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

I returned from a week in the sun in high spirits, well as high as my spirits get!, to find that all of the bird feeders at the winter feeding site in the country park had been ……. STOLEN!, No other word for it well there were but I can't put them in the blog. I mentioned it on my FB page and had a lot of supportive voices and a kind gesture of some replacements, THANK YOU. The park raised the issue on our social media feed and as expected there were many disgruntled voices offering vocal support, much appreciated, I'm not sure what drives some people, surely they were taken by people who where going to use them? I continued to feed the birds but just by putting the food on the ground. A few days ago I was in the office when a visitor came in carrying a large box, I was astounded to see a selection of almost new feeders as a donation; he had seen the message on our social media and brought them in. THANK YOU. I am not putting them back where they were for fear of havi

It was a big shock to the system getting off the plane at Bristol Airport, where we were reassuringly informed the temperature was 5'c, a stark contrast to the temperature when we left Gran Canaria where it was around 23'c. The rain as we crossed the Severn Bridge only reinforced the knowledge we were home. As this was a last minute winter break I didn't make any special effort to seek out the local wildlife, but managed to see a new bird species as well as get a close encounter with some Risso's Dolphins and two Green Turtles. The Canary Islands Chiffchaff is longer billed and has a short primary projection therefore a more rounded wing which works for this species as it is sedentary. Risso's Dolphins are just one of 29 species of cetaceans recorded in the waters off Gran Canaria, they are a calm species none of the acrobatics that you expect from some species of dolphin, the scars and scratches are caused by the dolphin feeding amongst rocks as this is pr

A last minute decision to have a short winter break finds me on the island of Gran Canaria. Not a wildlife holiday but some nice birds seen in passing, with one being a new bird for me, Canary Island Chiffchaff, similar to our own summer visitor but at the same time different. A longer billed more buffy bird with a very energetic song. When I get home I'll do a proper blog.

Another calm overcast and cool morning, perfect for getting out and about, even if the Country Park seems busy its easy to get away from people. If you venture to the eastern end of Pembrey Burrows nature reserve you will see the forces of nature in action, the effects of tide and wind are demonstrating what a sand dune system should be like, DYNAMIC! I've discussed in previous blogs how a functioning sand dune system should look and feel, lots of mobile sand, a good covering of Marram Grass and then the more stable dunes away from the immediate coast. The weather in late December has had an interesting effect on the dunes at the eastern end, with a fair bit of erosion to begin with but then a lot of sand moved up onto the existing low dunes and now extending up to 30m inland. The longer term impact may result in a new dune ridge forming right above the beach, and an expanse of more open sand ready to be colonised by all sorts of creatures and plants. Three years ago t

Happy New Year to all.... A calm, dry morning, if a tad nippy, was perfect for a short ringing session at Pembrey Country Park. As I was on my own, although lucky to have Veronica "scribing" I only set one 40' net. The feeding station is swarming with tits and I didn't really feel the urge to put up more than was necessary, especially as I was hoping for a few more Jays. First round produced a new Jay and a new GS Woodpecker along with the inevitable mix of Blue and Great Tits.  There is a new project running looking at the moult strategy of Blue Tits, especially the way in which they moult their Alula feathers (numbered 3 in the diagram) so catching Bluti has even more scientific value. The session finished on 25 birds with Great Tits dominating, plus another two Jays; we have ringed six Jays in four sessions since November, there are still  more to ring....

Well so far it's not a lot like winter, Christmas has gone and the New Year beckons, what it will bring.... no one can foretell, but whatever it is lets hope for the best. 2018 has been a mixed year with lots of high points, getting paid to do what I love, and the low points of family tragedy. Having spent less time on the local nature reserves doesn't mean they have been neglected, far from it's just that each visit has been better quality, and with more maintenance being done by contractors those visits have been spent recording and monitoring. Some early observations have not been good, NO Strandline Beetles recorded in 2018, much lower numbers of Common Lizard and Slow Worm, and NO Grass Snakes. On the flip side butterfly numbers were higher than 2017, although I'm still waiting for the detail from the surveys carried out. No doubt the weather during late winter and early spring affected the reptiles and of course that heatwave influenced the butterflies, what