Field Course: Fens and Dunes

Another session of the local field work with Dan Forman, Charles Hipkin and a mass of Swansea students. This time went to Pant-y-Sais Fen (home of the Raft spider), did transects opposite Jersey Marine at Crymlyn Burrows and then worked at Kenfig Nature Reserve. At the Fen, saw the impressive Royal fern (Osmuda regalis), Downy birch (Betula pubescens), Slender cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile), Marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre), Hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), Marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), Greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua), Lesser spearwort (Ranunculus flammula), a white Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) and Marsh lousewort (Pedicularis palustris). At Crymlyn Burrows, there was Tufted vetch (Vicia cracca), Sea purslane (Halimione portulacoides), Sea milkwort (Glaux maritima), Biting stonecrop (Sedum acre), Sharp rush (Juncus acutus) and Sea wormwood (Artemisia maritima). Got a good shot of a stationary Skylark (Alauda arvensis). At Kenfig, in addition to some of the usual suspects, there was Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare), Early marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata), Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Common twayblade (Listera ovata), Wild pansy (Viola tricolor) and Lesser water-plantain (Baldellia ranunculoides). The wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) was in fruit. There were impressive numbers of caterpillars including those of the Six-spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae), Emperor (Saturnia pavonia), Lackey (Malacosoma neustrina) and Drinker (Philudoria potatoria) moths. Also saw a dead Grass snake (Natrix natrix) and got a decent picture of a Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis).

Seeing the Changes 207

Visited in Loughor by a Brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) and saw a ground beetle (Pterostrichus nigrita) behind the canoe. In Bynea, Biting stonecrop (Sedum acre) and Spring cinquefoil (Potentilla tabernaemontani) were in flower. In Penclacwydd, Arctic sandwort (Arenaria norvegica), Common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) and Bithynian vetch (Vicia bithynica) were in bloom and Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) had developed its green berries. On a hot day in Horton, saw Large-flowered evening primrose (Oenothera erythrosepala), Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), Sweet allison (Lobularia maritima), Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), Great bindweed (Calystegia sylvatica), Stinking iris (Iris foetidissima), Tree mallow (Lavatera arborea), Golden samphire (Inula crithmoides), the parasitic Common broomrape (Orobanche minor), Pink oxalis (Oxalis articulata), Rest-harrow (Ononis repens) and Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris) all in flower. They were visited by a Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) with one antenna, a male Oedemera nobilis beetle and a tiny green beetle. The local Burnet rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia) was infested by a bright orange rust. A sunken clay beach was revealed with vegetation as well as much much earlier fossils in the rocks. An impressively large Sea slater (Ligia sp) scuttled on these structures.

On Top of the World?

There has been much local enthusiasm about the impending opening of the new cafe atop Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8095943.stm). The building of the replacement for what Prince Charles once described as 'the highest slum in the UK" has been delayed several times by bad weather and difficult building conditions. Although the Centre is 'award winning', I personally think it looks from the air like a bath tub (but that might be unfair). I am not sure about what I feel about having such items (relatively common in Europe and the USA) in this type of location. They do improve access but this is at the expense of increasing human disturbance as well as logistical problems in terms of moving stuff up and down the mountain. I suspect that I like to see wild places staying wild.