Where Have All The Snails Gone?

Sometimes an absence is as important as a presence. This place is normally snail (and slug paradise) but searches by 4 adults in Gorseinon and Loughor revealed only 2 snails and 1 slug for a primary school project. There were plenty of woodlice. This month has been very wet and it is a bit colder than usual- does this account for the scarcity of land molluscs?

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In spite of heavy rain (serious floods in parts of the UK), the Marsh hawksbeard (Crepis paludosa) and the Orange hawkweed (Hieracium auranticum) came into bloom in Bynea,

Saving Planet Earth

The Sir David Attenborough series started yesterday on BBC1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/savingplanetearth ) with some nice photography and some telling points e.g. the dramatic increase, since DA's birth, in the world population of humans (not his fault) and the need to recognise that conservation of particular animal species means conserving viable habitats. Although I appreciate why it is being done, I am less comfortable with getting 9 'celebrities' to each visit and make a presentation on behalf of endangered 'superstar' animals namely albatross, Siamese crocodile, elephant, gorilla, orang-utan, rhinoceros, tiger, turtle and wolf. As usual, all are vertebrates and two thirds are mammals! I understand how 'flagship' species can generate support for wider environmental initiatives but there is something a bit odd about encouraging viewers to contribute online for particular species (it looks a bit like a talent contest) and I worry than some of the real complexities of the situations might be glossed over (at least in the viewer's minds). Paying some cash towards conserving a particular species might make you feel better but it doesn't make the problems go away. My slightly grumpy response was picked up by the Western Mail (http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_method=full%26objectid=19400712%26siteid=50082-name_page.html)

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The Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is blooming in Gorseinon and the Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) and Ringlet (Anthantopus hyperantus) butterflies are active in this area. The Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) butterfly is seen in Loughor. The Large-flowered evening primrose (Oenothera erythrosepaia) is in flower and the Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) has green berries in Bynea. The introduced Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is in blossom and profuse green fruit of the Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Hawthorn (Cratageus monogyna) and Elder (Sambucus nigra) are apparent in Loughor and Bynea. Strange fungi appear in my garden in Loughor.

Vroom at the Top

It has been reported http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2106907,00.html that, as part of its preparation for its 85,000 mile and 130 day long Olympic torch carrying ceremony, China will build a £10M tarmac road to the base camp on Mount Everest (or Mount Qomolangma as it is known in the East). This move has been welcomed by local climbing officials as something that will bring more tourists and climbers into this remote spot (they argue that the latter will be able to "save their energy for climbing" from the more easily reached base camp). It is common for people in such locations to see development as producing economic benefits. Environmentalists, however, have predictably expressed concern that this development (the base camp is at 5200 metres) will simply destroy the unique and fragile ecology of this high altitude region. This development is perhaps more worrying given that China has recently overtaken the USA as the major world releaser of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2111124,00.html)!

Fens and Dunes

Went out on 18th June with Drs Hipkin and Forman's Ecology course to Crymlyn Burrows, Pant y Sais Fen and Kenfig to explore more plants of fixed and mobile dunes as well as another wet place. At the fen we saw Marsh bedstraw (Gallium pallustre), Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua), Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla pallustris) and Yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). We also saw the impressive Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and Giant dock (Rumex pallustris). On the shore and the mobile dunes of Crymlyn Burrows we viewed Sea sandwort (Honkenya peploides), Prostate orache (Atriplex prostrata), Sea bindweed (Calystegia soldanalia), Large Flowered Evening primrose (Oenothera erythrosepaia), Rest-harrow (Ononis repens), Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) and Lady's bedstraw (Gallium verum). There was also much Sharp rush (Juncus acutus) and Common clubrush (Scirpus lacustris). The fixed dunes of Kenfig also had Rest-harrow, Sea bindweed, Sea holly and Lady's bedstraw but in addition had Biting stonecrop (Sedum acre), Burnet rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia), Germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedryas), Lesser stitchwort (Stellaria graminea), Meadow thistle (Cirsium dissectum), Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare), Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneralaria), Stinking iris (Iris foetidissima), Marsh helleborine (Epipactis pallustre), Early purple orchid (Orchia masula), Southern marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza pratermissa) and Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis).

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The Marsh bedstraw (Gallium pallustre), Great willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum), Yarrow (Achilles millefolium), Perforate St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) are flowering in Bynea. The invasive Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and Redshank (Persicaria maculosa) are blooming in Swansea.

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The Woolly thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) and the introduced Garden privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) are both in flower in Bynea. The Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is flowering in Loughor as well as the Bristly ox-tongue (Picris echioides) in Swansea.

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European sea bass (Dicentrachus labrax) were leaping in the shallow waters of the Loughor estuary and a green moth larva was hanging by a thread from a willow.

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Lots more flowers out in Bynea including Least mallow (Malva parviflora), Western gorse (Ulex gallii), Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) and Red dead nettle (Lamium purpureum). Red valerian (Centhranus ruber) was also in bloom, although it was in flower weeks ago in Oxwich and Mumbles. Rosebay willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium) is on the verge of flowering. The first appearances of the Small skipper (Thymelicus flavis) and the migratory Painted lady (Cynthia cardui) butterflies were noted in Bynea. The green berries of Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) are out in Loughor.

Reader Appreciation?

The neighbour's cats obviously liked my blog on 'Reducing the Cat's Bag' (26th May) as they left me this nice little Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus).

Boggy Places and Pools

Went out with Drs Charles Hipkin and Dan Forman with their Ecology group to Fairwood Common and Broadpool on the Gower. The highlights for me were seeing the insectivorous Common sundew (Drosera rotundiflora), Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), Heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile) and Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) in the former location. The two kinds of Cotton grass, Common (Eriophorum angustifolium) and Harestail (Eriophorum vaginatum) also made impressive displays. The introduced White waterlily (Nymphaea alba) was a very obvious problem in Broadpool.

The Great Mullein Continued Its Take-off but Crashes to Earth

The main spike rocketed in images from 1st and 2nd of June but was destroyed by 6 voracious caterpillars by the 6th of June (actually their activity was evident in early June). Unsurprisingly, the caterpillars are those of the Mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci), a local species in Wales. The wreckage is complete by 23rd June.

Birder's Bonus 6

Toby Hayward got this impressive shot of a threatening European robin (Erithacus rubecula) in the university Botanical Gardens at Swansea. He was wearing a red tee shirt at the times!

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Lots of Willow beauty (Peribatoides rhomboidaria) moths around the light.

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Yellow oxalis (Oxalis corniculata) and its garden escape relative, Pink oxalis (Oxalis articulata) are both in bloom in Loughor. The green berries of the Holly tree (Ilex aquifolium) are also evident. Two spot ladybirds (Adalia bipunctata) are active in search of greenfly. In Bynea, the Great bindweed (Calystegia sylvatica) has joined its smaller cousins . There are also Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) and Dog rose (Rosa canina) out. The Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) catkins are also appearing.

Walking in the Trees or Knuckling Under?

An article in the journal Science 'Walking on Trees' by Paul O'Higgins and Sarah Elton (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/316/5829/1292) suggests, largely on the basis of watching Orang-utans move around with straightened legs in trees, that bipedalism in our human ancestors may have developed before we left the canopy. They suggest that walking on branches with the arms free to gather food items was an effective lifestyle for our ancestors and, when the trees were replaced by savanna in Africa, the proto-humans were able to use these skills on the ground. This view is in direct contrast to the more established view that our early ancestors went through a knuckle-walking stage on the ground (like modern Chimpanzees and Gorillas) by bending their knees and getting additional balance from the arms. This is an intriguing suggestion but one should point out that the Orang-utan is more distant to the Human line than either Chimpanzees or Gorillas. In addition, Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Humans are the only primates to have 8 wrist bones rather than the more usual 9. It is generally argued that the 8 result from the fusion of 2 bones to provide more support when knuckle walking but this is not a conclusive argument.

Pandering to the Panda?

The Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a 'flagship species', providing the logo for the WWF. It has been recently reported (although he probably died in early January 2007) that the body of Xiang Xiang a 'pioneer' 80kg male released in April 2006 into a mountainous region in SW Sichuan Province has been found. This male had had three years of pre-release training in den making and food gathering (but not fighting?) as well as being fitted with a radio transmitter. Xiang Xiang had apparently been injured in a fight (probably with wild rivals) in December 2006 but after veterinary treatment was re-released essentially in the same region. His death appears to have resulted from yet more conflict with other males as he had broken ribs and damaged internal organs. Xiang Xiang was a 'pioneer' in the sense that he was the first captive bred Giant panda to be released by the panda research centre at Wolong (http://www.globio.org/about/visualarc/wildOrphans/wolong/wnr1.shtml) in an attempt to increase the numbers of wild pandas. This outcome confirms that this kind of release programme is not an easy option (especially if animals are released into areas that are already occupied and species are territorial). The Wolong centre intend to next try releasing a captive bred female as, it is argued, she is less likely to be rejected by the current residents.

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Broad-leaved willowherb (Epilobium montanum) has emerged in Bynea but the Rosebay willowherb is not yet in flower. The first Hedge bindweeds (Calystegia sepium) are flowering in Loughor.