Promoting observation, free range exploration, sense of place and citizen science, through the field notes of a naturalist.







Saturday 6 July 2013

Nutrient deficient



If this water body at Cefn garn yr erw on the county borough border between Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen were to visit the pond doctor it would certainly be prescribed an emergency dose of multi-vitamins. Oligotrophic or nutrient deficient ponds are characteristic of the uplands in north west Gwent. The many former industrial ponds in this area collectively form an important landscape network that hitherto has slipped under the radar of discerning traditional conservationists. 


Anticipating a change in weather conditions last Thursday evening I had a 'just popping out for hour' moment in the hope of some freshly emerged odonata. I didn't however bargain for a strong upland breeze that suppressed activity. The best I could muster was a large unidentified in flight dragonfly, a single snipe and a wind battered brown china mark moth. 



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