Old Haunts

Tuesday July 31

Emptying the moth trap  is the post breakfast ritual, another interesting and frustrating session. Frustrating because of the unfamiliar - and interesting for the same reason. Not many Micros to-day. My favourite Agapeta Zoegana because it's both beautiful and easy to identify.

Several of to-day's moths were newly caught by us but not lifers. Beautiful Golden Y, more Heath Rustics, Sharp-angled Peacock and Small Waved Umber (yesterday's flew before I saw it. 

Ni Moth

Sharp-angled Peacock

Small Waved Umber

Oak Eggar  - female - one of my favourite moths,

Very little on the outside, a family of Pied Wagtails got there first.
The moths are too lively to risk transfering onto a more attractive background - no room in the fridge for a calming rest. Eggboxes it is !

Josh and Sara went off to visit the pottery just down the road before driving to Mumbles, Pam and I drove to lovely Rhossili Bay. 

When young, this was a family seaside destination, carrying chairs, lunch, games, windbreak etc in a slow procession down the cliffs and dunes.There's a flat path round to Worms Head these days and an enormous National Trust car park, well filled to-day. £5 flat rate for the day - or the  hour we sat happily looking at the sea creaming in below and the constant stream of visitors. 

Oxwich Bay, part of the Penrice estate was the real favourite.

It has a large, two and a half mile  long sandy beach, sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland and is a popular spot for swimming and watersports.

A wetland site at the rear of the dunes forms Oxwich Burrows National Nature Reserve. The car parking is on unmade ground lining the beach. We had an entertaining time watching the rib that Sara hopes to do a trip on launched, and the traditional seaside hole digging, castle building, barbecuing and general chaos. My father famously proclaimed it as 'not hot enough to melt butter' as he sat in a three piece suit and hat.The sea is very shallow making it safe for swimming. I once walked miles out until it was deep enough to swim and turned round to find the dog had followed me. I had to carry her back, she was exhausted.

Wrong time of year for the nature reserve, too may people too. Looked good for moths.........

Time to drive home via the moorland wehere we watched insects on a bramble bush yesterday.

Wild living Welsh ponies loitered on the road where we made a wrong turning. 

A good mistake. The view from the top was stunning, both west and east coasts of the peninsula in view.

Again, we parked near the bramble bush seeing several of the commoner butterflies and insects.

Gatekeeper (Thanks Mike)

Common Blue

 Another wild flower swathe looked good in the sun. 

This is a lovely area, we are all enjoying our time exploring it.

Exploring

Monday July 30

A slow start for everyone. Sara and Josh still recovering from their arduous drive, Pam and I had the moth trap to explore. Pam potted eighteen moths outside the trap, on walls, the trap itself and inside the living area. The latter because, without a long extension lead, the patio door was ajar behind closed curtains. There were 45 macro  moths of  33  species. We're still trying to ID some of them. We're spoilt in Norfolk with the 'Flying to-night' section of our moth site, nothing similar here. There were also two different Plumes, Agapeta Hamana and Agapeta Zoegana and a few grass moths. Nothing strikingly different from home as yet but our first Dusky Thorn of the year 

 and the escapee Small Waved Umber. Heath Rustic 

and Double Kidney were only our second ever.

Lovely examples of :
Coxcomb Prominent

and Pale Prominent

Sallow Kitten is always a delight

One of the farm cats came to see us, a slender, young, dark tabby. Not typical of farm animals, she was very friendly and sought attention. Very pleasing for all of us starved of animal companionship. Sara has two dogs and a cat, our much loved ginger Robertson has not been replaced.

After lunch, Sara and Josh went off to find a large supermarket. Australian supermarkets are food and stationery only, our clothing, electrical goods, wine and spirits etc megastores are an eye opener for him.

Pam and I drove through Cheriton to Llangennith, the only beach on the Gower I haven't ever visited. It's about the furthest one, Rhossilli was my family's most distant destination. The road was a dead end...... with a private, authorised vehicles only drive ! We parked so that we could take photos of the deserted beach and dunes below.

An ice-cream diversion took  us across an area of well vegetated moorland where we saw a family of Stonechats. Some well grown bramble bushes under overhanging Oaks and Hawthorn had many insects feeding on its opening flowers. These included the butterflies:  Small White, Red Admiral, a tiny Blue sp., Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood. The pristine Red Admiral landed on the grass so that I could take a few shots out of the car window.

We tried to get down to Rhossilli, wrongly finding the car park behind the dunes at the further end of the bay. This would have entailed walking over the dunes to see the sea. We didn't.
We all arrived back at the Granary at a similar time, Sara and Josh slightly ahead. He came running to open the gate for us, which was great. Their Mercedes, Sara and Josh.

 Later, Josh climbed the graig in order to see the view from there and to take a few photos using Sara's phone. He has to be doing. Sara calls it 'walking the dog' when she takes him out.
The Granary from above.

It's taken ages to download and edit photos to-night whilst Pam has been busy identifying moths - either side of a lovely dinner cooked by Sara. She's looking after us very well and Josh is a delight to have around.

Anticipation

Sunday July 29

It stormed rain and strong wind all night, maybe it was just as well that the extension lead failed so that the trap wasn't put out. The extension is only a year old and we've been careful to extend it to its full length every time its used - it extends to the bottom of the garden. I shall look at the plugs and sockets etc when I get home, didn't think to bring a screwdriver and fuse set with me !

No phone signal in the house I discovered. It burst into several messages from Sara half way to Sainsbury's in Gorseinon. We were late up having slept better than for ages - both of us. Still raining on and off and, we were anxious about Sara driving a very long way in poor conditions. Her first message from Reading allayed some anxiety. They eventually arrived before 6, shattered, especially Sara who had never driven that far before and had experienced heavy rain and poor visibility. We were delighted to see them safe and sound.

We'd noticed good swathes of wildflowers along the verges in Penclawdd. Lovely to see and obviously specially planted by an aware council. They didn't look as good as they did before the storm and now, a dark grey cloud background.

I did not take this photo on purpose. I was amused to find it when I downloaded the pictures.

A roadside parking area in Penclawdd - which is on the south eastern side of the Loughor estuary -  gave good views across the saltmarsh, mud and gullies at low tide. 

A lone Little Egret stabbed at lunch in the pool, 70 + Redshanks huddled in a line, a few stalking the creek. One Lapwing and a  Turnstone were the only other birds present.

Penclawdd was once a thriving seaport exporting goods from the local copper works, the coal mines and of course its famous seafood, from the Loughor arm of the Burry estuary. Rows of little terraced houses, with fantastic views, line the roads in the centre of the village and although the copper works and mines closed a long time ago, “Penclawdd Cockles” are still renowned today, although most of the industry is now located in the nearby villages of Crofty and Llanmorlais on the Gower Peninsula. 

As a child in the village of Cwmgiedd, we used to have regular visits, in the season, from long black skirted and pinafored women, carrying large open baskets of cockles. Very much like this but without the transport.

 

Mam would soak the live cockles in salt water so that they opened and cleansed themselves of sand and mud. I also remember dabbling my fingers in the water so that they all closed up, emitting air bubbles as they did so. If caught, I was admonished strongly.

Dad also like the occasional dollop of laverbread (bara lawr in welsh), black caviar-looking stuff made from seaweed, fried with fatty home-cured bacon. Also delivered by the cockle women. Sold as a superfood these days, it tastes strongly of iodine and the sea, I only tried it once.

We then went back to the rental to await the arrival of Sara and Josh, armed with fresh extension leads for the moth trap to-night.

Gwyr (Gower to the English)

Saturday July 28

We didn't leave home until gone 9 a.m. having suggested that Sara and Josh drive down to-morrow. Sara is very tired having whirled Josh around all week and has a sore ankle - chipped bone 5 weeks ago. It's also the first weekend of the school holidays, notorious for traffic jams. Surprisingly we had a pretty straight forward journey, one slow session on the M25 London car park and another on the way in to Cardiff. The Severn Bridge toll is now £5.60 but I believe we are let out for free.......

We had a much awaited storm last night but only a few drops on the way, conditions varying from total cloud cover to a clear blue sky. 

I'd finished the Telegraph Saturday prize cryptic crossword before the M4, having had three goes at it in between reading. A notable event !!

How lovely to see this again.

We've been watching 'Keeping the Faith' so I've become accustomed to the South Wales accent again.

We stocked up at Reading service station M and S and then the forgotten milk at Nisa supermarket at Cheriton on the Gower. The route given by the owners of our barn conversion bypassed Swansea and took back lanes past Penclawdd (of cockle fame).

Our half of a barn conversion is advertised as follows:

Luxurious newly converted barn in a stunning setting with exposed stone wall, vaulted ceilings and Welsh Oak mezzanine. Comprises 1 king & cot, 1 twin & 1 single. All rooms have solid oak or pine furniture. Has a fully fitted kitchen and the bathroom is wet room style. The furnished patio has breath taking views down the valley.

Glebe Farmhouse is a Grade II Listed Building and is a very special old house as it is not only the oldest inhabited house on Gower, it has its own unique, but friendly, ghost. It dates as far back as the 12th Century and has a wealth of history surrounding it. It was originally built for the powerful order of St John of Jerusalem and his knights. The barns are situated in the farm yard and when you sit on the patio you can relax and enjoy the ambience and spectacular views of such a peaceful and stunning hamlet of North Gower.

• • Fully equipped kitchen
  • Television, DVD player and hi-fi in lounge
  • Television with built in DVD/video player in each bedroom
  • Cot, highchair and baby bath available at no extra charge (please bring own linen for cot)
  • Furnished patio area seats 6 people
  • Bed linen and towels are provided
  • All utilities included in the price
  • Ample parking and storage available for surfboards, bikes etc.
  • Bring your horse on holiday with you!
  • WTB 4*
  • WiFi is included
  • Available for 12 months of the year
  • Short breaks are available out of peak season
  • Shop, pub and beaches are all close by
  • Download our booking form here

Just relax in the romance of the king bedroom or charming twin bedroom which have characteristic vaulted ceilings and are situated on the first floor, accessed via a Welsh Oak mezzanine walkway. The very comfortable single bedroom on the ground floor has easy wheelchair access. All rooms are stylishly furnished with pine wardrobes, chest of drawers, dressing tables, bedside cabinets and hair dryer. All bedrooms have a television and bedside lamp.

The kitchen/diner is fully fitted with a washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, separate freezer, electric oven and hob, extractor, microwave, toaster, iron, ironing board and all the crockery, utensils, pots, pans and accessories you would need. The dining area seats 6 and a highchair is available. Tea towels are provided.

The bathroom is wet room style with a walk-in shower and a shaver point at the washbasin. Towels are provided.

The lounge is open to vaulted ceilings and has large leather sofas, television, DVD player and a hi-fi system. A small DVD library is available.

The furnished patio area seats 6.

We won four design awards for our barn conversions:

No photos from me to-day, here's some from the website. 

Patio (moth trap location), view, living room

Family Visit - Ridlington

July 22 - 28

Daughter Sara and younger grandson Josh, arrived at Norwich Airport on Sunday the 22, having spent two nights in Amsterdam so that Josh could experience a country where English was not the native language. They had a very packed and enjoyable full day and a half, including a river trip and a swing which launched them into space over the side of a skyscraper !

Food seems to have played a large part in the enjoyment, 

especially Josh's giant crepe with strawberries and chocolate sauce.

And tomato free pizza.........I'm sure that shouldn't be called pizza. First time I've met someone who dislikes tomatoes.
Not many photos of Sara as she is the photographer. 

Their unexpected - and much appreciated - visit is in order to join us in celebrating my birthday on August 3. They've been in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia for 13 years this August, first time back in the UK for them. Older grandson Harry is at work and Mike is at home looking after the animals - and is also at work. I haven't seen them for four years, apart from Facetime,  which is when we last visited Aus.

Both of them have spent much of this very hot 30C + week driving around so that Sara could visit old haunts, show Josh her memories and socialising with  close friends who live in the Beccles area. Her godchildren are now 22 and 25 years old !
One of the week's highlights for me was lunch at the Gunton Arms, which is situated on a deer park between North Walsham and Thorpe Market. We'd heard of it through friends but never visited ourselves.
We were seated in this room very near the blazing log fire !!!!!! when it was 30c+ outside. 

We requested a change of table and were re-located to the one shown here under the copulating dinosaur painting back right. 

A less than flattering photo of Sara but it shows the dinosaurs - not noticed until I downloaded the pics.
I don't use my phone to take photos.........I tried it out and kept my finger on too long.
A partial shot of the menu - taken by accident !

We had a very well cooked meal and a most enjoyable couple of hours. We all ate something different of course. Sara had cod cheek, Pam a steak burger, Josh a Sirloin steak and me a Lamb shank. Sara was the only one who eschewed dessert, replacing it with a soya milk latte. Pam raved about her Kent cherry and almond tart and, Josh loved his strawberry cheesecake. I had two scoops of a delicious chocolate icecream.

We leave for a barn conversion on the Gower peninsula, South Wales to-morrow (Saturday).

July Round-up - So Far.......

Saturday July 14

Le quatorze juillet.......... final execution for the English football team. 2-0 loss to Belgium in the 3rd place play-off. Beyond my expectations but reality bit in.

We seem to have spent much of the month so far moth-ing. It's high season with many Butterfly Conservation and GB organised Tuesday meets around the county. Natural Surroundings will not see Pam and I until August 21st. 

July 1

The month started with Abbey Farm Open Day and moth trap opening on Sunday July 1. Disappointing compared with last year, overnight conditions were not conducive for lepidoptera. Most disappointing was the dearth of Royal Mantle for the group members who'd missed them last year.
Unable to walk some usually inaccessible areas of the farm, we drove to Snettisham Pits where we saw..........very little. The mud was virtually empty, even the Shelduck had deserted.  

July 3 at National Surroundings
DN brought in an Oak Nycteoline and a Maple Prominent, both new for us and many others.
Our minute micro which looked like dust at the bottom of the trap was identified by AD as a memnber of the Nepticulidae family, very difficult to Identify. I managed a pretty poor photo of a moth less than 1 cm in length.

Friday July 6
England beat Sweden to go through to the last four of the World Cup. And........Pam checked the lure trap and found TWO Yellow-legged Clearwings waiting. Euphoria. I alerted our group, this Macro was a new moth for all apart from Pam and I , J Lowen brought one to YBC for us when he gave a talk. There's nothing quite like trapping your own though.

I never did manage a photo of one out of the pot, successfully keeping it alive until Foxley.


July 10   Foxley NWT reserve 
A Butterfly Conservation meet. 
Brought in: Muslin Footman, Blackneck and Dark Umber.
So many moths, the traps were full. Highlights for me were : Small Dotted Buff, Willow Tortrix, 

Lunar Yellow Underwing, Box-tree Moth (an adventive first found last year in Norwich by MC), Syncopacma larcenella and Wormwood (the second I've seen).

Thursday July 12
Greg brought in this lovely Citron Plume, identity confirmed by AD later. 

July 14 Holme NOA
After overnight easterlies,Sophie apologised for the low number and variety of moths caught in three traps. It was well attended, including nine members of our usual group. Tony brought in a Coronet and a Small Rivulet. Richard an Athrips Morffetella. Shore Wainscot was the pick of the catch even if it was very worn.
After a very pleasant coffee with S and I and R and J, we left for home and a rest after a very early morning.

Some highlights from our own garden trap.

Bordered Pug

Leopard Moth - worn wings

Barred Yellow

Blue-bordered Carpet

Argyresthia brockeela

True Lover's Knot

 No ID as yet for this tiny insect Pam had crawling on her hand at Foxley.