15th February 2022 2-3.30pm. With Caroline, Suzie, Huw, Max, Ruth, and Malcolm
Another grey day for our February session – but what a joy to have so many expert naturalists on board for the 1.5 hours in the Park today! We were joined by local wildlife enthusiast Huw, also a garden volunteer – and Ruth and Malcolm, with ecological background, as well as Max (our ornithology expert from last month), and Suzie (garden volunteer and wildlife enthusiast).
Meeting Max in the car park he immediately identified the song of a song thrush and a blackbird – always keep your eyes and ears open for wildlife!
In the Jenkinson garden we spotted many of the hundreds of bulbs planted by garden volunteers coming up through the bare earth – orange and purple crocus, tulips in the borders; daffodils in the grassed areas flanking the circular borders; lime green primrose leaves waiting to flower in the corners of the site. Huw reported siting of snipe / jack snipe near the pond last week – did you see or hear them? Let us know!
En route to the Woodland Garden we spied mole hills and a grey squirrel, primroses out in the flower and daffodils in bud; toadflax creeping its way over the earth.
Primrose – thrum or pin?
The non experts among us were introduced to this fascinating and unusual feature of the native primrose! Did you know it has two almost identical types of flower – one with a ‘thrum’ or ‘thrum-eyed’ (cluster of yellow antlers) and the other with a ‘pin’ or ‘pin-eyed’ (a greenish disc)? The flowers are perfectly composed to enable pollination by insects such as the brimstone butterfly – read more about these unusual flower types here.
Lots of birds were seen and heard in the woodland despite the damp and gloom – robins squeaking, with blue tits, great tits, chaffinch, crow and pigeon all around us.
Reaching the Bishops Pond we heard a moorhen call, but could see no birds on the pond today. We saw willow and hazel catkins and identified polytrichum (hair cap or hair moss) on a large stump, growing up through the primroses.
Grumpy Snowdrops
Today we also all learnt about ‘grumpy snowdrops ‘ from Suzie! A little known phenomena when the occasional snowdrop can be found with its downturned mouth accompanied by the two green dots for eyes above. A lovely way to get little ones excited about these Winter flowering gems.
We saw lesser celandine in flower on the edges of the main grassy park , where last year we delighted in a whole host of wildflowers in areas deliberately left unmown as part of our new regime, managing the Park for wildlife (and beauty!).
A pair of pied wagtails were spotted on the edge of the ha-ha – and then a heron flew over Waun Fawr. We learnt about ‘Mares Nest’ from Ruth – the tangle of branches encasing a mature (is it a lime?) on the bottom, meadow-facing, path; and Huw noted he’d seen a sparrowhawk here a few months ago. A blackbird scuttled across the path in search of food and while retrieving the keys to the walled garden, at the Museum entrance, we saw a mistle thrush and two collared doves.
Burnt Cakes
Outside the walled garden is an unassuming pile of logs – but look closely and you’ll spy King Alfred’s Cakes ! Looking for all the world like little, round, burnt buns, this characterful fungi grows only on ash wood and was used as firelighters and torches in times past. As we talked, a squirrel hurtled along the top of the 18th century walled garden wall.
In the walled garden
Inside the walled garden we saw more great tits, a robin, goldfinches, a dunnock (our first so far on this walk) and wild strawberry valiantly in flower. Thrillingly two greenfinches, a male and a female, were spotted in the old apple trees – an increase from the single one we saw last month. These birds are on the ‘red list’ for endangered species – so its just fantastic to know they’ve made the walled garden their home! (Read more about their plight and how you can help them in last month’s wildlife watch).
A buzzard flew across the churchyard next door, and while we stood chatting at the end of the session we were treated to a small but perfectly formed murmuration of starlings in the field – close enough to see their glistening bodies rise up en masse against the backdrop of the Tywi valley.
What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours on a dull day – learning lots from others. The Park is full of life when you look – and listen – up close!
Join us!
Inspired to join our next wildlife watch or want to help monitor our wildlife? Get in touch by email: enquiries@tywigateway.org.uk or complete the contact form here.
Wildlife Watch: February 2022
Posted: 15/02/2022 by Caroline Welch
Another grey day for our February session – but what a joy to have so many expert naturalists on board for the 1.5 hours in the Park today! We were joined by local wildlife enthusiast Huw, also a garden volunteer – and Ruth and Malcolm, with ecological background, as well as Max (our ornithology expert from last month), and Suzie (garden volunteer and wildlife enthusiast).
Meeting Max in the car park he immediately identified the song of a song thrush and a blackbird – always keep your eyes and ears open for wildlife!
In the Jenkinson garden we spotted many of the hundreds of bulbs planted by garden volunteers coming up through the bare earth – orange and purple crocus, tulips in the borders; daffodils in the grassed areas flanking the circular borders; lime green primrose leaves waiting to flower in the corners of the site. Huw reported siting of snipe / jack snipe near the pond last week – did you see or hear them? Let us know!
En route to the Woodland Garden we spied mole hills and a grey squirrel, primroses out in the flower and daffodils in bud; toadflax creeping its way over the earth.
Primrose – thrum or pin?
The non experts among us were introduced to this fascinating and unusual feature of the native primrose! Did you know it has two almost identical types of flower – one with a ‘thrum’ or ‘thrum-eyed’ (cluster of yellow antlers) and the other with a ‘pin’ or ‘pin-eyed’ (a greenish disc)? The flowers are perfectly composed to enable pollination by insects such as the brimstone butterfly – read more about these unusual flower types here.
Reaching the Bishops Pond we heard a moorhen call, but could see no birds on the pond today. We saw willow and hazel catkins and identified polytrichum (hair cap or hair moss) on a large stump, growing up through the primroses.
Grumpy Snowdrops
Today we also all learnt about ‘grumpy snowdrops ‘ from Suzie! A little known phenomena when the occasional snowdrop can be found with its downturned mouth accompanied by the two green dots for eyes above. A lovely way to get little ones excited about these Winter flowering gems.
A pair of pied wagtails were spotted on the edge of the ha-ha – and then a heron flew over Waun Fawr. We learnt about ‘Mares Nest’ from Ruth – the tangle of branches encasing a mature (is it a lime?) on the bottom, meadow-facing, path; and Huw noted he’d seen a sparrowhawk here a few months ago. A blackbird scuttled across the path in search of food and while retrieving the keys to the walled garden, at the Museum entrance, we saw a mistle thrush and two collared doves.
Burnt Cakes
Outside the walled garden is an unassuming pile of logs – but look closely and you’ll spy King Alfred’s Cakes ! Looking for all the world like little, round, burnt buns, this characterful fungi grows only on ash wood and was used as firelighters and torches in times past. As we talked, a squirrel hurtled along the top of the 18th century walled garden wall.
In the walled garden
Inside the walled garden we saw more great tits, a robin, goldfinches, a dunnock (our first so far on this walk) and wild strawberry valiantly in flower. Thrillingly two greenfinches, a male and a female, were spotted in the old apple trees – an increase from the single one we saw last month. These birds are on the ‘red list’ for endangered species – so its just fantastic to know they’ve made the walled garden their home! (Read more about their plight and how you can help them in last month’s wildlife watch).
A buzzard flew across the churchyard next door, and while we stood chatting at the end of the session we were treated to a small but perfectly formed murmuration of starlings in the field – close enough to see their glistening bodies rise up en masse against the backdrop of the Tywi valley.
What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours on a dull day – learning lots from others. The Park is full of life when you look – and listen – up close!
Join us!
Inspired to join our next wildlife watch or want to help monitor our wildlife? Get in touch by email: enquiries@tywigateway.org.uk or complete the contact form here.
Category: Latest News, Monthly Wildlife Watch, Wildlife