natural beach cleaning

We are all aware of the deleterious effects of mechanical beach cleaning on coastal dune biodiversity and, ideally, we would like to see fore dunes look something like this:

Crymlyn Burrows fore dunes and strand line

But, at the moment, a large stretch of the fore dunes (and strand line) on Crymlyn Burrows looks like this:

Strandline on Crymlyn Burrows after stormy high tides (February 2015)

This is not the result of mechanical beach cleaning, which never takes place along this part of Swansea Bay. It is the result of a natural process, the combination and coincidence of very high tides and very stormy weather. This process must have happened many times in the history of Crymlyn Burrows and it must have a catastrophic effect on strand line animals and plants. This may explain why species like the rare Beechcomber Beetle, Nebria complanata, show such alarming fluctuations in population size along our shores (see Ian Tew's post on this blog, 19/10/14). The amount of sand translocated from the Crymlyn Burrows foreshore recently has been significant, much of it deposited on the semi-fixed marram dunes just behind the fore dunes. Where sea and wind action has been intense, fore dune erosion has been spectacular:

Excessive erosion of fore dunes on Crymlyn Burrows

Crymlyn Burrows will continue to recover and reshape its foreshore after events like this as long as it remains a dynamic, accreting system. It remains to be seen what the effects of coastal developments will be on the accretion process and foreshore biodiversity in the future.

black redstart

female type on university ILS building this morning.

No bees but a Peacock butterfly in Fall Bay yesterday.

Black Redstart at Fall Bay

Black Redstarts are common in France; in many French villages they are easily seen, with males singing from rooftops in the breeding season. The song, which finishes with a crackling noise which always reminds me of the noise of a crisp bag being screwed up, is very distinctive. In Wales, however, Black Redstarts are generally scarce passage migrants or winter visitors in small numbers. In most winters a Black Redstart will turn up somewhere in the Rhossili area at some time. Today there was one feeding on the rocks and vegetation around the western shore of Fall Bay (SS410872). The bird was quite settled and I was able to watch it and photograph it for about 20 minutes until it was chased onto inaccessible rocks by a belligerent Robin. This bird is either a female or a first winter male. If anyone can tell which it is, please say so!

Below is a shot of a singing adult male, taken in France last year.

While I was at Fall Bay this morning I was also lucky enough to have a close encounter with a Grey Seal.

Otter feeding in Fall Bay

I guess I am not alone in thinking that Otters are usually associated with rivers, streams and estuaries, rather than rocky coasts. Although I am aware of previous Otter sightings in the Rhossili area, I have never seen one here, despite over a quarter of a century of walking the cliffs in the Mewsalde-Fall section of the coast. Until today, that is. A whiskery head popped up in Fall Bay this morning and at first my assumption was that it was a seal (which would have been a a good sighting, anyway). But as it dived it was clear that it was very slender, with a long tail: this was a big Otter, not a seal.

I watched it diving for fish for a few minutes and then it surfaced with a pretty big fish (250-300mm long, I guess).

It then swam towards the mouth of the bay and disappeared under water for a short time.Soon afterwards it appeared on the rocks under Tears Point, at the outer edge of Fall Bay, and spent about eight minutes eating the fish before sliding back into the sea.

I feel I was very lucky to see this happening and to be able to photograph it.

Otter feeding in Fall Bay

I guess I am not alone in thinking that Otters are pimarily associated with rivers, streams and estuaries, rather than rocky coastline. Although I am aware of reports of Otter sightings in the past in the Rhossili area, I have never seen one here, despite over a quarter of a century of walking the cliffs in the Mewslade-Fall part of the coast. Until today, that is. A whiskery head popped up in Fall Bay this morning and my assumption was that it was a seal (which would have been a good sighting, anyway). But as it dived there was a long, slender tail: this was a big Otter, not a seal.

I watched the Otter fishing for several minutes and then it surfaced with a pretty big fish (maybe 25-30cm in length).

It then swam towards the outer edge of the bay and, after disappearing from view for a minute or so, appeared on the rocks under Tears Point. It spent about eight minutes eating its catch before sliding back into the waves.

I feel I was very lucky to have seen this and to have been able to photograph it as it happened.

more spring

Yesterday at Horton I saw my first bee of the season, amazing and pointless. No evidence but I am quite , orange haired legs and white stripes on a black abdomen, sure it was an Andrena ovatula. Can't post an archive picture for some reason, sorry!

gower (ish) bees

the gower bee pictures I have taken over the last 3 years are now more or less posted on flickr here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/iantew/sets/

the same riders apply as before, there may be mistakes as I'm a relative beginner. I would be very grateful if you would let me know of any mistakes you find.

Sorry I can't post any to brighten up the winter but something I don't understand is going on.