Bee Orchids at Oxwich

(c) P. Tyrrell

Paul Tyrrell wrote: 'Although the wet weather we had in April, may not have been too everyone's liking it certainly doesn't seem to have had an adverse effect on our orchids, particularly it seems the bee orchid (Ophrys apifera). While on Oxwich burrows on Saturday in bright sunshine I counted 85 in just two of the large dune slacks toward the back of the reserve I'm sure there must be a lot more.'

Downies out and about

Mute Swan family at Oxwich (c) P. Tyrrell

Following on from the eight cygnets first noted from the hide at Oxwich Marsh by Nick Edwards on the 9th May, then photographed by Paul Tyrrell on the 21st, Gower's only other pair of Mute Swans at Llanrhidian took seven cygnets to water for the first time on the 21st.

Llanrhidian cygnets on 26th (c) B. Stewart

In addition to photographing the Mute Swans at Oxwich on the 19th-20th, Paul Tyrrell also provided conclusive evidence that Gadwall have bred successfully there this year.

female Gadwall with her brood (c) P. Tyrrell

Liverworts and Hornworts

A selection of our more conspicuous species, noted at Oxwich on Saturday:

Common Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis) with
cups containing gemmae (used in asexual reproduction), growing over
Crescent-cup Liverwort (Lunularia cruciata) far left 

Common Liverwort - female archegonial heads emerging -
one of the largest thallose liverworts in the UK

Common Liverwort - female archegonial heads maturing -
it's not uncommon to see this species in garden centre plant pots

Smooth Hornwort (Phaeoceros laevis) female plants
not so common, but undoubtedly overlooked

Oxwich last Saturday

A few pictures from the weekend...

Hairy Dragonfly (c) S.J. Stewart

Wall Lizard male (c) B. Stewart

Wall Lizard female (c) S.J. Stewart

More shells from Oxwich beach...

Below is a selection of shells & miscellaneus items found on the beach yesterday:

A Common Limpet (Patella vulgata)
B Slipper Limpet (Crepidula fornicata)
C Common Whelk (Buccinum undatum)
D Common Otter-shell (Lutraria lutraria)
E Edible Mussel (Mytilus edulis)
F Common Cockle (Cerastoderma edulis)
G Prickly Cockle (Acanthocardia echinata)
H Norway Cockle (Laevicardium crassum)
I Banded Wedge-shell (Donax vittatus)
J Thin Tellin (Angulus tenuis)
K Rayed Trough-shell (Mactra stultorum)
L Striped Venus (Chamelea gallina)
M Sword Razor (Ensis ensis)
N Pod Razor (Ensis siliqua)
O Egg-shell Razor (Pharum legumen)
P Variegated Scallop (Chlamys varia)
Q Edible Oyster (Ostrea edulis)
R Faroe Sunset-shell (Gari fervensis)
S White Piddock (Barnea candida)
T Dogfish purse (Scyliorhius sp.)

Shell Heart

For any romantics out there...

And for the more scientific, these shells were collected in Oxwich Bay. The species being:
Common Cockle (Cerastodrema edulis)
Prickly Cockle (Acanthocardia echinata)
Pod Razor (Ensis siliqua)
Egg-shell Razor (Pharus legumen)
Common Whelk (Buccinum undatum)

Happy Valentine's Day

Ivy Broomrape at Oxwich

The persistent dead flower spikes of the parasitic Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche hederae) enable it to be identified throughout the year. This species is restricted to the coast where it can be frequent on Ivy growing on limestone cliffs and dunes in Gower, but is scarce elsewhere in Glamorgan. The image below shows the dune woodland between the Oxwich Bay Hotel and the main beach car park where the species is frequent.

Bittern at Oxwich

Probably the same Bittern as that seen by Andy a couple of days ago was in a patch of rushes in the new fen area. Other cryptic species seen in the marsh were Jack Snipe, 23 Snipe and 4 Woodcock (roosting communally). Ducks on the ponds, good parts of which are now ice free, included 24 Gadwall, 9 Teal and a Shoveler. Water Rails seemed to everywhere calling and at least 1 Cetti's Warbler has survived the big freeze. In the bay around 550 Herring Gulls, 32 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull were feeding on wide range of items on the falling tide, the main ones being Starfish, Otter Shells, Razor Shells. A Great Northern Diver was just off the rocks.

Sanderling G4RYRY

The Sanderling reported between the 5th and 31st December on Oxwich Beach (see post below) was ringed in Iceland at a headland beach site west of Reykjavik as shown above. It is likely this bird belongs to the East Atlantic flyway population and will have been on its way to breeding grounds in northern Greenland or Canada when it was ringed in Iceland. As it has been regular at Oxwich throughout Decemeber, it is likley to be a shorter-distance migrant, compared to many Sanderling that winter as far south as South Africa. Interestingly Reneerkens et al. (2009) [Wader Study Group Bull. 116(1): 2–20.] show that although Sanderling eat small beach invertebrates, the also scavange and show a bird easting flesh from washed-up Ensis subtruncata, a species related to Egg-shell Razor (Pharus legumen) that was photographed being eaten at Oxwich.

Oxwich Marsh update

As shown by the photo above, results of the ongoing work at Oxwich Marsh by CCW can now clearly be seen from the hill as you drive down onto the marsh: The main sections of the serpentine lake have been opened up even further and the 2.5ha 'new fen' area (shown in part by the ice above) now looks very attractive for birds - well it would if it wasn't frozen! While there is no access to this area at present it is anticipated that a viewing option for the public will be put in place this winter.

...work in progress - December 2009

Beach strandings at Oxwich

Colour-ringed Sanderling G4RYRY
Up to 18 Sanderling and a single Ringed Plover were on Oxwich beach this morning, feeding mostly on moribund Egg-shell Razors (Pharus legumen) and possibly also stranded Starfish (Asterias rubens). One bird was colour-ringed, this having been seen at the same place earlier in the month [5th] by Peter Douglas-Jones. Life history details to follow...

Moribund Starfish & Egg-shell Razors

Gadwall at Oxwich

Gadwall numbers have increased in recent winters at the few freshwater sites where favourable habitat exists. At Oxwich 32 were noted today, though the highest count was at Fairwood Lake where 51 were counted on 19-Dec-08 by Harold Grenfell & Peter Douglas-Jones. The highest count at Oxwich to date was 40 on 18-Jan-09.

Orange Peel Fungus at Oxwich Marsh

With all of the grey skies at present the spectacularly coloured and aptly named Orange Peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia) added colour to the wet sand and muddy fen at Oxwich today.

Grey Phalarope at Oxwich Marsh

This very vocal and quite mobile bird was feeding on the pools of new fen area. In the bay there was a minimum of 4 Great Northern Divers, one of which was manipulating a crab in its bill for some time.

Floating Crystalwort at Oxwich Marsh

Beneficial effects from the fen restoration and pond clearance work carried out at Oxwich Marsh by CCW in the last couple of years have included the expansion of the macrophyte community. Although the waters are rather nutrient-rich, species that have clearly prospered in deeper water include Bladderwort (Utricularia australis), which has flowered extensively over the North Pond and in several of the ditches. In winter Floating Crystalwort (Riccia fluitans) is particularly prominent in many of the open water areas, including the cleared fen area shown below, where it occasionally forms dense mats.


Mass of Floating Crystalwort with Common Duckweed (Lemna minor) and one small (reddish) plant of the highly invasive Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides).


Bladderwort (photographed earlier in the season).

Oxwich Marsh feeding station

A fairly busy morning with 90 birds processed, including 2 more new Cetti's Warbler, a Jay (photo above) and 28 Reed Bunting, 6 of which were retraps. This brings the total for new-ringed Reed Bunting in the marsh up to 115 for 2009. This is a much higher total than in previous years and may be a result of the management that has taken place in the last couple of years? Also of interest, a Chaffinch was controlled, having been ringed in the Nitten Field (Mewslade) only 7 days ago!

Reedbed management at Oxwich Marsh

There has been a considerable amount of management carried out by CCW at Oxwich Marsh over the last few years, aimed at fen restoration. When complete the work will restore a significant area of open-marsh habitats that should be beneficial for a wide range of species. Access and viewing are also to be improved at the site, which should prove popular with birdwatchers, and it is hoped that some of the site's former glory can be recaptured.

Oxwich Marsh feeding station

A total of 37 Reed Bunting were trapped this morning at the feeding station with 6 being retraps; the oldest of these having being ringed in the marsh on 12th April 2007. Two Cetti's Warbler (photo above) were also ringed, these being only the 10th and 11th of the year so far. It appears that this species may have suffered higher mortality than usual last winter, and recovery at Oxwich Marsh at least seems slow.

Whinchat at Oxwich Marsh

A late Whinchat with 2 Stonechats along the fence in Oxwich Marsh today was my first sighting of this species at this site in many hours of observing there.

Oxwich Marsh feeding station

The first ringing session at a small winter feeding station recently set up was reasonably successful this morning with a total of 15 Reed Bunting being netted, this being a UK BAP priority species. Two Marsh Tit and a late Reed Warbler [both shown above] were also notable captures. 65 Reed Buntings were ringed at this site over summer months and the project aims to reveal more about the Reed Bunting population in the marsh as the season progresses.