All at sea or not

 Croeso pawb

A short blog this week to record an unusual and unpleasantly sad event.

On Monday afternoon our Lifeguards reported a large cetacean washed ashore on Cefn Sidan, initial inspection that evening found the decomposing body of a large Whale, measured at around 20-22m in length, weighing possibly as much as 30 tonnes

My initial thoughts were either Fin Whale, Balaenoptera physalus or Sei Whale  Balaenoptera borealis.

The carcass is quite decomposed especially on the ventral side whilst all colour seems to have been lost from the skin on the dorsum, it may be the outer layer has been lost.

The finding was reported to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, CSIP.

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme

Their team attended on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd September and identified the whale as a Fin Whale, the second largest mammal on earth, considered vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.

Follow this link for more information, Fin whale - Wikipedia

Any further information from the CSIP will be in the next blog

Butterfly bonanza

 Croeso pawb,

Summer 2025 just keeps on giving, my feeling is that there has been something of a bounce back from the recent run of poor springs and summers, especially when looking at numbers of some species of butterflies and bees.

In the past week I have been mooching about the nature reserves and country parks and have been delighted with the numbers of butterflies and bees seen.

At Pembrey Burrows I did a circular transect over the middle saltmarsh, taking in the swathes of Sea Lavender, it was only around 500m in total, however I counted the following: Common Blue 15, Meadow Brown 8, Large White 4, Small White 5, Small Heath 2 and Clouded Yellow ♂ 1. 

Clouded Yellow, Colias croceus , image Butterfly Conservation

Feeling suitable impressed I then did another circular  transect of around 300m on an area of recovering embryonic dunes nearer to "The Nose" Common Blue 13, Meadow Brown 4, Small White 34,  Small Blue 3

I was really pleased with the counts but they paled into insignificance when I "popped in" to look at an area we are trying to recreate a wet area, a dune slack.

Growing in the slack is an area about 20sqm of Water Mint, Mentha aquatica, I was stunned by what greeted me, there were over 200 butterflies in and around the mint with at least a further 100 flitting over other adjacent areas of mint and a few Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria.

Without professional photographic equipment any photograph would not do the scene any justice.

A rough estimate of species recorded would be, Common Blue 140, Meadow Brown 55, Small White 45, Gatekeeper 20, Small Blue 5, Small Heath 4, Clouded Yellow 3 ♂ and 1 ♀, Red Admiral 1

Even more interestingly the ♀ Clouded Yellow was very pale, and likely to be the form helice, 

Clouded Yellow ♀, ssp Colias croeus, f helice, image UK Butterflies

Highlights

 Bore da pawb, Croeso.

There's not a huge lot to shout about, but what there has been is exciting.

For the first time since pre-covid a Strandline Beetle has been discovered on the part of Cefn Sidan withing the Pembrey Burrows & Salting's LNR, found by, Alistair, one of our conservation volunteers under one of the experimental Natur am Byth artificial refugia. A truly important find.

A few days later, an almost full team conducted a survey, interrupting other plans as always, within a very controlled area to look for more beetles, disappointedly we didn't find any but this is the way with the Strandline Beetle, it can be elusive from July to early August. The team have an "official" survey planned in  for 18th August so we will have another look, additional volunteers from paid staff in NES welcome - you know who you are !!!

Interestingly the individual found by Alistair was quite dark looking compared to many that I have observed. A French paper contained the following chart highlighting variations, oh and thanks to Alistair for translating the paper.

Careful observations by a local birder, have confirmed the successful breeding of Grey Herons in Pembrey Country Park, I was aware of a successful breeding attempt at this location back in 2020 but hadn't had the time to look since so a huge thanks again.

It certainly seems to be a much better season for invertebrates, particularly butterflies, the regular monitoring of the Pembrey Burrows LNR by the conservation volunteers, whilst still ongoing, does paint a better picture than recent. Painted Lady have been recorded with as many as four seen nectaring together on Sea Rocket and Perennial Sow Thistle

Round up July 2025

 Bore da pawb,

Not quite a round up, more of what has been going on and exciting things to come in the remainder of 2025- hopefully!

The meadows we manage across the county are just passing their peak at the moment with the main meadow at Mynydd Mawr Woodland Park looking particularly spectacular, the problem is a photograph really doesn't show how good they are; you have to be there to see and listen, an array of wildflowers and a host of invertebrates, I could even hear the grasshoppers, my hearing has deteriorated to the point I thought I wouldn't hear grasshoppers again.

There have been some good bird sightings this past week especially at WWT Llanelli, with Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank, whilst at Old Pembrey harbour an Osprey made an appearance during high tide with increasing numbers of Tern species along Cefn Sidan including Sandwich, Arctic and one Little Tern; all signs that autumn , in the natural world at least, is well underway.

I am pleased to say that the plans to protect the Greater Horseshoe Bats at Pembrey Country Park are making progress, albeit rather slowly but we've started the process with the help of the Vincent Wildlife trust, Vincent Wildlife Trust | Conserving threatened mammalswith… 

The planned artificial, Sand Martin, nesting boxes for, Ffynnon Helyg, are due for installation mid to late September.

Dune Tiger Beetle sightings are now up to three this season, not huge numbers but at least I now know where and when to look for them, so next year we can make a concerted effort to survey for them, I also re-found the nationally scarce Isopod, Armadillidium-album, I say re-found it had never gone missing!

Mothing and other things

 Croeso pawb

The recent hot spell have apparently been good for mothing, I was late to the game but did manage two consecutive nights, Saturday and Sunday and was very happy with the modest catch

The best of the bunch were 

July Highflyer

Canary Shouldered Thorn

Marbled Green

                                                                                         

                                                                                                 Sycamore 3rd record for the County

                                                                                                    the red patch on the head is where                                                                                                                         the scales have worn off

Today, Monday, has been spent with colleagues from the council and WWT Llanelli in a useful meeting of minds.

Whilst out on the estuary we saw around 200-300 Curlew, around 100 Redshank, a family of Lapwing and the usual egrets, gulls and geese.

Autumn approaches & Wales Nature Week

Mae'r hydref yn agosáu, yn y byd naturiol mae newidiadau eisoes ar y gweill gyda dechrau mudo adar yn amlwg.

Mae'r blodau gwyllt yn dechrau gosod hadau, ac mae'r glaswellt yn marw yn ôl, rydyn ni heibio heuldro'r haf a chyn bo hir bydd y nosweithiau'n dechrau tynnu i mewn, mae'r cyfan yn swnio'n braidd yn llwm ond mae'n ffordd y byd naturiol, ac rwy'n hoffi'r hydref.

Mae'n ymddangos bod gloÿnnod byw yn cael blwyddyn llawer gwell na'r llynedd, gyda chyfrif da yn cael eu gwneud ar yr arolwg glöynnod byw yn Twyni Pen-bre.

Mae'n fis ers y blog diwethaf, gyda gwyliau a dim llawer i adrodd arno, bydd hyd yn oed hyn yn fyr.

Autumn approaches, in the natural world changes are already underway with the start of bird migration being evident.

The wildflowers are beginning to set seed, and the grasses are dying back, we are past the summer solstice and soon the evenings will start to draw in, all sounds a bit gloomy but it’s the way of the natural world, and I like the autumn.

Butterflies seem to be having  a much better year than last, with good counts being made on the butterfly survey at Pembrey Burrows.

It’s a month since the last blog, with holidays and not a lot to report on, even this will be short.

Another record of the Southern Dune Tiger Beetle, this time on Pembrey Burrows was good, in contrast searches  for the Strandline Beetle during June have found only one individual, not surprising as much of the driftwood has been buried under sand, they are there somewhere....

Adults to the left immatures to the right

On the bird front a moulting Turnstone and a couple of Ringed Plovers on Cefn Sidan, may point to early returning birds from breeding grounds much further North. Numbers of Mediterranean Gulls, are beginning to build up nicely, Old Pembrey harbour a few hours before high water is  good place to them, and worth checking to see if any are carrying "Darvic rings"  in colour and text combination which can be read and reported or just metal rings. European colour-ring Birding | cr-birding Also a useful site for identifying the birds is Mediterranean Gull - eBird

 Wales Nature Week Events,

Saturday 5th July, Beach Safari at Cefn Sidan, meet at the main beach entrance in Pembrey Country park, parking fees apply 10am -12pm

Sunday 6th July, Take a closer look at Llyn Llech Owain Country Park, Moths, pond dipping and walks, parking fees apply, 10:30am -2pm

Wednesday 9th July Beach Safari at Cefn Sidan, meet at the main beach entrance in Pembrey Country park, parking fees apply 10am -12pm

Thursday 10th July Walk at Morfa Berwig LNR 10am - 11:30pm

A nice find or two

 Bore da pawb

Another couple of busy weeks, with the chance to spend more time outdoors and observing what's going on.

Whilst looking for Strandline Beetles on Cefn Sidan a beetle with a mainly chocolate brown colouring but having an obvious creamy strip on each wing case, moved near my foot before running very fast and taking off. Enough time for a positive identification of Dune Tiger Beetle, Cicindela maritima the first record that I am aware of since 2017.

Dune Tiger Beetle - library image

Although this recent record was not on the Pembrey Burrows Reserve it was actually on the western end of Cefn Sidan it does provide hope that we can find the beetle active on the dunes.

Celery Leaved Buttercup - library image

During another survey, undertaken on 30th May I found Celery Leaved Buttercup, Ranunculus, Sceleratus, just two plants in Pembrey Country Park,  although much better recorded than NBN Gateway would suggest it looks like a a new site for this species in Carmarthenshire.

The Botanical Society Of Britain & Ireland, visited Pembrey Burrows last week , choosing a day without any rain. I could spend much time with them but they did find a new grass for the site, what's it called you ask, well when they tell me I'll tell you, (I forgot to ask). Like all experts in their relevant taxa these guys know their stuff.

There were also a lot of butterflies on the track leading to the bird hide, with - Green Hairstreak, Small Blue 40+, Common Blue 20+, Small Heath, Holly Blue 1, Small Skipper 2, Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly 2 ♀. 

On the pond in F2 there were, Emperors, Board-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Azure Blue, Common Blue as well as some stunning Southern marsh Orchids.

Southern Marsh Orchid