Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - March 1984
Georgina and Noel Tallowin
A very pleasant surprise came our way this summer (1983) when we had a visit from a very well known Llanelli pair who were extremely popular amongst the fishing fraternity especially the younger members. They actually kept a fishing tackle shop but that was a small part of their vocation, more often it was giving advice and help to enquirers of all ages. Have you guessed who it was? No prizes for the correct answer - for it was our founder Chairman and his wife - Mr. & Mrs. George Little. They have promised a return visit when the Nightingales are in full song - every year they sing in one spot on our farm. Mr. and Mrs. Little moved from Llanelli to Haverfordwest to be with their son and now the son has been transferred to Gloucestershire. Their address is:- 41, Noverton Lane, Prestbury, Glos. GL55 2DD. They would like to receive the Newsletter plus hearing from any of their Llanelli friends.
Our local friends have returned to the windowsill this winter in even greater numbers with the exception of the Nuthatch. Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Willow Tits AND the resident Sergeant Major – Robin Red Breast.
The Exe Estuary - only a few miles from us – is at this time of year a bird-watchers MUST for all sorts of waders appear. This year there are over a hundred Brent Geese plus Greylag and Barnacle. Also present are Barn Owls and one Green Sandpiper.
Jeremy is now monitoring Barn Owls and where possible ringing youngsters to try and determine their survival rate. Due to the modernising of old farm buildings, principally barns, (the main breeding place of the Barn Owl) the population of the Owl has dwindled to alarming numbers. Of all the Owls the whitish Barn Owl silently flying at night is the most ghostly yet spectacular of our night flying predators.
Jeremy has discovered on our farm the Wood Lark and the Wood Warbler. It is reported that there are only eight breeding pairs of Wood Larks in Devon and they are In the Teign Valley. Our farm is situated at the head of the valley.
We were very pleased to see one of our old regular bird watchers has re-appeared and written an article in the last Newsletter. Ed Smith together with Dave Powell and Gary Harper used to keep all birds under very strict surveillance and we doubt if any rarity escaped their vigilance.
The article written by Ian Morgan interested us greatly, for Cwm Clydach is off the beaten track yet so close to Kidwelly and Trimsaran. We have often stopped to look at the orchids growing in the borders to the Cwm but never got to exploring it simply because we never found time to find the owner and get the necessary permission. We did get permission to explore the land belonging to Glyn Abbey and the farmland including woods on the opposite side of the road.
This is being written just before a visit (this evening) to see Mrs. Vaughan who has a visitor staying with her, a Miss Paddy Cammel who visited Ffrwd Fen to study the habitat of the Marsh Pea (Lathyrus palustris). Miss Cammel is very keen to know if any seedlings of the pea have ever been discovered. Seeds have germinated under controlled conditions but none so far have grown above the seedling stage. The pea spreads by its extensive root system and it would be interesting to see if any seedlings appear on Ffrwd Fen. Dr. J. Ellis who has visited the Fen, has discovered that Lathyrus palustris has a chromosome/number of 14 to 16 and the Lathyrus palustris var. pilosus which grows on the Bombing Range has 40. Therefore the plants are quite different and the Marsh Pea found in Pembrokeshire is thought to be pilosus, so Ffrwd Fen continues to be the ONLY site in Wales.
Wishing you all a very happy 1984 with any work problems fading away.
