Seals, Snakes and Long-shore Drift

Back in November the children from Stoke Heath Primary school spotted this young Common Seal in the Dwyryd estuary near Borth y Gest. It would have been born during the summer, probably further along the coast of the Llyn Peninsula. Single pups are born on tidal rocks or sand banks and are able to swim and dive from birth.The other species of seal seen around our coast is the Grey Seal.The Common Seal can be distinguished from the Grey Seal by its smaller size and short muzzle with a concave profile between forehead and nose. Also the closely set nostrils form a V as clearly shown in the photo. Another unusual encounter occurred higher up the estuary when a canoeing group from Ernesford Grange school came across a huge wooden sphere, almost a metre in diameter, partially submerged in the river channel. Unbeknown to the students they had discovered a work of art on a journey through the landscape! The journey began in the 1970s when a local sculptor, David Nash, carved the giant ball from a huge fallen oak in woodland near Dol y Moch. When completed, the ball was rolled into the nearest stream with the idea of following its progress and interaction with the environment over time. I well remember watching its eventful journey down the stream over the years as I often visited that tributary  stream with groups of students studying freshwater biology. People from all over the world would come to photograph the ball on it's journey as David Nash is a world renowned artist. Eventually the ball was washed into the River Dwyryd to begin its journey to the sea and beyond. Over the intervening years there have been many sightings as the ball was moved by the ebb and flood of the tide, but it  would also disappear for years on end. So, by finding it, I think that the students from Ernesford Grange have made a significant contribution to the history of the Giant Ball! 

Tremadog Bay from Criccieth with the Rhinog mountains in the background.  November 2013

When the wind is light and from the east  Tremadog Bay looks like this..........a mill pond. On Christmas Eve the scene was very different. Gale force south westerly winds heaped the sea into large  destructive grey waves that battered the coastline. It is at these times that whole beaches can be swept away together with the sea walls they protect. A beach is a very important front-line sea defense structure. Criccieth beach, shown in the foreground, has a series of groynes ( wooden barriers) that prevent the beach from being swept away. Waves crashing onto a beach  pick up the sand and pebbles, moving them sideways along the shore line.This process is called Longshore Drift. Longshore drift on Criccieth beach (foreground), and Harlech beach (background) moves beach material from right to left, both converging on Blackrock Sands (far left in the photo).
The groynes on Criccieth beach trap the eroding sand and pebbles and so maintain the beach. The beach in turn  protects the Sea Wall, Guest houses and Hotels behind it. Next time you spot a groyne at the seaside, check the beach level on both sides: the highest side is the side collecting most transported material and therefore faces the direction of Long-shore Drift.

Moving inland now to my compost heap! I recently had a pleasant surprise when I discovered the remains of a snake skin (shown below) on the end of a bramble shoot that I  pulled out of the heap. Snakes periodically moult their skin which can be used to identify the species to which it belonged.

The three native snakes in Britain are the; Grass Snake, Adder or Viper and the Smooth Snake. The latter species is very rare and confined to southern England. Therefore, the skin must have come from either a Grass Snake or Adder. Checking the shape of the preanal belly scale indicated that it came from an Adder, a very beautiful creature.

REMEMBER!
A bite from an Adder(Viper) is rarely fatal.
Keep calm.
Get help.
Avoid vigorous activity and never  cut or suck a snake bite.

Plas Dol y Moch weather data for August, September and October.

Month	AUGUST	SEPTEMBER	OCTOBER
Days of precipitation	26	22	29
Total precipitation mm	171.3	136	207.2
Maximum precipitation  mm	39.6 (5th)	21.79 (15th)	21.01 (20th)
Average temperature 0C	15.9	13.2	12.6
Maximum temperature 0C	26.3 (26th)	24.1 (4th)	19.9 (2nd)
Minimum temperature 0C	5.4 (25th)	4.4 (14th)	2.7(30th)
Average wind speed mph	0.6	0.4	1
Maximum wind speed mph	21 (17th)	17 (15th)	28 (26th)
Dominant wind direction	W	WSW	WSW

                                                                                                                         Date shown in brackets

In general as high summer merges into autumn the air temperature trends downward while rainfall and windy conditions increase.  The predominant wind direction was south of west bringing warm, moist air from the Atlantic.However these data show that September was a quieter month weather wise.

Smells and Spores

During the first week of November Snowdon received it's first significant snowfall but since then it has been washed away by lashings of rain. Down at Dol y moch we experienced our first frost of the season when the temperature edged below zero to minus 0.2 C on the 9th of November.I live a few miles west of Dol y moch towards the sea and here the temperature only got down to plus 3 C thanks to the warming effects of the 'Gulf Stream'.Without the frosts the trees are still hanging on to their leaves.....the birches and Larch trees have turned a warm yellow and look striking against the dun hues of oaks.You might remember that I mentioned in my last blog the scents and smells of autumn.Since then I have taken the opportunity when out in the countryside to try and recognize  individual scents and smells.For example,this morning I went for a bike ride to Aberglaslyn; my route took me across boggy flood plains, passed farms, through oak woodland dripping with dew, beneath tall beech trees standing in carpets of fallen leaves and finally into the gorge of the Afon (River) Glaslyn with its clear, cold  water cascading over  moss covered rocks.They all seemed to emanate their own distinct smell......it was fascinating.Next time you go for a walk, why not educate your nose!
Still on the topic of smell,over the last few weeks Ivy has been in flower producing a very distinctive musty ( not unpleasant ) scent.

Flowers of Ivy,Hedera helix showing stamen with pollen ( bottom right)

Mushrooms and toadstools (fungi) are of course one of the star attractions of autumn and the damp, relatively warm weather has promoted the development of their above-ground spore producing structures (fruiting bodies).

Sulphur Tufts, Hypholoma fasciculare

There is a fantastic range of shapes, colours, textures and smells. Some fungi are edible but some are deadly poisonous. The Sulphur Tufts shown above are not edible and can be mistaken for the Honey Fungus, Armillaria mellea a deadly parasite of trees.Both species look very similar and both grow around the base of trees.
One way to tell the difference is to check the colour of their spores by making a spore print like the one shown below.

To do this ,carefully remove the cap from the stalk of the mushroom and place it gills downwards on a piece of white paper  and leave for a day.The spores will be released from the gills and deposited on the paper making a beautiful pattern identical to the gills.In this case the spore print colour is purple/brown which indicates that the mushroom is the Sulphur Tuft.In contrast,the Honey Fungus produces a  pale cream spore print.

Down on the Glaslyn marshes I saw Greylag Geese, Goosanders, Little Grebe, Redshank, Heron, Wigeon and Turnstone. Lower down, at Borth y Gest, the children from All Saints and Earlsdon Primary Schools spotted a pair of Cattle Egret.
And finally there are still a few butterflies about like the Red Admiral in the picture below that was feeding on fermenting fallen apples in my garden between the 10th and12th of November.

Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

I really look forward to the colours and smells of autumn and to those quiet days when the early morning mist hangs above the River Glaslyn.

The Afon Glaslyn looking north towards Moel Hebog 

The mists had lifted when I took this photo but just out of view and to the right,Snowdon was still wearing it's cap of cloud.

On the left bank of the river, I could see patches of Michaelmas Daises  mauve against the seasonal browns and ochre.

The flowers of Red Campion still linger along the roadsides at least until the first heavy frost. Red Admiral,Tortoiseshell and Comma butterflies are still on the wing and feeding on Sedum spectabile in my garden.

I mentioned in my last blog that 2013 has proved to be a 'Mast' year where bumper crops of fruit and nuts have been produced. Millions of acorns have been raining down from the oak trees bouncing off car windscreens and making walking and riding a bike a bit tricky as they act rather like marbles......and have you ever tried walking on marbles! At least there is plenty of food for the squirrels, mice, pigeons, jays, pigs and deer to name a few. Acorns do however contain toxins which can kill cattle if too many are eaten.

The species of oak tree that grow in Dol-y-Moch woodland, and in north and west Britain, is the Sessile Oak,(Quercus petraea).In Warwickshire and lowland Britain the dominant species is the English Oak (Quercus robur).How do you tell the difference?

Look at the photo above of Sessile Oak acorns and note that they are attached directly to the twig. Acorns of the English Oak have a little stalk 4-6 cm long.Go and check out the oaks in the Memorial Park!

Earlier this year while biking through deepest Shropshire I came across a most magnificent ancient English Oak shown below.

I was keen to find out the age of this massive living thing.There is a method of estimating a tree's age by measuring the circumference of the trunk about one metre above the ground.By using a scale of 1 inch = 1 year an estimate of the tree's age can be derived.Unfortunately we did not have a measuring tape so we used our arms instead and arrived at a circumference of 240 inches which is equivalent to 240 years! So our oak tree was an acorn in the year 1775..........wow! What was happening in 1775? Magnificent trees like this one are part of our heritage and we must look after them.

I can't finish this autumnal blog without a few words about seasonal smells. Of late I have been enjoying kicking through piles of fallen leaves heaped about the woodland paths and tracks.I remember doing just this as a child and I still feel the same pleasure. Autumn scents are so evocative of childhood memories, especially the smell of a bonfire of dried leaves. Of course it is much more environmentally friendly to make a compost heap rather than a bonfire.

However, kicking through the autumn leaves releases lots of lovely scents into the air and this got me thinking about trying to describe the various smells that make up the scents of Autumn. If  the fragrance could be bottled like wine, how would it be described on the label.............................'handcrafted by mother nature over millenia to create a mellow fruitfulness.........with hints of over-ripe apples and crisp dry leaves.........overtones of mushrooms and wood smoke with a long damp earthy finish. Best enjoyed in season and an excellent accompaniment to a brisk walk before breakfast'.

                                    Carpe Diem

Berries,Butterflies and Badgers

Rowan Berries

Along the wayside and in the woodland the Rowan trees are heavy with plump ripe red berries  providing a feast for the Blackbirds.2013 has been recognized as a 'Mast' year where plants have produced bumper crops of fruits and nuts such as acorns, blackberries, hazel nuts,apples hips and haws.The combination of the wet summer last year and the dry warm one this year are thought to be responsible.Not only will there be lots of apples and blackberries for us,but also for the birds,badgers,foxes,squirrels,mice and many others including insects.In the orchard, wasps and butterflies are feeding on the sugars of fallen,fermenting apples and plums.The generally warm and sunny weather of August and September has been kind to our butterflies trying to recover from the disastrous weather of last year.Still the white species predominate but other species seen include.....Red Admiral, Small Copper,Comma,Brimstone,Speckled Wood,Peacock,Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell.
Back in August I was fortunate to observe the courtship behaviour of the Small White butterfly.After alighting on a leaf wings open, the female surprised me by suddenly extending her abdomen upwards so that the tip was elevated about ninety degrees above her body as shown in the photo that I managed to take.

Small White Butterflies (male left,female right)

The male fluttering above her descended several times positioning the tip of his abdomen against that of the female.In that position sperm can be transferred and stored in the female ready to fertilise her eggs.Another remarkable fact I learnt about butterflies recently concerns the migratory behaviour of the Painted Lady. On it's spring   migration from  Southern Europe and Africa to the UK and as far north as the Arctic Circle,and the return autumn migration, this butterfly has been shown to fly at an average height of  350 m above ground level with some individuals flying at  an amazing altitude of 1 km!The incredible round trip of 9000 miles is under taken not by individual butterflies,but as a series of steps by up to six successive generations of butterflies.
And lastly I  discovered a hole in my lawn recently and initially suspected 'Peter Rabbit' was to blame.However, on closer inspection I noticed several dis orientated bumble bees crawling about in the hole whereupon my suspicions turned to another inhabitant of the Wild Wood. A large paw mark in the excavated soil confirmed my suspicions ........Mr Brock was the culprit! It is well known that badgers will raid bumble bee nests for their honey and wasp nests for the grubs.

Butterflies,Birds, Burials, Bottles and Bye Bye!

It is now August 17th and the weather has turned a little unsettled, quite a contrast to the almost continuous hot and dry weather of June and July. Here in Wales we had very little rain during those months and on one day Porthmadog recorded the highest UK temperature......just over 34 degrees, as I remember! On the downside one our ponds dried up which was very sad as it contained hundreds of tadpoles. In contrast, the warmer dry conditions have given the butterfly population a boost. A poor summer last year had a severe impact on butterfly breeding success and survival rate. Consequently there were few butterflies to be seen on the wing in spring and early summer and these were mainly white species. Of late, though, I have seen more coloured species such as Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Meadow Brown but in reduced numbers. During July we did look out for Glow worms but like last year we were unsuccessful........perhaps the cold and wet of last year took its toll of this species too. However, I did come across a colourful Sexton Beetle also known as a Burying Beetle.

Sexton Beetle a.k.a. Burying Beetle

As both names imply, this beetle is involved in burying things such as small dead  birds and mice on which it lays it's eggs. On hatching  from the eggs, the larvae feed on the rotting corpse.The picture above is not of the beetle I found as that one flew off before I could photograph it!

In June and July I took my kayak to the north and south coasts of the Llyn Peninsula and in contrast to the normal temperature, the sea water felt like  hot bath water.In June there were very few people about but in July it was a different matter with speed boats and jet skis whizzing about all over the place.However, in amongst all this action a pod of 6 Bottle-Nosed Dolphins came cruising by unseen except by us and one other boat .

Peaceful paddling on the Llyn Peninsula

The image above was taken in June and at this time some of the steep sea cliffs were crowded with breeding seabirds........Guillemots, Razor-bills and Kittiwakes. In a kayak you can get close to the colonies without disturbing the birds. It was quite a spectacle with hundreds of birds on narrow ledges high above us, screeching away and sometimes poohing on unsuspecting kayakers.

On a beautiful July morning we paddled out to an isolated sea stack and quietly observed a group of Common Seals with their pups lulling on the rocks. Some of the pups were wailing and I could imagine how eerie this sound would have been if  instead of blue sky and sunshine we had been enveloped in a grey cold sea-mist!

Dare I mention it but the end of the summer holidays looms ever closer and so does autumn. Not that I'm wishing summer away but subtle changes are taking place in the countryside which herald the 'season of mellow fruitfulness'. The birches are showing a hint of autumn colour and some bracken fronds have turned yellow. Birds are returning to the feeders as the glut of caterpillars subsides and  woodlands are now quieter places with fewer birds singing.Out and about the toadstools are appearing with the damper weather so it is time to get my Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools off the shelf............there is always so much to see. And before I forget.....if you have been following our Pied Flycatcher story........it all ended happily.The eight eggs that hatched produced eight chicks that flew from the nest on the 14th June.My wife tells a nice and true story about their departure.On the very day they left, the male bird flew across to the vegetable garden where my wife was working. He perched on a post right next to her (never having ventured that close before) and looking at her burst into a little song and then was gone...........was he saying good-bye?

And finally, I heard from Faf that otters were seen by Dol y moch canoe groups at the end of last term.So if you are due to visit us this coming term keep a lookout for otters! 

Weather Data for June 2013

Plas Dol y Moch Weather Data for June 2013

Month / Year	June 2013
Days of precipitation	13
Total precipitation mm.	86.2
Maximum precipitation mm.	15.2 (22nd)
Average temperature 0C	14.2
Maximum temperature 0C	24.3 (18th)
Minimum temperature 0C	5 (3rd)
Average wind speed mph.	1
Maximum wind speed mph.	19 (23rd)
Dominant wind direction	WSW

Meadows, Bee Orchids and Pot-Pourri!

With temperatures hovering around 30C for the past few days I think high summer has arrived and definitely time 'to make hay while the sun shines'. Our wildflower meadow mentioned in my earlier blog was a riot of colour and insects back in June,but on the 5th of July it was cut to make hay.Five days later under a baking sun the hay was baled after being repeatedly turned and dried in the sun during the intervening days.In a damp corner of the meadow is a colony of Heath Spotted Orchids ( I counted 132 plants) many of which had not set seed.These plants were cordoned off and not mown to allow them to finish flowering.This year has been a good one for orchids.I saw huge numbers of Heath Spotted Orchids on a recent trip to the Outer Hebrides.Further south in the Cotswold while walking in the valley of the Windrush I came across three spectacular Bee Orchids right next to the footpath ..........wow!But the best was still to come; last week I took a walk in the sanddunes at Morfa Harlech and found another five Bee Orchids and hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids,Northern Marsh Orchids and Marsh Helleborines.


Bee Orchid

In addition to the orchids there were lots of colourful plants including Evening Primrose, Ladies Bedstraw, Carline Thistle, Rest Harrow,Portland Spurge, Birds-Foot Trefoil and Yellow Rattle.
I wonder whether any former A-level Geography and Biology students will read this and remember their field work in Harlech dunes? The one thing I remember is always smelling like  'pot-pourri' after spending a day in the dunes with all those lovely scented flowers!






                                                                                                  

Plas Dol y Moch Weather Data
 

Month / Year	May 2013
Days of precipitation	18
Total precipitation mm.	93.8
Maximum precipitation mm.	18.01 (9th)
Average temperature 0C	10.7
Maximum temperature 0C	23.9 (7th)
Minimum temperature 0C	0.3 (1st)
Average wind speed mph.	1.4
Maximum wind speed mph.	26 (24th)
Dominant wind direction	WSW

May was a very quiet month weather wise with low rainfall and no frosts. As I write (10th June) there has been no rain for two weeks and the water levels in local streams and rivers are very low. A kayak trip along the north and south coasts of the Lleyn Peninsula was rewarded with sightings of Bottle-Nosed Dolphins and large numbers of Razorbills,Guillemots and Kittiwakes nesting on the steep cliffs. Swarms of Garden Chafers can be seen flying over the grassy fields and lawns providing a tasty feast for the nesting birds feeding hungry chicks. Our Pied Flycatchers are doing well; all eight eggs hatched and the chicks look fine.Lots of newts have been found in the Dol y Moch slimy pond!

Saint Mark,May-bugs and requited love

                 Dol y Moch Weather Data
 

Month / Year	April 2013
Days of precipitation	18
Total precipitation mm.	83.6
Maximum precipitation mm.	21.01 (14th)
Average temperature 0C	7.4
Maximum temperature 0C	20.3 (30th)
Minimum temperature 0C	-4.6 (6th)
Average wind speed mph.	2.5
Maximum wind speed mph.	35 (17th)
Dominant wind direction	W

The weather records for April show that the month was relatively dry with a total rainfall of 83.6 mm. Compare this with 267.4 mm. which was the total for June 2012. There were 12 dry days in April most occurring  early in the month when the wind was a cold north easterly.During this period the Dol y Moch weather station recorded 8 days where the temperature dipped below freezing.The change to a westerly airflow at the end of the second week brought warmer moist conditions.
As we approach the end of May the countryside is heavy with blossom and leaf green.Over the last couple of weeks I have watched a local hay meadow change colour from green to a mix of yellow,pink and red as Buttercups,Cuckoo Flowers and Red Clover come into bloom.These wild flowers and grasses make a lovely scented hay crop which the local cattle relish. The wild flowers also feed the huge variety of insects which feed on the leaves, pollen and nectar.Small Whites,Orange-Tip and Green-veined White butterflies can be seen fluttering  over the hay meadow  feeding on nectar.

If you have been out in the countryside lately you might have come across swarms of Saint Mark's Flies buzzing ponderously a round hedgerows and trees.These flies are easily identified by their black hairy appearance and their long legs which dangle beneath their body as they fly.Their saintly name derives from the date they generally appear.....Saint Mark's Day, 26th April.I think they were a little late this year as I did not see them until the 19th May! A much more impressive yet similarly harmless insect on the wing at the moment is the May-bug also called a Cockchafer.

May-bug or Cockchafer

Children from Parkgate Primary School encountered the May-bug during their recent trip to Dol y Moch.The night flying May-bugs usually make their presence known by crashing into the dormitory windows at night, being attracted by the light.

Many birds are now busy incubating eggs or feeding chicks.Seven of our 12 nest boxes are occupied, five by Blue Tits. A nest box that has been used by Nuthatches for the past three years contains 4-5 chicks that are almost ready to fly and can be seen peering out of their box ( see photo).




Nuthatch chick

 What about the seventh nest box? Well, if you have been following the fortunes of our Pied Flycatchers in previous blogs, you will be pleased to know that our male bird eventually found a mate on the 27th May. She now sits on eight beautiful turquoise eggs......but still keep those fingers crossed!