Meetings or events in 2014.

"Wildlife in the Vale - a personal view", an illustrated talk by Linda and Rob Nottage (outside speakers) in November 2014

The Group was fortunate to have secured two of the best-known naturalists in South Wales, Linda and Rob Nottage, for our final meeting of the year. There was a good attendance (16) for an excellent account of the flora and fauna that can be found in Glamorgan, if you know where to look and have sufficient patience. The talk was accompanied with a wealth of photographs, ranging from hover flies to black redstarts to orchids.
Our thanks go to Steve Monaghan for organising the event and Pam Robins for suggesting the speakers.

The meeting was followed by the AGM, where a start was made in compiling the programme of events for 2015.

The planned visit to Dinefwr Park in October 2014 was, unfortunately, cancelled due to lack of interest.

National Botanic Garden of Wales in September 2014

Regrettably only 2 members, Anna and I, turned up for this. It was a lovely sunny day and we were treated to a personal guided tour of the glasshouse by Mike Dingley-Jones, an enthusiastic and friendly garden volunteer. We also spent time exploring the rest of the garden which is looking good with flowers in bloom attracting various butterflies. John Andrew

Snakes and Adders in August 2014

Seven members, plus one guest, visited Parc Slip Nature Reserve near Tondu on a warm, sunny day. Unfortunately, those weren’t the best weather conditions for our wildlife-spotting, as many reptiles had already warmed-up and gone a-hunting. Rose, our Wildlife Trust guide, took us into a meadow, normally off limits to the public, where sections of black roofing felt were laid every 15-20 yards around the perimeter. Rose lifted the material with a long, hooked stick (the ends of fingers look like baby mice or voles to a snake!) as we all craned our necks to see. We saw a field vole under one of the early covers, but then there were a lot of uninhabited sections. Just as we were beginning to give up hope, there it was: an adult male adder, with its characteristics black, zigzag markings. By the time we had circuited the field, we had seen three adders of various ages and one long grass snake, which was undergoing a skin slough. Later on, we saw a variety of dragonflies; hawkers, darters and emperors (our largest). There was even the opportunity to aid a cinnabar moth caterpillar in its search for another ragwort plant.
Our thanks go to Val Monaghan for organising the event.

In search of the High Brown Fritillary in July 2014

Eleven members of the Group met Helen and two voluntary wardens from the Dunraven Bay Heritage Coast Centre for a guided walk on Old Castle Down, near St Brides Major. The area is managed to provide a suitable habitat for the high brown fritillary butterfly, which has undergone a 90% decline in numbers since the 1970s. Violets are the primary larval food plant and eggs are often laid on dead bracken; both are present on this site. Although the weather was not ideal for butterfly-spotting (blustery wind, not overly warm and an increasing threat of rain), we were fortunate to see a high brown fritillary (and, possibly, a pearl-bordered fritillary), ringlets, meadow browns, speckled woods, a small heath and a large skipper.

Linnet, goldfinch and yellowhammer were bird sightings, with common spotted orchid, eyebright and milkwort for plant enthusiasts.

Our thanks go to Geoff Jones for organising the event.

A visit to Skomer island in June 2014
7 Members of the Natural History Group made their way to Marloes on a cool and very wet day meeting at the Lobster Pot for a reviving drink and supper. We woke up to blue skies, sunshine and a gentle breeze for our boat crossing from Martin’s Haven during which some of us sighted Porpoises and Razorbills.

Experienced visitors amongst us suggested the Island Circuit and we set off sighting Guillemots and some Puffins which were fishing in the bay below.

The Visitor Centre – the Old Farm – informed us of the history of the island and gave useful wildlife information so we set off, keeping to the paths so as not to step on nesting sites and wandering ducklings, whilst scanning the skies for bird life at the same time. On our way to the Garland Stone, where Ravens, Chough and Peregrine Falcons frequent the cliffs, we were rewarded with a selection of brown birds which we identified as Skylarks, Sedge Warbler, Linnet, Whitethroat and others. One Chough we watched seemed to have found something very interesting and plentiful for dinner and was very pleased with himself. “Chuffed” explained Steve!

The local rabbits keep the vegetation low, making it easier for Puffins to nest on the island. The rabbits are not easy to manage but do leave the perfumed Sea Campion, Purple Loosestrife and Red Campion for the visitors to enjoy.
We all agreed that one visit is not enough to explore Skomer properly. If you are interested in Natural History why not join the Group and come with us next year?
Our thanks go to John Andrew for organising the event.

Dyffryn Gardens in May 2014
We enjoyed a guided tour of Dyffryn Gardens, learning about the horticulture and the resident great crested newts, which are, it seems, a mixed blessing.
Our thanks go to Phil Bradshaw for organising the event.

Llanelli Wetlands in April 2014
Nine members of the Natural History Group made the journey to Llanelli in April 2014, our first outdoor visit of the year, for a bird watch in the National Wetland Centre Wales. We were extremely fortunate to have Val’s former colleague and local bird expert, Rob Hunt, to guide us. Not only was he on hand to name those birds we weren’t familiar with (teal, in Steve’s case), but he identified distant curlew and black-tailed godwit we hadn’t even noticed were there! His powerful telescope was handy in providing the close-up views our binoculars couldn’t give.

One person’s list of different species for the day, for example, totalled 36, of which a spoonbill and a Mediterranean gull were the most unusual. We enjoyed the sight of a little grebe trying to swallow a fish and, in the afternoon, some of us saw a little egret having what appeared to be “a bad hair day”! We even missed the worst of the showers through being in hides (or in the café – well, you could still watch birds on the feeders outside), so we could hardly have had a better day out.
Our thanks go to Val Monaghan for organising the event.

Talk by RSPB speaker in March 2014
Our second talk of 2014 was at an indoor meeting in March at our home in Penllyne Village Hall, with warmth and tea and coffee and an excellent speaker in Lucy Johnston from the RSPB.

Not so much about what you all know about, but more about the immense amount done in Wales which is a vastly important site for migrating birds, but also about the huge importance of the work they do in sorting out problems in the areas from which our favourite birds migrate. We will never hear Cuckoos unless they are protected in Africa - our farmers are not the major problem.

All in all an excellent meeting: a brilliant tip was never give wild birds bread - it will do immense harm.
Our thanks go to Hywel and Fran Davies for organising the event.

A slide show of bird photographs in February 2014
Birds of the Amazon, Arctic, UK, West Africa and Western Australia.
A slide show of photos taken by John Andrew

Page text last edited: 27/04/2019