Gordon Bennett!

It seems the old farmers favourite of land drainage is alive and kicking in the south Wales valleys. The idea that holding water in the landscape for as long as possible to help buffer the impacts of increased rainfall on the lower river catchment appears lost on some old school land managers. A channel cut through the water absorbing, sphagnum topped, layer of peat is working depressingly efficiently. I can only guess the aim of this work is to agriculturally 'improve' this part of the 'ffridd' landscape. And to cap it all its liberated a nice cocktail of mine water pollutants.

Elsewhere a walk around the lower slopes of Mynydd Farteg Fawr was notable for this nice linear water body that on this visit supported a 'drop in' swallow - my first of the year. This pond is a relatively new feature, probably formed as a result of a blocked culvert. If the aforementioned water drainage busy bodies get the bit between their teeth its long term prognosis is not good. However, we need more actions in the uplands that seek to retain water for as long as possible instead of the shortsighted actions of the few!

From the pond I made my way to an area of remnant dry stone walling looking for an early male wheatear. The walling is restricted to three smallest compartments that once formed the immediate surroundings of a lost farmstead called Yew Tree Farm, One assumed, logically, it was called such due to the presence of a yew tree. There was no sign of a living tree but a large dead stump now with a rowan sapling hitching a ride is testament to what would have been a long lived specimen.