Quick flying visit

I thought I would go up to Nant Moel Reservoir after work as this was going to be the only sunny day this week. So I parked up by the farm gate and walked in, there were loads of Meadow Pipits in the fields, a couple of pairs of Canada Geese but sadly no sign of any Lapwings and it seems like another site no longer used by them. Other birds seen were a single swallow low over the reservoir, these two Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a pair of Common Buzzards. Also spotted these Highland cattle and  it was nice too see these hardy livestock. Also found this Scarecrow and at first thought it was a angler sleeping. Any ideas, also thought maybe to scare Cormorants of the reservoir or maybe to scare poachers in the night and I would have ran a mile if it had it got up.

CCG

Spurred on by Martin's account from Sunday, I decided that as I couldn't start the job I had lined up for today, until nine at the earliest, I would aim to be at CCG at first light, to try for RZ. I didn't quite manage first light, but I was there not long after.
Hill fog was flirting with the tops of the crag, but visibility remained mainly good, despite the dim light. A Blackbird was singing loudly from a tree at the road end of the crag and continued to do so the whole time I was there. Lots of Chaffinch were singing and a couple of Meadow Pipits, and Wrens too, but no sound of a RZ was to be heard for quite a while until I eventually heard one call briefly from the end crag. Frustratingly, although I heard the odd call from the same area on several occasions, I just couldn't pinpoint it.
After around  three quarters of an hour I heard calling overhead and saw two males chasing each other, flying from behind me (the Brecon side). I followed them to the main crag, where they both plummeted headlong down the face, twisting and jinking rapidly as they went until the inevitable happened and I lost them.
After that I heard more calling from the original site and occasionally from close to where I lost the fly-over two, but still no singing. Time was running short by now, so I was relieved, having heard more calling from the main crag, when I located three males chasing each other round and round inside a large hawthorn tree, hopping from branch to branch in an almost playful manner. I watched them for a few minutes, then it was time to leave for work.

On my way out, I saw a photographer close to the base of the main crag. He had what must have been the largest lens known to man. I swear, if he had stood it on end, it would have been almost as tall as him and he could have fitted his head inside the hood. To carry it he had a photo backpack the size of a sofa!

Couple of shots from the weekend

It was nice on Saturday afer work to get up to Bryn Du and check on the Pyramidal Orchid site and as mark said it's been cleared and looks good and hopefully do the trick with the bramble cut back for this year. Also great to see they cut some of the trees or bushes down on the Small Blue site too. Will have to make more time this year and go and see if still present  as I have not seen them for two years. Also as I was passing some Matchstick Lichen it seemed silly not to stop and take some shots of this cracking Lichen .

A Sunday morning vist it too CCG with Phil and Martin to look for Ring Ouzel and on getting there it was looking very sick as there was a fog, bitter winds and then rain to finish. We heard Ring Ouzel through the fog but could not pin point where by so we decided to retreat to the car and headed to Llangorse lake. It was nice to see lots of ducks still present and get Sand Martin and Swallow for Phil for the year. We heard a Blackcap singing in the carpark and it took some finding but finally we got good views in the end. The only down side too our visit was a farmer turned up with his family and let his spaniels out where they run riot and being spaniels and not under control they went in the water and flushed some of the ducks off. I would have thought the farmer would  have know better so we left for some peace and quiet and returned back to CCG where the sun was out and looking like a different day. Sadly no calling Ring Ouzels this time. A quick visit to Cwm Cadlan on the way home for Wheatear and good views were had by all.

Another Nettle Fungus

AS couple of weeks ago, at Cwm Taf Fechan, I collected some tiny club shaped fungi, growing on the lower part of a dead stinging nettle stem. At home, I identified it as Acrospermum compressum and confirmed it by creating a squash of one of the fruiting bodies and viewing the thread-like ascospores under the microscope.

Yesterday, while looking for Glyphium elatum on the trees along the Bryn Du gas tank access road, I came across it again, on one of the dead nettle stems there. It is easy to recognise and is the only club shaped fungus one is likely to find on decaying nettle stems. Reputed to be common, it certainly doesn't seem to be as common as black, onion domed Leptosphaeria acuta.

The clubs were 2-3mm tall and often clustered. The photos aren't as good as I'd hoped, due to having to use an extension tube with my macro lens and hand hold the camera.

I was pleased to see that the brambles have been cut back from the Pyramidal Orchid site and the scrub on the Small Blue bank thinned.

In a sink hole, up on Onllwyn, I found the fern rusts, Milesina blechni and M. kriegeriana on Hard Fern and Broad Buckler Fern, respectively. I also thought I had found the Goblin Gold moss (Schistostegia pennata) in one of the deeper clefts in the sink hole, but wasn't completely convinced. I will have to go back with my Papillio bins and strap my torch to them for a better look.

Tir founder fields

Quick visit to Tirfounder fields  too looking for Willow Tit but still no sign or any singing males and when I was there I found that the Abercwmboi lake young swans have been moved on and are now at Tir founder fields and the evil new male Mute Swan has had his way . Also it  was a nice surprise on a wet day and been about ten years since the last Mute Swan was at this site. Also when I was passing the oxbow I saw a Swallow flying down river which was looking a tad damp. When I got to the Ynys I found 4 Sand Martins also a big number of Chiffchaff and 1 willow warbler in the flock.

Weekly Round up.

The Chiffchaff's seem to be in now in big numbers and seen all over the valley. On Thursday I nipped up  to Cwm Cadlan after work and it was great too stop the car and hear the rattlerly song of Wheatear calling fairly close by. On looking closer I found a cracking my male, it was nice to be back up the Cadlan and in the hour I was there I saw five in total with only one of them being female. There was lots of displaying going on with tail fanning, it was brilliant to watch them. High over the Beacons I could see a balloon, they must have had amazing views over Pen y Fan and the snow, I would have killed to be up there in that moment in time.Yesterday in Penywaun I heard my first Blackcap and within minutes he was joined by another one and just got too see one now and I will be happy.

Ever get the feelling you are being watched and i turned around too see this pony looking over towards me .

Great too see the Primrose up on the Cwm Cadlan Reserve and spotted this Lamb and I think  he must have gone too the Monty Python School of Camouflage as I could only see him through  the scope.

Last thing and last weekend it was nice too see the Wood Anermone back along the River Cynon and its feelingmore like spring everyday .

the 1000spp challenge - March update

A much better March saw numbers jump to 314 spp comprising:
Birds - 139
Mammals - 4
Amphibians - 2
Fish - 2
Beetles - 5
Diptera - 5
Lep's - 4
Hymenoptera - 9
Hemioptera - 2
Molluscs - 15
Crustacea - 1
Spiders - 3
Cnidarians - 2
Sponges - 1
Plants - 31
Mosses and Liverworts - 23
Lichens - 26
Ferns - 6
Fungi - 30
Algae/seaweeds - 4

Highlights - as well as the Oil Beetle posted previously, included my first ever Emperor Moth - unfortunately only just as a coccoon - and micro moth Caloptilia elongella

and a couple of new mining bees

 Gwynne's Mining Bee Andrena bicolor

Ckarke's Mining Bee Andrena clarkella

With April upon us, I expect numbers to jump in the next couple of months