Elizabeth and Rowe Harding Reserve
Ilston QuarryCraig and I were still full of energy after the Dawn Chorus event, so we decided to call in. I wanted to show Craig some of my handiwork and explore the reserve a little more. I also wanted to record which spring flowers had appeared in the meadow this spring. I plan to do a comparison next year.
We started by exploring the interior of the Quarry. It was still only 7:30 so the birdsong was practically deafening. Lots of Jackdaws were going noisily about their business at the top of the cliffs. At least two pairs appeared to be nesting up there.
Whilst I was wandering around taking photos of everything I couldn’t identify, I found an Orchid. For once in my life I had the correct field guide out with me and consulted the Orchid section. It hadn’t flowered, but I thought it was probably a Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. I’ve since had it confirmed.
Having had a walk around the bottom of the reserve, we decided to finish our exploration with a trip to the top of the quarry. On the way up we were treated to stunning bird song. There were Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wrens, Blackbirds, Robins and Song Thrush amongst many other species that I can’t identify yet.
The path is covered in Wild Garlic (Ramsons), Celandines, Wood Sorrel and Wood Anemone. It took us ages to get to the top as we kept stopping for photo opportunities. Mainly because I was trying to get an arty one of the flowers!
The meadow at the top of the quarry is looking fabulous. I was delighted to see large clumps of Primroses flowering in areas, which until recently, had been hidden under dense undergrowth. I cleared quite a bit of it, and have the scars to prove it!
Another of my favourite species is the Harts Tongue Fern. There were lots of pale, shiny, new fronds unfurling in stands all over the Reserve. There were also some beautiful examples of Cowslip around the edge of the meadow and the Common Violet is flowering all over the newly exposed ground in the middle of the meadow.
During the winter a group of volunteers (including myself - Karen), WTSWW staff, and the Gower AONB Ranger have been working on the Limestone flower meadow at the top of the Quarry. It had become overgrown with Blackthorn scrub and bramble. We cleared back the scrub and created habitat piles in areas where we removed the ground cover.
Busy times for the team from Gower
Port Eynon PointBack in February the Estates team & volunteer team spent 2 days clearing undesirable scrub & trees encroaching on the wet meadow in Priors. All logs and brash were removed from site and burnt elsewhere to minimise damage to this habitat. At the same time the volunteers built 2 amphibian hibernacula,, one near the pond and one a hundred or so metres away in the woods. A nice balance between habitat management and habitat creation.
Into March and Ed, Huw & their volunteers headed off to Hambury Woods to carry out some much needed maintenance work on the new path across the field into the woods and installed a new stile at the roadside.
Over the Bank Holiday weekend at Easter we teamed up with volunteers and staff from National trust & Gower AONB for a day of drystone walling repairs at Overton Mere & Port Eynon Point. With no drystone wallers on the WTSWW team our thanks go to Clare Hannington from National Trust for her expert supervision of this activity.
More recently the volunteer team have started some path maintenance work in Gelli Hir, hopefully by the time they have finished some of the seriously muddy places on the paths around the woods will be more easily passable.
If you are interested in getting involved in volunteering with us contact Swansea, Neath Port Talbot Senior WTO Paul.
Whilst Ed was at Overton, Easter also saw Paul & team head off to Margam Park Bushcraft & Environment Festival. The WTSWW marquee was erected and the work of the Trust & information on our reserves was promoted along with James & Edwin running nest box building activities with families – some left their constructed bird boxes to be put up in our woodlands, others tooks them home, creating habitat in a garden setting.
Before the birds started nesting there was one major project the team needed to deliver at Kilvrough Woods. A survey had indicated a large number of hazardous trees and low hanging branches on both sides of the A4118, the main South Gower Road. It was agreed that not only could we deliver remedial work to reduce our liability, but the works could also benefit the habitat by bringing more light to the woodland floor favourable for woodland flowers and the desired ash regeneration. The work would also increase the amount of deadwood on the woodland floor for invertebrates. After looking for contractors to deliver the work it was decided that to ensure our objectives were met, we would deliver the work with our own team. Help was drafted in to boost numbers and over two long weekends Paul led his team of 6 enthusiatic staff, saws, ropes, climbing gear, tractor, trailer, chipper and traffic lights onto the roadside. The days were long, the roads were busy and the work was hard but the desired outcome was achieved, safely. Hopefully road users passing through this reserve will be able to appreciate the benefits of a little more sunlight reaching the woodland floor. We plan to deliver some infrastructure improvements within Kilvrough woods through the summer. Thanks go to the team for grafting without complaining and to the Rees Jefferies Road Fund for helping fund this project.
Later in April a phone message was received from Scott from Dragonfly Creations. The following day saw Paul & James heading back to Margam Park with the Lumbermate mobile sawmill in tow. Scott is managing a Forest Education Initiative funded project at Field Studies Council Margam Discovery Centre teaching children about the sustainability and uses of local timber. A tree was felled and the sawmilling demonstration began with Paul explaining the process, the machine and the uses of timber to over 200 children from 6 schools across the county of Neath Port Talbot.
More recently Paul has been pleased to have news that Better Woodlands for Wales management plans have been approved. This Forestry Commission funded grant scheme will keep the team busy delivering woodland management works, access work and rhododendron control throughout next winter and the next 5 years. Exciting news allowing us to make a big positive impact in our woodland reserves.
But for now it’s head long into our spring/summer work programme………………
Thrush singing its heart out
My seven year old son and I were challenged to attend the Dawn Chorus event at our favourite Gower Nature Reserve. No hardship for me, but Craig was a little dubious at first, pointing out that it was dark, cold and still night-time. However, with a little gentle chivvying and a rash promise that I would watch Dr Who and Confidential again later, we made it to the car-park by 5:30 am. We were just in time to meet Jo Mullet and our fellow intrepid walkers. I was greatly relieved to discover that we weren’t the only people insane enough to get up at 4:30 am on a Sunday morning!
Thankfully, the promised rain held off, and we had a delightful walk around the reserve. We took in the main ride, the pond area, the sluice gate and a ramble around a couple of the smaller rides.
The Blackcap was in beautiful voice as we stood in the car-park and discussed our route. We didn’t have to go far in order to hear a good variety of bird-song. Shared knowledge between the group meant that we could confidently identify:- Nuthatch, Chiff-Chaff, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Wren, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Pheasant, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon and Grey-Lag Geese. We also spotted several Mallard flying over the pond and had a clear view of the Buzzard perched in the Oak tree above the pond. My personal highlight of the morning was hearing my first Cuckoo of the year.
It was a small and informal group, so we were soon sharing our own particular areas of knowledge. Along with the birds, we spotted the following species as we walked together swapping wild-life tales, folk-law and experiences:- Celandines, Wood Anemone, Wood Sorrel, Honeysuckle, Hard-fern, Harts Tongue Fern, Liver-Wort, Bluebells, Bracket Fungi and we think Sulphur Tuft Fungi. One of the walkers also pointed out that what we thought was bird-song was a vole of some kind calling. I don’t know what kind of vole yet, but I am hoping to find out in the near future.
I can’t speak for anyone other than myself and my son, but we had a thoroughly enjoyable and educational walk around the woods with a friendly and knowledgeable group of people. The birdsong was amazing and I think I’ve finally sorted out my Blackbird from my Song-Thrush, my Coal Tit from my Great Tit and my Robin from my Wren. Well done and many thanks to Jo and the WTSWW. An excellent family friendly, informative and enjoyable event.
Thanks to Karen for this e-newsletter article, Karen is also an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer for WTSWW.
Regular volunteer work days have started on Gower this year. Working in partnership with City & County of Swansea AoNB Ranger, Huw Lloyd, we are delivering practical reserve management on WTSSW reserves. To date there have been three work days at Elizabeth & Rowe Harding Reserve, Ilston – volunteers have worked hard clearing scrub encroachment from the wildflower meadow at the top of the reserve. There are further plans to carry out work at a variety of reserves including the South Gower coast, Hambury Woods and Gelli Hir Woods.
Workdays occur most Thursdays. If you are interested in volunteering please contact WTO Paul Thornton or Ed Tucker
Opportunities to volunteer are currently limited due to provision of tools and safety equipment. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, West Glamorgan local group are currently fundraising to buy tools and equipment to allow us to offer more volunteer places. To donate or find out more please contact the Local Group through our office phone number (01656 724100) or email.
Gelli Hir car park closed due to fly tipping
Unfortunately the decision has had to be made to close the car park at Gelli Hir Woods, Cilonen, Gower. Oak bollards have been secured at the entrance to stop vehicle access but allow the easy passage of pedestrians. These measures have used previously to discourage undesirable activity in the car park and unfortunately due to recent break ins to the woods and at least 3 incidents of fly-tipping (of furniture, building waste and 50+ car tyres) we have had to restrict access to the car park to this beautiful & popular woodland reserve.
The blight of fly-tipping seems to have increased throughout Gower in the last few years. Not only is Gelli Hir suffering but there is also an ongoing problem of the tipping of garden waste at Kilvrough Woods on south Gower along with numerous cases of fly-tipping tipping on private land and on the commons. It seems that whilst most of us enjoy our countryside (in this case part of the Gower AoNB) a few people are willing to spoil it by using our quiet lanes, open commons, field gateways and hidden woodlands for disposal of commercial, household, garden or building waste. Fly-tipped waste is a financial burden to landowners who are unfortunate enough to have to foot the bill for the clean up. You can help both by being vigilant when out and about and by discouraging fly-tipping by enquiring with tradesmen you engage as to how and where they dispose of their waste.
WTO Paul Thornton asks if any walkers or users of the Gelli Hir could contact him if they see any suspicious activity or vehicles in the woodland but advises users not to approach anyone. If you see anyone acting suspiciously with a van, tipper truck or trailer full of rubbish in the vicinity of Gelli Hir (or any other reserve) please note the registration number of the vehicle and contact the Police or Council Environment Department.
Useful numbers:
Paul Thornton (Senior Wildlife Trust Officer Swansea Neath Port Talbot) 07966 564372
City & County Swansea Environment Department 01792 635600
Swansea Central Police Station 01792 456999
Tree O Clock Event, Gendros Community Centre
On Saturday 5th December 2009 the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales worked in partnership with City & County of Swansea & Breathing Spaces to run a Tree O Clock event at Gendros Community Centre. The event was put on as part of National Tree week and the aim was to plant as many trees as possible in an hour between the hours of 11 and 12. All this effort was to go towards a new world record attempt being carried out across the UK for the most trees planted by hand by any number of people within a single hour.
On the day we had a good turn out, with around 40 volunteers from local youth groups and members of the local community supported by Trust and Council staff all raring to go with spades at the ready. When 11 O’ clock came round the stop watch was started and the planting began. We had two areas ready to be planted, a 20 meter long, 5 meters wide fenced diamond area and a 50 meter long hedge bank. Volunteers were divided up into the two areas and got stuck in. After 37 minutes had passed the stop watch was stopped as all the trees allocated for the two areas had been planted. The trees were then counted by adjudicators, and a total of 366 trees had been planted towards the new world record attempt. The trees were planted as part of a City & Council of Swansea project to create a new “nature & wild play” area on an area of neglected land adjacent to the Community Centre which the Trust have been involved with through the summer.
After the tree planting had finished the volunteers all headed back to the Community Centre where bread rolls and soup had been put on for them along with environmental education activities. The whole event went down really well with the local community and all a good day was had by everybody. We are yet to find out if the record was broken!
Melincwrt Waterfall path repairs
It has been a wet summer in the Neath valley this year. Storms early in August caused a number of large trees to uproot and landslips to occur on both sides of the main path from the car park to the falls at Melincwrt causing Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot WTO Paul Thornton to discourage access. Neath Port Talbot Council came to the rescue employing contractors and investing £4500 in repairs to the path. The extremely hardworking contractors barrowed over 2 tonnes of stone and materials into site to build a retaining wall to shore up and repair the path. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales would like to thank the council and their contractors for their help in speedily making this reserve a safe place for visitors again.
The Melincwrt reserve is upland oak woodland which ascends steeply from the narrow gorge of the Melincwrt brook. This is a highly popular reserve with locals and tourists alike; the 25 metre (80 foot) waterfall is one of the most impressive in South Wales and well worth a visit at any time but especially after a spell of wet weather. Further access improvements and habitat management works are being planned for the future.
Paul would also like to thank National Grid for the donation of a 12 foot field gate for Graig cil Hendre. Over the past few months a number of thefts have occurred from this woodland reserve culminating with the gate at the entrance to the reserve being stolen last month. National Grid have been working nearby on the new pipeline that crosses close to the reserve and generously offered to install a gate from their stores. Last year a major project was carried out here to improve access, amenities and biodiversity with funding from WREN and National Grid.
Crwys Kids Help with Prior's Wood Rejuvenation
A group of children from Crwys Primary School, Three Crosses, have been helping staff from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales plant trees donated by energy company, National Grid at the Trust's nearby Prior's Wood and Meadow Reserve.
The kid's spent time planting a mix of ash and oak trees along with smaller understory hazel, rowan and field maple to help create a diversity in height and age of trees at the existing woodland edge. Currently the woodland stops abruptly at the edge of the Trust's Meadow and the newly planted woodland edge will help provide a species rich sloping boundary. The group of nearly 30 children walked to the woods from their neighbouring school late in spring and had a great day helping reserves staff plant trees and enjoying educational activities with The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales’ education Officer Julie Furber.
The donation is part of National Grid's environmental enhancement support for initiatives close to its recent Milford Haven pipeline project. Further planting has been carried out within Priors wood and on other reserves in the counties of Swansea & Neath-Port Talbot with tree donated by National Grid including more planting at new reserve Coed Barcud