Paul's Blog - All comments and views are my own,

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)

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 rid

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 parti

There are two guided events this month run by the conservation team from CCC's Outdoor Recreation. Thursday 6th July, is a BAT WALK at Sandy Water Park, meet in the car park at the eastern end of the lake at 21:15, dress appropriately and bring a torch. Saturday 15th July, is RAMBLE WITH A RANGER, at Pembrey Burrows LNR this coincides with the Dragonfly Challenge week organised by the British Dragonfly Society, so we will take a special look at our ponds, and keep an eye out for dragonflies anywhere during the event. Meet at the entrance to the reserve at 10:00 click on the photo to read the detail

After three days of guided walks, a meeting and some off site ringing, I thought I had better get on with some jobs at Pembrey LNR, especially prepping the ringing rides ready for the Swallow roosts. I picked a good day for it!, muggy and decidedly wet so full waterproofs it was, (yesterday  for a site meeting at Morfa Berwig I opted not to wear waterproofs and ended up very wet), armed with a slasher I stood, quietly, a bit perturbed by the sight of the ringing rides. opps! should have done this sooner.... Probably should have kept on top of this This was originally cleared as a new ride in April One very sweaty hour later, I've opened up the rides they will still need a bit of tidying up (Wednesday gang you have been warned), but the hard work is done. A bit of extra work and it will be ready Checking the cattle I found another two that have developed eye problems, I contacted the grazier and they will be treated today, whilst the eight that h

Today Simeon and I hosted? a visit by the Botanical Society of the British Isles, with Richard and Kath Pryce the county botanical recorders. A group of 10 experts left me in total awe of their expertise, friendliness and willingness to share their knowledge. a few of the group looking at something? The group spent just over 7 hours on the reserve visiting a number of the habitats and amassing a good list of plants, with a number of "token" specimens being taken for confirmation of their identity. The actual lists will be sent to me when completed, these will then be useful to help me further my own knowledge of the reserve. Sea Spurrey As well as the flora, good numbers of Marbled Whites were on the wing with a few Dark Green Fritillaries, on the bird front before they group arrived I found two Common Sandpipers on the high tide with 30+ Mediterranean Gulls, and a few more Redshank than of late, I guess autumn is on the way... Common Sandpiper,

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