Noisy birds and sleeping seals

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by theresagreen in bird behaviour, birds of Wales, Nature, Nature of Wales, nature photography

Tags

Aderyn-Drycin y Graig, coastal birds, fulmar, fulmarus glacialis, grey seals, Little Orme, northern fulmar, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve, rock pipit, seals in Angel Bay

This post was inspired by a walk taken last weekend with some lovely people I met for the first time then: Gill who is the chairperson of the Bryn Euryn Users’ Association and her partner Tony who is a ‘proper’ birdwatcher. As well as enjoying their company I also learnt a lot from them both; from Gill it was how the Bryn had evolved into a Local Nature Reserve and some of how its habitats are maintained, which I’m hoping to discover more about in the near future.

Little Orme

Tony reminded me how much I’ve been missing here and I rediscovered that when it comes to spotting birds, particularly when they are faraway dots on a wavy sea, three pairs of eyes are better than one and that a telescope widens the horizons in more ways than one!

Two grey seals swimming in Angel Bay

Firstly though, we had some good sightings of Fulmar which are back at their nest sites on the cliff face. The Raven was up in his favourite spot just above them and Tony showed me their nest site where we saw and heard them both a little later on. We also spent a few minutes hunting for signs of a Black Redstart that was reported being seen here a few weeks ago, but no luck. From the clifftop overlooking Angel Bay there were two Grey Seals swimming and further out to sea there were some great seabirds including numbers of Great Crested Grebe, Red-throated Diver , Guillemot & Razorbill as well as the more easily seen Shags & Cormorants. Walking around the rocky outcrop to the ledge that overlooks Penrhyn Bay and the wider sea, we encountered a Rock Pipit pecking around the grass and rocks, not at all concerned that we were there and presenting an irresistible photo opportunity.

Rock Pipit- Anthus spinoletta

This week I waited for a break in the weather to return to the Little Orme for more viewing and Friday’s sunshine was just what I’d been waiting for. I was particularly keen to see more of the Fulmar so headed in their direction first. The Raven pair were once more sitting up in their favourite spot above the Fulmar site. They are both looking gorgeously fit and healthy, their plumage shining brightly in the sunlight.

The Raven pair gleaming in the sunlight

I counted three pairs of Fulmar here initially, who were later joined by what I think was a single male on a site just around the rock. Some birds were easier to see than others as they have chosen their nests sites carefully to give them some shelter from the elements, and those I’m assuming to be the females were mostly tucked behind a rock or back into clefts in the rock-face.

Fulmar pair on a rock ledge

The birds were noisy; males are definitely proclaiming their territories and there was quite a bit of aerial activity, taking off, swooping around and then landing again with more vocals. The sound has been described as harsh, throaty and machine-gun like.

There were a lot of Jackdaw on the cliffs too and I suspect that much of the Fulmar’s vocalising was aimed at them and they in turn were giving back as good as they got, so it got very noisy at times.

Jackdaws up on the cliff-Wild Cabbage has established up there

There were more of the birds on the cliff-face at the edge of Angel Bay; they were making even more noise, much of it directed at a single bird that was flying around and attempting to land in spots already occupied by pairs of birds. I think there may be 8 pairs in total, which will be easier to establish once they’ve settled down.

FULMAR

Common name: Fulmar or Northern Fulmar; Scientific name: Fulmarus glacialis Welsh name: Aderyn-Drycin y Graig

BTO Conservation Status: AMBER because Recent Breeding Population Decline (1981-2007), Localised Breeding Population

The common name is derived from the Old Norse word ‘full’ meaning foul and ‘mar’ meaning seabird or gull. The foul part refers to the fact that they can spit out a foul-smelling oily fluid to defend their territories from intruders; it’s not all bad though, the oil is also an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. The glacialis of the scientific name means icy.

They are long-lived, with a lifespan of 40 years not uncommon.

Fulmar sitting on guard

The Fulmar is a bird of the open sea, a ‘tube-nose’ that is a first cousin of the albatross and belonging to the same group of birds as the shearwaters and petrels. They feed at sea on crustaceans, squid, fish, offal and carrion mostly from the surface.To deal with excesses of salt they take in with their food they have a gland located above the nasal tube through which all the bird’s blood is pumped and the salt removed. The salt-laden discharge runs from the tube nose along a groove in the beak and drips off away from the body, keeping plumage clean.

Fulmar glide effortlessly with stiff wings

At first sight Fulmars resemble gulls but seen more closely are distinguished by the shape of their beak which has a tube-shaped proturberance on the top and a thicker neck. They have long, narrow wings and fly low over the sea on stiff wings, with shallow wingbeats, gliding and banking to show its white underparts then grey upperparts.

Head on the Fulmar is sleek and has an almost blade-like profile

At its breeding sites it will fly high up the cliff face, riding the updraughts.

Flying in to land showing underside

Nesting sites are deserted in September and Fulmars are usually absent offshore during October and November. Their absence from the breeding cliffs is short-lived as by late November or early December the birds are back prospecting around the nesting sites.

Both of a pair calling noisily

The nest itself may be nothing more elaborate than a depression in bare rock or a scrape in turf, although they are sometimes lined with a few pebbles. The female lays a single white egg in May, so they’ve a while to go yet.

A quick glance down onto Angel Bay brought a pleasant surprise – a mixed size group of 22 Grey seals. They were very chilled, many of them asleep on their backs; gorgeous.

A mixed group of Grey seals

Many of the seals were asleep on their backs – I love their flippers

I think these were posing for the camera

I think some were posing for the camera

I was a bit worried that one of these appeared to have blood around its head

This one was scratching an itch

These pups were wide awake

A view from the end of the bay includes most of the group

140206-Little Orme 25- Sea crashing onto rocks

Ending with a splash

…and back down again

26 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by theresagreen in birds of Wales, Nature, Nature of Wales, nature photography

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

dunnock, Little Orme, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve, Robin, song thrush, views from the Little Orme, views of Rhos-on-Sea, walk on the Little Orme

January 11th, last leg of the walk on the Little Orme

The winter months offer an opportunity to see places as they really are. Stripped of leaves and layers of foliage, without the colourful distractions of wildflowers and the movements of their insect visitors to draw the eyes, this is the time to appreciate the structure, the bare bones of a place. Walking back down from the top of the Little Orme, not only are the views spectacular, but you also see more clearly the layout of the reserve. On this scale you get a sense of how the patchwork of differing habitats mesh together and create the synergy that has resulted in the rich variety of wildlife that make this such a special place.

140111TG-Little Orme-View from near the top

A myriad of textures in one small patch of land

The sun, lower in the sky now reveals the true contours of a landscape. You realise a surface which til now has appeared smooth and rounded, is actually textured with a multitude of dips and hollows that are revealed by back-light and shadows.

Going down-a view of the pastures on the Little Orme

Further down a view of the enclosed pastures on the Little Orme that add yet another layer of texture

There is some farming activity on the lower slopes of the reserve where small fields are cultivated for crops and pastureland is enclosed with hedges or small walls and used for grazing sheep. Sheep are also free to range and graze other parts of the reserve too; they are an effective way to keep areas of grass shorn and clear of too much shrubbery and are aided and abetted in their mission by a healthy population of rabbits.

Despite what I wrote earlier about their being less distractions from the bigger picture of a place, I should probably know myself better and accept that I will always find distractions in the details whatever the season. Like a leafless, gnarly, knobbly hawthorn twig softened with lichen and highlighted by the sun.

Lichen on a sunlit hawthorn twig

Going back down Rabbit Hill was trickier than going up as it turned out, as it was quite wet and muddy and slippery underfoot. There was a dunnock so intent on feeding himself before going to roost for the night that he allowed me quite close before shooting off into cover. He wasn’t presenting his best side now, but its good to see things from a different angle now and then. I felt sorry for my disturbance, I know how hard it is for birds to find enough food to keep them going in the winter, especially through the cold nights.

A dunnock feeding on the slope of the downhill track

At the bottom the Robin was still about too, adopting the classic hunting method of the species by perching up off the ground and scanning the ground beneath them, then pouncing down onto potential prey.

Robin scanning the ground beneath for something edible

This little tree is testament to the strength of the prevailing winds

I had the thought of finishing off my walk along the quarried-out gorge that ends, or begins near one of the entrances to the reserve, but to my surprise much of its floor was covered by a pool of water several inches deep. My reason for wanting to go that way was to see if there may be a Song Thrush hunting for snails along the rocky wall there. Last year I spotted a pair nesting there and watched them as they hammered a succession of snails into palatable food for their young ones.

Song Thrush, photographed last July. One of a nesting pair.

Instead I carried along in the same direction, but around the top towards the large, sculptural lump of limestone that always puts me in mind of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, but in miniature of course. Sort of, with a bit of imagination? Regardless, I love that rock and have often wondered how it ended up there.

The limestone rock in context- you can just see the edge of the man-man quarried gorge in the foreground (click on to enlarge)

I am referring to the Sugar-loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro here, not the one in Wales that has the same name!

The rock baclit by the sun and the gorgeous view behind it

The rock backlit by the sun and the gorgeous view behind it (click on to enlarge)

One last thing, are there really green leaf buds on this tree already?

Signs of buds bursting

To the top of the Little Orme ….

25 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by theresagreen in Nature, Nature of Wales, nature photography

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

dunnock, Great Orme, jackdaw, Little Orme, Llandudno, raven, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve

January 11th- (after the seal-watch)

The Grey Seals seemed to have put on as much of a show as they were going to for the time being and it was cold sitting on my rocky perch on the cliffside. It was a bright sunny day, but until now the bay had been held in the shade by the bulk of the headland and as the sun was only just beginning to highlight the tallest of the rocks below, it was move on or seize up.

Sunlight highlights the top of a rock

Jackdaws are resident here on the Little Orme and nest colonially up on the cliff above Angel Bay. Outside the breeding season they continue to use the nesting-site as a roost, gathering back there in the late afternoon-early evening, but are a frequent sight throughout the reserve at most times of the day. Sometimes they are on their own or in pairs but often they congregate in small flocks that forage on the flattened grassy clifftop or fly around calling to one another. Like all corvids they are characterful birds with glossy black feathers but are easily distinguished by their grey head and steely ice-blue eyes.

Jackdaw

In need of some proper exercise I had already decided that the only way was up today, so I turned towards the steep uphill track of ‘Rabbit Hill’. At the bottom a Robin was feeding on the muddy grass and close by in a sheltered spot amongst the shrubbery a Dunnock was enjoying the sunshine.

A dunnock making the most of a sunny spot

Last summer I was fit enough to walk up here without stopping for breath, but that was then and from past experience I anticipated today’s effort would require a minimum of two stops! Fortunately, when you have a camera in your hand you can stop and turn round and take a photograph as and when necessary, appearing to be capturing the view whilst waiting for your heart to stop pounding.

View from first breath collection point on Rabbit Hill

I love this view, which has Penrhyn Bay immediately below, then Colwyn Bay behind the finger of land that is Rhos Point.

It’s even better from higher up

I managed to reach the top of the track with just one more stop, which I would have made anyway (!) to photograph some golden gorse which is already quite well advanced in its flowering.

Gorse in flower

Gorse – Ulex europaeus is the first shrub to brighten the winter months with its sunshine-yellow blossom. I love its coconut scent.

A closer look

I carried on the uphill track, which was quite damp, muddy and slippery in places. The limestone was not quarried higher up (in case it spoilt the view from the Llandudno side) and forms craggy walls and ridges which are the domain of the Ravens. There was one there today, sitting with his back turned, perhaps soaking up some warmth from the sun. I love to see and hear the deep, croaking calls of these big black birds up here, their presence makes the place seem wilder, higher and more expansive than it really is.

Ravens often sit with their backs turned to the sun

Up nearer the summit is a grassy area where you often encounter grazing sheep, but none today. Looking over the cliff edge here you are seeing the rocky headland on the other side of which is Angel Bay. This is a place favoured by Cormorants at certain times of the year and I was quite disappointed that there wasn’t a single one there today. The most exciting thing I could come up with here today was a mushroom! It was nicely lit by the sun though.

A mushroom, or toadstool

Whatever you see or don’t see here really doesn’t matter once you climb one more short slope and have the full expanse of the view across Llandudno Bay in front of you.

Panoramic View acround Llandudno bay to the Great Orme (click on picture to get full effect)

The town of Llandudno with its elegant Victorian facade sweeps around the curve of the bay and is sheltered by the bulk of the headland that is the Great Orme.

Foreground is part of the summit of the Little Orme, then beyond the town down the coast the Conwy Estuary, Anglesey and the Menai Strait

In case you’re interested, I’ve put this next photo in that I took from the Great Orme looking towards the Little Orme. This unspoilt side must look similar to how ‘our’ side would have been before it was quarried.

The view from the Great Orme to the Little Orme and beyond

Up here on this side of the headland it was much colder and exposed to the full force of the wind so I didn’t hang around admiring the wonderful views for long, but did turn around to take one last photograph of ‘our’ side of the Little Orme from this higher vantage point before heading back down.

View from the top of the Little Orme across Rhos-on-Sea

View from near the summit of the Little Orme in the Colwyn Bay direction

Grey Seal Spot

24 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by theresagreen in Little Orme, Nature, Nature of Wales, nature photography, Seals

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Angel Bay, grey seal, grey seal pups, Little Orme, seals in Angel Bay

2014 – January 11th

The Little Orme is a fascinating site to visit at any time of year as it holds a variety of habitats in a relatively small area and there is always something to see, but the winter months are the perfect time to see some of its special visitors, charismatic Grey Seals. There are never many, but the pebbly beach of Angel Bay regularly attracts a number of new mothers and pups that come to haul out to rest on the shore of this sheltered little cove. They are pretty much undisturbed there as the beach is only accessible by a steep narrow track down the cliff. They don’t seem to mind interested people watching them from above too much, even those armed with cameras, although they definitely know you’re there and may keep a wary eye on you to make sure you stay put.

Today I was pleased to discover there were indeed grey seals here; five adults in a group, seemingly dozing, while three tiny young ones were practicing their swimming techniques in the waves.

Grey seals on the shingle shore of Angel Bay, Little Orme

The adults appeared not to be too concerned for the safety of the youngsters; grey seal pups have to grow up fast and must be able to start fending for themselves at about a month old, so they grow and put on weight rapidly and quickly shed the pretty white fur coats they are born with. The little ones seemed quite happy in the water, although getting back in, fighting against the incoming waves seemed to present more of a challenge.

Two of the three young seals taking a break from swimming practice on the sea edge

The adult’s apparent slumber came to an abrupt end when something seemed to alarm them and they travelled surprisingly quickly down to the sea edge.

The seals suddenly decided to move towards the sea edge

A few metres on they stopped again

They were heading towards a young one, making me wonder if they had perhaps been summoned by it, but then as it watched from the surf of the sea edge they simultaneously stopped and flopped down again, seemingly unimpressed.

The adult seals moved down towards a young one on the sea edge

From November onwards female grey seals return to their favourite beaches to give birth and mate again. The milk of the grey seal is very rich enabling the pups to put on weight quickly. They have to grow fast as their mothers stay with them for only three weeks before returning to the sea. The mother does not feed herself whilst feeding her pup, so hunger soon drives her back to the sea. Young seal pups are covered in white fur when they’re born. Within a month or so they shed the pup fur, grow dense waterproof adult fur, and leave for the sea to learn to fish for themselves. The pup soon follows and must teach itself to hunt for food.

I have posted about grey seals several times before, my favourite being a post about the rescue of a very young pup from beneath the sea-break boulders at Rhos Point by some of the caring keepers from the Welsh Mountain Zoo. The photograph below is from that post.

Alone on the seashore the baby seal looked very small and vulnerable

The Brambles: des. res. for Whitethroats, sea views

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by theresagreen in birds of Wales, Nature, Nature of Wales, Pembrokeshire coastal path, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

birds nesting in brambles, brown bird with white throat, Little Orme, sylvia communis, whitethroat

On the Little Orme there is a huge bramble tangle set in the middle of a sea of long grass. Surrounded thus, it is some distance from the close-cut grass pathways on the clifftop and as there are other more easily accessed bushes, I may not have approached this particular one if I hadn’t noticed a bird fly across to it.

From the bird’s behaviour and general ‘jizz’ I thought and hoped it may be a Whitethroat, a summer migrant that I have heard before, but never had a close view of in this location.

(Jizz is a term used by birders to describe the overall first impression of a sighted bird, based on such characteristics as shape, posture, flying style or other movements, size and colouration combined with voice, habitat and location.)

As I moved a little closer the bird flew up nearer the top of the bramble, I saw it had an insect in its beak and that it was definitely a lovely male Whitethroat. So, there was a nest in there, confirmed when a female also carrying food made an appearance on the far side of the bush.

Whitethroat trying to hide

Although I was keeping my distance neither bird was happy I was there at all and the male expressed his annoyance by “churring”, raising his crest and puffing his throat out a bit, which showed he was upset. I don’t like upsetting birds, but it did make for a more interesting photograph.

Common Whitethroat- Sylvia communis

Whitethroat– Sylvia communis

Welsh: Llwydfron

The Whitethroat is a summer visitor and passage migrant to Britain that may be seen in all parts of the country and most frequently choose arable land, scrub and reedbeds as nesting sites. They arrive during April-May and leaving in late September-early October to winter in Africa, some heading as far south as South Africa.

Graph from BTO showing Whitethroat population trend for Wales

In 1968, Whitethroats sustained heavy losses as their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa suffered major drought – breeding Whitethroats suffered a 90% drop in the UK. Numbers have not fully recovered yet and the BTO state their Conservation Status as AMBER because of the recent breeding population decline (1969-2007).

A male Whitethroat, Ceibwr, Pemrokeshire

Description

The Whitethroat is a medium-sized, long-tailed warbler. The male is grey dusted with rust brown above, with bright chestnut brown fringes to the wing feathers, the head is a pale grey, the breast pinkish-buff and the throat is a bright white. The bill is greyish-brown and the legs are pale brown. The eye is pale brown with a white eye ring. Females are similar but brown on the head and nape where the male is grey.

Whitethroats prefer to stay concealed in bushes

Behaviour & song

Warblers in general are often described as ‘skulking’, but the Whitethroat is not quite as secretive as some; the male will perch in full view to deliver its brief song with gusto. The song is variously described as sweet, ‘scratchy’ and having a jolty rhythm. They are also very inquisitive birds and will venture to the top of a bush to investigate any intruders, before scolding them with a rapid churring call.

Nesting

The male whitethroat may mate with the first female to cross the territory it immediately stakes out upon his arrival back in Britain. He begins making a number of trial nests, perhaps as many as three. The female then chooses a nest, which will be a deep cup shaped construction located close to the ground in cover, and lines it with hair, down and wool. 4-5 eggs are laid which are about 18 mm by 14 mm, smooth and glossy, pale green or buff in colour with olive-grey speckles. The duties of incubating the eggs are performed by both parents. Both adults feed the young birds. There may be one or two broods raised in a season.

Food

In the breeding season whitethroats eat mainly insects, especially beetles, caterpillars and bugs. They also eat spiders and towards the end of the summer and into the autumn they turn increasingly to fruit and berries, sometimes invading gardens to raid soft fruit crops.

Where to see Whitethroats in Wales

Whitethroats breed in many areas including woodland edges and clearings, country lanes anywhere they may find brambles, briers, bushes or overgrown hedges. They may also nest in gardens, but avoid urban and mountainous places.

In Wales they frequently find their favoured habitat on clifftops: locally on the Little Orme and I have seen them in various spots when walking along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Another reliable spot for hearing and seeing them has always been in the similarly-vegetated area on the road down to Martin’s Haven, where you get the boat to Skomer Island.

June 11th 2010

One late afternoon in June, my friends and I set off for a walk along a part of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path beginning at Ceibwr and heading in the Poppit Sands direction (we’ve never yet made it that far). There were several Whitethroats about, but we didn’t expect to get the close up views we were treated to. Firstly, there was the one in the first two photographs above, that was in amongst a huge tangle of brambles at the back of the beach. Another flew right in front of us as we walked up the pathway to the clifftop.

A whitethroat flew in front of us

At the top of the upwards part of the path we caught sight of one very close to the edge of it with food in its beak. It clearly wanted to reach its nest on the opposite side of the path but was reluctant to reveal its location, so it stayed put perched on a hogweed stem perhaps hoping we hadn’t seen it.

11/6/10-A whitethroat with food perched on hogweed-Ceibwr, Pembrokeshire

We stood still to give it the chance to make a break for it and it crossed to perch on a barbed-wire fence. It was hanging on tightly to the caterpillar in its beak and finally flew off into a shrub a few metres away to present it to its nestlings.

The whitethroat perched on the wire fence hanging on to its nestling's tea

The whitethroat perched on the wire fence hanging on to its nestlings’ snack

Similar species : Lesser Whitethroat

The Common Whitethroat can be distinguished from the smaller Lesser Whitethroat by the absence of the dark mask on their cheeks and the presence of rusty brown edges to their wing feathers, pinky chest and longer tail.

Read more about whitethroats in Cambridgeshire in Finn Holding’s blog, the Naturephile

http://thenaturephile.com/2013/05/23/whitethroats-and-awards/

Seeing red and black

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by theresagreen in Nature, Nature of Wales, nature photography, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

6-spot Burnet Moth, 7-spot ladybird, aposematism in insects, black & yellow striped caterpillars, black butterfly or moth with red spots, Cinnabar moth, cinnabar moth larvae, Little Orme, red and black insects, red soldier beetle

Aposematism (from apo- away, and semantic sign/meaning), is the word used to describe a family of anti-predator adaptations where a warning signal is associated with the unprofitability of a prey item to potential predators. Aposematic signals are beneficial for both the predator and prey, both of which avoid potential harm.

Walking on the Little Orme a few evenings ago I caught sight of a black and red moth flying across my path that landed on a fern frond. I have photographed similarly-coloured, but more spotted 6-Spot Burnet Moths within this site on many occasions, but this one was a Cinnabar Moth, which I have always kept an eye out for but never managed to see until now. This is the moth that lays its eggs on Ragwort that hatch into the black and yellow striped larva that will soon be munching on the leaves of that plant in large numbers.

Cinnabar Moth – Tyria jacobaea

Flying : May – August. UK Distribution: England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland. Common and well distributed throughout most of England, Wales and Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. More confined to predominantly coastal habitats in northern England and Scotland. Habitat: Frequent in open grassy habitats including waste ground, railway banks, gardens and woodland rides but perhaps most frequent on well drained rabbit-grazed grassland, mature sand-dunes and heathland.

Cinnabar moth resting on fern

Description: Medium-sized black moth, red markings on the forewing, hindwings mostly red. Often found near common ragwort, although sometimes on other ragworts and groundsels.

This species is so named due to the colour of the hindwings and the markings on the forewings which make it unmistakeable. On rare occasions the pinkish markings are replaced with yellow, or the forewing is red with a black border or the wings are completely black. Easily disturbed by day and flies in sunshine. Also flies after dark.

The distinctive larva of the Cinnabar Moth (enlarged !)

The Cinnabar larvae consumes ragwort from which it absorbs alkaloids and which it retains as an adult, making it unpalatable to predators in both forms.

6- spot Burnet Moth – Zygaenea filipendula

Flying: June-August. UK distribution: Throughout Britain, mainly coastal in Scotland. Habitat: Frequents flowery grassland, woodland rides and sandhills.

6-Spot Burnet Moth

Description: Medium-sized black moth with six red, occasionally yellow, spots.

Burnet moth caterpillars absorb Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) from the glucosides in their food plants: bird’s-foot trefoil and vetches. They can also synthesise HCN themselves, storing it in body cavities and excreting it as chemical weaponry.

Also out and about in some numbers were Soldier Beetles.

Red Soldier Beetle – Rhagonycha fulva

Family: Cantharidae

Can be seen: June-August

The red and black colouration reminded people of the red coats of British soldiers, hence the common name. It is also known as the ‘Bloodsucker’ for its striking red appearance, but it is harmless to humans. There are about 40 species of soldier beetle in the UK, displaying various colour combinations of black, red and orange.

Description: A medium-sized, narrow beetle commonly found on open-structured flowers, such as daises, Cow Parsley and Hogweed, during the summer. There are about 40 species of soldier beetle in the UK, displaying various colour combinations of black, red and orange. Habitat: It can be spotted flying in grassland, woodland, along hedgerows and in parks and gardens. Food: The adults are especially important predators of aphids. They supplement their diet with nectar and pollen and can be minor pollinators. Larvae prey on ground-dwelling invertebrates, such as slugs and snails, and live at the base of long grasses.

130712TGINCT- Soldier beetle on thistle-Little Orme

Common Red Soldier Beetle

Behaviour: The adults spend much of their short, summer lives mating and can often be seen in pairs.

Soldier beetles mating on hogweed flower-Little Orme

Then there were ladybirds, more than I’ve seen for a long time in one place and I was reminded that there was a ladybird plague in England one very hot summer. I looked it up and it in 1976, prompted as a response to a marked increase in aphid populations. There were many reports of people being bitten as the supply of aphids dwindled. That could happen again this year if the hot dry weather continues; I’ve already seen a lot of aphids….

7-Spot Ladybird- Coccinella septempunctata

Family: Coccinellidae

The seven-spot is easily one of Britain’s most common and easily recognised beetles.

Etymology

The beetle’s common name “ladybird” originated in Britain where the insects became known as ‘Our Lady’s bird or the Lady beetle. Mary (Our Lady) was often depicted wearing a red cloak in early paintings, and the spots of the seven-spot ladybird (the most common in Europe) were said to symbolise her seven joys and seven sorrows. In the United States, the name was adapted to “ladybug”.

Coccinelid is derived from the Latin word coccineus meaning “scarlet”.

Another insect that employs the colour combination of red and black to advertise to predators that they taste horrible: if they are attacked, (or picked up), they exude an unpleasant yellow substance (reflex blood) from their leg joints which is rich in toxic alkaloids. A threatened ladybird may both play dead and secrete the unappetizing substance to protect itself.

One of the most common ladybirds in the UK

Ladybirds lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybird larvae immediately begin to feed. Seven-spot ladybirds are avid and very active aphid predators, devouring more than 5,000 during their year-long life.

Only here for the aphids

A threat to our native ladybirds

There are 46 species of ladybird resident in Britain and the recent arrival of the harlequin ladybird has the potential to jeopardise many of these.

The atlas Ladybirds (Coccinellidae) of Britain and Ireland published in 2011 showed a decline of more than 20% in native species due to environmental changes and competition from foreign invaders. The distribution maps, compiled over a 20-year period with help from thousands of volunteers, showed a decline in the numbers of the common 10-spot and 14-spot ladybirds and a number of other species, including the 11-spot, 22-spot, cream-spot, water and hieroglyphic ladybirds, Coccidula rufa, Rhyzobius litura and Nephus redtenbacheri. Conversely, increases were seen in the numbers of harlequin, orange, pine, and 24-spot ladybirds, as well as Rhyzobius chrysomeloides.

Cultural associations with ladybirds

The ladybird was familiar to me as a child, first from the nursery rhyme Ladybird, Ladybird (this is the version I know, it may not be the exact original.)

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home
Your house is on fire and your children are gone
Except for one, and her name’s Anne
And she hid under the frying pan.

As I got older I acquired a collection of ‘Ladybird’ brand books, which are still produced today. And I seem to remember there was a Ladybird children’s clothing range too.

Spot the ‘greens’ on the Little Orme, but please don’t eat them!

10 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by theresagreen in Little Orme, Nature of Wales, nature photography, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve, Wildflowers of Wales

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

brassica olaracea, Little Orme, wild cabbage

The Little Orme is close in distance to Bryn Euryn, but quite different in character, so a walk around there can add a host of different flora species within the space of half-an-hour or so; it also has its specialty plants and I set off to find at least one of them on a late afternoon last week.

Right now while the rocks of the Bryn are splashed gold with dainty rockroses, the Little Orme has its yellow-flowered cabbages. This year, rather a lot of them and not just any old cabbage, but the rather rare Wild Cabbage Brassica oleracea.

12/06/04-Wild Cabbage-Brassica olearacea at the base of a cliff, Little Orme

The Wild Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), also sometimes known as Sea Cabbage, is regarded as scarce by botanists as it is found in only 100 x10km squares in the UK. Where it does occur, the plant is found on maritime cliffs, usually of limestone or chalk, typically growing on or near to cliff tops or cliff bases, often on ledges containing other mixed herb communities. The Little Orme and Great Orme in North Wales and the Gower Peninsular in South Wales are strongholds of the plant.

A tall red cliff-face on the Little Orme which has wild cabbage plants growing on ledges almost from top to bottom

Brassica oleracea is a biennial, sometimes perennial, relatively short-lived (20 years), evergreen plant that can withstand frost. Plants can grow to a height of 1.2m (4ft), but that can vary, as can the size and to an extent, the shape of the leaves. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by a range of insects, including bees and hoverflies; the plant is self-fertile.

Flowers of the wild cabbage

It is probable that the Wild Cabbage, which occurs widely around the Mediterranean, is not a true native to Britain and that it was yet another introduction made by the Romans and is the forebear to our more robust modern cultivated cabbages.

Leaf of Wild Cabbage

I have seen sites advocating foraging wild cabbage as an edible wild plant, which of course it is, but while the plant itself does not have any specific legal protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), most of the locations where it’s found along the North Wales Coast are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interests. Damaging, uprooting or removing the plant either deliberately or recklessly could be regarded as a criminal act, so perhaps not a good idea to chance it.

A wild cabbage plant growing on a more exposed grassy cliff of the Little Orme (Sept 2011). This was one of my first sightings (and photographs) of the species.

I took this photograph around the middle of last May (2012), before the flowers opened

Clifftop to seashore

24 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by theresagreen in birds of the seashore, Nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

brown seaweed, Linnet, Little Orme, redshank, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve, rhos-on-sea, rocky seashores, seashore walks

I will be following the migrating birds soon, leaving the cooling shores of North Wales for the warmer ones of southern Spain, but I have a few things left that I want to include in the blog before I leave, including this last walk up to the Little Orme and back along the seashore to Rhos-on-Sea.

This was a very sunny day following a week or so of cooler rainy days. Arriving at the headland there was a strong breeze blowing in from the sea, so although it felt very warm in sheltered spots,it was considerably cooler out in the open.

Kestrel hovering over the cliff slope

As I walked towards the bay I was surprised by the sight of a Kestrel hovering low down over the cliff edge. Views of Kestrels have been scarce during the time I’ve been here, so although the photograph I took is not good I’ve used it as testament to having seen one at all. I love these little raptors and never cease to be amazed at their ability to hang almost motionless in the air for minutes at a time. This one was utilising the wind and air currents and remained suspended in this position for quite some time, perhaps having spotted potential prey, before being disturbed by people walking along the path close by.

There were very few insects about ; this Common Blue butterfly sheltered from the wind down in the long grass

I reached the cliff edge above the bay and sat for a while looking out over the sea. I had half-hoped I might see a seal or two here as they do breed in the locality, but all I saw was a lone Guillemot swimming and diving in the choppy water. The sighting was another first for me here, so I was pleased to see it, if only briefly. By far the commonest and most numerous birds here currently are cormorants, with a great number of them being dotted around the lower slope of the cliff and more flying back and forth. They are such a feature of the area that I think they merit a post of their own, so they will probably be the subject of my next one.

There is a published list of the ‘special’ plants found growing within the Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve on the Little Orme. Many had finished flowering by the time I arrived here in July, but I have discovered a few of them during the course of my walks. I was pleased to add one more today, the Wild Cabbage. It doesn’t sound too glamorous I know, but it is not a common plant, so its continued presence here is quite important.

Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica that is mainly native to coastal southern and western Europe. Its tolerance of salt and lime and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs.

Wild Cabbage-Brassica oleracea

Wild B. oleracea is a tall biennial plant. In the first year of growth the plant forms a stout rosette of large leaves. The leaves are fleshier and thicker than those of other species of Brassica, which are adaptations made by the plant to store water and nutrients in its difficult growing environment. In its second year, the stored nutrients are used to produce a flower spike 1 to 2 metres (3–7 ft) tall bearing numerous yellow flowers.

The dry, spent flower spikes of a wild cabbage plant. I like the effect of the tracery of bone dry silvery stems against the clear blue sky.

These cliffs are the haunt of corvids; I heard the characteristic deep ‘bark’ calls of Ravens and looked up to see a pair circling the rocky peak. There were one or two Carrion Crows about and quite a few Jackdaws foraging around on the ground.

A glossy black Jackdaw, beak agape

There wasn’t a great deal else to see here today that I have not already mentioned in previous posts, which perversely I was quite glad about: I would hate to think I might be leaving having missed something.

I had walked along the promenade and around the residential streets to get here, so I decided to walk back along the seashore as far as I could, accessing the beach via the steps at the end of a walkway between the houses. This far end of the beach of Penrhyn Bay, sheltered by the cliffs of the Little Orme has a different character to the open stretches leading to Rhos-on-Sea. Some vegetation has become established, nothing wildly exciting, but clumps of flowering Sea Mayweed were attracting quite a few insects.

Drone fly on a flower of Sea Mayweed

The seashore of Rhos-on-Sea consists of rocks in various sizes and first impressions may be of a harsh, barren environment predominantly coloured in shades of brown. It is not the traditional people-friendly playground that most holidaymakers seek; even walking across the uneven rocky surface is a feat of endurance requiring concentration and a good sense of balance lest you stumble and twist an ankle or worse. But the rocks form an essential part of the protective barrier between land and sea, dissipating some of the force of wild winter seas and creating a rich and reasonably undisturbed environment for wildlife.

A view to the Little Orme and Penrhyn Bay across the rocky seashore

The view in the opposite directions to Rhos-on-Sea and beyond

Some of the birds I photographed on my walk today:

A Redshank wading on the sea edge

Curlew investigating his reflection in a rockpool

Turnstone

A Herring Gull preparing to take off from a rock

Lift off. The gull has beautiful wings and they need strength too to be able to lift up that bulky body from a standing start. I think this one may have something wrong with its foot.

I spotted some small birds fly over the sea wall and land on the rocks of the breakwater that I imagine defines the boundary between Penrhyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea. It was a little party of Linnets that were here to feast on the seeds of the wild plants that manage to grow here.

A little flock of Linnets gathered at the base of the sea wall to feed on flower seeds

Linnet-Carduelis cannabina, in winter plumage with a beak full of seeds

The tide was on its way out, leaving behind freshly exposed rocks covered with gleaming seaweed and a myriad of shallow rock pools. This is such an important habitat for wading birds I felt it would be remiss of me not to include a very brief look at some of the predominant features of this part of the seashore.

Bladder Wrack-Fucus vesiculosus

Brown seaweeds are the most common type of seaweed found on rocky beaches. They normally have a method to strongly attach themselves to rock surfaces.The brown colour of the seaweed is due to the brown pigment fucoxanthin overriding the green pigment chlorophyll. Both pigments are used in the photosynthesis of light, fucoxanthin improving the process when the algae is covered by water.

Toothed Wrack-Fucus serratus, underwater

Small dry clumps of seaweed are a common sight blowing around on many beaches. Also in this pool is some bright green Sea Lettuce-Ulva lactulva

The Limpet's conical shape means there is a large surface area in contact with the rockface. This allows for a large foot, providing limpets with a phenomenal grip, to such an extent that they cannot easily be prised off by hand.Limpets have an important affect on their environment, they keep it clear of algae. If you look in rock pools, often the only algae seen growing is on the ungrazed backs of limpets.

Periwinkles abound here, I think they are the edible variety. Brown leathery straps of seaweed are Oarweed-Laminaria digitata.

Of course, being me, once I started paying proper attention I kept noticing more and more, but I have to leave my self more to discover next time I am here, so that’s it from this seashore for now.

Late summer’s fruitfulness

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by theresagreen in Insects, Nature, nature photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

burdock, late summer wildflowers, Little Orme, potter wasp, RAF rescue helicopter, Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve, rosehips, toadflax, tortoiseshell butterfly, wasps

22nd August

I took a walk around the Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve on the Little Orme this afternoon to seek out some late-summer insects; I was hoping for a Small Copper butterfly and maybe another Comma, but a Small Tortoiseshell was top of the list and to my surprise and delight I spotted one almost straightaway. Beautifully bright coloured it was a pristine specimen that rested on the ground, wings outstretched.

22/8/11-Small Tortoiseshell-Aglais urticae

It was a sunny but windy afternoon, so I headed away from the exposed cliff top to explore the more sheltered area of scrubby ground at the opposite end of the site. I spotted some yellow-green flowers that I think were those of fennel and found a Common Wasp feeding there.

22/8/11-A Common Wasp on fennel flowers

Nearby there were also a number of attractive little Potter Wasps busy on Knapweed flowers. Although being coloured and striped in yellow and black, a closer look soon reveals them to be very different in size and shape to the Common Wasp.

22/8/11- Potter wasps on a Knapweed flower

22/8/11-Potter Wasp-Ansitrocerus parietum

Several Large White butterflies fluttering around a bramble attracted my attention and moving closer I saw that a single female was the draw for several males that were competing to mate with her. I took the opportunity to photograph a male resting with its wings open.

22/8/11-Large White-Pieris brassicae

22/8/11-Common Carder Bumblebee on scotch thistle

On Ragwort flowers I spotted a hoverfly, black with interrupted white stripes which is a new-to-me species to add to my collection later identified as a Pied Hoverfly – Scaeva pyrastri. I only managed to get one photograph which unfortunately is a bit blurred as the wind was blowing the plant around and the insect didn’t stay there for long.

22/8/11-Pied Hoverfly-Scaeva pyrastri

22/8/11-There are still Cinnabar Moth caterpillars feeding on ragwort

Many plants are now bearing seeds or fruits; blackberries are ripening and watching a Bluebottle fly feasting on them I was reminded why it’s probably best not to pick them and eat them without washing or cooking them first!

22/8/11-Bluebottle fly on blackberries

22/8/11-Teasel seed head

22/8/11-Ripe rosehips

22/8/11-Robin's Pincushion on wild rose

22/8/11-Carline thistle seed heads

Late-blooming wildflowers I photographed today included Burdock, Yarrow and Toadflax. Ragwort is still flowering although some plants are going to seed. Knapweed is also still blooming and there are still a few fresh thistle flowers, although most are seeded.

22/8/11-A 6-spot Burnet Moth on a fading Scotch thistle flower

22/8/11-Burdock

22/8/11-Yarrow-Achillea millefolium

22/8/11-Common Toadflax-Linaria vulgaris

Linaria vulgaris (Common Toadflax, Yellow Toadflax, or Butter-and-eggs) is a species of toadflax (Linaria), native to most of Europe and northern Asia, from the United Kingdom south to Spain in the west, and east to eastern Siberia and western China.

22/8/11- RAF Rescue helicopter

The noisy presence of a bright yellow RAF Air-Sea Rescue helicopter is not an uncommon sight around the cliffs of the Little Orme as this is one of the practice sites for those based on Anglesey. However,today’s mission was real and assistance was required by a person that had injured themselves and were inaccessible to an ambulance, so the helicopter actually landed. A crowd quickly gathered to watch the proceedings, but from what I gathered from speaking to a few different people, this was not out of concern for the injured person, but rather to try to spot if it may be Prince William flying the helicopter! It wasn’t, but as there are only three craft based in Anglesey, it was a possibility it could have been.

22/8/11-Sheep grazing on the rocky hillside

I have walked up the steep grassy pathway on the hillside several times, but had never ventured further on along the ridge, so I thought I would rectify that today. This area is grazed by sheep and edged by shrubby vegetation and small trees,adding yet another dimension to the reserve as habitat for woodland birds. It was a little too late to venture far, but a good time to catch quite a few birds out and about foraging for their supper, including Blackbirds, Robin and Chaffinch.

A chaffinch amongst elderberries

22/8/11-Banded snail

Seaside life, cloudy skies and other views

03 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by theresagreen in Nature of Wales, Rhos-on-Sea

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

catching crabs, cloudy skies, daisies growing on the beach, herring gull, Little Orme, mussel beds of Rhos-on-sea, red-tailed bumblebee

The weather throughout August has been unsettled and changeable. Rainy and sometimes windy days have curtailed outdoor activities, but when there have been dry spells and even occasional warm sunny ones, beautiful cloud formations have added an extra dimension to the views of sea and land.

A breezy but sunny afternoon:

9/8/11-Clouds over Rhyl

Catching crabs,( or ‘crabbing), is a popular form of entertainment in this part of the world. The only equipment required are a length of line with a hook to hold the bait, which is often a small piece of bacon and a bucket full of water to hold your catch – specially marked buckets are sold locally. When you’ve caught enough crabs to make you happy, you simply return them all to their rightful home unharmed, where they can continue to grow. I’m sure there are many canny crabs lining up for an easy meal.