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!