Sedge warblers

Spotted some rather handsome and vocal Sedge warblers near the ponds at Nine wells today- a first for me!

Great diving beetle larvae

We went away to north Wales for 7 days and returned to find far fewer tadpoles in our garden pond than when we left and some very ferocious looking great diving beetle larvae tucking into the tadpoles. The remaining tadpoles are very twitchy and generally hide in the sediment now. I'm not sure I like this new member of the pond community even though I know it's all part of the rich web of pond life. It's survival of the fittest tadpoles I guess...

Whatever next!

Ovipositing Azure Damselflies in April!

Red Admiral

Yesterday afternoon I spotted a Red Admiral on some Lilac Near St Nicholas , early I thought...

Mating Emperor Moths

Two females in trap this morning. I perched them on a tussock of Thrift on a bank. Early this afternoon one of them had a gentleman caller. I came back when she had QUITE finished. She is now in an old aquarium rescued from the recycling place. She is sitting on a bunch of green heather shoots. I don't know how long the process takes, but I'll be looking for eggs every day (with the next consignment of grandchildren).

Peter Byles. Ceibwr.

EMPERORS MATING

There were two female Emperor Moths in the trap this morning. I placed them on a nice tussock of thrift on a bank. Early this afternoon one of them had attracted a male. When they have QUITE finished I will put her in an old aquarium with some heather and birch leaves and hope for some nice caterpillars.

Hooded Crow at Marloes Mere

I was very surprised to see a Hoodie fly across the Mere yesterday towards Trehill Farm. In the good light the grey mantle appeared quite dark: still very distinct from the wings, head and tail, but not the very pale ash grey of Hoodies I have seen further North/West.

Small Coppers

First Small Coppers of the year here. I love them. I didn't have the camera, so these two shots from last year will have to do. One is of the 'caeruleopunctata' variety with beatiful blue spots on the hind wing. Only a small proportion of them round here show this variation.

Peter Byles. Ceibwr.

Hedgehogs

We are releasing over 40 hedgehogs in various locations over the next couple of weeks. Please remember that if you see a hedgehog out during the day, there is something wrong with it and it needs to be brought indoors right away. (Early morning and evening are ok)
Hedgehog fleas are extremely rare nowadays so there is no need to worry about them coming indoors with the hedgehog.
Two were doing their mating "dance" on my patio two nights running. I couldn't wait around long enough to know if mating actually took place. If the female is unwilling, the male stands no chance.

Mason Wasps and Cuckoo wasps

Both these have been very active in the sun today. The beatiful, bejewelled Ruby- tailed Wasp lays its eggs in the same plant stems as the Mason Wasps. The latter have to do all the work filling the stems with Vine Weavil larvae and such to feed their own offspring.

Peter Byles. Ceibwr.

Flowers and butterflies

This incredibly hot spell has really brought on the flowers and insects. Skomer looked more like the end of July last Wednesday with large areas of brown dry grassy hummocks but with the bluebells trying to come through. The rain we had on Sunday night will have given them a much needed refreshing drink.

The clifftops are entering their best phase with spring squill, sea campion and thrift coming into full bloom. Stackpole NNR looked superb on Monday with a carpet of wild garlic in parts of the woodland and the paths lined with primroses and herb robert. The road verges have numerous orchids in flower including early purple and common spotted.

Butterflies seen today included peacock, speckled wood, red admiral and numerous orange tips.

Hornet

We`ve just had a Hornet in our garden at St Ishmaels - I ran to get my camera, but it had gone in a few seconds. This is the first one I`ve seen in Wales, though we used to see them on the odd occasion when we lived in East Devon.

New title photograph

Please send in any new images for the title image.

Holly Blue

Spotted this lovely butterfly on the Miners Walk from Begelly to Thomas Chapel a few weeks ago. The inside wings are a strong blue colour. They lay eggs on holly, and in August - September on they lay eggs on ivy.

Swans

20/4/11 Two swans flew over my garden in Haverfordwest today. It is so long since I have seen them in flight that I had forgotten about the lovely whooshing sound made by their wings. I didn't get the chance to ask them where they were going but I am near the Cleddau. Beryl

Garganey

A male & a female at Marloes Mere this evening, quite close to the track, below the pink cottage. Got to be one of the prettier ducks.

Jumping Spider

The tiny jumping spider has been identified by Wendy Smit as 'ZEBRA SPIDER'. Salticus scenicus. Peter Byles.

Can you name these Beesties?

I couldn't identify the tiny jumping spider using a book on British spiders, so I gave the book away. I potted one a year or two ago and gave it to Melvin Grey who took some fearsome macro shots before releasing it. It had a whole battery of glittering eyes and businesslike palps.

The little wasp appears every year. Michal Chinery's excellent book only gives a selection. This one doesn't seem to fit any of his pictures.

Peter Byles. Ceibwr.

These photos were taken yesterday by Wendy Smit of Penwaun farm, about a mile inland from Ceibwr. A nice fat Drinker larva, a Sloe Bug and a newly emerged male Large Red Damsel. They have a massive pond and a lot of rushy pasture. Down near Ceibwr there are a pair of Dippers chasing each other up and down the river. Lackey moth festoons decorate the Blackthorn. A bee fly, Bombylius minor, was zooming about searching for Bumble bees' nests. It did not stop for a photo. Peter Byles. Ceibwr.

Spring Flowers

Whilst I'm not a great botanist it's wonderful to see all the spring flowers bursting forth. Surely April and May are the best months in Pembrokeshire when the hedgerows and cliff tops are so colourful, providing the perfect backdrop to the birdlife and the wonderful scenery. The Wild Garlic is now really starting to bloom and this Early Purple Orchid provided a dash of colour in the barren ground in the old cold war bombing target at St Govan's.

Hedgehog

Not very often I see hedgehogs so this one is worth a mention.
1 scurrying across the road at Hakin - just before the golf course -
at 9.20 this evening.
Happily it made it across safely!!

Creepy Crawlies

I`ve been meaning to make a contribution for some time now - spend most of my time over on pembsbirds. Anyway, 2 photos, 1 of a Crab spider tucking in to a juicy fly & yet another Slow worm, at the Deer park last weekend. This evening plenty of Swallows have arrived at Marloes Mere, feeding after their long journey North. Nice photo of the Mallard duckling!

FOX CUB

A tragedy today. My lovely dog refused to leave whatever was interesting her 2 fields away on our midday walk, so I had to go back for her. Sadly she had killed a very young fox cub, probably on its first outing. The earth was near in the base of a bank. A raven glided down as soon as we were on our way. I have no doubt the vixen will have carried the cubs off to one of the other earths by now, but I will look tomorrow (minus dog!). The photo was one 'taken earlier'.

Petr Byles. Ceibwr.

More plants in flower

The recent warm spell has reallly brought the flowers out alongside the road verges. Greater Stitchwort in now in profusion together with the pinkish flowers of hawthorn. The yellow oilseed rape has also appeared, an escapee from farmer's fields.

Two more Bosherston photos.

Peter Byles.

BOSHERSTON

We travelled about 50 miles south to Bosherston today, as the grand-daughters visiting us remembered watching an otter there about 4 years ago.

When we arrived there were so many visitors that we felt the otters would be lying low. We saw not a ripple. However we were treated to lots of other wonderful things. Alder flies ( they would have quikened my pulse in my wicked flyfishing youth). A fleshy non spotty Early Purple Orchid . Mining bees, about 20, zoomed and settled over a particular patch of sand. Scilla verna already blooming (weeks earlier than up in North Pembs). A most obliging Robin (I searched my pockets for crumbs). For me the highlight of the day was a Green Tiger Beetle. It led me a merry dance on this limestone rockface, but I just managed a blurred photo. Well worth the long drive.

Peter Byles, Ceibwr.

Which Bumble?

I was moving my wood piles around in the garden today to try to dry the logs off and a large bumble type bee seemed to follow me around. It started in the shed and I was trying to show it the way out but it certainly wanted to crawl into the pile. I was moving some of the damp logs to a new location and, as I was stacking them, along came the bee and went into a dryer pile below where I was working. I left to get more logs and, when I returned, it was in the pile I was stacking. Went to get my camera and as soon as it saw it, it flew away.
It was a very black bumble with a small band of mustardy yellow on the tail and it certainly seemed attracted to the smell of wet wood. Anyone know which bumble it was? I have to say that I do not see colour brilliantly well and mustardy yellow to me may be rusty to someone else.

Beryl
Pembrokeshire Hogspital

Ravens courting

Today I watched a pair of Ravens perform thier aerial courtship display in the up-draught by a cliff edge near Whitesands. One of them kept flipping upside down beneath the other so they were face to face. It was pretty spectacular as it was very windy and they were flying fast at times. I hadn't seen this behaviour before and it really stopped me in my tracks as they were very close! I never know what to expect when I venture on to the coastpath at the moment. Yesterday I got hissed at by an Adder that I startled. What an amazing time of year we are in...

Emperor Moth

This rather early female Emperor Moth was seen yesterday on top of the cliff here. She seems pristine. What these females do is to bask on vegetation releasing pheromones which waft in the breeze. Males from half a mile away home in. I've never seen this, so I waited, but nobody came! Peter Byles, Ceibwr.

ADDER and DOG

A couple of days ago I was disturbed from my gardening by the constant barking of our 2 year old mongrel. I could see her down at the bottom of a field going down to Ceibwr Bay. She was barking at something in front of her. I walked down to see what this was all about. There was this beautiful young male Adder, coiled and with its neck in an S ready to strike. The young dog was taunting it , but just keeping out of range. I called her off and went back up the hill for my camera. Of course the Adder had gone when I returned. I thought there were two interesting bits of behaviour. The snake instead of slithering away had confronted the fairly large dog. The dog, whose parents were a pedigree Golden Lab. Retriever and a pedigree Dalmation inbred for centuries, still had the instinct to know that a snake is a dangerous thing. Peter Byles

Mallard ducklings at Bosherston

I saw my first Mallard ducklings of the year this morning, five with their parents at Bosherston. All of the ducklings were dashing about flycatching (see record shot above), while the adults were diving (staying submerged for several seconds) for food. I have seen adult Mallards diving for food at both Bosherston and Orielton before, but I believe thatthis is quite unusual behaviour for a dabbling species. That being said - I have not noticed ducklings flycatching before either.....

Bluebells and Butterflies

In St Florence this afternoon the first Bluebells I have seen this year - a small clump amongst the mass of Wild Garlic which is also starting to bloom. Plenty of Butterflies on the wing - Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Small White, Orange Tip, Red Admiral. Yesterday at Manorbier a Small Blue. Yesterday evening a small bat, presumably Pipistrelle, flying around the house.

Active bats

I've noticed numerous bats flying in the evening along the road down to the Priory just north of Milford Haven from the direction of the oil refinery.

It aint easy on the road.

I was delighted to see this common lizard at Strumble this afternoon basking on the edge of the road in the warm spring sunshine. Obviously there are downsides to basking next to the road though... Obviously shedding your tail is not the most sucessful of survival tactics when faced by an approaching Michelin... Pic's by Wdig Birder.

First hawthorn in flower

I noticed some pink hawthorn flowers out at Slatemill on Tuesday.

Martin's Haven & Wooltack Point

Lovely views of two porpoises in the very calm water off the Point this weekend. Easily spottable under the circling Gannets, at one stage one porpoise came within 30m of the point itself.

In the valley near Lockley Lodge it was a great weekend for Slowworms, with up to 4 found underneath several carefully distributed roof slates. Several of the Slowworms were astonishingly large (broader than my thumb!): presumably pregnant females.
Also out first Palmate Newt sighting of the year, and two Common Lizards.

Mustelids more or less!

Farmers tell me badgers have never been commoner here in Pembrokeshire, and without going into the proposed cull debate, there are signs of them all over the place even if most of the ones I see are dead on road verges. So if a large common animal is relatively hard to see I should not be surprised that the Weasel I saw during the week on the road to Strumble was one of only two or three I can remember seeing in the past few years. Polecats are more often seen dead on the road rather than alive, three live sightings I can remember... Then there are Otters, reading Henry Williamsons "Tarka" and Gavin Maxwells "Ring of Bright Water" as a kid was part of the pathway that led me into this infatuation with wildlife that has strenghthened through the years. Today an otter in the surf and swell off the Lighthouse at Strumble. Commonly seen at Bosherstone and other places, I suppose someone will want to cull otters soon!

Porpoise at Hobbs Point

At 8pm this evening I was very pleased to see a porpoise breaking the surface of the water around 30 metres off Hobbs Point in Pembroke Dock. It did this for ten minutes or so before disappearing. Very unexpected but very welcome.

Swallows

My first for the year - 2 over Hakin this morning.