Floaters

Ivy leaved duckweed Lemma trisula

Common duckweed  Lemma minor and Water fern Azolla filliculoides

Common duckweed and Fat duckeed Lemma gibba

Least duckweed  Lemma minuta

Frogbit  Hydrocharis morsus-ranae

There's an interesting article in the most recent British Wildlife magazine (June 2012) about duckweed. Often overlooked or targeted by wetland managers for its invasive tendencies duckweed species are some of the most successful  water plants in the British Isles. Having resurrected my interest in the ecological value of the Mon and Brecon Canal last Saturdays stroll between Cwmbran and Newport turned in a good variety of floating vegetation. The above photos are just a sample of what was on offer.



The Mon and Brecon Canal - another under recorded biological resource.

A check on progress with the field work for the new national dragonfly atlas will illustrate just how poorly recorded the vice county of Monmouthshire is. There are exceptions of course, birds are well covered, there's been  a welcome increase in lepidoptera recording and thanks to the work of individuals like Trevor Evans and Sam Bosenquet higher and lower plants seem well documented, for the rest forget it. This void at best is embarrassing but for a county that supports some quality habitats this lack of recording threatens the future well-being of our natural heritage.

One feature that is a legacy of our industrial heritage is the Mon and Brecon Canal. Winding its way from Brecon through the rolling agricultural landscape of Monmouthshire and on to Newport through the urban conurbations of Pontypool and Cwmbran, not forgetting an arm off to Risca, the canal is a smashing landscape scale wildlife resource. But predictably we know very little about it. Having walked the canal as a young ornithologist and now as an old natuarlist it seems the non navigational sections where the canal has been 'chopped up' by roads and other development are the most diverse.

Stretches of water covered in various species of duckweed, both white and yellow water lily along with the scarcer frogbit, but also in places the non native floating water fern can be found, all supporting a very healthy population of breeding moorhen and mallard. As a kid I remember water vole, alas no more, but otters and bats are frequent. As for invertebrates, these are plentiful, especially where the towpath has escaped the grass cutting activities of the tidiness brigade. Odonata are there for the taking, beautiful and banded demoiselle damselflies and emperor dragonflies are common. Look out for the variable damselfly and hairy dragonfly. Get out and record or expect it to be lost.

I'm back....again!

A:D the Bristol ringed lesser black-backed gull is back doing the rounds in the Maesglas Retail Park car park in Newport for at least the third consecutive year. Showing well especially if you have some spare grub.

Coity complex

After a saturday that saw a significant improvement in the weather both Coity Tip grasslands and Mile Pond were less than impressive. The main objective was to pick up on some dragonflies but unfortunately not a single insect was recorded, however a few common species of damselfly were noted, but never numerous. On the grassland around the tip a single marbled white and a count of around eleven moonwort lifted the spirits but only a couple of six spotted burnet moths.

Dragonflies and Damselflies

A big thank you to everyone who turned out for the SEWBReC dragonfly and damselfly training at Llanelly Hill today. The weather was kind for the afternoon field session that followed the mornings lecture. Seven species of odonata were recorded and well photographed by those in attendance, including black darter, four spotted chaser, common and southern hawker and scarce blue tailed damselfly. Other species noted include dark green fritillary and great crested newt. On return to our cars we bumped into two visiting freshwater ecologists on their way to do some caving and invertebrate recording in the Ogof draenen cave system. Apparently they've recorded some new species to Wales in the cave!

Chit Chat

A visit to Garnlydan Reservoir was generally unremarkable save for a pair of whinchat and a distant male stonechat. A couple of yellow waxcaps was interesting given you would normally expect these to be autumn species - a measure of the how much rain we've had recently!

Under Monnow Bridge

 

A female goosander loafed around with the mallard and other assorted hybrids under the Monnow Bridge at Monmouth yesterday whilst the Morris Dancers jingled their bells and flapped their hankies to a song about the barley harvest on the bridge above. Elsewhere there seemed to be something of a bee theme going on with the opening a Bees for Development shop in the town.



Dormant interest rekindled

Nothing like a couple of local colour ringed gulls to reawaken the fire in my belly for all things larus. So in an idle moment I drifted back to my spring trip to Fuerteventura and some yellow legged gulls .....take me back pleeeease!

Come the winter its Spain or Portugal for me

Many thanks to Peter Stewart of the Severn Estuary Gull Group for his swift response to my report of Blue CHL the colour ringed lesser black backed gull from Brynmawr. As you can see it seems the bird enjoys wintering in southern Europe and who can blame it!

Ringed  24/11/07 SGD Stoke Orchard landfill site, Gloucestershire. 51.56N 02.02W

Sighted 28/11/07 JDS Grundons landfill site, Gloucestershire (2 km, N, 4 days)

Sighted 05/11/08 JDS Grundons landfill site, Gloucestershire (2 km, N, 347 days)

Sighted 20/11/08 JDS Grundons landfill site, Gloucestershire (2 km, N, 362 days)

Sighted 12/12/08 MD Quarteira, Faro, Portugal (1718 km, SSW, 1 yr 18days)

Sighted 02/12/10 JC Boca do Rio, Porto do Son, Coruna, Spain (1155 km, SSW, 3 yrs 8days)

Sighted 15/01/11 GM Alcazar de San Juan tip, Ciudad, Real, Spain (1397 km, S, 3 yrs 52days)

Sighted 10/07/12 SW Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent (76 km, WSW, 4 yrs 229days)

Panasonic Lumix FZ45 to the rescue

After fiddling about with trying to fit a compact camera to a scope in order to get a pic of the colour ringed lesser black backed gull on the factory roof opposite Asda Brynmawr, I ditched the lot in favour of my newly purchased Panasonic Lumix FZ45 bridge camera. And I'm glad I did as not only one but two colour ringed birds presented themselves late yesterday evening. First up was blue CHL and secondly white GU. Will keep you posted as to their origin.

Bubbles

Interestingly Bubbles the colour ringed mute swan seemingly moved purposefully across Dunlop Semtex Pond to preen within the recent detergent discharge of a nearby business. I've reported this effluent to the Environment Agency on at least a couple of occasions but nothing changes. By contrast I noted a recent BBC Wales News item on very same issue but on the Nedern Brook in Caldicot whereby an EA officer, quite rightly, waxed lyrical about the biological impact of detergents. The frustrating thing is I know which business this detergent is coming from!

The roof top lesser black backed/herring gull colony opposite Asda is now as busy and noisy as ever with many young birds joining the throng. Given the extent of gull colour ringing in and around the Severn Estuary these days it was almost odds on a ringed bird would turn up. This adult presented itself  in mid roof area and allowed for a number of pics with both my Sigma 300mm and 500mm lenses. By the time I got my scope in position to read the number it dropped out of sight only to reappear very briefly and only just enough to read the letter L as part of the inscription. Unfortunately none of the download pics were sharp enough to help with the full sequence.

 

Its July and picnic time

A break in the weather yesterday tea-time had me trekking to the Pettingale Hide at Llandegfedd Reservoir for a bit of risk averse birding. After everything I've said about countryside clutter I was certainly glad of the cover the hide provided, as the sky soon darkened and then failed to stop raining for any significant time during my hour or so stay. The hide here could be so good if there was some vegetation management around it. As such views toward the dam are non existent, and very restricted toward the north due to head height bracken etc. Interesting though some strumming has taken place around the nearby bench and life buoy - presumably for the benefit of fishermen?

I enjoy July and August at reservoir. Lower water levels with passage waders, muddy margins with ground beetles and liverworts and invertebrate rich meadows. Yesterday seemed a world away from such romantic thoughts. A quick scan of the floating island or are they fish rearing tanks, produced a colour ringed lesser black backed gull, but as I arranged my kit for a record shot they all took flight to the middle of the reservoir. Otherwise a shelduck, a fast flying duck that emerged from Sor Bay in the gloom and flew strongly around the reservoir to alight just off shore of The Island/Green Pool area could have been the recently reported common scoter or even a mallard.

 Finally, brief rain respite produced what I first thought were longhorn moths, with dozens of these insects dancing around the bracken/bramble/hazel view restricting vegetational combination. On closer inspection they appear to be caddis flies. Further research required to identify to species level.  Calling in at the dam before returning home produced circa 12 common sandpiper suggesting inland wader movement may already be underway.

Nice weather for ................

ducks...............

 

toads..................

and the knocking of dainty little butterflies off their perches into the watery abyss below!



Some assorted flies

A quick jolly after work to one of the best wetland habitats in Gwent, the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal at Sebastopol was very productive for colourful invertebrates mainly in terms of diptera. Damselflies were also well represented as illustrated by the above in feeding mode.

Chrysotosum bicinetum

Scaeva pyrastri

As yet unidentified (open to offers)



Something for the weekend sir?

Those familiar with the distinctive post industrial habitats of south Wales valleys will have no doubt witnessed the steady re-grooming of the landscape. Just like a visit to the barbers, washed away is the ruffled and dishevelled hair style created by the hands of  successive industrialists, in favour of a more modern day Vidal Sasoon look. In places the unkempt Just for Men style has been combed back into place with the slickness of  1970's  Brylcreem advert, giving parts of the landscape a Mallen Streak air of respectability. But if you want to see wildlife at its best go now to the areas where the curly perm, mullet and pony tail survives. Seek out the fringes of road verges where the short back and sides of highway management is less achievable and the botanics grow to collar length.

Here in amongst the discarded drinks bottles, ubiquitous wheel trim and condom wrapper are flaky patches of baldness where the vegetational competition is reduced and the bee orchid takes a hold. No medicated treatment here to neutralise the legacy of chemical variability allows acidic loving plants to rub shoulders with those of  a more calcareous nature. Kidney vetch whose long peroxide golden locks sway in the wind as a car rushes by, or the punked up dyed purple hue of the tightly cropped small leaved thyme. Blue fleabane, fairy flax, southern marsh orchid, moonwort and assorted grasses and sedges all grow unrestrained, enjoying the freedom of a more relaxed cutting style. Yes, biologically rich habitats can still be found but be quick as they won't be around for long. But ensure you look for the patches that have avoided the Bobby Charlton comb over treatment or Wayne Rooney re-thatching!

                                                  

No moths were harmed in the making of this purchase

Those worthy of the noble tag of 'naturalist' will most definatly have bibliophilic tendencies. The link between the activities of those who study natural history and the printed word (and artwork)  is well documented. In his 2010 New Naturalist volume Books and Naturalists Dave Elliston Allen opens by saying:

'Of all the many pursuits and studies that have the outdoors as their principal focus, natural history must surely be without rival in the extent to which it depends on books - and have always done so. Unless the different kinds of plants and animals encountered in the wild can be told apart, and, for preference, mentally pigeonholed with a name, the subject could not exist'.

Now I detest paying top whack for anything, preferring to keep my pounds, shillings and pence firmly within my metophorical wallet, along with the moths I'm always accused of releasing when its inadvertently opened. That's why I often check out those bastions of sustainability, the charity shops, for the occastional out of print bird report or pair of part worn dead mans trousers at cost effective prices.

Monmouth charity shops are always good for a naturalist bargain or two. It must be something to do with its social composition and the generally higher quality donations they receive. Compare the piles of well thumbed copies of Chat magazine in the charity shops of Newport with those of Vanity Fair in Monmouth.

Having bagged a 50p copy of the Norfolk Bird Atlas in Oxfam I moved, with wife in tow, to the British Red Cross shop. After admiring a circa 1975 Polaroid camera in near mint condition and pondered over the possible purchase of a Metal Collection vol 4 CD, including tracks from new wave heavy metallers Raven and Venom, the natural history section of the well arranged book shelves caught my eye, and there, next to the ubquitous copy of David Attenboroughs Life on Earth and Percy Thrower's A to Z of Gardening was Lars Jonsson's Birds of Europe field guide on sale for the princely sum of £1.50, RRP £25. Carefully removing said book from the shelf the audible yet hushed tones of ' not another book' was uttered.. Safely bagged without too much further trouble and strife, but avoiding the need to buy one at five pence through the taking my own save the planet reuseble bag, and, only having to resort to chapel chance for the purchase my mind drifted to where the book should reside at home, next to my Collins Field Guide to Spiders or squeezed in at the end of my run of Poyser's?  Decisions, decisions.

Dr. Bruce Campbell in Gwent

Those well versed in the social history of post war bird watching will know the contribution made by Dr. Bruce Campbell to the development of the BTO and other natural history organisations. Bruce died in January 1993 but left a legacy of a life surrounded by birds and the natural environment. Akin to many of his generation, his knowledge of birds and the countryside was developed through the once common practise of egg collecting and field sports. His book Birdwatcher at Large - Autobiography of an Ornithologist (1979) details some toe curling references to the dispatching of owls and other predators on shooting estates to collecting their eggs, and the frequent killing of all birds including the shooting of a purple sandpiper with a .22 air rifle!! 

It would be easy for us to past judgement on these old style naturalists, but for many, in times before good quality field guides and the Internet were available, knowledge was built on finding, killing and collecting. As Bruce matured he applied his undoubted field skills to the cause of nature conservation taking on roles with the BTO and collecting chairmanships and committee roles with the same motivation that drove him to fill a mahogany cabinet of cotton wool and the eggs of British breeding birds.

Before Bruce was able to secure his first conservation role he had a spell working in south Wales as a teacher  whilst at the same time studying for a doctorate. In 1941 he lived at Court Perrot south of Llandegfedd Reservoir in the Sor Brook valley near to Llandegveth Village. His thesis centred on an ambitious plan to complete a breeding bird survey over the farm's whole 250 acres and to compare with a similar plot in a more industrialised part of south Wales near Caerphilly where he had a teaching job. Some of his census work was helped by the Caerphilly School Field Club and I doubt very much there's now a school in Wales with anything approaching an after school field club!

In Chapter 10 of his autobiography entitled Serious Censuses he details his work at Court Perrot Farm. He talks about its habitats and his nest finding techniques of hot and cold searching. During 1942-7 he claimed he got to know Gwent so well that he estimated the total number of breeding species to be around 100 of which 49 had attempted to breed at Court Perrot. His work was eventually published in the Reports and Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society, vol 81, 1950-2. A table of all breeding birds between 1942-7 is also produced in his book.

Of the birds he recorded in his study there are some interesting findings. For example grey partridge were more plentiful than pheasant; tree sparrow were present in most years; between 3 and 5 pair of skylark occurred and up to 7 pair of yellowhammer. Other breeding birds of note include turtle dove, yellow wagtail, up to 4 pair of tree pipit and a single lapwing. Interestingly having written up his thesis he came to no earth shattering conclusion, except that industrialisation had impoverished the bird life of the south Wales coalfield. I speculate that should his study be repeated today, with the demise of heavy industry and the intensification of agriculture then results may be different.

Full obituary : www.independent.co.uk/.../obituary-bruce-campbell-1478202.html

Comedy greeting cards

It was Fathers Day and whilst the family gathering were belly laughing over those comedy cards depicting a geek in glasses wearing a knitted Cardigan and another that questioned my tried and tested DIY skills I slipped out the back door unnoticed, destination Llandegfedd Reservoir. Judging by the clutter of vessels on the water it seemed I wasn't the only one to escape another day of expensive greeting card madness - although can't be too mean spirited as amounted cash gifts were easily enough to enable an order to be placed with Book Depository for the newly published Micro Moth Field Guide at an unbelievable price of £13.60, with some left over for an album by those prog rockers The Pineapple Thief! Back to the trip report and you could have been forgiven for mistaking the reservoir for Cowes Regatta with fishermen and sailors 'hither and tither' matched by Canada goose and cormorant 'hither and tither' the only respite for birds thinking about shedding the odd primary were the reservoir's extremities.

As you know the meadows around this watery playground are good for some naturalist type 'poking around'. The orchid show was in matinee mode with common butterflies starting to perform, common blue, large white, meadow brown, large skipper and small copper, augmented by numerous burnet companion and silver y moths. Reed warblers were still vocal and the number of great crested grebe loafing outside Green Pool hide was into double figures. I returned home and no one was any the wiser for my absence.

Lapwing 1 Red Kite 0

Earlier a red kite was shown the red card by an irrate lapwing. 'Twas only after down loading the pics did I notice the bird was wing tagged - any ideas as to its origin?



Bring back school shoes with a compass in the heel.

One of the talents fostered in students during my degree course was that of an enquiring mind. Never accept the norm always look at the other side of the coin was the mantra of some lecturers. This enquiring, questioning approach I believe is innate within naturalists and couple this the another trait of natural curiosity and you have a potent  'miserable old git' combination.

For a while now I've been troubled by the amount of 'essential' clutter that arrives to set up home on our open spaces including nature reserves. Multiheaded waymarkers announcing excitingly themed walks, metal gates, hard surfacing, boardwalks, interpretation boards, handrails, comfy seats etc. these are a modern day conservation success story.  Some will see these features as necessary contributors to getting people out to enjoy nature, others may view them as patronising rubbish - urban thinking for a countryside setting!

Down at the seawall off Newport yesterday I came across one of the newly branded waymarking posts for the Wales Coastal Path. I don't have a problem with the concept of a coastal path, as it's always been there, used mainly by local people. Which is my point, why is it that we all now need to be told where the path is? Are we expecting a rash of walkers confused by the seawall, saltmarsh, tidal estuary combination that they need to be pointed in the right direction to help avoid a lemming like disaster? Lets be honest if you're local you will be familiar with the path, if making a trip to visit the coast you'll be an experienced walker complete with stick, gaiters and map. So for who's benefit is the waymarked post? Probably the vast majority of the population who don't care a monkeys and who's nature deficit disorder is untreatable.

I suppose one benefit of encouraging those hordes of flip flop wearing walkers to stay to the path is they're less likely to brush against one of those nasty toxic brown-tail moth caterpillars. Yours opinionated.

Vertigo

Could only spare an hour this afternoon so nipped over to the local limestone quarry in Abersychan for a bit of sweep netting. The longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis was a nice find followed by the micro moth Adela fibulella taken from Germander speedwell.