and a couple of beetles.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Pebble Prominent

Ruby Tiger

Ear moth species, will need dissecting to identify correctly

Common Dor Beetle (awaiting confirmation as its a "local" species

Nicrophorus vestigator, a "local" Sexton Beetle species

What the right tools (machines) can achieve Saturday 15th July 2017

I visited Morfa Berwig LNR yesterday to see how the work was going, its amazing what an experienced "digger" driver can achieve in a short space of time.

The old bridges that were to be replaced with culverts and hard surface have all been completed, a bit of raking will see them finished off, all of the hard-core used was sourced on site from existing mounds and bunds, which themselves have been remoulded into softer shapes.

I think the photos speak for themselves!

Today was "ramble with a ranger", it was pouring down, thankfully no one was daft enough to venture out in the rain, so a slightly soggy "ranger rambled home", I'm still not sure how I got so wet I hardly left the van.

I stopped off to count the gulls at the high tide roost in Sandy Water Park, they seemed to be enjoying the rain with 845 Black Headed Gulls (yes I counted everyone I could see), 26 Lesser black backed Gulls, 10+ Herring Gulls, 10+ Common Gulls and 28 Mediterranean Gulls.

Mediterranean Gull

Busy times, update, Thursday 13th July 2017

Quite a lot going on at the moment, not least the preparation for the official opening of the Morfa Berwig Local Nature Reserve on 21st July, more of that in a moment.

I've started the autumn ringing at Pembrey, it really is an autumn site as the hirundine (Swallows and Martins) roost is the main focus of activity. The roost of Swallows is growing daily with most of the birds being this years young, last night at sunset there were around 750 birds going in to the reeds, so far we've caught about 40 Swallows,  and one Sand Martin.

It looks like the Sedge Warblers (Sedwa) have had a reasonable breeding season with good numbers of young birds already ringed; the lack of water in the reedbed means it's not favoured by Reed Warblers (Reewa) with low numbers breeding, but they to have raised a few broods.

Other captures have included Stonechat (2 juveniles BTO code 3J) Pied Wagtails (adults BTO code 4, and 3J's) and Whitethroat (code 3J).

With the tide being high late evening I've noticed that a few of the local birders have been out, with a good count of Mediterranean Gulls (130+) in Old Pembrey Harbour.

Meanwhile back at Morfa Berwig the contractors have started replacing most of the wooden bridges with enclosed culverts and pathways.

one of the old footpath bridges, being removed

Yesterday the team were hard at applying Linseed oil to the signs, moving old fences, opening up pathways and generally getting the place in order, there's a bit! more to do next week before opening day.

Baby boom Saturday 8th July 2017

With the warm weather continuing the horseflies were a real pest this morning so I beat a hasty retreat from the centre of the reserve, no point in being insect food and getting all swollen.... 

I picked up the litter from CE53 car park and filled a black bag with a selection of rubbish including some suspicious empty packets with a very "earthy" smell, cannabis! so with a combination of drugs, and drink, (judging by the cans and bottles also picked up) the idiots then must have driven home!

I was cheered up, after depositing the rubbish and recycling, to visit a confidential site and find THREE well grown healthy BARN OWL chicks they just need a few more weeks of peace and quiet before being ready to venture out on their own.

Barn Owls are a schedule 1 protected species, during breeding the breeding site enjoys the same protection afforded by the law.

Barn Owl chick (library photo)

Don't mess with this character.. Wednesday 5th July 2017

Tuesday evening saw me starting the autumn ringing at Pembrey LNR, with a modest catch of Sedge warblers, Swallows and Pied Wagtails, I also put the moth trap out which saw me at the reserve at 4am this morning closing down and collecting the meagre selection of moths.

With a total of 19 moths of 11 species it wasn't the best nights trapping but there were a few nice moths to show for it, including another Reddish Light Arches, Garden tiger and Scarce Footman.

Garden Tiger

Scarce footman

Being Wednesday there were a few jobs to be done, repairing stiles and fences!, whilst stopped for lunch we noticed an enormous (25mm long) "horsefly" bothering the cattle, it turned out to be the Dark Giant Horsefly, Tabanus sudeticus, they prefer ponies and cattle but will bite humans and have been known to induce anaphylactic shock in susceptible people. The "standard" horseflies were biting well when we went into the reedbeds to clear the ringing rides....

Dark Giant Horsefly, Tabanus sudeticus

Saturday 1st July 2017

Only 177 days to Christmas day!

I'm sure you all needed to know that little fact, but until then... another brief? touch of summer and another Strandline Beetle survey

Disappointingly only one beetle found today on the stretch checked, they do disappear in mid summer it seems.

There was plenty of other wildlife to see on this the first day of July with marbled Whites, Meadow Brown, Dark Green Fritillary, Small White and Small Skipper on the wing.

Dark Green Fritillary

I found the Dark Green Fritillary feeding on Sea Rocket right down on the beach where the plant is putting on a real show, a little further back from the beach, Prickly Sow Thistle was equally impressive.

Sea Rocket

Prickly Sow Thistle

Spiders are usually evidenced by their webs, and so today I managed to find a female Nurseryweb Spider, Pisaura mirabilis, attending her newly hatched spiderlings.

Nurseryweb Spider

An event in the Pembrey Country Park attracted over 1000 participants running an obstacle course! Well done to them I say......