The Marloes Peninsula

The Marloes Peninsula coastal walk was our target for today.This walk starts near Marloes Sands and passes Marloes Mere, an area of wetland pools and marsh important for ducks and other wild fowl. Hen harriers and short-eared owls can often be seen quartering the marsh, not that we saw any I am afraid. After passing an impressive Iron Age fort, the route joins the Coast Path. It stays just inland from the cliff tops, but offers great views of the coast and the islands of Skokholm, Skomer and guano covered Grassholm in the distance. All three are home to important seabird colonies in the summer. The walk crosses coastal fields which are managed to encourage chough, something that we did see, and watched, for a considerable time – magic!

Finally arriving at the Deer Park with spectacular views of Skoma and then onto Martin's Haven, the embarkation point for Skomer. 

Islands seen from the Marlos Coastal footpath

The caterpillar of the Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) moth.

Could not resist the pink sea at this point.

Was I pleased to get this ? – a Chough – and with a compact RX100 camera!

While its black plumage identifies it as a crow, the chough (pronounced ‘chuff’) has a red bill and legs unlike any other member of the crow family. It has a restricted westerly distribution in the British Isles and because of its small population size and historically declining populations it is an Amber List species. It readily displays its mastery of flight with wonderful aerial displays of diving and swooping. Found in flocks in autumn and winter.

Martin`s Haven which is the embarkation point for the isle of Skomer.

Nolton Haven - A really beautiful area to walk, and places to explore. No wonder people want to return here year after year. So many lovely beaches in this part of the world, although photographically, they look the same, they are beautiful!

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Beauty in Nature - 21 days in July

Sometimes it is awe inspiring to consider the variety in nature that surrounds us, and which we often take for granted, or just plain `don't see`! The images that follow were all taken by me in a period of 21 days in July and could pass unnoticed if I had been in a rush. Unfortunately, for many people there is little alternative to the modern day hustle and bustle. I am one of the lucky ones, I know. Firstly, the star of the week for me ......

....... the Fen Raft Spider. The Raft spider is a large, chunky spider that lives around the edge of ponds and ditches, and on wet heaths and bogs. Adults sit at the edge of the water, or on floating vegetation, with their front legs resting on the water's surface in order to feel for the vibrations of potential prey. Using the surface tension of the water, they chase out on to the water to catch their prey, which will even include tadpoles or small fish. Raft Spiders will also swim underwater, often diving beneath the surface when threatened. 

The much rarer Fen Raft spider is similar to the Raft Spider, but is only found in two places in the UK, one of which is a Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve, which is where I took these images. If you want more information on these fascinating creatures, follow this link. 

Bee gathering nectar.

The Ringlet butterfly

The Speckled Wood

Pest or not, the Garden Snail

Brown Argus

Brown Argus with wings open

Common Green grasshopper

Small White

Common Blue

Small tortoiseshell butterfly

Essex Skipper

Cinnabar moth caterpillar

The beautiful Banded Demoiselle

A Green Veined White - up to its neck!

Stag Beetle or Lucanus cervus if you are into your Latin

Peacock

Four Spotted Chaser

And last, but by no means least - Reed Dagger Moth caterpillar

All in all a great collection of creatures with all their differing colours and habitats, many more I possible passed by. These are the potential casualties to our Climate Change problem, if we don`t start doing something now.

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