Natur Cymru : a review of wildlife in Wales

NÄTUR cutdru

A Review of WILDLIFE in Wales Rhif/Number 8 ■ Hydref/Autumn 2003

Hydref/Autumn :

* ‘ , r .' 3

NÄTUR CyTDRLl

A Review o/WILDLIFE in Wales

Golygydd/ Editor:

James Robertson

Tel: 01248 385602
j.robertson@naturcymru.org.uk

Golygydd Cynorthwyol/Assistant Editor:

Mandy Marsh

Tel: 01248 385574
m.marsh@naturcymru.org.uk

Tanysgrifìadau/Subscriptions:

£ 12.50 y flwyddyn/per year

A fyddech gystal ag anfon sieciau yn daladwy i:

Please send cheques payable to Natur Cymru to:

Natur Cymru
Maes y Ffynnon
Penrhos Garnedd
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2DW

Cyhoeddir erthyglau yn yr iaith wreiddiol. Mae
crynodeb yn yr iaith arall yn dilyn pob erthygl. Ceir rhai
colofnau arferol yn y ddwy iaith. Os dymunwch gael
cyfìeithiad o unrhyw erthygl, cysylltwch â’r golygydd,

Articles are published in the language in which they are
submitted. They are followed by summaries in the
other language, and some regular columns appear in
both languages. If you would lilce to receive a
translation of any article, please contact the editor.

Cyhoeddìr Natur Cymr u bedair gwaith y flwyddyn, mis
Mawrth, mis Mehefìn, mis Medi a mis Rhagfyr. Cefnogir
y cylchgrawn gan aelodau o Bartneriaeth
Bioamrywiaeth Cymru. Y rhain yw: Cyngor Cefn
Gwlad Cymru, Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd Cymru,
y Comisiwn Coedwigaeth, Llywodraeth Cynulliad
Cymru, Amgueddfeydd ac Orielau Cenedlaethol
Cymru, Cymdeithas Frenhinol er Gwarchod Adar,
Ymddiriedolaethau Bywyd Gwyllt Cymru a
WWF Cymru.

Bwriedir i Natur Cymru hyrwyddo a chyfnewid
gwybodaeth am fìoamrywiaeth a hyrwyddo dadl.

Nid yw’r farn a fynegir yn y cylchgrawn hwn o
anghenraid yn farn y noddwyr. Os oes gennych
wybodaeth, erthyglau neu waith celf y credwch a allai
fod o ddiddordeb i’r darllenwyr, cysylltwch â'r
Golygydd os gwelwch yn dda.

Natur Cymru is published four times per year, in March,
June, September and December. It is supported by
members of the Wales Biodiversity Partnership. They
are: Countryside Council for Wales, Environment
Agency Wales, Forestry Commission, Welsh Assembly
Government, National Museums and Galleries of
Wales, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,

Wildlife Trusts, Wales and WWF Cymru.

Natur Cymru is intended to promote the exchange of
information about biodiversity and encourage debate.
The views expressed in this magazine are not
necessarily those of the sponsors. If you have
information, ideas for articles or artwork which you
think might be of interest to readers, please contact
the Editor.

Mae Natur Cymru wedi'í argraffu ar bapur di-glorin/Natur Cymru is prìnted on chlorine-free paper.
Llun y clawr/Cover image: Philip Brennan captures the special qitalities of Enlli. Photo:Jen Walle)>.

$ k

ISBN: I 86169 120 3

Cynhyrchwyd gan/produced by: Hughes Design Limited, dewi@hughesdesign.co.uk Argraffwyd gan/Printed by. Powlsons Limited. Colwyn Bay

Golygyddol/Editorial 2-3

•James Robertson

Yr afal Enlli/The Bardsey apple 4-6

■ Ian Sturrock

Llên y llysiau - llysiau’r wennol.7-8

• Twm Elias

An artist’s view of Ynys Enlli 9 _ | |

• Philip Brennan

Roads and wildlife: a perspective 12-13

■ Len Wyatt

Mary Edith Morris’ diary .14- 16

• James Robertson

Avocets ‘on the level’ 17-20

■ Tony Pickup

Mapping seabed habitats around Wales .21 -23

• Andy Mackie

Welsh islands round-up 24-27

■ Geoff Gibbs, Richard Farmer & Steve Sutcliffe

Gwenynen y glannau 28-30

■ Elinor Gwynn

Farming for biodiversity and rural communities 31-34

• Sarah Hetherington

A fluctuating pied flycatcher population 35-36

■ Tony Jenkins

At home on the reserve 37-40

■ David and Liz Woolley

Nodweddion arferol/Regular features:

Nodiadau o’r Cynulliad/Assembly notebooU • Gethyn Williams 41

Biodiversity news /Newyddìon bìoamrywiaeth ■ Michaei Clark, Tony Jenkins et al 42

Green boohshelf /Silfflyfrau amgylcheddol ■ James Robertson... 43

Nature at large ■ Frances Cattannach .44

Marine matters ■ Ivor Rces . 45

Natur mewn gwarchodfeydd/NtîíHrt- in reserue ■ Wil Sandison 46 - 47

Hysbysfwrdd/NoticeBoard ■ Mandy Marsh 48

Golygyddol

R oedd pawb mewn hwyliau da yn Sioe Frenhinol
Cymru eleni, a hynny’n rhannol mae’n debyg
oherwydd bod prisiau defaid a gwartheg wedi gwella.
Gwelais ddau aelod o’r teulu Brenhinol, dau
Weinidog, a llawer o wynebau cyfarwydd. Ymhlith y
rhain roedd nifer o danysgrifwyr presennol Natur
Cymru, ac roeddwn wrth fy modd yn cael croesawu
rhai newydd.

Mae sgwrs hir, ddiddorol gyda ffermwr yn aros yn y
cof. Cefais f'atgoffa o faint sydd gan ffermio a
chadwraeth i ddysgu oddi wrth ei gilydd. Tra gellwch
chi ddisgrifìo ffermio mewn termau cyffredinol fel
diwydiant, mae’n cynnwys llawer math gwahanol o
fusnes, ac yn cyflawni llawer pwrpas gwahanol. Mae
hyn yn cynnwys darparu manteision i’r cyhoedd, fel
cefn gwlad ddymunol, llawn bywyd gwyllt, a chefnogi
cymunedau gwledig a ffordd o fyw.

Ygolygydd a Trevor Dines yn y Sioe Amaethyddol.

Mae gan ffermydd ddylanwad unigryw ar y tirlun, ac
mae ffermwyr yn dod i gymryd mwy o ddiddordeb
mewn gofalu am eu tir gan ystyried bywyd gwyllt yr
un pryd. Gallent fod llawn cystal am droi glaswellt
rhyg yn gae gwair llawn o bysen y ceirw, ag y
byddent am gynhyrchu cnwd o ŵyn tewion ar gyfer
marchnadoedd yr Hydref. Wrth i’r fframwaith
ariannol ddod yn fwy ffafriol, mae arnom angen
atebion ymarferol i sicrhau bod busnesau ffermio a
natur yn gallu ffynnu gyda’i gilydd. Gobeithio y bydd y
genhedlaeth nesaf o gynlluniau amaeth-amgylcheddol
yn gwobrwyo ffermwyr am ganlyniadau, yn hytrach
na dibynnu ar argymhellion fydd yn cynnwys pawb.

Un thema sy’n cysylltu llawer o erthyglau yn y rhifyn
hwn yw’r arfordir a’r môr. Beth bynnag fydd dan
sylw - gwaith arloesol yn mapio gwely’r môr, gohebu
â rhai o’n hynysoedd pell o’r lan, neu fywyd
saerwenynen brin ar greigiau meddal Penrhyn Llŷn,
nid yw’r môr byth ymhell.

Mae gan y môr dynfa gref, sydd yn emosiynol ac yn
drosiadol yn ogystal â bod yn gysylltiedig â’r lianw.
Mae’r ynys ysbrydol honno, Enlli, wedi bod yn
ysbrydoliaeth i ymgais delynegol arlunydd i ddal ei
hud arall-fydol, ac i stori afal prinnaf y byd, ffrwyth
sy’n addas Feiblaidd. Ond os mai arwyddion rydych
yn dymuno eu cael, dydw i ddim yn meddwl y
byddai’n bosibl curo dyfodiad cywion cambìg cyntaf
Cymru i’r byd.

Mae hon yn bluen enfawr yn het y warchodfa sydd
newydd gael ei chreu ar Wastadeddau Gwent. Wrth
droi’r cloc yn ôl, mae’n dod â bywyd newydd i’r
Gwastadeddau. Ar un ystyr, y gorffennol yw’r
dyfodol; mae canlyniadau'r cydweithio rhwng
cadwraeth a ffermio yn cyfoethogi llawer mwy yn
gyffredinol na’r rhai a geîr drwy gadw cynhyrchu a
chadwraeth ar wahân.

James Robertson

Ffoto: Joanna M. Robertson.

Editorial

T here was a buoyant mood at the Royal Welsh
Show this year, no doubt helped by better
sheep and beef prices. I saw a pair of Royals, a
couple of Ministers, and many familiar faces. Among
these were a number of existing Natur Cymru
subscribers, and I was delighted to welcome some
new ones.

A long, enjoyable conversation with a farmer stands
out in my memory. It reminded me how much
farming and conservation have to learn from each
other. While you can describe farming in generic
terms as an industry, it consists of many different
kinds of business, and fulfils many different purposes.
These include providing public benefìts, such as an
attractive, wildlife-rich countryside, and supporting
rural communities and a way of life.

Farms have a unique influence on the landscape, and
farmers are becoming more interested in managing
their land with wildlife in mind. They could be just as
good at transforming a rye grass sward into a hay
meadow filled with bird’s-foot trefoil, as they are at
producing a crop of fat lambs for the autumn sales.

As the fìnancial frameworlc becomes more
favourable, we need practical solutions to ensure
that farm businesses and nature can thrive together.

I hope that the next generation of agri-environment
schemes will reward farmers by results, rather than
relying on catch-all prescriptions.

One thread that connects many articles in this issue
is the coast and sea. Whether it is pioneering work
mapping the seabed, reporting from some of our
offshore islands, or the life of a rare mason bee on
the soft cliffs of the Llŷn peninsula, the sea is never
far away.

The sea exerts a powerful pull which is not only tidal,
it is emotional and metaphorical. That island of the

spiritual, Bardsey, is the înspiration for a painter’s
lyrical attempt to capture its other-worldly charms,
and for the story of the world’s rarest apple, a
suitably biblical fruit. But if you want emblems, I
don’t thinlc it would be possible to beat the arrival of
Wales’ first avocet chicks.

This is a huge feather in the cap of the newly created
Gwent Levels reserve. In turning the cloclc back, it is
bringing new life to the Levels. In a sense, the past is
the future; the results of conservation and farming
working in harness are much more generally
enriching than those of production or preservation
alone.

James Robertson

Derek Moore, Wildìife Trusts, and giant otter at the Show.

Photo: joanna M. Robertson.

Photo: Mandy Marsh.

Cartfully pruning the u/orld's rarest tree

Photo: Ian Sturrock.

A chance encounter
between a bird watcher
on Bardsey and a tasty
apple led to the discovery
of the world’s rarest tree,
and instant celebrity for
our correspondent. lan
Sturrock tells the story.

Ian Sttirroch, with apple scions successfully
grafted onto rootstoch.

F or centuries pilgrims, Celtic and later Christian, followed the setting
sun to visit and often die on the remote island of Bardsey at the end of
the Llŷn Peninsula. Indeed, three trips to Bardsey were considered the
equivalent of a pilgrimage to Rome. Not too bad if, like me, you lived in
Bangor. Four or five days there and bacl< by horse, and you were
guaranteed eternal salvation. There must be a lot of medieval Bangor lads
in heaven, reminiscing about past nights in the Three Crowns, or the
Glanrafon.

These days most pilgrims to Bardsey are tourists; popping over for a quick
picnic and to take photos of the ruined medieval abbey, the seals and
mainly, of course, themselves.

Our feathered friends also visit the island - thousands of Manx Shearwaters
nest there every year. Birds passing up and down the north Wales coast
also use it as a handy stop over. With the birds come the twitchers.

Bardsey has the oldest bird observatory in the UK. Of particular interest to
the twitchers are the vagrants - birds that are occasionally blown across
the Atlantic from North America. Many are attracted, like moths, to the
lighthouse beam. And, like moths, they spiral to their doom. Lost, starved
and exhausted they eventually head-butt the lighthouse and flutter to the
ground to die a small but saintly death. If the bird is not dead on arrival but
merely concussed, then the twitchers can add it to their list.

o

My mate Andy Clarke is a twitcher and a regular visitor
to the island. In the autumn of 1999 he was setting up a
funnel-shaped net to catch some birds for ringing.

He needed some bait for the trap and decided to use
some half-rotten windfall apples he found under an
ancient gnarled tree that was growing up the side of
one of the island’s houses. It is apparently a well-known
fact that the twitchers that inhabit Bardsey Island subsist
mainly on Fray Bentos tinned steak and lcidney pies.

Not very conducive to Andy - a vegetarian. Whilst
fiddling wîth his nets the underfed Andy tried one of
the apples. They were delicious, crisp and juicy with a
tantalizing lemon aroma. Soon Andy was feasting up
the tree - the birds could have some Fray Bentos pie
crusts later.

Andy, back in the real world of the mainland, is a keen
gardener. He noticed that the fruit and the tree itself
were disease free. Thís is a rare occurrence in north
Wales since all the fruit trees grown in the area have
originally been imported from England or some other
foreign country. As a consequence of this they are
unsuited to our damp, sun-less Celtìc climate.

Andy popped the last two apples into his pocket, and
eventually brought them bacl< to the mainland for me
to identify. As soon as I opened the plastic bag
containing Andy’s fruit I was taken aback by the aroma.
I instantly knew that they were a variety that I was
unfamiliar with. After two days ploughing through my
books and ID keys, I still hadn’t a clue what variety the
apples were. By now one was starting to rot.

The tree on the island is very old; it is lashed by gales
most of the year, and often loses its leaves to salt and
windburn. Consequently fruit is only produced
occasionally. It might be years before it fruited again.

It can be extremely difficult to get to the island in the
autumn. It could therefore be years before I received
another delivery of the apple. There was only one thing
for it - I had to take the remaining one and a half apples
to the National Fruit Collection in Kent. It was there
that Dr Joan Morgan, the country’s foremost fruit
historian, failed to recognize the apples as a previously
known variety. The lone tree on the island was unique.

2003 sees ihe firsl new crop of apples to begrown on the mainìand.

"The rarest tree in the world" heralded the local and
national media. Which of course is true - you can’t get
much rarer than one.

Suddenly your humble narrator was on the radio and in
the papers. The Bardsey Island apple discovery was a
nice cuddly good news story that the media loves.

I was fêted as the discoverer and potential saviour of
this unique tree. I did think it rather strange, at the
time, that someone could discover a tree that had
perhaps been around for a hundred years. And from
which presumably hundreds of people had picked fruit.

I had never been happy with the fact that Christopher
Columbus ‘discovered’ America - what about the two
million Indians who already lived there? But, dear
reader, let us talk about something more interesting
than the philosophy of discovery or of apples on little-
known islands. Let's discuss sex.

Most people know that sexual reproduction was
invented not for fun, but to create diversity in the next
generation. You are different from both your mother
and your father. Indeed, you are also different from
your brothers and sisters. I’m sure you are more
modest, better loolcing, more intelligent and altogether
nicer than your siblings.

Photo; Mandy Marsh.

If you plant some apple pips, all will grow into different
trees. And these will eventually bear different fruit. To
keep a variety true it must be propagated vegetatively.
Fruit trees are propagated by grafting a small piece of
wood (the scion) onto a rootstoclc. Different
rootstocks will result in trees of different sizes e.g.
wood grafted onto an M25 stocl< results in a tree about
26 feet high. A tree grafted onto an M27 stoclc will
produce a tree about 5 foot high. The former is used
to create standard trees in traditional orchards, whilst
the latter will produce a stunted little runt to adorn
one's patio.

I have grafted several hundred cuttings onto a number
of different rootstocks and they are now for saie.
They’re grown in poly pots so they can be planted at
any time of the year. What is needed now is a number
of people to plant and observe the tree and the fruit it
bears. On the island the tree is completely free of the
diseases that flourish in the damper conditions of the
mainland - particularly scab on the fruit, and canker in
the wood. As yet nobody lcnows when the tree
flowers and whether or not the blossoms are frost
tolerant - the island is frost free. Does the tree
produce a regular crop? The mother tree crops
irregularly because salt-laden gales often kill the
blossom. As yet nobody knows the best time to
harvest the fruit or how long it should be kept before
eating. It would be interesting to lcnow how long the
ripe fruit can be kept in storage. These and many other
questions as yet remain unanswered.

I am keen to supply the trees to people who live in a
wide variety of locations, to give us the maximum
amount of information in the minimum amount of tìme.
Included on the tree’s website is a bulletin board, so
that owners of trees can disseminate their observations
as quickly and widely as possible.

If the ever so nice editor of this august magazine can
manage to squeeze in this humble article, I shall
consider myself very fortunate. This is because, dear
reader, you may only be a twitcher, a bat nut, or a
collector of otter spraints, but it means you have an
eye. You have powers of observation. Sadly, I feel

people lilce yourselves are getting harder and harder to
fìnd. Even people with real gardens are becoming rare,
as more and more baclcyards are covered in paving or
declcing. With much of the population becoming
slouches on their couches, how can the “rarest apple
tree in the world” compete with Big Brother?

lan SturrocU is a leading organic fruit consultant
who has taken a special interest in traditional apple
varieties. He has a nursery near Bangor, Gwynedd,
where he produces and sells disease resistant trees as
well as tending to and repairing existing orchards.

Trees can be obtained from lan Sturrock at £15 if
collected from Bangor, or can be delivered in the
dormant season anywhere in the UK with an
additional £10 p&p. Phone 01248 371573 or visit

www.bardseyapple.co.uk

Ynys Afallen

Cafodd Ian Sturrock syndod pan ddaeth ffrind yn
ôl o wylio adar ar Ynys Enlli gydag afal nad oedd ef
- na phobl y Casgliad Ffrwythau Cenedlaethol -
erioed wedi’i weld o’r blaen. Mewn gwirionedd,
roedd yn fath unigryw o afal oddi ar un goeden ar
yr ynys - ‘coeden brinna’r byd’, yn ôl papurau
newydd. Bellach, mae Ian Sturrock wedi grafftio
cannoedd o ddarnau bychain ar wahanol
wreiddgyfTion ac mae’n chwilio am gartrefi
amrywiol i’r coed newydd, a hynny gyda phobl a
fydd yn syíwi arnyn nhw ac yn casglu gwybodaeth
am ble, sut a phryd y maen nhw’n ffynnu orau.

Photo: Mandy Marsh.

Llên y llysiau - llysiau’r wennol

Llysiau’r wennol, y ffìsig at
bron bob anhwylder! Mae
Twm Elias yn disgrifio sut
y defnyddiwyd hwn yn
feddyginiaethol dros y
canrifoedd ac yn nodi ei
fod, erbyn heddiw, yn
destun ymchwil
ffarmacolegol.

Chelidonium majus. Ffoto: Ray Woods.

Enw gwyddonol

C helidonium majus (L.): chelidonium o’r gair Groegaidd chelidon am wennol
oherwydd, mae’n debyg, y daw'r planhigyn i’w flodau pan gyrhaedda'r
aderyn, a gorffen pan ymado; majus - yn fwy na, i’w wahaniaethu oddi wrth y
lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) (Stevens, 1973).

Disgrifiad

Llysieuyn cymhedrol ei faint gyda dail melynwyrdd. Blodyn melyn pedwar-petalog
o Ebrill hyd ddiwedd yr haf. Un o’i nodweddion amlycaf yw’r sudd melyn tywyll
sy’n diferu ohono pan y’i torrir. Mae’n aelod o deulu'r pabi (Papaveraceae).

Cynefin a dosbarthiad

Yn tyfu mewn gwrychoedd - fel arfer nid nepell o hen dai neu furddunod. Mae’n
bosib iddo ddod yma o dde Ewrop yn wreiddiol oherwydd ei ddefnyddiau
meddyginiaethol (Ellis, 1983).

Enwau Cymraeg eraill

Llysiau lladd defaid (Llŷn), sudd y defaid, llygadlys, llygadlym, llym y Ilygad, llysiau’r
llygad, llysiau'r clefyd melyn, llysiau’r llaw, llysiau’r llew, llysiau’r wennol, melynllys,
gwell na’r aur, selidon, dilwydd, dilwydd felen, y ddiwlith (Davies & jones, 1995)
(Jones, 1688).

Tarddiad yr enwau

Mae amryw o’r enwau yn cyfeirio at ei ddefnyddiau meddyginiaethol yn arbennig
at ddefaid ar y croen ac ar gyfer y llygaid. Llysiau’r wennol a selidon (sydd yn
lygriad o chelidon) yn cyfeirio at goel gwerin; melynllys at liw’r sudd a dilwydd
(Jones, 1688) yn hen enw ansicr ei darddiad. Ansicr hefyd yw tarddiad yr enwau
llysiau’r llaw (Jones, 1688) a llysiau’r llew (Davies & Jones, 1995) - y ‘llew'
diweddarach o bosib yn gam-drawsgrifìad o ‘llaw’?

Llên gwerin

I Yn ôl un hanesyn gan Pliny, yr athronydd Groegaidd, dechreuwyd defnyddio’r
planhigyn í drin y golwg oherwydd i’r wennol ei ddefnyddio i roi’r golwg i’w
chywion dall! (Williams, 1998). "Iybir mai atgof a geir yma at ddefnydd o’r
planhigyn mewn defodau shamanistaidd o gyfnod cynharach na’r diwylliant
Groegaidd, gyda’r ‘golwg’ yn cynrychioli gweledigaethau o’r byd hudol
(Barker, 2001).

2 Pan fyddai plant yn ardal Clynnog yn yr hen Sir Gaernarfon yn chwarae
cowbois ac Indiaid yn hafau’r 1950au - 60au (atgofìon yr awdur), byddai’r
Indiaid weithiau yn paentio patrymau ar eu cyrff â sudd y melynllys. Roedd y
lliw yn drawiadol iawn ar y cychwyn ond yn tueddu i dywyllu a dylu ymhen
ychydig funudau. Cafodd y plant eu rhybuddio fẁy nag unwaith i beidio â
gwneud hyn rhag ofn i’r sudd godi crachod ar y croen, ond ni chafodd neb ei
effeithio felly chwaith. Byddai’r plant hefyd yn ei ddefnyddio i ysgrifennu
negeseuon ar bapur.

Defnyddiau meddyginiaethol

Ceir cyfeiriadau niferus at ei ddefnyddiau

meddyginiaethol:

1 “Mae’r llyfrau llysiau i gyd yn nodi mai’r sug yma, yn
syth o’r planhigyn byw, oedd y feddyginiaeth fwyaf
poblogaîdd i ddifa defaid ar ddwylo.” (Williams, 1998).

2 Yn y lawysgrif Gymraeg ganol-oesol a elwir A Welsh
Leech Book (Lewis, 1 914) ceir y rysait ganlynol:
“Rhag llawer o glwyfau or llygaid. Kymer sugun yr
eidrol a sugyn gwraidd y ffannygl, a sugun y Selidonia,
a sugun llysse=r=wennol, a bloneg hwch, a mêl, ac
ychydic vinegr, a gwaed llyswen a bustul Keilioc, ai roi
ef mewn llestr oni gotto blodeu arno ne Iwydo (oni
goda llwydni arno) Ac ef a ddoytwyd am yr eli hwnw,
wneuthur o honno ddynion i weled wedi bod yn
ddeillion.”

3 Sonnir yn Llysieulyfr Meddyginiaethol William
Salesbury (mae'r llawysgrif wreiddiol yn dyddio o’r

1 6g) ei fod yn dda rhag "twllwc llygaid” (tywyllwch y
llygaid), a bod gwin ohono yn dda “rhag clwy y
brenhin”, ac “ef a lacha y crygdardd a vacco yn color
melyn” (iachau’r crawn melyn o friwiau llidus), “ai
gnoi a wna les rhag y ddannoedd.” (Roberts, 1916).

4 Dywed Dafydd Jones neu ‘hen ddoctor bach y
mynydd’, Llanllyfni (Jones, 1881) yn ei gyfìeithiad o
weithiau Culpepper: “Y mae(nt) (llym y llygaid) dan
lywodraeth yr Haul, ac yn arwydd y Llew...yn un o’r
dail mwyaf rhinweddol at y llygaid o unrhyw ddail
sydd yn tyfu, ond byddent yn fwy rhinweddol os
heliwch hwynt pan ag y b’o yr Haul yn yr arwydd
dywydedig...gwnewch hwynt yn eli i iro y llygadau,
neu y ffordd oreu, yn fy marn i, ydyw eu cnocio a
gwasgu eu sug, a’i gymysgu â mêl neu siwgr double
refìned, a’i roddi ynddynt amrywiol weithiau yn y
dydd. Gallaf brofì ei fod wedi iacháu llygadau
anghyffredinol o ddrwg.. .Pan ag y b'och yn iwsio eu
sug at y llygadau, cofiwch gymusgu ychydig o laeth
brest am ei ben rhag iddo losgi gormod...” Dywed
hefyd: “.. .hwy a’ch gwellhant nid yn unig o’r clefyd
melyn, ond hefyd ffaeledd yr iau a’r bustl...yn erbyn y
dropsi: ac. . .yn rhagorol o dda i yfed peth o’r sug yn y
bore yn erbyn y pla, neu pan ag y b’o clefyd yn yr
ardal;...yn iachau hen friwiau crachlyd,...a phob rhyw
bimples ac anharddwch fo ar y gwyneb.. .cymerwch

eu gwraidd a’u gwneud yn llwch, a’i roddi ar ddant
rhydd, neu ddant a phoen ynddo, y tyn efe i ffordd
heb boen...Sylwch eto, rhowch blastr neu bowltis o’r
dail ar frest merch pan ag y b’o y cyrsiau misol yn
cerdded yn rhy helaeth, i’r dyben i’w harafu...Yn
erbyn yr ymgrafu, cymerwch eu sug, a brwmstan
wedi ei falu yn llwch, a’i iro âg ef yn y nos a’i
gwellha.”

5 Yn ychwanegol: “Mae ei sudd yn gwella y ddarwden
(ringworm)” (Price & Griffìths, 1890).

6 Parhaodd diddordeb yn ei rinweddau
meddyginiaethol i’n dyddiau ni. Cydnabyddir ei
effeithiolrwydd ar gyfer cerrig y bustl, defaid a
pharaseitiaid y croen a.y.y.b., ac mae amryw o’i
gyfansoddion yn destunau ymchwil ffarmacolegol
(Barker, 2001).

Mathau garddwriaethol

Ceir sawl math garddwriaethol o lysiau’r wennol a
daethpwyd ag amrywiad â blodyn dwbwl iddo i Brydain o
dde Ewrop cyn gynhared a 1771 (Campbell-Culver, 2001).

Mae Twm Elias yn ddarlithydd a threfnydd cyrsiau
ym Mhlas Tan y Bwlch, Canolfan Astudio Parc
Cenedlaethol Eryri.

Greater celandine,
the universal medicine?

Chelidonimn majus, a hedgerow plant of the poppy
family, is a yellow flower which exudes a dark
yellow fluid when cut. Its numerous Welsh
names all tend to indicate that it has great
medicinal properties and the earliest reference
points to its use by thc Greeks in the treatment of
eye disorders. Several more recent reports
confirm its use in treating the eye. Others
describe its use in clearing warts and various
other skin blemishes, healing infccted wounds
and treating liver and gall bladder diseases. It is
also said to have pain killing propcrties and was
good for relieving toothache. The plant was
probably introduced from southern Europe, for
such medicinal use. These claims that ít had a
range of healing powers are possibly what have
encouraged contemporary scientists to conduct
pharmacological investigatíons on several of its
constituents ìn the search for new drugs.

Photo: Jen Walley.

Loobing towards the lighthouse on Enlli.

Photo: Jeremy Moorc.

Philip Brennan combines
his love of nature with his
skill as an artist. In 2001
he ventured from his native
Ireland and took part in
the Artist-in-Residence
scheme on Ynys Enlli/
Bardsey. Here he recalls
some of the pleasures and
problems of capturing the
ever-changing natural world
with pencil and brush.

Artist at work.

T he dead gannet that I was sketching bobbed at the tide’s edge on the
west shore of Ynys Enlli. It was probably a wanderer from one of the
Irish Sea colonies, perhaps from Ailsa Craig in Ayrshire, Grassholm in
Pembrokeshire or Great Saltee in Wexford, Disease or old age were the
most likely culprits in its end. The gales we’d experienced that July certainly
weren’t enough to hinder a healthy gannet, but perhaps were suffìcient to
finish off a sicl< bird.

I too was a wanderer well off my usual course. I come from County Clare
in the west of Ireland, and at the time was half-way through a three-year
painting and writing project.* Yet, here I was on this special island off the
Llýn Peninsula, drawn back for the second time by Enlli’s allure. Since the
1970s I had been aware of the island through the work of the Bardsey bird
observatory. In recent years, a reading of Brenda Chamberlain’s classic Tide
Race revealed an island world that echoed that of the Great Blasket Island
writers of County Kerry.

For a painter, any island is a great task-master, and Enlli is particularly so.
You have nowhere else to go, no worldly distraction, no excuse not to
draw. The day’s concerns become linked to weather, tide, light and the
island’s small comings and goings. I made a lazy start on the day of arrival
wíth a quick pastel sketch of rock and sea, but the cobwebs of tiredness
were soon blown away the following day when a fìne gale blew in from the
west. It came in bright sunshine and the only rain was in the distant squalls
that swept the skies to the south. The spume flew, the oystercatchers

o

Watercolours capture a wren irtjtne detail.

High seas on Enlli.

Picture: courtesyjen Walley.

cried and fluttered in the gusts and I was gifted with a
useful watercolour as I sat in a sheltered nool< in the
rocks.

I had no specifìc agenda for my time on Enlli. I sketched
and painted as much as I could and tool< my
opportunities as they arose. I had hoped for a good
gale - I have a fondness for violent seas as long as l’m
not on them! I wasn’t disappointed. After the westerly
came a wet southerly that made the watercolouring
very interesting as I sketched the high seas breaking on
Maen Du, the Blacl< Rock. Despite the wind and heavy
swell, the lighthouse supply ship stood at anchor off the
coast and its helicopter buzzed bacl< and forth.

The third gale was the most inconsiderate. This one
came from the north and I perched at the northerly tip
of the island looldng back over the sound, barely
managing to keep a grip on the sketch-pad as the now
cold wind tried to pull it away. I’d had my share of gales
by then! Oddly, as I look through the paintings of my
stay, there’s no drawing of a Manx shearwater. There
should be! Oh wonderful hindsight! The nights there
are dominated by their cries and calls and are only
occasionally matched by the lighthouse’s own high fog-
horn or by an occasional crescendo of moans from the
seals in the Cafn. I have drawn shearwaters before and
perhaps I was a bit reluctant to interfere with these
birds that can be piclced up as they sit by the side of
the island’s only track. The adult that I found brooding
its rîdiculously fluffy chick under planlcs in the
boathouse would certainly make a good picture. But
the memory of this little scene is clear and a picture
may yet emerge!

July is something of a wiclced month, blowing hot and
cold, sweeping away many a fond plan. So it was in
2001. Still, I lost only a little time to the weather - one
day was a wash-out and another was used in helping
David, the warden, to ferry visitors’ baggage to and
from the boat on his tractor. Even on the poor days it
was possible to work from the field-slcetches in the
cosy loft at Nant. On the warmer days I slcetched the
local oystercatchers among the sheep or settled for
calmer seascapes. The 178 grey seals I counted in the
Cafn were most obliging models, but hard rocks make
for a sore rear after hours of slcetching through the
telescope. The seals spent the days happily lazîng on
the rocks, moved only by the tide and comically batting
‘Go away’ flippers at potential usurpers for their
perches.

Apart from the shearwaters, there is little bird activity
on Enlli in July. There were a few strays about - a
solitary young cuckoo, a buzzard, a forlorn singing
blackcap and a few passing common sandpipers and
whimbrel. july is a far cry from the heady days of a ‘fall’

of spring or autumn migrants, when every bush and
briar sways with temporarily grounded birds. Despite
the lack of birds in July, Enlli still has more to reveal. As
the days go by the layers of its history, its people, past
and present and its legends all begin to reveal
themselves and present more and more artistic
opportunity, whether in word, paint, music or form.
This place of ancient saints or black-garbed Enlli men
who rowed the seas, of viking and hermit, of men and
women who struggled for a living with the sea or soil,
of present poet and appreciative visitor - all tumble in
on the imagination and stir the soul.

In a few weelcs I painted the lighthouse framed by the
rocks of a quiet bay, storm and gales and flying rain,
Welsh Blacl< cattle, sheep and sentinel oystercatchers,
grey seals swimming and basking, the vista of the Cafn
from the Mountain, Tŷ Bach and Tŷ Pellaf farmhouses,
the unfortunate gannet in the red and brown seaweeds
and a Mediterranean blue sky. Ynys Enlli’s shearwaters
may yet call me back for more!

Philip Brennan is a painter, naturalist, teacher, singer
and writer and lives in Stonehall, County Clare.

* Philip’s book, Philip Brennan’s Clare - Unique itnages of
the artist’s natẃe County Clare is reviewed on page 43.

Arlunydd yn Enlli

O fewn ychydig wythnosau ym mis Gorffennaf
2001, paentiodd yr ariunydd, Philip Brennan,

Iwyth o luniau o Ynys Enlli ... o eithafion y
tywydd i forloi’n torheulo yn y Cafn, o’r goleudy i
gorff mulfran wen ar fin y tonnau, o ddefaid i biod
y môr yn cadw gwyliadwraeth. Yr un peth yr
anghofìodd eu darlunio oedd adar drycin Manaw
er bod eu lleisiau’n llenwi’r nos. Er mai ychydìg o
adar sydd yn Enlli yng Ngorffennaf, datgelodd yr
ynys haenau ei hanes a’i hetifeddiaeth gan
gynhyrfu'r dychymyg a’r enaid.

Photo: Tony OHver.

Photo: N. Greensill.

Roads and wildlife: a perspectwe

A combination ofbarricade and culuert protndes safe passage for wildlife.

Photo: Len Wyatt.

Most environmentalists
think that roads and
wildlife go together about
as well as oil and water.

The mixture is not always a
lethal one, as Len Wyatt
points out, and offers
opportunities for
improvement.

What are roads?

T he answer to this question may seem obvious. To quote, slightly
altered, part of Douglas Adams’ Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy:
“Roads are devices which allow some people to get from A to B, and
others from B to A.” Roads have been around since prehistoric times,
doing just that - arteries for the movement of materials and people along
traclcs, ceremonial paths, military routes and boundaries. Their
characteristics can vary hugely according to function and location -
consider the differences between a drovers' road and a paved Roman
street, or a typical rural lane in Pembrokeshire and the motorway system.

Road verges can include rock outcrops, short mown grass, natural
grassland, shrubs and trees, all depending on the way the road was built
and is managed, and the way it has adapted to natural conditions. You can
travel on some roads and see only rough grassland and on others fìnd tidy
grassland interspersed wîth formal beds of colourful but non-native flowers
and shrubs.

What effects do roads have on wildlife?

For many species the effects of roads on wildlife are unknown. Research is
adding to our Itnowledge, for example by noting the number of otter road
casualties against what is known of the otter population. Habitats are more
easy to survey, although to survey the whole network would be a huge
task. Partial surveys are underway in Wales and across the UK. The issues
raised by this Itnowledge are not straightforward. Here are two examp!es:

&

Roadsides can be refugesfor orchids
and other wildflowers.

Barn owls - populations
of barn owls continue to
decline. Collisions with
vehicles resulting in injury
or death are known to be
a factor in this. However,
some road verges are
becoming recognised as
important for small
mammals, which can be
critical to the diet of barn
owls. Should some road verges be managed to increase
the potential for barn owl feeding, or be managed to
reduce the risk of road casualties?

Disturbed soil - a number of plant species (eg: Scurvy
grasses and crop brassicas) are growing on soil
disturbed by engineering works, or vehides running
into the verge. Species such "lower Mustard and
Deptford Pink are restricted in their distribution and
are believed to need disturbed soil near to existing
populations. Would people accept road verges which
look unkempt and ‘weedy’ for the benefìt of this type
of species?

Are roads important for wildlife?

Roads can be both a barrier and an aid; they fragment
terrîtory and remove habitats and yet the verges, as
mentioned above, can provide refuges for many plants
and small mammals, serving as corridors for their
movements to other areas.

The importance of these linear features is mentioned in
many local Biodiversity Action Plans. The range of
actions required is wide: conducting surveys, advising
road managers and designers, research and awareness
programmes - and of course, work on the ground.

A final thought

Working in roads ecology, it is clear that people’s
attitudes towards roads and their effects on wildlife can
vary from ‘roads are bad’ through to ‘roads are good’,
with all the possible variations in between. These
attitudes may be the most important single influence
on the issues relating to roads and wildlife today.

They may be expressed in policies, plans, resource
allocations or in simple individual actions. They will
ultimately decide whether roads in the future will
reduce the negative impacts on wildlife and maximise
positive opportunities - or not.

Len Wyatt is employed by the Wclsh Asscmbly
Government’s Transport Directorate as an ecologist,
having previously worked for the ITighways Agency in
England. The vicws expressed here are liis own.

Mahing driners more aware.

Y ffordd ymlaen

Mae arolygon am effaith ffyrdd ar fywyd gwyllt yn
codi pynciau anodd. Er enghraifft, mae cerbydau’n
lladd tylluanod brech ond mae ymylon ffyrdd yn
ffynhonnell dda o fwyd i’r adar. Mae ffỳrdd yn
rhwystr a chymorth, yn rhannu cynefinoedd a
chreu coridorau. Mae ffyrdd wcdi’u crybwyll
mewn Cynlluniau Gweithredu Bioamrywiaeth,
gyda galw am ymchwil, cyngor a gwaith yn y maes.

Photo: Lcn Wyatt.

Mary Edith Morris, her brother and niece.

Photos: courtcsy Margarct Yaughan.

For twenty-fìve years Mary
Edith Morris kept a diary in
which she recorded the
birdlife she encountered at
her Carmarthenshire home.
These entries provide a
fascinating glimpse ofthe
changing fortunes of birds
like the corncrake. They
also paint a picture of a
more rural, more stratified
yet more intimate society,
perhaps with fewer
material blessings but more
immaterial ones than we
have today. James
Robertson delves into a
countrywomarís diary.

M ary Edith Morris was born at Bryn Myrddin, a country house in the
Töwy valley, in the jubilee year of 1887. Her mother had been born at
neighbouring Middleton Hall, now the home of the National Botanic
Garden. Although she always saw Bryn Myrddin as home, and returned
whenever she could, she had an active career with the Women's Police,
including a spell in Germany after the first world war. Other
stations included Sheffìeld, and when the diary entries
begin in 1936, she was living in
Beddington but visiting Bryn Myrddin
whenever possible. In 1940 she
returned to Bryn Myrddin, and she lived
there or at Ffynnonddraìn, near
Carmarthen, until the final entry in 1971 .

Mary's brother Ryle inherited the house, and lived there all his life. He
married Alicemargit, and one of their daughters, Margaret Vaughan,
transcribed the handwritten diary entries from which this account is taken.

Mary had a lifelong interest in birds and nature generally, especially flowers.
She taught her niece the common names of all the flowers they found in the
hedgerows, and passed on her love of nature. Her diary is an evocation of a
very outdoor life and a record of those things which excited her, as birdsong
had a particular capacity to do. It also shows how much she tallced to
everyone, from her brother and his wife to the gardener, local farmers,
cottagers and friends, for she is constantly noting down their records as well.

o

Here are a few examples of entries:

25 Februaty 1938

At Bryn Myrddin, about 1 a.m. a hen chaffinch tried 3
times to get in at my bedroom window, a rough night.

I let her in and she slept on top of the cupboard. In the
morning she flew round the room
and then perched. I
picked her up and let
her out, she flew off
calling “pink pink”.

22 March

Long-tailed tit under Bryn
Myrddin verandah all day collecting cobwebs and
flying off with them for its nest.

25June 1939

Goldfinches nesting and green woodpeckers fledged.

A young woodpecker was caught near back door and
another came under
verandah where it was
followed by a carrion
crow which I drove off.

The young woodpecker’s
constant call is much like a
jackdaw’s. The mating
display of pied wagtails very
pretty.

13 December
Saw a fme stoat in pond field hedge near the rabbit
holes. Gentian still in flower.

20 January 1940

Hardest frost since 1845. 10 inches of ice on Towy
which is frozen from source to sea.

I February

Heard wild geese flying west 2.30 p.m. past Bryn
Myrddin. Ryle saw 50 the next day.

24 September 1941

Heard a sweet monotonous double note high above
Wern Wuad [field below Biyn Myrddin]; saw a
smallish bird flying in circles and darting about as it
sang - probably a woodlaidc singing its lulu song.

27 September

Saw several house martins near Llanarthney. Near
Tower found a large grey hawk killing a pigeon, young
bird.

8 February 1942

Saw about 26 whooper swans on frozen floodcd water
on flat. Very long necks, black legs and dark beaks
without black knobs. Very sweet musical cry while
standing and flying. Also saw 10 wild duck on Towy
and some peewits.

12 April

Heard willow warbler near Bryn Myrddin. Saw a
cormorant on ponds. Davy Arthur [who lived at
Bwlch Bach cottage, overlooking the Bishop’s Ponds]
says there are 20 there till 9 a.m. daily catching eels.

13 April

Larks singing near Abergwili. Saw 2 black back gulls
on Towy nr. Towy Castle, oystercatchers and
cormorant. Saw swallows and martins by Gwili Bridge,
roadman saw them on lOth.

These entries give only a taste of the great range of
observations and information contained in Mary’s
diaries, which run to more than eight thousand words.
Frequent reference to local field names and places
provide a layer of social history which runs alongside
the natural history.

Mary delighted in the wildlife around her, and its
changes and surprises from day to day, year to year and
season to season. At the time when she was writing
these entries, bombs were falling not far away,
metaphorical storms were raging, and the songs of
returning blaclccap and willow warbler in spring must
have carried a message of defìant hope. She would not
have imagined that war-induced agricultural policies
would banish the sound of the corncrake from
Carmarthenshire.

Perhaps they were on their way out before, but either
Mary heard them, or one of her network of contacts
did, in most years between 1946 and 1966. There are
two entries in 1946, both from the ‘flat’. In 1947 Mrs
Arthur Jones heard a corncrake near her house at
Nantgaredig. The following year Mary heard a
corncrake “by ponds and Feeld opposite Bishop’s Mill ,
and Mr Tims heard one by the tin works opposite
Glynaur. There are reports of corncrakes in subsequent
years from Penybank fìeld, alongside a cattle tracl< to

Cwm, on the banks of the Towy below Carmarthen
bridge and at Llanegwad, as well as at previously
mentioned sites.

This suggests that there was a viable corncrake
population around Carmarthen, and there were
suffìcient suitable breeding sites available at this time,
although numbers were certainly low. It also suggests
that the rural community of the time was quite well
attuned to the rasping sounds of a male corncrake
announcing its presence. If nothing else, such entries stir
one’s resolve. There is no reason why the call of the
corncrake should not be a familiar sound once again in
post CAP reform Wales.

Bryn Myrddin.

Every now and then, there is a reminder in the diary of
how the Towy valley has changed in recent decades. On
17 September 1957, she “saw about a thousand golden
plover on moor about Gwythgrug”, and there are
reports of numbers of waders, such as peewits, and
even a bittern. And yet magpies are never mentioned.
There are also surprises, such as the “Manx shearwater
found in wet ditch near bottom of drive” following a
storm, which was released unharmed, and the two
avocets seen flying over the estuary at Gwbert.

It is the common birds - she records over sixty species
- which populate her diary. Most entries are brief
personal mementos; she writes of “two young house
martins clinging to wall under my eaves and beîng fed
by parents every minute”. This conjures up a picture
not only of these youngsters and their energetic
parents, but also of her own face at the window, a
delighted observer.

Plants, mammals and invertebrates all put in an
appearance. She notes the first dates when primroses,
aconites, snowdrops and hawthorn come into bloom;
records her encounters with foxes, badgers, red
squirrels and rabbits, and with lime hawk and humming
bird hawk moths and wooily bear caterpillars; and
reports that “Herbert Vaughan counted 28 red admirals
on an ivy bush at “lenby”.

Her networlc of contacts is extensive, and suggests an
energetic and sociable personality. As so often with
diaries, the information she gives only whets the
appetite, and invites the reader to learn more about her
circumstances, the geography of the places she
describes, her family and other relationships. For
example, from the number of encounters she and her
brother have with owls and other wildlife in various
rooms, including her own bedroom, the house must
have been large and very draughty!

If you had a love of birds and other wildlife and the time
to observe them, rural Carmarthenshire fìfty years ago
must have been a rewarding place to live. I keep a
wildlife diary, and I am struck by the similarities. Mary
Edith Morris has reminded me how lucky I am to be
able to observe so much wildlife at home and how
important it is to appreciate and record it.

James Robertson ìs a writer with a particular ìnterest in
human relationships with the natural world.

Dyddiadur Mary Edith

Mae dyddiaduron Mary Edith Morris o Sir
Gaerfyrddin yn rhoi cip ar ffawd bywyd gwyllt ac ar
gymdeithas wledig glos yn y blynyddoedd hyd at 1971.
Mae’n sôn am adacl i asgell fraith glwydo yn ei Uofft ar
noson stormus, am gigfran yn ymlid cnocell y coed ac
am aea’ caled 1940 pan rewodd afon Tywi o’i tharddiad
i’r môr. Bob blwyddyn rhwng 1946 ac 1966, fe
glywodd lii neu ei ffrindiau sŵn rhegen yr ŷd ac mae
cofnodion o’r fath yn ysgogiad - does diin rheswm
pam na allwn glywed galwad gras rhegen yr ŷd
unwaith eto yng Nghymru, wedi diwygio’r CAR
Uchafbwyntiau eraill yw’r sôn am fil o gwtiaid aur ar
waun ger ‘Gwythgrug’, am adcryn drycin Manaw
mewn ffos a dau gambig yn hedfan uwchben Gwbert.

The Gwent Levels
Wetlands Reserve arose as
compensation for the
destruction of part of the
Taff Ely SSSI during the
development of Cardiff
8 ay. The clock is being
turned back on over 400
hectares of improved
farmland on the Welsh
side of the Severn Estuary
to re-establish the
abundant birdlife that
would have been found on
such land in the early part
of the 20th Century. This
year the clock turned back
a bit more than expected
and a species nested
which possibly hasn’t bred
on ‘the levels’ since
Roman times. In fact, as
Tony Pickup reports, it is
the fìrst time that avocets
have nested in Wales
within recorded history!

S pring and autumn are always excîting times for birdwatchers. They
herald a change of season, the prospect of new birds to look at, and
the possibilîty that unexpected species may turn up. Around Britain's
estuaries, waders are always a source of interest. These are birds that are
closeiy associated with wet ground - anything from tidal mud to damp soil.
Many breed in northern climes, but spend the winters in warmer, more
southern areas. In this way they can exploit the abundant food supplies of
the sub-arctic summer for breeding, and spend the winter in less
hazardous conditions nearer the equator. During their migrations between
breeding and wintering sites they often stop over to ‘re-fuel' on estuaries,
taking advantage of the huge food supplies hidden beneath the tidal muds
and silts.

During April, the spring passage is usually well under way. Waders that
have spent the winter living on the Severn feel an increasingly strong pull to
return to their northern breeding grounds. Birds already on their
northward journeys supplement their numbers, perhaps from northern
Africa or Mediterranean wintering grounds. Migrating black-tailed godwits
and whimbrel are now commonly found amongst the Severn’s curlew,
redshanlt and dunlin and there is always a chance that something exotic will
join them. Therefore, two avocets turning up in mid April at the reserve’s
saline lagoons at Goldcliff, though good additions to a Welsh birdwatcher’s
‘year list’, were not world-shatteringly important. After all they had turned
up last year at the same time - only to move on after a few days. This
year’s birds were reported on the Welsh birdwatchers' telephone
information lines, but were just one amongst a number of other interesting
sightings. Interesting but not earth-shattering. All that changed about three
days after they had arrived.

o

I was standing in my kitchen, idly watching the avocets
through binoculars, (at the time, I was in the incredibly
fortunate position of living in a house overlooking this
part of the reserve!) when I was astounded to see one
bird apparently jump down from the bacl< of the other.
Now in birds this usually only means one thing. Mating!
But this couldn’t be so. Avocets didn’t nest in Wales —
and so far as I knew, never had. And it is very unusual
for birds to mate while on migration. There may be
lots of display, but very rarely, if ever, mating. Despite
some serious watching for the next day or so, I failed
to see a repeat performance to confirm my suspicions.
However, there was another very telling bit of
behaviour. One bird showed a very keen interest in a
bit of a shingle island, again fortunately visible from my
house. I watched one of the birds ‘scraping’ - the
process where they ‘scoop’ out a hollow in the ground
with their breast. This creates the cup into which a
nest could go. This counted as indisputable breeding
behaviour. For the fìrst time in recorded history
avocets had attempted to nest in Wales. Could they go
the whole way?

As April drew to a close the behaviour of the two birds
became so different that we were able to use ‘he’ and
‘she’ to differentiate them. The female was very
attentive to the bit of shingle she had been scraping in
and the male was almost psychopathic in his defence of
it. Very frequently, and often for no apparent reason,
he would shoot off in violent pursuit of some hapiess
individual. Redshanks seemed to be a special target, but
lapwings, mallard and oystercatchers all seemed to be
fair game, This was very much ‘attack as a means of
defence’ and very effective too! His territorial defence
appeared very deliberate and serious, quite unlike
some other birds. Oystercatchers, for example, seem
just to go hysterical when their territory is threatened.
Perhaps they hope to scare away intruders more by
deafening them than by physical violence! But the
avocet would launch itself on an intruder like a guided
missile, seemingly with the intent of inflicting serious
physical harm. Though I never saw it actually strike
another bird it pursued them so hard that they were
either chased right away from the avocets' island or
they dropped to the ground for cover.

Eventually, by the end of the month they did it! For a
couple of days the female had been spending quite a bit
of time each day sitting in the nest scrape. But when I
saw her for the fìrst time early on the 29 April she
seemed really well settled. I was still not absolutely sure
whether this was a false incubatîon or the real thing.
The confìrmation came about a quarter of an hour later
when she stood up and gently probed down into the
nest with her long bill. She was obviously turning the
eggs. Having arranged them to her satisfaction she then
gently re-settled, shuffled a bit to make herself
comfortable then relaxed. Every day for about four
weelcs I would check fìrst thing in the morning and last
thing at night, as well as innumerable times in between,
and she’d be there, maybe facing to the left, or maybe
to the right, but sítting tight while the fìrst avocet
embryos in Wales developed beneath her.

The Gwent leuels resewe. Photo: Adam Rowlands.

The incubation period was a worrying time, though.
Egg-collecting unfortunately still goes on in Britain and
the rarer the breeding occurrence, the greater the
attraction of the clutch of eggs to these strange people.
As soon as we became aware that the avocets were
nesting, we had to deal with this threat. The RSPB and
the Gwent police were quickly contacted. We were
particularly fortunate that a police offìcer, Sergeant lan
Guildford, had just been seconded to CCW in south
Wales. His first week in office coincided with our big
event and within 24 hours he had helped us to make
arrangements with Gwent Constabulary to deal with

any illegal eventuality. We were also concerned about
the possibility of the birds being disturbed by large
numbers of innocent but enthusiastic bird-watchers.
They were not easily visible from the normal viewing
places on the reserve and there is always the possibility
of someone trying a bit too hard to get a good view
and disturbing the birds. The avocets were already
publicly mentioned on various bird information-lines,
from their arrival as scarce migrants, and we wondered
if we could draw a veil over them for a week or two,
at least until the eggs hatched. The Gwent
Ornithological Society contacted all the bird-line
operators and aslced if mention of the avocets could be
withdrawn until further notice and happily this was
willingly done. We were particularly grateful for this as
the people running these birding information services
could lose quite a bit of credibility if it appears that they
don’t know what is happening in the local birding
world. Obvîously birdwatchers to the reserve could
see what was happening and they might wonder why
the bird lines were so slow. As a fìnal line of defence
some of the villagers in Goldcliff village were informed
of the event, particularly those overlooking the site. All
were very keen to look out for suspicious characters.

So keen were some, that there were suggestions of
decidedly illegal summary justice offered to unwelcome
visitors!

In the event all passed off quietly. The female endured
some shocking wet weather during incubation, sitting
tight through blinding rain. But in the morning on the
24 May, a tiny chiclc could be seen wading along the
shore of the island near the nest with the male in close
attendance. It was raining and the female continued to
sit on the nest. I was a little puzzled by this as all the
eggs should hatch at the same time, so why weren’t all
the chicks out? (Avocet chicks, like all waders are able
to walk from the moment of hatching.) Then when the
rain stopped at 9.30am, suddenly there were four little
avocets - all scurrying about the shore and peclcing at
the surface of the water!

Within 24 hours the brood had been moved from the
island to the shore of one of the lagoons, where they
stayed for the next three weeks. As they grew, and

they grew surprisingly fast, they wandered further and
further afield, often apparently with no parental
attendance. However this was a decìded
misinterpretation of the facts. If a predator threatened
to fly in the direction of the chiclcs the male would
streak off like an Exocet, and turn the imposter away
long before the chiclcs had become aware of any
danger. I don’t think I have ever seen a bird provide
such determined and prolonged protection of their
young as did these avocets.

The first avocet chichs ever recorded in Wates.

On the 28 June, the young avocets flew for the first
time. I happened to be watching the lagoons that
morning and suddenly saw five avocets flying into one
of the other pools. Sure enough, when their own pool
was checked, there was no sign. Interestingly the
avocets never went back to their natal pool again, but
stayed feeding in the new one for the next four weeks.
After three weeks there were suddenly only five. One
of the adults disappeared, and then by the last
weelsend of July there were suddenly no avocets to be
seen. They had all moved off somewhere; where I
couldn’t say.

So a momentous occasion came to an end — avocets
had nested for the first recorded time in Wales.
However, note the word ‘recorded’. Since starting this
article I have been told of avocet bones found in some
archaeological remains on the Gwent Levels, so maybe
this wasn’t the first time. In fact it would be rather

Photo: Tony Pickup.

Tidalflaps control salinily on the Golddifflagoons.

Photo: Tony Pickup.

surprising if it was the fìrst time ever. Typically avocets
nest on areas of recent saline flooding. Over the last
thousand years, there have been numerous occasions
when the sea walls on the Gwent Levels have been
breached. Saline lagoons could easily have been
temporarìly formed inland of the breaches and avocets
may well have used them.

The fact that avocets are nesting in Wales is very
interesting in itself, since until two years ago they were
confìned to the east coast of England. Recently they
seem to have been expanding westwards, nesting in
Lancashire and Cheshire. So maybe their colonizing the
Gwent Levels was more a result of this westward
expansion than anything else. What is probably beyond
dispute is that avocets would not have nested here had
Gwent Levels Wetlands Reserve not been created. It
augurs well for the reserve that such a unique
ornithological event should occur so soon after its
creation.

Tony Pickup has bccn a warden for 31 years and is on
secondment to CCW from the RSPB as the Senior Site
Manager of the Gwent Levels Wetlands Reserve.

Croeso i’r cambig

Bwriad Gwarchodfa Wlyptir Gwastadeddau
Gwent yw ail-greu’r math o fỳwyd gwyllt a fyddai
yno ganrif yn ôl. Eleni, aeth ymhellach - daeth y
cambig i nythu, am y tro cynta’ o bosib ers
dyddiau’r Rhufeiniaid. Doedd gweld dau gambig
ar lannau Hafren ddim yn syndod - roedden nhw
yno’r llynedd hefyd ac mae llawer o rydwyr yn
galw heibio wrth fudo. Ond ymhen tridiau,
roedden nhw’n paru ac, yna, roedd un yn creu lle
i nyth ar ynys o gerrig mân. Erbyn diwedd Ebrill,
roedd yr iâr yn cadw’n glos at y nyth a’r ceiliog yn
ei amddiffyn yn ffyrnig. Ar Ebrill 29 y daeth
cadarnhad fod wyau yno a’r cywion cambig cynta’
i’w cofnodi yng Nghymru ar y ffordd. Cafwyd
cymorth yr heddlu, llinellau gwylio adar a phobl
leol i warchod rhag lladron wyau a gwylwyr gor-
frwdfrydig. Er gwaetha’ tywydd dychrynllyd,
ymddangosodd pedwar cyw ar 24 Mai ac, am fis,
fe fu’r rhieni’n eu gwarchod nes iddyn nhw
hedfan gynta’ ar Fehefm 28. Ymhen tair wythnos,
roedden nhwwedi mynd. Efallai bod cambig
wedi bod yma o’r blaen, heb eu cofnodi, ond mae
eu presenoldeb yn cadarnhau symudiad yr adar
tua’r gorllewin ac yn argoeli’n dda am ddyfodol
gwarchodia’r Gwastadeddau.

Mapping seabed habitats around Wales

Siemng the sediments; Paddle-worm, head and proboscis.

Photòs: NMGW.

Seabed habitats are
inaccessible places and, if
we think about them at all,
we probably limit our
thoughts to spectacular
coral reefs in remote
places. Yet life on the
seabed is rich, exciting and
important for the health of
whole marine ecosystems.
We need to know what’s
there and where the most
important places are
around the Welsh coast.
Thanks to new
collaborative research,
seabed life is giving up its
secrets, as Andy Mackie
reports.

P rotection needed for ‘marine Serengetis’ " read a recent headline on
the BBC News website. The interestingly named Dr Boris Worm
(Institute of Marine Science, Kiel University) coined this eye-catching
phrase when publicising his recent research on rich, but localised,
congregations of oceanic fish. These and other ‘biodiversity hotspots’ -
another topical phrase - are extremely useful in focusing public attention
on marine conservation and human impact issues. However, they also
highlight a major problem with our understanding and appreciation of the
marine environment; we actually know very little about much of it!

On land, it is easy to recognise, study and categorise forests, moors,
marshes and the like. When we turn to the seas around us this is more
difficult. Often, they are not directly visible to us, and the animals and
plants are not so familiar. The result is that the information we have is
mostly restricted to the more accessible marine habitats close to shore.
Beyond the range of normal diving the seabed is largely unexplored. The
deeper one goes, the less knowledge we have.

Yes, we recognise biodiversity hotspots such as coral reefs and the deep-
sea sediments - the latter reportedly having the most diverse, though
sparsely populated, seabed fauna anywhere. These assessments are
undoubtedly due to their photogenic appearance or to the excitement

Photo: NMGW.

generated by high-profile and technologically impressive
exploration programmes, or both. But what of marine
life closer to home? Welsh sea life is certainly not
unattractive. The accomplished photography of Paul Kay
in last summer’s issue of this magazine is testament to
that. Perhaps surprisingly, however, new species remain
to be discovered amongst the smaller organisms - the
worms, crustaceans and molluscs - living on or unseen
within the sediments of offshore Wales.

The new research nessel Prince Madog,

The identifìcation and quantifìcation of these tiny
creatures, most much less than a centimetre or so
long, is important. As noted last October by Lord May,
the President of the Royal Society: “A lot of money is
spent on research into mammals and birds, but we
need to know what is most important for the
continuance of the ecosystem on which we depend.
Arguably it’s the little things that run the world.”
Recognising the deficiency in our understanding of
Welsh biodiversity, the Marine Biodiversity section of
the National Museums & Galleries of Wales was set up
in the mid 1980s to explore, map and describe the
seabed (benthic) habitats, communities and species.

By the early 1990s the Museum had embarked on a
series of large-scale collaborative surveys in
partnership with other Welsh and Irish institutions.

The results, which are being published as a series of
major reports 1 ^, represent a leap in our Itnowledge of
what lies beneath the waves.

From the surveys completed so far we are compiling
maps for the major part of the southern Irish Sea and
these illustrate the rich diversity of habitats and animal
communities in our seas. The invertebrate communities

living on and in the rougher, sandy gravel sediments are
especially rich and over 200 species can be found in an
area of one fìfth of a square metre. The total number of
species found so far in our surveys exceeds 1,100; many
have not been recorded from Welsh waters before and
at least 20 are new to science.

The maiden voyage of the Welsh National Research
Vessel, the Prince Madog, in 2001, marked the start of a
new joint survey involving the Countryside Council for
Wales (CCW), the Museum and the Unìversity of Wales
Bangor (UWB). This provided the fìrst comprehensive
quantitative data of the invertebrate life associated with
Welsh sandbanlts - from Conwy Bay to the Helwick
sands off the Gower. Such work is vital in helping
support the ratifìcation of the proposed marine Special
Areas of Conservation (SACs) that the UK Government
has placed before the European Commission.

Although the biodiversity of the sandbanlcs themselves
was lower (generally less than 50 species) than that
recorded from the coarser sediments nearby, the
animals associated with the sandbanks themselves
often formed groupings distinct from those recognised
in the broader-scale Irish Sea surveys.

A resource for all

More than ever before, the seas around our coasts are
multi-use environments. As such, everyone from
recreational users to the fishing, power and mineral
industries - as well as the local populations living
around our coasts - have a stake in ensuring the
conservation and sustainabie use of all its resources.

In a major new initiative, the Museum and the British
Geological Survey have joined together to carry out an
integrated evaluation of the bio and geodiversity of
the outer Bristol Channel seabed. Supported by the
Welsh Assembly Government and the Offìce of the
Deputy Prime Minister through the Aggregates Levy
Sustainability Fund, the project will provide
independent, broad-scale baseline information for
government, conservation agencies and industry alike.
An exciting aspect of the work programme is the close
linlting of the scientifìc outputs with those of education
and interpretation - leading, in the third year, to a
Museum exhibition and direct interaction with the
public and specifìc interest groups.

The underwater photography tal<en by lvor Rees,

UWB and the collections made during all these surveys
are, in themselves, scientific and cultural resources.
Natural history collections are ultimately reservoirs of
biological information, whereby specimens represent
snapshots of biological life in time and space. From
these we can infer distributions and species richness at
specifìc locations, make comparisons with the present
and projections for the future. Further, recent
technological advances in, for example, DNA analysis
are both enhancing the value of historical collections
and encouraging museums to expand the scope of their
collections and storage facilities. Our investigations
have revealed an unexpected richness in the Welsh
offshore seabed - our own biodiversity ‘hotspot’. In
addition, we have found working in partnership with
colleagues and institutions within and beyond Wales
highly benefìcial. Large-scale survey work is expensive,
and technical and taxonomic expertise is in short
supply. Our new partnership with the British Geological
Survey promises to take our interpretations and
mapping of Welsh marine life to a higher level.

Dr Andy Mackie, Head of Marine Biodiversity at the
National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, is an expert in
idcntification and research on the polychaete worms
(‘bristleworms’), He has carried out a number of
studies of the seabed life around Wales, collaborating
with scicntists from the Unẃersity ofWales, Bangor
and Swansea - as well as tliose from Ireland. These
studies are being published in the Museum’s
BIOMÔR Reports series.

References

1 Mackie, A. S. Y, Oliver, P G. & Rees, E. I. S. (1995). Bent hic biodìversity in the
southem Irish Seo. Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Systematics from the
National Museum of Wales. BIOMÔR Reports 1: 263 pp.

2 Wilson, J. G, ( Mackie, A. S.Y, O'Connor, B. D, S,, Rees, E. I, S, & Darbyshire,
I (200 1). Benthic biodiveisity in the southem Irish Sea area 2. The South-West
Irish Sea Survey (SWISS). BIOMÔR Reports 2( I): I -1 ■43.

Ychydig iawn a wyddon ni am rannau helaeth o
wely’r rnôr. Mae rhywogaethau newydd i’w
darganfod ymhlith mwydod, crustacea a physgod
cregyn yng ngwaddodion moroedd Cymru. Mae
gwybod rhagor am y creaduriaid bychain hyn yn
hanfodol er mwyn deall ein hecosystemau. Wrth
archwilio a mapio de Môr Iwerddon daeth
Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru o hyd i 1100
rhywogaeth - rhai’n newydd yng Nghymru a
rhai heb eu cofnodi yn unman o’r blaen. Mae
gwaith gyda Phrifysgol Bangor ar welyau tywod
hefyd wedi datgelu rhywogaethau arbennig ac,
mewn partneriaeth gyda’r Arolwg Daearyddol
Prydeinig, mae arolwg cyfansawdd ar droed o fio
a geoamrywiaeth rhan o wely aber Hafren. Mae
lluniau ac enghreifftíau a gasglwyd yn ystod yr
arolygon yn adnoddau gwerthfawr a’r
bartneriaeth gyda’r ADP yn addo cynyddu ein
gwybodaeth yn sylweddol.

Photo: Ivor Rces.

Welsh islands

round-up

Edited by Geoff Gibbs
from text supplied by
Richard Farmer
(Grassholm) and by
Steve Sutcliffe (Caldey).

Grassholm

A boat trip round Grassholm is without doubt the most exciting wildlife
spectacle in Wales. The island is fìrst seen surrounded by a cloud of
gannets departing, returning or just hanging in the air above the colony.
Closer in, the gannets plunge-dive spectacularly around the boat. The
sound and smell from the closely-packed birds is unforgettable.

There are 23 gannet colonies in Great Britain and Ireland, all on islands
with two exceptíons, one being Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire. Grassholm is
the only colony in Wales and was one of the RSPB’s first purchases, in
1948. There were 20 pairs recorded in 1860, rising to 200 in 1890. The
latest count (1999) of 30,688 breeding pairs represents 18% of the British
population and approximately 12% of the world population of this species.

The island is 14 Idlometres from the Pembrokeshtre coast and consists of
22 acres of volcanic basalt. There is currently very little vegetation left on
the island, destroyed by the successive activities of birds. In the 1800s it
was well-known as a puffln breeding colony and it is estimated that there
were 200,000 pairs breeding at the end of the I9th century. By 1934
however, puffins had crashed to 130 pairs and probably ceased breeding
altogether by 1970.

Photo: Paul Kay.

No landing, but still facing threats

In the past, landing on the island gave a unique
opportunity to visitors, as it was possible to get close
to the nesting birds and take photographs without
causing disturbance. As the colony expanded, it
became more diffìcult to land without causing
stampedes of disturbed birds, which trampled through
the middle of the colony as they attempted to become
airborne, causing consíderable damage in the process.

Gannets build their nests from seaweed, which they
collect from the surface of the sea. Unfortunately they
also collect floating plastic waste and nylon fishing line.
These are built into the nests and every year chicks
become entangled, unable to leave when ready to
fledge. At this time RSPB wardens and local naturalists
make an annual trip to the island. Although some chicks
can be released, others have starved, and it is
distressing to see these birds trapped in man’s
discarded rubbish.

The primary threat facing a colonial species is the
danger of a single catastrophic event, which could have
a severe effect on its total population. Grassholm
occupies a vulnerable location on the approaches to
Milford Haven, with its daily traffic of oil tanlcers. The
wreck of the Sea Empress in 1996 made this only too
obvious. Fortunately the disaster happened in February,
when the gannets were away from the island. It is
estimated that 72,000 tonnes of oil were released. At a
different time of year, such a spillage could be
catastrophic. In addition to the tanker traffic there are
dangers from illegal washing out of oil tanks, causing
slicks, and from oil and gas exploration.

Gannets feed on shoaling species of fish and on
discarded fìsh and offal. They therefore share their
food supply with commercial interests and although the
present expanding population suggests that they are
not currently limited by food supply, this is a subject
which conservationists will continue to monitor. The
RSPB works to influence policies in the marine
environment to ensure that the island and its amazing
gannet colony can continue to flourish.

Boat trips to Grassholm

Dale Sailing runs daily boat trips around the island, a
two-hour trip which is advertised on their website

www.dale-sailing.co.uk

Caldey and St Margaret's Islands

Caldey is the most populated and most visited island off the
Welsh coast. It is only 640 acres but has a large monastery,
built for over 100 monks and seminaries but occupied
today by only around 20 or so monks, and a complex of
‘yillage’ cottages, a number of larger houses and a
substantial farm. The southern part is geologically old red
sandstone whilst the north and eastern parts are
carboniferous limestone which has been extensively
quarried in the past.

The wildlife habitat has been modified agreat deal by
farming activities, by tree planting in the last century or so
and by the infrastructure supporting the thousands of day
vìsitors. As a result Caldey is a mosaic of woodland (mainly
sycamore but some conifers), open fìelds (luckily hardly
affected by fertilizers or herbicides and consequently quite
herb rich), gardens and mainly natural but rank coastal
slope vegetation. Grazing of the cliff tops is by cattle, about
90 on 400 acres, with sheep as well in winter sometimes.

No rabbits, mice or voles

The island’s only large mammals are grey seals, frequently
seen on the south side near the lighthouse, but only a few
breed. Interestingly, there are no small mammals other than
rats and recently introduced hedgehogs. In the past rabbits
were abundant but were greatly reduced by the fìrst
myxomatosis outbreaks in the early 1950s. Brother James
then poisoned the remainder, quite a feat given Caldey's
size and complexity! The arrival of rats eliminated th.e puffìn
colonies on the southern slopes (a few souls still daim to
remember the last pairs breedîng there) but the colonies of
herring gulls are the largest in Wales - currently just over
2,000 pairs. Other seabirds include a slowly expanding
lesser black-backed gull colony (but still only around 600
pairs), a few great black-backed gulls, a very small and new
kittiwake colony, around 20 guillemots, 70 razorbills, 10
pairs of shags and 120 pairs of fulmars.

Around the coast there are some 20 pairs of
oystercatchers, and several pairs of shelduclt breed each
year under the dense gorse on the southern slopes. The
diffs support ravens and an occasional pair of peregrine and
chough. The big difference in the avifauna is the greater
variety of breeding land birds than on the other Welsh
islands - chaffìnches abound, there are blue and great tits,
robins and house sparrows, magpies and swifts.
Sparrowhawks coast through the woodland glades and try

their luck with greenfinches and abundant chiffchaffs,
blaclccaps and whitethroats. It’s ail very different to the
wilder islands, but nonetheless a marvellous place to
browse in - the orchids can be fantastic in spring and the
bluebells actually grow in the woodland!

In total contrast, across a low tide (terribly dangerous) reef
at the western tip of Caldey, is the tiny island of
St Margaret’s. It is a Wildlife Trust reserve with thriving
seabird colonies. Despite a huge rat populatîon, it holds one
of the largest Welsh colonies of cormorants (up to 300 pairs
but mostly around 150 pairs) and even a gannet which has
taken residence in the last few years. There are up to 800
guillemots (decimated to 180 by the Seo Empress oil spill
but recovering well), 300 razorbills, 200 pairs of herring
gulls and 70 of great black-backed, plus a few kittiwakes,
puffìns and shags.

Visiting

St Margaret’s is best seen from one of the boats which
regularly go around both islands from Tenby, as landing here
is generally not allowed. Caldey is a ‘must visit’ place - the
best place for migrants is the common, near the lighthouse
and around the farm; anything can turn up on this
underwatched island. Steve Sutcliffe’s list includes hoopoe,
wryneck, red-backed shrike, yellow-browed warbler,
fìrecrest, alpine swift, and Dalmatian pelican!

O amgylch yr ynysoedd

Gwales

Erbyn 1999, roedd 30,688 pâr o fulfrain llwyd yn
magu ar Ynys Gwales - 18% o’r boblogaeth Brydeinig
a 12% o boblogaeth y byd. Mae cymdeithas yr RSPB
yn cadw llygad rhag nifer o fygythiadau - olew,
gorbysgota a’r plastig a llinellau neilon sydd ynghanol y
gwymon y mae’r adar yn ei ddefnyddio i nythu.

Ynys Bŷr a St Margaret

Er gwaetha’ effaith ffermio a thwristiaeth, ar Ynys Bŷr
y mae casgliad mwya’ Cymru o wylanod penwaig yn
magu (2000 o barau) ynghyd â 600 pâr o wylanod
cefnddu, ac ychydig adar môr eraill. Mae St Margaret’s
gerllaw’n warchodfa gyda rhwng 150 a 300 pâr o
filidowcar, 300 llurs a phoblogaeth dda o wylog, sy’n
adennill tir ar ôl trychnieb y Sea Empress.

Ffoto: Elinor Gwynn.

Can mai hoff gynefin
creadur arbennig yw
arfordir meddal sy ’n
debygol o ddisgyn i’r môr,
yna pa obaith sydd yna
iddo oroesi? Dyma erthygl
gan Elinor Gwynn yn
trafod hynt a helynt
gwenynen durio fechan
sydd, yn llythrennol, bron â
disgyn dros y dibyn.

Carped oflodau pys y ceirw ar ben y
chguryni - prifblanhigyn bwyd Osmia
xanthomelana ym Mhorth Neigwl.

O s oes yna greadur sy’n haeddu’r teitl heddiw o fod yn un ‘Cymreig’,
gwenynen fach euraid sy’n nythu ym mhen draw Penrhyn Llŷn ydy
hwnnw!

Gwenynen durio yw hon, Osmìa xanthomelana, un o nîfer o fathau
gwahano! o wenyn turio ym Mhrydain. Mae’r math yma o wenyn yn
gweithio ar eu pennau eu hunain i adeiladu nythod unigol bychain mewn
tyllau, yn hytrach na chydweithio yn un haid neu dylwyth mawr, fel y
wenynen fêl, i adeiladu nythod cymdeithasol. Ond o’r holl wenyn turio
sydd i’w cael ym Mhrydain, Osmia xanthomelana yw’r brinnaf. Hyd y
gwyddom, dim ond mewn dau le y mae hon i’w chanfod bellach trwy
Brydain gyfan, ac mae’r ddau safle hwnnw yng nghyffìniau Porth Neigwl, i’r
gorllewin o Abersoch ym Mhenrhyn Llŷn.

Mae’r elfen ‘xantho’ yn yr enw Lladin yn disgrifìo lliw oren-felyn llachar y
blew hir sy’n gorchuddio cefn, neu thoracs, y wenynen. Tywyll yw gweddill
y corff blewog, ar y cyfan, ond mae’r twffyn bach yma o flew euraid yn
fflachio’n danbaid ac yn amlwg fel darn o gopor yn erbyn y tywod llwydaidd
wrth i'r wenynen hedfan yn brysur ar hyd y clogwyni.

Nythu mewn deunydd meddal tywodlyd y mae Osmìa xanthomelana. Yn y
gorffennol, cofnodwyd presenoldeb y wenynen mewn sawl ardal ym
Mhrydain - ar hyd y darnau o arfordiroedd meddal yn bennaf (gweler
map I). Fel yr awgryma’r map dosbarthiad, nid yw’r rhywogaeth yma

erioed wedi bod yn un gyffredin. Yng Nghymru,
cofnodwyd Osmia xanthomelana yng Nghricieth, Nefyn
a Phwllheli rhwng 1898 a 1921. Er 1990, prinhau’n
ddifrifol ar hyd a lled Prydain wnaeth y wenynen hon a
bellach mae cryn bryder am ei dyfodol hi yng Nghymru,
ac o ganlyniad ym Mhrydain gyfan, ac yng ngweddill
Ewrop. Nid yw’r rhesymau am ei phrinhad wedi cael eu
cofnodi yn dda ond mae’n debyg eu bod yn cynnwys
diflaniad cynefìn addas ar glogwyni meddal o ganlyniad i
erydiad neu ddiffyg rheolaeth, ynghyd â diflaniad y
blodau gwyllt sy’n brif ffynhonnel! o fwyd iddi.

Dosbarthiad y wenynen durio Osmia xanthomelana yn y DU

Er bod dosbarthiad y urenytm hon wedi bod ynfwy eangytt ygorffennol
mae hi bellach wedi ei chyfyngu iglogwyni meddai ar Benrhyn Llŷn ac
efallai i safe ar Ynys Wyth, er nad yw hí wedi cael ei chofnodi yno ers 1994,
Daw’r map yma o Howe (2003).

Tua 100km o glogwyni meddal sydd yma yng Nghymru.
Mae’r rhan fwyaf ohonynt ym Mhenrhyn Llŷn, Bro
Gŵyr ac ar hyd arfordir Ceredigion (Howe 2003).

Dyma gynefìn sy’n hynod o bwysig i greaduriaid
di-asgwrn-cefn ac mae’r enghreifftiau ym Mhenrhyn
Llŷn ymhlith y gorau oll. Ar y penrhyn hwn ceir darnau
helaeth o glogwyni meddal mewn lleoedd fel Porth
Dinllaen, Nefyn, Porth Pistyll, Porthoer a Phorth
Neigwl. Deunydd a adawyd gan rewlifìau sydd yn
ffurfio’r clogwyni hyn - cymysgedd o glai, tywod a
cherigos yn bennaf. Mae Porth Neigwl yn arddangos yr
amrywiaeth ardderchog o fân-gynefmoedd sydd i’w
gweld weithiau ar y math hwn o glogwyn. Yma, er
enghraifft, fe welir ardaloedd o ‘bridd' noeth, llystyfìant

newydd sy'n llawn blodau gwyllt, hen dywarchen a
hefyd ffrydiau bach o ddŵr yn trylifo i lawr dros rannau
o’r llethr. Y gymysgfa yma sy’n gwneud y safleoedd hyn
yn rhai mor arbennig ar gyfer trychfilod.

Ac mae dau lecyn bach ar hyd y clogwyni yma, ar ochr
ddeheuol Penrhyn Llŷn, yn sicr yn cynnig pob dim sydd
ei angen ar Osmia xanthomelana - ar hyn o bryd beth
bynnag. Tywod noeth, gwledd o flodau pys y ceirw
Lotus corniculatus a thrylifìadau bach lleidiog - dyma rai
o elfennau mwyaf allweddol y cynefìn o safbwynt
anghenion y wenynen fach hon. Cyn ei hailddarganfod
ar Benrhyn Llỳn yn 1998, roedd y wenynen hon wedi
bod yn absennol o’i hunig safleoedd Prydeinig (ar Ynys
Wyth) ers pum mlynedd wedi i ran o glogwyn ddisgyn.
Dychmygwch y cyffro ymysg y gweithwyr o
Amgueddfa Lerpwl pan welsant ddwy wenynen
fenywaidd yn hedfan ar y clogwyni ger Abersoch yn ôl
yn 1998 - y cofnod cyntaf yng Nghymru er 1921, a
thystiolaeth bendant nad oedd Osmia xanthomelana
wedi mynd ar ddifancoll, fel yr oedd pawb wedi ofni!

Yn ystod y pedair blynedd ddiwethaf, gwnaethpwyd
mwy o arolygon mewn sawl ardal ym Mhrydain er
mwyn ceisio darganfod poblogaethau eraill o Osmia
xanthomelana. Ond ofer fu’r chwilio ac y mae’r gwaith
arolwg wedi cadarnhau fod y wenynen fach hon, mae'n
debyg, yn gyfyngedig bellach i’r ddau leoliad yma ar
Benrhyn Llŷn. Yn y naill le a’r llall mae'r gwenyn yn
creu eu tyllau nythu mewn banciau bychain o dywod
agored. Yn aml byddant yn cychwyn turio wrth fôn
gweiriau fel yr amdowellt Lymus arenarius a’r hesgen
arfor Carex arenaria lle mae’r gwynt wedi gwneud i’r
planhigion chwyrlio a chreu pant bychan lle caiff y
gwenyn wedyn fan cychwyn i dyllu ymhellach i’r pridd
tywodlyd ac at y gwreiddiau.

Yn y prif safle, mae’r gwenyn yn nythu gerllaw rhannau
o glogwyn sydd â thrylifiadau bach lleidiog yn llifo o’r tir
ac i lawr ar hyd yr wyneb i'r traeth islaw. Yn y
llecynnau gwlyb yma bydd y gwenyn yn hel pellenni
bach o fwd - weithiau’n fwd sych ac weithiau'n fwd
gwlyb, ac yn eu cario yn ôl i’r twll rhwng y malwyr
(mandiblau) ar eu genau. Gyda’r pellenni bach ymafe
fyddant yn adeiladu waliau’r celloedd o fewn y nyth.

Ffoto: Elinor Gwynn.

Bydd clwstwr o’r rhain yn cael eu hadeiladu ac o fewn
pob un ohonynt bydd unŵy yn cael ei ddodwy, gyda
storfa fach o ‘fara gwenyn'. Mae’r 'bara’ yn gymysgedd
o baill a neithdar wedi ei hel o flodau pys y ceirw ac
weithiau, gan y gwrywod, o flodau’r gwalchlys garw
Crepìs biennis (Clee & Green 2002). Bydd gwreiddiau’r
planhigion cyfagos yn aml yn cael eu cynnwys o fewn
waliau mwd y celloedd wyau er mwyn eu cryfhau a’u
dal yn eu lle.

Nifer fechan iawn o’r gwenyn sydd yn y ddau leoliad
yma ym Mhenrhyn Llŷn. Er mai yn unigol ac yn
annibynnol y bydd gwenyn turio fel rheoì yn adeiladu ac
yn defnyddio’u nythod, fe all nifer ohonynt weithiau fod
yn defnyddio’r un ardal ar gyfer nythu a bwydo, gan
greu’r argraff eu bod yn tyrru’n gymdeithasol fel y
gwenyn mêl. O bryd i’w gilydd gwelir mwy nag un
wenynen Osmia xanthomelana yn defnyddio’r un twll
nythu, sy’n cryfhau’r argraff hon.

Clogiv)>ni meddal Porth Neigud.

Am ba hyd tybed y bydd y lleoliadau yma yng ngogledd
orllewin Cymru yn parhau i fod yn addas ar gyfer y
wenynen brin hon? Er bod rhywfaint o erydiad yn
hanfodol er mwyn creu llecynnau addas ar gyfer nythu,
mae erydiad rhannau helaeth o glogwyni yn fygythiad i
ddyfodol Osmia xanthomelana. Roedd rhai o’r nythod a
ddarganfuwyd y llynedd o fewn darn o dir arfordirol a
oedd wedi syrthio rhan o'r ffordd i lawr wyneb y
clogwyn yn ystod stormydd y gaeaf blaenorol -
un gaeaf aral! ac efallai y bydd y ddaear yma wedi
diflannu yn gyfan gwbl! Mae angen cadw’r llystyfiant yn
agored hefyd, trwy bori fel rheol, er mwyn creu
banciau agored o dywod lle gall y gwenyn yma nythu.

Hawdd yw gweld felly bod y perygl o golli cynefin,
trwy or-dyfiant, neu trwy gwymp y clogwyni i lawr i’r
môr, yn rhywbeth sy’n wynebu’r creadur hwn yn
feunyddiol. Mae’r gwenyn yma hefyd i’w gweld yn
gyndyn i symud i ardaloedd newydd cyfagos sydd yn
ymddangos, i ni beth bynnag, yn addas ar eu cyfer.

Yr her ‘nawr yw ceisio sicrhau y bydd digon o gynefin
addas, a chyflyrau angenrheidiol eraill, yn parhau i fod
ar gael ar gyfer y creadur bach hwn yn agos at ei
safleoedd nythu presennol, fel y gall wynebu dyfodol
mwy sicr na’r un sydd o’i flaen ar hyn o bryd.

Mac Elinor Gwynn yn gweithio yn rhan amser fel
Uwch Swyddog i’r Cyngor Cefn Gwlad yng Ngogledd
Orllewin Cymru.

Cyfeiriadau a ffynonellau:

Clee C & Green T The status and ecology ofthe mason bee
Osmia xanthomelana Kirby at coastal soft diffsites on the Uŷn
peninsula, Adroddiad Gwyddonol trwy Gytundeb, Rhif 524,
CCGC 2002. Dosbarthiad cyfyngedíg

Howe M, Coastal Soft Cliffs and their Importance for lnvertebrates,
British Wildlife Cyf, 14 Rhif 5, Mehefìn 2003 (tud 323-332)

Living on the edge

On the soft coastal cliffs of the Llŷn peninsula are
possibly Britain’s last two populations of a mason
bee, Osrnia xanthomelana. It was thought extinct in
Britain after the collapse of its last known
population on the Isle of Wight in 1993 but two
females, with their bright golden backs, were
spotted wíth much excitement near Abersoch five
years later - the fìrst recorded sighting in Wales
since 1921. The bees need sites with sandy banks, a
feast of common bird’s-foot trefoil and muddy
seepages. From here the bees collect tiny pellets of
mud and use them to build solitary nests in bare
sand on soft cliffs, often at the base of plants so the
roots are incorporated into the nest walls. An egg is
laid into each cell, along with a store of‘bee’s
bread’ - a mixture of pollen and nectar from the
nearby trefoil. It’s uncertain how long the bees can
remaìn here. Some erosion is necessary to create
the right habitat conditions, but too much could
lead to the colonies collapsing into the sea. The
vegetation needs to be kept open by grazing. The
current challenge is to maintain sufficient suitable
habitat nearby, should this tíny creature need it.

Ancient woodland at Tycanol.

Photo: ADAS.

Once nature was seen as
the enemy of the farmer.
But it is only in particular
places that wildlife habitats
are constantly battling to
re-assert themselves. If
those areas are targeted
for special management,
they could bring major
biodiversity gains; but they
could also be restored to
nature at no cost, and
often at a benefit to
farmers and rural
communities, as Sarah
Hetherington explains.

W ales is blessed with some remarkable wildlife sites that have

escaped the worst ravages of intensive land use. Take the almost
pristine ancient woodland at Tŷcanol in Pembrolceshire for example, or the
Dyfi Estuary - an internationally important wetland reserve - or Cors
Caron near Tregaron, one of the fînest examples of a raised bog anywhere
in Europe. These are priceless natural assets in a landscape where the
intensifìcation of both agriculture and forestry and the trend towards
monocultures have resulted in a general decline and loss of traditional
wildlife and habitats.

Forestry and agriculture in Wales are increasingly influenced by global
market forces and stand on the threshold of radical change. Are we at a
point where there might be real opportunities for enhancing our national
biodiversity as well as reversing the long decline in rural populations?

Agriculture has recently faced acute problems such as the Foot and Mouth
crisis, and these have raised searching questions about farming practices
and their impact on the Welsh landscape. There is a new recognìtion that
environmental conservation policies can bring social and economic benefìts
to a working landscape and provide greater sustainability. Research has
shown that programmes like Tir Cymen — the pilot scheme that preceded
Tir Gofal - create new jobs and stìmulate the wider rural economy.

There are always choices and questions of priority. The key issue is
whether to concentrate environmental management on the protection of

Photo: Archic Miles.

Cutting hedges the traditional way . ..

top wildlife sites - which could add to the already
highly fragmented pattern of habitats - or to try to
integrate environmental management into a wider
working landscape with the aim of having small, but
widespread, biodiversity gains.

A targeting approach

ln the past, conservation management has been
targeted onto a suîte of the best conservation sites.

This needs to continue, but management practices
which increase the wildlife value of areas currently less
rich in wildlife could give the best results for
biodiversity in the longer term.

Such areas fall into three categories. Transitional zones
such as the moorland edge, which acts as a buffer zone
between intensively farmed lowlands and more
extensive moorland, can be managed to help the top
sites withstand the pressures of change. Restoration
areas already have some species of value, such as
remnants of heather on moorland, and can be managed
to encourage these. New locations can be targeted to
enable habitats and species to respond to change, for
example by moving to higher locations in response to
global warming.

.,. proirides sheiter for wildlife.

The guiding principle should be to identify places which
are constantly trying to become the wildlife-rich
habitats they once were, and which can only be
agriculturally productive through the constant input of
fertilizers, energy and money, often through subsidies.
Such areas, often on thin or acid soils, at high altitudes
or on steep slopes, are the most practicable, cost-
effective and easy areas to target.

Socio-economic impacts

Changes in land management will also have socio-
economic impacts on rural communities. There are a
series of approaches which are lilcely to have positive
benefìts.

• Increase the use of sldlls like hedge-laying and
coppicing and use materials and equipment
produced within the rural community (eg fence
posts and wooden gates).

• Direct conservation activities to those areas of
previously intensively managed land that sustain the
greatest loss within the farming system.

• Select sites which will not adversely affect the rural
community's social and economic activities.

• Encourage diversifìcation of rural enterprises, for
example promoting increased tourism opportunities
within forestry areas. Coed y Brenin in north Wales
provides a model for this.

&

Photo: CCW.

1

I

Win-win situations

"lo what extent are social and economic benefìts
compatible with enhanced bíodiversity? Are areas
with potential for greater environmental gain the
same as those in which management changes would
have a positive, or at least no negative, social and
economic impact?

In some cases it seems possible. Limiting agricultural
inputs and management onto the most productive areas
on farms could result in gains for biodiversity at the
same time as reducing costs and therefore increasing
profìt. But how widely applicable is this, and would it
apply equally to arable, grass and horticultural systems?

Consider wetland on all-grassland farms. Fencing out
these areas for environmental conservation could
reduce fluke problems for livestocl< and eliminate the
diminishing returns of using fertiliser on agriculturally
marginal land. These fenced out areas could provide
good habitat for snipe and other wetland birds.
However, it may not be that simple. To achieve the
best biodiversity gains, some wetter areas of grassland
may require targeted summer cattle grazing. Stock
would then still be vulnerable to fluke and, in non-
organic systems, would need drenching with a
fluldcide, which could lessen the positive impacts of
changing management in relation to economic activity.

Broadening river corridors and fìeld boundaries as part
of linked farm trails, fenced off from livestock, can

provide additional gains for biodiversity. It allows
tourists and other visitors, such as parties of school
children, to enjoy the attractions of the enclosed
conservation areas without interfering with ongoing
farming activities. For example, Tynyrhelyg in
Llanrhystud, an organic farm with a Tir Gofal
agreement, has a farm trail including streamside and
hedgerow corridors and fenced-out woodland which
approximates to ten percent of the farmland area.

This approach can have additional benefìts especially
when river corridors and boundaries along the farm
trail have a high proportion of mature trees such as oak
and laburnum, which produce material poisonous to
farm livestock. Every autumn when there is a rich
harvest of acorns, farmers can lose lambs that feed on
them and, although the threat of laburnum and ivy is
often over-stated, seeds and berries can pose a threat
to vulnerable stock.

Where arable or fruit and vegetable crops are grown,
hedgerows rich in flora provide habitats for natural
crop pest predators, as well as attracting pollinating
insects. For example, 15 flowering plants attract
anthrocorid, a wide-ranging predator that attacks pests
such as pear sucker nymphs Psyllid. Corn marigold,
cornflower, corn camomile and Phaecelìa (Bee’s friend)
attract predators like ladybirds (both the beetle and
larvae eat aphids) and lacewings (the larva of green
lacewing feed on aphids). Benefìcial parasitoid wasps

&

are particularly attracted by umbelliferae such as
hogweed and whorled caraway. Windbreak trees are
also valuable - especially alder, which attracts the
black-kneed capsid.

For field vegetables, flower mixtures can be sown in
the fìeld margins, along the headlands or in strips
across the fìeld to attract beneficial insects. When the
usual ‘herbicide strip' was replaced with an
undersowing of a flower mixture during pest control
trials at the East Maliing orchards, researchers found
that pest populations were reduced by approximately
50%. This could have positive economic benefits.

With their characteristically awkward shapes,
occasional roclcy outcrops and sinuous undulations, the
variety in the shapes and sizes of arable and
horticultural fields ín Wales provides an opportunity
which may not be present in the intensively cropped
areas of England. Parts of cultivated fìelds that are
heavily shaded or suffer drought caused by large trees,
or which are naturally poorly drained or steeply
sloped, can provide valuable sites for biodiversity.

In these situations it is unlikely that the whole fìeld
would be planted with an arable or vegetable crop
since it would not be economically viable. More
$ensitive management of these uncropped areas could
provide real gains for biodiversity without affecting the
economic activity of the farm holding.

There seems to be great potential in linking areas of
possible economic loss to management for greater
biodiversity gain. With the right targeting we would
find ourselves in a win-win situation - maximising gains
for biodiversity in addition to social and economic
benefìts. Potentially this could result in systems of
Welsh farming that are economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable.

Dr Sarah Hetherington is currcntly leading the
enẃonmental research programme at Pwllpeiran for
ADAS Wales. She would like to thank David Frost for
his comments on the manuscript.

Whorled caraway.

Ffermio er lles natur
a chymunedau

Wrth i amaeth a choedwigaeth ddod i
groesffordd, gall rheolaeth well ar ardaloedd llaí
cyfoethog eu bywyd gwyllt fod yn fwy buddiol
na chanolbwyntio’n llwyr ar y safleoedd gorau.
Mae budd economaidd yn gallu deillio o newid
rheolaeth tir ac mewn rhai llefydd byddai’r
enillion hyn ac enillion amgylcheddol yn cyd-
daro. Byddai canolbwyntio adnoddau
amaethyddol ar rannau mwya’ cynhyrchiol
ffermydd yn hwb i fioamrywiaeth ac yn gostwng
costau. Er enghraifft, mae rhai planhigion gwyllt
yn help i reoli trychfüod dinistriol ac eraill yn
denu creaduriaid Llesol. Mae tir gwlyb, creigiog
neu serth yn anodd ei ffermio ond yn cynnig
cyfle i fyd natur. Lle gallai mes ac aeron
wenwyno anifeiliaid, mae’n bosib ffensio i greu
llwybrau natnr. Mae’r potensial mwya’ i’wweld
o nabod ardaloedd sy’n ddrud i’w ffermio, a’u
rheoli er lles bioamrywiaeth. O dargedu’n gywir,
gallwn ennill ddwyffordd.

Photo:Joanna M. Robertson.

A jiuctuating pied flycatcher population

O ver recent years there has been a reported decline in the breeding
status of pied flycatcher (Fícedula hypoleuca ) in some parts of Great
Britain. Lander’s long term project in the Forest of Dean (BTO, Ringer’s
Bulletin, Autumn, 1999) demonstrated a decline in nest box occupancy
during the 1990s. Other ringers and nest recorders have recently reported
similar trends from localities such as Co. Durham, the Welsh Marches and
Dumfries (BTO, RAS Newsletter, March, 2001). In Wales, the RSPB
Reserve at Cwm Clydach in the Swansea Valley showed a decline from
circa 100 breeding pairs in the I990s to 60 in 2000, with a further drop to
about 50 pairs in 2003 (M. Humphreys, pers. comm.).

Since 1984 I have monitored a small pied flycatcher population at Golden
Grove Country Parl< (GGCP), Carmarthenshire. Prior to 1984, breeding of
this West African migrant species had not been reported in the park.

GGCP consists principally of parkland habitat, being situated in the grounds
of a former country house estate (40ha). An arboretum and two small
alder woodlands also provide suitable sites for nestboxes.

From 1984, the original number of nestboxes (18) gradually increased to a
maximum of 49 in the period 1996-2001. Boxes were installed at an
average height of 3.7m and the pîed flycatcher population increased rapidly
from 5 pairs in 1984, to a maximum of 20 pairs in 1988. Over an eleven
year period from 1987 to 1997 the population remained relatively stable,

&

For twenty years Tony
Jenkins has been recording
the breeding success of
pied flycatchers at a
Camarthenshire country
park. The population has
fluctuated but the
underlying trend is not easy
to discern, as he reports.

Photo: Trevor Williams.

Number of breeding pairs

averaging 16.6 pairs (see graph). From the onset of my
nestbox scheme, inspection of the boxes on a weekly
basis involved the use of a cumbersome 12 foot ladder.
By 1998, at the tender age of 57, the novelty of
carrying this ladder around the park for 4 hours during
each visit, over a fìfteen year period, had somewhat
worn off! Consequently, I re-installed all the tit boxes
at an average height of 2m prior to the 1999 breeding
season in order that monitoring could be undertaken
with a small stepladder. From 1998, results have
indicated a general decline in nestbox occupancy to
only 7 pairs in 2001, the lowest number since the
scheme began in 1984.

Golden Grove Country Park, Llandeilo.

Pied flycatcher nestbox occupancy 1984-2003.

In 2001, Foot and Mouth restrictions probably affected
data collection from many similar long term population
studies. However, I was fortunate enough to continue
my recording during that period by kind permission of
the owners of GGCP (Carmarthenshire County
Council). I therefore have an uninterrupted data set
from 1984 to 2003.

During 2002, 12 pairs bred in the park, indicating a
hopefully improving situation. However, by 2003 the
number of breeding pairs had fallen to 9, suggesting
that the recovery in 2002 was short lived. Compared
to the relatively stable population up to 1997, the

following six year period has shown a mean reduction
in the number of breeding pairs to 9.2. It is worth
noting that although pied flycatchers generally prefer
nest sites at high levels in trees, the decline in my
population began before boxes were relocated at
lower heights.

Notwithstanding Foot and Mouth restrictions, I would
be interested to know if other workers have recorded
similar trends in pied flycatcher populations over the
past 20 years.

Tony Jenkins is a consultant hydrobíologist with a
longstanding interest in monitoring bird populations.
Please send records to: 60 Heol GofFa, Llanelli,
Carmarthenshire SA15 3LS

Gwybedog yn Heihau

Mae Tony Jenldns eisiau gwybod a oes pobl eraill
wedi sylwi ar leihad yn niferoedd y gwybedog
brith. Wrth wylio’r adar mewn blychau nythu ym
Mharc Gwledig Gellí Aur ger Llandeilo, gwelodd
gyfartaledd cymharol sefydlog o 16.6 pâr yn nythu
yno bob blwyddyn rhwng 1987 ac 1997. Yn y
chwe blynedd ers hynny, nrae’r cyfartaledd wedi
syrthio i 9.2 pâr.

o

Photo: Trcvor Williains.

At home on the reserve

Äbout 1,500 words, managing
a reserve from the farmers
viewpoint.’ 'But we don’t
manage the reserve. ’ ‘Well
helpmg manage a reserve
then.’ ‘But we’re not a proper
farmers.' ‘The reserve doesn't
know that. ’ ‘I think the older
cattle have their suspicions. ’
Eventually David and Liz
Woolley ran out of excuses.

T wenty years ago it was just Llawrcwrt, a 230 acre farm that had been
run down over the years and eventually sold to another local farmer.

In the centre of the farm was about 25 hectares of what is called Rhos
pasture. This is mainly tussocky damp grassland with some rushes, but at
Llawrcwrt there are glacial remains called pingoes which have drier patches
and there is a mosaic of several well-deflned plant communities.
Surrounding this area was another 25 hectares of semi-improved but very
rushy grassland. Much of this had been ploughed during the 1939-45 war
to grow cereal crops, On a bank to the north of the site there is an oak
wood of one and a half hectares and about half a hectare of gorse and
scrub. There were also 20 hectares of dry leve! fìelds around the farmstead
down to fairly old permanent leys.

Not requiring another house and buildíngs, the new owner sold these to us
together with a number of adjoining fìelds. When we arrived the Rhos
pasture had recently been found to be home to an impressive population
of marsh fritillary butterflies, and the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC)
was in the process of designating the Rhos pasture as an SSSI. This was
done and shortly afterwards it was purchased by them and designated as a
Nationa! Nature Reserve. So we had ‘The Conservation’ as neighbours,
and as we were interested we were asked to become voluntary wardens

o

All cattlc photos: D & L Woolley.

of the reserve. We were provided with a rather
daunting ‘Wardens’ Handbook’, a warrant card and a
badge. Dipping into the handbook the first thing I saw
was instructions for action to be taken in the event of
discovering a dead body on the reserve. Having
thereby established that the handbook was very
comprehensive, it was placed in a drawer where it
remained until superseded by a slender document
seven years later when CCW came into being. They
did not concern themselves with the dead, but,
possibly encouraged by the Health and Safety
Executive, offered more useful advice on practîcal day-
to-day matters.

Marsh frìtillaty butterfly.

Photo: CCW.

The management of the site posed immediate
problems for the NCC. The site was clearly in an
appropriate condition and had a large population of
butterfiies. The new owner of the semi-improved land
around the reserve had undertaken a certain amount
of drainage and the liltely effect of this on the reserve
was unknown. As far as could be established the
management regime for the previous twenty or thirty
years had been sticking some fìfty ponies on the site
over the winter months. Unfortunately, due to lack of
fencing they were free to graze improved and
unimproved fìelds at will, so an assessment of past
grazing levels was at best speculative. For the last
couple of years the site had been lightly grazed in the
summer only by suckler cows and calves. The marsh

fritillary population had been high in 1984 and then
suffered a crash in 1985 as the parasitic wasp had taken
over. This is a quite normal cycle however and the
suclder cow grazing regime continued for the next six
years at a low level, and the butterfly numbers
gradually recovered, reaching a new peak in 1991.

Cattle farming was reasonably profitable during the late
1980s and the NCC was able to charge a rent for
summer grazing, The farmer who had originally
purchased the farm provided the suckler cows and
calves from June to October and they did well.

1991 saw the formation of The Countryside Council
for Wales and David Wheeler arrived as the new
Warden for the South Ceredigion and North
Pembrokeshire NNRs.lt also coincided with the marsh
frítillary becoming rather a fashionable butterfly. David
was able to take advantage of this situation and actively
promoted the purchase of the semi-improved fìelds
and woodland around the existing reserve. The object
was to provide a buffer and a testing ground for the
reversion of ‘improved’ land to Rhos pasture. The
existing grazier was phasing out his suckler herd, but
was able to provide strong store cattle to graze these
‘improved’ fìelds. There were a lot of rushes and they
didn’t look very promising, but for two or three years
the cattle did remarkably well on them. By this time
we had built up a small herd of Welsh Blaclts and we
tool< over the summer grazing of the original reserve.
Very satisfactory for us as it freed our own fìelds for
conservation and enabled us to increase our herd.

Worl< in other parts of the country had suggested that
quite high grazing levels in the order of 0.75 livestock
units/ha/annum were necessary to keep marsh fritiilary
habitat in good condition; and much store was set on
grazing by ponies. As the reserve was thought to be
getting a bit too lush, some winter grazing by about 20
ponies was introduced in 1993 between November
and March. After 5 years it became apparent that the
ponies were rather too selective and quite sizable areas
were becoming quite seriously poached by March.

Pony grazing was reduced and after the winter of
1998/9 stopped except for up to four ponies owned by
us and friends.

By 1994 it was apparent that the improved fields were
not providing suffìcient keep for the store cattle; the
grazier withdrew and a replacement was not
forthcoming, Cattle farming was entering a very
diffìcult period and we were unable to expand our
numbers with our existing cost structure. As CCW had
an absolute requirement for grazing they waived the
rent and we were able to provide some grazing over
the whole reserve, but at lower levels than was
thought optimum. This was not a problem unique to
Llawrcwrt and CCW had several small reserves that
would benefìt from grazing, where it had proved
impossible to fìnd graziers. Under these circumstances
it was decided that CCW would purchase a number of
cattle that would be based at Llawrcwrt, but could be
placed on other reserves as necessary. These would
supplement the cattle provided by us. It was thought
that Hîghland cattle would be suitable as it was likely
that they could be outwintered. This allowed
appropriate grazing levels to be maintained at
Llawrcwrt through the Foot and Mouth disease period.
Subsequent restrictions on movements have curtailed
grazing on other reserves. We were contracted to
manage the CCW herd.

The question of outwintering and supplementary
feeding was a potential problem and in the event the

cows with calves are inwintered with our herd, and
only a small number of growing cattle are outwintered
and fed big bale siieage on an area of hard-standing
adjoining ‘improved’ fìelds. The calves are weaned
round about Christmas and the aim is to calve from
mid-April after the cows have been put out. At the
moment our Welsh Black bull is covering the Highland
cattle. The resulting calves grow reasonably well and so
far all have been taken on to about 18 months before
being sold as stores.

What of the butterflies over twenty years of changing
ownership and grazing regimes? As indicated earlier the
marsh fritillary is subject to dramatic population crashes
from time to time. We count butterflies over the flight
period under specifìed conditions and work out an
annual ‘index’ for the population. The maximum and
minimum indices over the last twenty years are: 1,957
and 28. There have been three “crashes”. Under such
circumstances butterfly numbers from year to year are
no guide to the soundness of the management. The
vegetation height and abundance of the food plant are
monitored, and over the years we think we have
developed an eye for what looks about right. The
secret is not to make too many changes at any one time
and only alter grazing levels slowly from year to year.

Photo: Martin Warren/Buttcrfly Conscrvation.

What have been the benefìts to us? We started with
quite a lot of buildings and only 30 acres. By having the
use of the reserve for summer grazing we are able to
make a lot of winter feed, and we are consequently
able to stocl< at a higher level without much increase in
overheads. We have a surplus of conserved feed that
we can sell, and from having a few cattle that covered
their costs if we were lucky, we now have a slightly
profitable enterprise under somewhat artifìcial
circumstances. This has been achieved during a darl<
period for farming. The other great benefìt is that we
have a large area of pleasant upland adjoining the farm,
which we are able to enjoy, owned by good neighbours
who are unlikely to bother or annoy us, and the
situation is unlikely to change.

And a little agricultural footnote. The drainage that took
place in the early 1980s has probably on balance been
benefìcial. The higher land to the south of the reserve is
fairly intensively farmed, and the ditches have prevented
possible nutrient run off that would have altered the
nature of the reserve. So it’s not always bad!

David and Liz Woolley have farmed at Llawrcwrt for 20
years. David has monitored the marsh fritillaries on the
reserve since 1984 and has been involved in marsh
fritillary site surveys in south Wales. Liz has thoroughly
researched the history of the farm, which was given to
Cisterian monks by Êingjohn. She has a keen interest in
Welsh language and literature.

A ‘web’ of marsh fritUary caterpillars.

Det'il’s Bit Scabious, food plant of the marsh fritillary.

Byw gyda gwarchodfa

Er gwaetha’ problemau byd ffermio, mae David a
Liz Wolley wedi troi tyddyn 30 erw yn fenter
weddol broffidiol ... yn rhannol oherwydd eu bod
yn ffmio â gwarchodfa natur. Pan symudon nhw i
Lawrcwrt, roedd y Cyngor Gwarchod Natur
wrthi’n piynu darn o rostir a’i ddynodi’n SoDdGA
Gwarchodfa, oherwydd poblogaeth werthfawr o
loyn brith y gors, Fe ddaeth y Wooleys yn
wardeiniaid gwirfoddol ac, ymhen blynyddoedd,
daeth eu gyrr bychan o wartheg duon Cymreig i
bori’r warchodfa, gan helpu’r gloynnod a rhoi cyfle
i gynyddu eu stoc. Newidiodd y drefn bori sawl tro
ac, yn y diwedd, prynodd y Cyngor Cefn Gwlad
nifer o wartheg Highland, gyda’r Woolleys yn cael
eu talu i ofalu amdanyn nhw. Bydd niferoedd brith
y gors yn cwympo’n ddramatig weithiau ond mae’r
Woolleys yn ffyddiog fod eu rheolaeth o’r tir yn
addas. Mae’r cyfle i bori’r warchodfa yn help i gael
elw o’r tyddyn ... ac maen nhw’n hapus gyda’u
cymdogion.

Cj>

Photo: Carolinc Bulman/Buttcrfly Conservation.

Nodiadau’r Cynulliad/Assembly Notebook

gan/by Gethyn Williams

N ewid sylweddol ers yr etholiadau ar Mai I af yw penodiad Gweinidog
newydd i’r Amgylchedd - Carwyn Jones. Er nad yw byth wedi cyrraedd
ei ddeugain, mae o’n hen law ar weithio yn y Cabinet, gan ei fod wedi bod yn
delio â Materion Gwledig, Busnes y Cynulliad, ac yn fwyaf diweddar y Brîff
Llywodraeth Agored.

Ers yr etholiad, mae seren ddisglair y Blaid Lafur bellach wrth awenau'r
portffolio newydd sy’n ymwneud â’r Amgylchedd, Cynllunio a Chefn Gwlad.
Yn syml, dyma agenda enfawr sy’n cynnwys dwy o'r adrannau gwasanaeth sifìl
mwyaf- Yr Amgyichedd a Chynllunio gydag Amaethyddiaeth a Materion
Gwledig. Mae’r ehangu yma, yn ychwanegol at y ffaith fod pwyllgorau pwnc
bellach yn gweithio o fewn patrwm tair wythnos yn hytrach nag o fewn
patrwm pythefnos (fel yr oedden nhw cyn hyn), wedí arwain rhai I boeni y
bydd materion o bwys yn dioddef oherwydd díffyg amser, ac y bydd archwilio
Gweinidogol llawn yn mynd yn fwy anodd hyd yn oed. Mae'r rhan o’r brîff sy'n
ymwneud â'r amgylchedd wedi lleihau braidd ers cyfnod Sue Essex. Rhaid
ffarwelio â thrafnidiaeth, a chaiff ei symud i stabl Datblygu Cynaliadwy dan
Andrew Davies; ac mae CADW - yr asiantaeth sy’n gorfod ysgwyddo’r baich o
warchod adeiladau pwysig Cymru (neu’r ’amgylchedd hanesyddol' mewn iaith
fodern) - bellach yn rhan o gylch gorchwyl Alun Pugh feí y Gweinidog dros
Ddiwylliant, yr laith Gymraeg a Chwaraeon, Efallai fod rhai'n teimlo nad dyma
yw gwirgartref yr agenda sy’n ymwneud â’r amgylchedd hanesyddol, er ein
bod yn dal i ddisgwyl unrhyw ddatganiad pwysigo ran polisi.

Mae peth dryswch yn dal i hofran uwchben Cynllun Gofodol Cymru (WSP),
sy’n parhau i fod dan adain Sue Essex íel Gweinidog dros Gyllid a Llywodraeth
Leol. Yn swyddogol, mae hyn yn digwydd gan fod y Cynllun yn fater
trawsbynciol, er bod yn rhaid disgwyl cyn gweld hyn ar waith yn ymarferol. Yn
ogystal, mae Pwyllgor yr Amgylchedd, Cynllunio a Chefn Gwlad, sydd yn awr
yn cael ei gadeirio gan Alun Ffred Jones o Blaid Cymru, wedi ei drawsnewid i
adlewyrchu'r newidiadau yn y portffolio. Ar y pwytlgor ei hun, fe welwch hen

A signifìcant change since the elections on May Ist has been the

appointment of a new Minister for Environment - Carwyn Jones. Stìll the
ríght side of 40, he is already something of a Cabinet veteran having previously
handled Rural Affaîrs, Assembly Business and most recently the Open
Government Brief.

Since the election the risîng Labour star has taken charge of the all-new
Environment, Planning & Countryside portfolio. This is, franlcly, an enormous
agenda and encompasses two of the larger civif service departments -
Environment and Planning with Agriculture and Rural Affairs. This expansion,
added to the fact that subject committees have switched to a three-week cyde
rather than fortnightly (as it was), has led some to wonder if signiflcant issues
may suffer due to time pressures and that full Ministerial scrutiny wtll become
even more diffìcult. The environmental side of the brief has shrunk slîghtly
since its time under Sue Essex. Out goes transport, moved to the Economic
Development stable under Andrew Davies; and CADW - the executive agency
charged with guarding the built heritage (or in modern parlance, the historic
environment) in Wales, which now falls under the remit of Alun Pugh as
Minister for Culture, the Welsh Language and Sport. Some may feel this is not
the natural home for the historic environment agenda, although we have yet to
see any signiffcant policy announcemerts.

Some confusion still hovers over the Wales Spatial Plan (WSP), which is to be
retained by Sue Essex as Minister for Finance & Local Government. Offlcially
this ìs because the WSP is a cross-cutting issue, although how this works in
practice remains to be seen. Sue Essex’s new role is indeed more central to
Government. The Environment, Planning & Countryside Committee, now
chaired by Plaid’s Alun Ffred Jones, has also morphed to reflect the portfolio

lawiau fel Rhodrí Glyn Thomas o Blaid Cymru, Mick Bates o’r Blaid Ryddfrydol,
a Glyn Davies o r Blaid Geidwadol (cyn Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Amaeth), yn
ymuno â Brynle Williams, y gwrthdystiwr sydd bellach yn Aelod Cynulliad ar
ran y Blaid Geidwadol, a phedwar o Aelodau Cynulliad newydd o’r Blaid Laíur.

Er gwaetha'r ffai'th fod amser mor brin, fe fydd yn rhaid i'r Cynulliad ymdrin ag
agenda amgylcheddol bwysig yn ystod y flwyddyn nesaf: mae Carwyn Jones
eisoes wedi dechrau ar y broses o adolygu'r cynllun Datblygu Cynaliadwy; heb
amheuaeth, fe fydd gweision sifll yn brysur iawn yn ceisio rhoi trefn ar y
diwygiadau i’r Polisi Amaeth Cyffredin wrth geisio’u cael i weddu i gynllun
Datblygu Gwledig y Cynulliad; mae'r Gweinidog a Chadeirydd y Pwyllgor fel ei
gilydd wedi awgrymu y bydd y gwaith o roi'r Strategaeth Ddŵr ar waith yn
hollbresennol; ac mae Cyfarwyddeb Fframwaith Dŵryr Undeb Ewropeaidd, a
fydd yn cael ei chynnwys yng nghyfraith y wlad erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn, yn
sialens fawr arall,

Fodd bynnag, yr adolygiad o'r cynllun Datblygu Cynaliadwy sydd à’r potensial
mwyaf o roi ffurf a siâp i ffordd y Cynulliad o ymdrin â'i amcanion
amgylcheddol, economaidd a chymdeithasol dros y pedair blynedd nesaf. Bydd
y broses ymgynghori'n dechrau ym mis Medi, ac fe allwn ddisgwyl gweid
cynigion gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru yn gynnar yn ystod y flwyddyn
nesaf. Dyma gyfle gwych i ailgynnau agenda Datblygu Cynaliadwy, i
ganolbwyntio o’r newydd ar flaenoriaethau’r Cynulliad, ac i fynd i’r afael â dull
mwy cyfannol o lywodraethu yng Nghymru.

Gethyn Williams yw Swyddog Gwybodaeth y Cynulliad i Cyswllt
Amgylchedd Cymru. Er ciddo cf yw’r salhwyntiau yn er erthygl, hcb iddyn
nhw fod o angenrheidrwydd yn farn aelodau CAC.

changes. On the committee itself you will fìnd seasoned campaigners such as
Plaid’s Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the Lib Dem’s Míck Bates and the Conservative's
Glyn Davîes (Former Agriculture Committee Chair) joining the fuel-protestor
turned Tory AM Brynle Williams and four Labour AMs new to the Assembly.

Despite such competition for time there is still a bìg environmental agenda for
the Assembly to address over the coming 12 months: Carwyn Jones has
already begun the process of reviewing the Sustainable Development (SD)
scheme; civil sewants will no doubt be busy trying to square the Common
Agricultural Policy reforms wi'th the Assembly's Rural Development Plan; the
Minister and Committee Chair alike have hinted implementation of the Waste
Strategy will be omnipresent; the EU Water Framework Directive, to be
amalgamated into domestic law by the end of the year, is another big
challenge.

It is the review of the SD scheme however that has the most potential to
shape the Assembly's approach to its enŵronmental, economic and social
objectives over the next 4 years. The consultation process starts in September
and we can expect to see WAG’s proposals early in the new year. It represents
a great opportunity to rekindle the SD agenda, to re-focus the Assembly’s
priorities and deliver a more holistic approach to goyernment in Wales.

Gethyn Williams is Asscmbly Information Officer for Waìcs Enẃonment
Link. The views expressed above are those of the author and not necessarily
those of the members ofWEL.

Biodiversity YICWS — Invertebrate records

Thanks to Michael Clarke, Les Colley, Adrìan Fowles, Mîke Howe and Tony Jenkins

for supplying information.

n May this year whilst walking with my wife alongside
the Tennant Canal near Swansea, I noticed a specimen of
the Fen raft spider Dolomedes plantarius, the largest spider
in Britain. This is an amazing discovery, making this only
the third known site in the UK for this species, the others
sites being Redgrave and Lopham Fen on the Norfolls-
Suffolk border and the Pevensey levels in East Sussex. This
new record for Wales has excited spider experts and
enthusiasts and I will be working with CCW to undertalse
further survey work to determine the extent of the
population and establish suitable management for the site.

Michael) Clark

Tinodes pallidulus McLachlan (Trichoptera:
Psychomyiidae) - a caddisfly new to Wales

On the 22 July 2002, during the course of a
macroinvertebrate survey at The Hendre, 6 km west of
Monmouth, larvae of a psychomyiid caddisfly were
collected from a small headwater stream of the River
Trothy at NGR: SO 459 142. I provisionally identified the
material using the key to caseless caddis larvae of
Edington, J.M. & Hildrew, A.G.( 1995)
(Scient.Publs.Freshwat.Biol.Ass., 53, 1-134) as
Tinodes pallidulus, a species currently known
from only one other locality in Britain.

Psychomyiidae are small gallery-building caddis
larvae that are characteristic of streams draining sandstone
and limestone strata, as well as lakes with stony shores.
Gallerìes are generally constructed from mineral grains
fastened together with silk secretion. I pallidulus was
originally recorded from two localities in Surrey over fifty
years ago, although it no longer occurs at either of those
sites. The species was rediscovered in the Woodbrook, a
small stream in Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, which
at that time was the only known site for I pallidulus in
Britain (Greenwood & Hobday (1988), Entomologist’s mon.
Mag.124, 99-/02), adults being collected in 1980-82, and
larvae subsequently located in 1984-85.

At The Hendre, I collected larvae from stones in a small
fast-flowing riffle, and many of the galleries were located
above water level. The stream is generally slow-flowing
and silty, draining Old Red Sandstone, with few stony
sections present.

T. pallidulus has not previously been recorded in Wales and
I am most grateful to Dr John Edington for confirming my
identifìcation, as welt as comparing the larvae with
voucher specimens from both Woodbroolc and the
original Surrey localities.

Tony Jenkins

Other signifìcant invertebrate discoveries include the
rediscovery of a BAP species, the click beetle Synaptus
filiformis. A single specimen was swept from the banks of
the river Wye at Tintern by Howard Mendal. This rare
species was thought to survive only on the river Parrott in
Somerset, but it was well known from Tintern for ninety
years from the middle of the nineteenth century. It was
last recorded in 1943, and it would appear that nobody
has been to look for it there since,

The BAP mason bee Osmia parientina has been re-found
in the grounds of Plan Tan-y-bwlch, Meirionnydd, where
in was last recorded in 1976. There are
reports of two Red Data Book
hoverflies. Four specimens of the
hoverfly Microdon devius were
recorded at its only known Welsh
locality in Meirionnydd, where it has
been intermittently recorded since its
discovery in 1992; and two new localities have
been found for the hoverfly Chalcosyrphus eunotus,
bringing the total number of localities to four.

Several rare beetles have been recorded, including a BAP
ground beetle, Bembidion testaceum, in some abundance
in sandy clifflets on the banks of the lower Usk. Les Colley
found the ground beetle Chlaenius tristis on the central
section of Cors Geirch NNR, half a mile away across
improved land from its only previously known UK locality
on the southern edge of the reserve. In Europe it occurs
on lake sides, and it may be a relict from when Cors
Geirch was a lake. It was reported from Crymlyn Bog in
I 829 and, given its evident staying power, could perhaps
still be there.

In August, Les saw a single male black-tailed skimmer
Orthetrum cancellatum at Cors Erddreiniog NNR on
Anglesey, which stayed for a couple of days. This is the
nineteenth dragonfly species recorded from this reserve.
Sam Bosanquet and Dave Reed have found a new site for
the southern damselfìy Coenagrion murcuriale in
Pembrokeshire. The damselfly was quite common in this
area half a century ago, but agricultural
improvement was thought to have
put paid to these populations.

Green Bookshelf
Silff Lyfrau Amgylcheddol

Philip Brennan's Clare

Philrp Brennan, Ashfìeld Press, Dublin 2002
£25 Hardback £15 Softback
ISBN 1-901658-28-7

Heart ofthe Country

Jeremy Moore and William Condry, Gomer 2003
£14.95 Softback ISBN 1-84323-203-0

CLARE

Pödcet Guide to thr

lîuttorttii'í

There is great variety in the styles and subjects he chooses for
his paintings. I love the earthen ring-fort at Ballyallaban where,
through the black and white of the trees, Brennan paints the
colour supernatural. There are ancient battles, birds, bogs,
boats and buildings. The words are embellished with songs
and poems. They are expressive, informative and at times
amusing. If I have a regret, it is that there are not more of
them.

Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland

Richard Lewington, British Wildlife Publishing, 2003
£9.95 ISBN 0-9531399-1-3

T he landscapes in which we dwell inhabit us; they are fìlled
with special meanings - our personal histories, those of
our families and communities. Stand among the ancient walls
of Tre’r Ceiri, with the sunlight casting long shadows across
the heath, and you can sense the imprint of Celtic life over the
intervening two thousand years, caught in the silence and the
breathing of the wind.

Words and images can awalten in us a response to and a
recognition of what is often described as ‘the spirit of place’,
as two new books perfectly illustrate. In Philip Brennan’s
Clare, the artist’s pen and paintbrush complement each other
to convey his passion for the places which defìne his home
ground.

One such is the inside of a bar, where the first song of the day
is being sung. As a singer himself, Philip Brennan knows just
how it feels to be singing in that bar at that time, and as you
look at the figures, watching, smiling or concentrating on the
tune, you join them by proxy. So it is that you do not need to
be standing on a limestone rock surrounded by arctic-alpine
flowers to respond to County Clare’s strange beauty. Images
and words, brought to life with understanding, take you there.

A map shows you the locations of all seventy-three paintings,
an excellent plan, as I would be sorely tempted to visit
several of these scenes on my next visit to see the botanical
wonders of the Burren. One destination might be the bright
pink of Corofìn station, made all the more interesting by the
account of its repair. Another might be the thatched cottage
at Spanish Point, where New Zealand flax has naturalized
itself. Some of the washes are very subtle, and I would need
to see the stone circle at Caherconnell to appreciate what
Philip Brennan has seen.

I would make the same comment about another wonderful
combination of words and images. Heart ofthe Country
takes a selection of sixty-one of the late Bill Condry’s
Guardian Country Diary columns, and illuminates them with
Jeremy Moore’s photographs.

The columns span nearly forty years, starting in 1958. There is
a timelessness about them which reminds me that we are still
reading Gilbert White s diaries, and fìnding them relevant to
°ur own connections with nature. May future generations
discover new meanings for themselves in William Condry’s
country diaries.

Jeremy Moore’s introduction gives a personal account of what
inspired him to put this book together, and includes an
affectionate portrait of William Condry. This helps to stitch
the diaries and photographs together into a seamless whole.
Moore’s sublime photographs take you into the landscape,
and the moods they capture are a perfect accompaniment to
Condry’s words.

There are also some invaluable notes at the end, but these
only cover a dozen of the sixty odd subjects described. I could
have done with more of these, as they add much interest.
Where Condry mentions a particular threat to a place he
describes, or raises issues, it would be great to know what
happened or how events have unfolded since the diary was
first published.

This is a fìne book, and should swell the growing army of
People who recognise that the natural environment of Wales
is a priceless asset worth fìghting for.

I will finish by mentioning an excellent new butterfly
identification guide, Pocfcet Guide to the Butterflies of
Great Britain and Ireland. This is a little book, and so it
should be, easily slipping into the poclcet; it is impractical to
take many so-called pocket guides into the field. The
illustrations are superb, it packs a great deal of information
into a small space, and even fìnds room for day-flying moths.

James Robertson

Nature at large

Frances Cattanach provides a round-up oí mammal news

I n June, six bottle-nosed whales, which are dwellers of the
deep and very occasional visitors to UK waters, cruised
up the Irish Sea between the Isle of Man and Lancashire,
Cumbria to the Solway Firth. Members of the 'Solway
Sharl< Watch & Sea Mammal Survey’ were able to keep
tabs on them for over three weelts into the North Channel
and later (almost certainly the same pod) Into the south
Clyde. More recently they have had singles well spread out,
again all moving north, but it is difficult to keep tabs on
them. A problem with Liverpool Bay is the lack of a sighting
network along the North Wales coast. So, if you live in the
Llandudno to Colwyn Bay area, and are interested, please
contact me, and we can try and set up a sighting networls.
The skipper of the Island Princess, which tours round Ynys
Seiriol (Puffìn Island) on the east coast of Anglesey reported
a pod of over 40 dolphins during July, so there may be
exciting rewards.

In August a minke whale was spotted south of Newquay
trailing a trawl net on its f!ank. Boats and planes were
dispatched to search for it, with equipment to remove the
net, but at the time of writing, without success. For any
strandings of dead Cetaceans, leave your records with the
Marine Strandings Network (01348 875000) and for live
strandings, contact the RSPCA on 0990 555999.

A newly discovered dormouse population in a private
nature reserve near Llanharan, between Cardiff and
Bridgend, is under threat from the proposed Llanharan by-
pass. The owner of the woodland has put up dormouse
boxes, and the South & West Wales Wildlife Trust is
advising him on site management, helping monitor the
population, and will be making the case for the protection
of the dormice in the woodland. In their Gellì-Hir Wood

site on the Gower, the Wildlife Trust is seeking volunteers
this autumn to help with a dormouse nut survey. For
further information contact the Trust on 01656 724100.

Phil Morgan reports from Powys that John Messenger of
Vincent Wildlife Trust recorded barbastelle bats at
Aberedw (Radnorshire) in July using time expansion bat
detector equipment. This is only the fourth record for
barbastelle in Powys in the last fifty years. He also
understands that Dr Peter Smith has recorded Leisler’s bats
north of Pontypool in Gwent, also using time expansion
equipment. This is the fìrst case of Leisler's being recorded
in Wales (although there is a record of one at Holyhead,
which it is considered came in on a ferry).

Phil has been busy carrying out radio tracking of
Daubenton’s bat, which has led to the discovery of tree
roosts on the River Usk, If bats are a bit of a mystery to
you, then the Vincent Wildlife Trust has just published an
updated edition of The Bats ofBritain & Ireland. It is a 32-
page booldet written by Henry Schofìeld and Tony Mitchell-
Jones and beautifully illustrated by wildlife artist Denys
Ovenden. It is aimed particularly at non-specialists wishing
to further their knowledge and understanding of bats in
Britain and Ireland. You can order a copy for £3 ind. p&p
from the Vincent Wildlife Trust, 85, Whitehall Court,

London SWIA 2EL 020 7930 3160.

Dr Craig Shuttleworth reports that the Anglesey Red
Squirrel project has just completed a genetic study of red
squirrels (sample was c. 45 individuals) on Anglesey and
found that the animals have a sìngle haplotype
(mitochondrial DNA) that is unique in the UK. They also
examined a frozen carcass stored since the 1980s which
indicated that a second unique genetic type was also on the
island, but they now know this has been lost. When nuclear
DNA was examined it was found that the Anglesey
population contained a very low amount of variation. The
project team is therefore keen to introduce additional
genotypes to the island.

The Deer !nitiative’s new ‘Deer Collisions’ project aims to
establish the numbers of deer and vehicle collisions in the
UK in order to target problem areas to reduce collisions. It
is estimated that there are 30-50,000 collisions per year
which result in between ten and twenty human fatalities a
year. For more information about the project, and to
submit records contact Jaclde Brinton, Wales Deer
lnitiative, PO Box 39, Brecon, LD3 8WD Tel 01874
636148, Fax 01874 636840.

Frances Cattanach is Director of the North Wales
Wildlife Trust, and can be contacted oti 01248 351541 or
e-mailcd at fcattanach@cix.co.uk

o

Marine matters

lvor Rees sheds light on some remarkable seabed structures.

Living reefs: oases of marine biodiversity

W hile 'reefs’ may bring to mind coral atolls rather
than the tide-swept, cool and often turbid
conditions of Welsh coastal seas, there are seabed
structures built up by organisms here which fully meet the
description. Examples indude the ‘reefs’ formed by the
honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata, which in Wales
flourishes on parts of the boulder shores around the
northern arc of Cardigan Bay. It cannot withstand very
cold winters and like the gastropod Osilinus lineatus it
took many years for the populations to recover after the
1962/63 winter. Both these south-western species are
being targeted for monitoring under projects to study
climate-induced changes in abundance.

An offshore reef-forming species is the horse mussel
Modiolus modiolus, the beds of which can build up as
mounds two metres high on the seabed. /VI. modiolus is
long-lived, by the standards of most marine invertebrates,
with individuals recorded of 30 or 40 years, They hang
together with their byssal threads so that generations of
dead shell and mud can build up under a surface of living
mussels. Sometimes a wave form develops in the bed
morphology as the mussels compete for the best feeding
positions in the turbulent tidal current flow. By fìlter
feeding they produce copious amounts of faecal pellets
which often lodge amongst the complex matrix of shell
and byssal threads. The living mussels also provide a
surface to which a luxuriant fauna attaches itself.

It is particularly striking when running underwater video
cameras over areas with horse mussel reefs that there are
sharp transitions to the underlying lag gravels and
embedded cobbles. The lag appears almost barren, due
partly to sand scouring in the strong tides. What comes to
mind are oases of biodiversity within an impoverished
gravel 'desert’. The richness in the sea comes from the
ability of the mussels to create a particularly
heterogeneous habitat. In this habitat of living organisms
there are ample niches for crevice-living species. Indeed,
the mussel spat seem to fìnd protection amongst the
byssal threads of the adults. The fallout of faecal mud
creates a habitat for sediment-living creatures of a type
normally found where there is enhanced deposition of
organic fines rather than in tide-swept locations.

There is some evidence to suggest that the horse mussel
reefs may be very long-established features. One off the
north coast of Llŷn, which was extensively surveyed by
UW Bangor, CCW and North West and North Wales Sea
Fisheries Committee in the late I990s, was mentioned by
Edward Forbes in the I850s. Because they are long-lived
self-sustaining features, the offshore horse mussel reefs do

not have the resilience of intertidal beds of the common
mussel Mytilus edulis. A bed of M. modiolus off the south
of the Isle of Man was virtually eliminated by intensive
scallop dredging about 25 years ago and it seems not to
have re-established itself yet. A scallop dredging-gear
exclusion zone was brought in by the sea fìsheries
commìttee for the relevant part of the Ll ŷn ar Sarnau
SAC. There are other less well-lcnown reefs off north
Wales which would merit treatment in the same way. This
would be of benefìt for the conservation of a Biodiversity
Action Plan (BAP) habitat and also could be ímportant to
the wider ecology of the Irish Sea. Reform of the
Common Fisheries Policy requires future management
with an ecosystem perspective, so there are practical
reasons for talcing more account and charting these living
‘reefs’.

Further reading

Holt, TJ., Rees, E.I.S., Hawkins, S.J., & Seed, R. 1998.
Biogenic Reefs (volume IX). An overvìew of dynamics and
sensitivity characteristics for conservation and management of
marine SACs. Scottísh Association for Marine Scíence (UK
Maríne SACs Project).

Moore, J. J. 2002. An atlas ofmaríne Biodiversity Action Plan
species and habitat s and Specíes of Conservation Concern in
Wales. CCW Contract Science Report No, 509.

lvor Rees is a marine biologist and formcrly was
senior lecturcr in Ocean Sciences at tJic University
ofWalcs, Bangor.

Stnall part of a Sabcüaria reef. Photo: lvor Rees.

&

Natur mewn gwarchodfeydd

Yma, mae Wil Sandison yn trafod dulliau

M ae SoDdGA Tywyn Niwbwrch/Ynys üanddwyn yn
gorwedd yng nghornel dde-orllewinol Ynys Môn, a
dyma’r system dwyni galchaidd gyfan fwyaf ym Mhrydain.

Fe gafodd y safle ei hysbysu fel Safle o Ddiddordeb
Gwyddonol Arbennig (SoDdGA) yn 1955 oherwydd ei
ddiddordeb daearegol, geomorffolegol a biolegol, ac yn
ystod yr un flwyddyn cafodd y safle ei ddatgan fel
Gwarchodfa Natur Genedlaethol. Yn fwy diweddar, mae r
safle wedi cael cydnabyddiaeth ryngwladol gan fod ei
ddynodi fel Ardal Cadwraeth Arbennig (ACA) Ewropeaidd
yn yr arfaeth dan Orchymyn Cynefinoedd a
Rhywogaethau'r CE.

Yn y gorffennol, mae rheolwyr sy'n ymwneud â
chadwraeth wedi dibynnu’n helaeth ar sgiliau, gwybodaeth
ac arbenigedd y diwydiant amaethyddol o ran rheoli tir, fel
arfer trwy bori tymhorol gan ddefnyddio un rhywogaeth o
dda byw ar gyfradd stocio benodol, Er y gall y dull yma
gyrraedd amcanion safle arbennig, dydi pethau ddim yn fêl i
gyd. Rydym wedi penderfynu mynd i’r afael â dull mwy
cyfannol o reoli cadwraeth ar y warchodfa, nid yn unig er
lles nodweddion y safle, ond hefyd i gyfoethogi’r gwaith o
ddatblygu’r bioamrywiaeth a’r ecosystem. Ein nod yw cael
system “bori naturiol’’.

Mae pori naturiol yn seiliedig ar yr egwyddor o bori drwy
gydol y flwyddyn yn hytrach na phori tymhorol. Cyfyngir ar
nìfer yr anifeiliaid yn ôl faint o fwyd sydd ar gael yn ystod
adegau o brinder, yn enwedig yn ystod y gaeaf. Mae hyn yn
golygu bod yna ormod o fwyd, mewn gwirionedd, yn ystod
yr haf, sydd o fudd i blanhigion blodeuol. Mae'n dibynnu ar
yr amrywiaeth o lysysorion sydd i’w cael - rhai bach,
canolig, mawr, o bob rhyw, o bob oed, anifeiliaid cnoi cil ac
anifeiliaid eraill sy’n pori.

Mae pedwar o egwyddorion yn arwain y ffordd yr ydym yn
rheoli tua 650ha o gynefìn twyni tywod. Dyma nhw:

• Pori drwy gydol y flwyddyn

• Mathau gwahanol o lysysorion — rhai bach, canolíg, mawr
(anifeiliaid cnoi cil/carnolion)

* Llysysorion o bob rhyw ac o bob oed
• Anghenion o ran lles anifeiliaid

Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r safle’n cael ei bori drwy gydol y
flwyddyn gan ferlod mynydd Cymreig ar raddfa stocio o
oddeutu un ferlen i bob tri neu bedwar hectar. Mae’r lefel
yma’n ddigonol i gwrdd ag anghenion lles yr anifeiliaid ac i
gynnal y diddordeb cadwraethol. Mae’n creu cymuned o
laswellt byr yn ystod y gaeaf/gwanwyn, ac yn caniatáu i
doreth o dyfìant dyfu yn ystod yr haf. Mae’r ceffylau’n
cynnwys rhai o bob oed, ac ar hyn o bryd merlod ydyn
nhw i gyd. Fodd bynnag, o aeaf 2003 ymlaen, fe fydd

newydd o reoli'r arfer o bori yn Nhywyn Niwbwrch.

stalwyni sydd wedi cael fasectomi yn cael eu cyflwyno er
mwyn cael gre naturiol o ferlod heb yr angen i gael gwared
ag ebolion/ebolesau diangen bob blwyddyn.

Nid oes unrhyw fwyd ychwanegol yn cael ei roi i'r merlod,
a dim ond 5% ohonyn nhw sydd angen cael triniaeth rhag
heintiau parasitig. Yn y bôn, maen nhw bellach yn cael eu
rheoli fel da byw lledwyllt, ac er mwyn bodloni anghenion
lles yr anifeiliaid mae milfeddyg yn eu harchwilio unwaith y
flwyddyn.

Mae’r safle hefyd yn cynnal nifer cynyddol o gwningod
sydd, mewn ambell lecyn, i’w cael yn y niferoedd a welwyd
cyn dyfodiad mycsamatosis. Caiff y cwningod yma eu
hannog, oherwydd eu bod nhw, ynghyd â mamaliaid bach
fel llygod pengrwn, yn pori’r safle fel llysysorion bach. Er
mwyn cael yr amrediad llawn o lysysorion, rydym yn
chwilio am ffyrdd o gyflwyno llysysorion canolig o ran maint
i'r safle. Fe allai rhywogaethau cynhenid o geirw gynnig un
ateb, neu fathau prin o ddefaid nad oes rhyw lawer o waith
edrych ar eu hôl.

Er mwyn ail-greu'r cyfnodau o ’benllanw a thrai sydd i w
gweld mewn poblogaeth naturiol o lysysorion, efallai y bydd
yn rhaid i ni bob hyn a hyn symud rhai o’r merlod ymaith,
neu eu symud oddi yno i gyd. Fe fydd yn rhoi cyfle i
blanhigion sydd wedi cael eu pori gan dda byw dyfu o’r
newydd unwaith eto ac ailhadu.

Mae’r dulliau yma o reoli sydd i’w gweld yn Nhywyn
Niwbwrch wedi bod ar waith ers y flwyddyn 2000, a hyd
yn hyn mae’r canlyniadau’n galonogol. Rydym yn parhau i
fonitro’r llystyfìant, a hyd yn oed yn awr mae modd gweld
patrymau pori ac ymddygiad cymdeithasol arbennig yn
datblygu ymhlith y merlod.

Mae Wil Sandison yn Warden Ardal i’r Cyngor Cefn
Gwlad yn Ardal y Gogledd Orllewin.

©

J

Nature in resewe

Wil Sandison looks at new grazing management at Newborough warren.

N ewborough WarrenA'nys Llanddwyn SSSI lies at the
south west corner of Anglesey, and is the largest
intact calcareous dune system in Brítain. It was notifìed as
a Site of Special Scientifìc Interest (SSSI) in I95S for its
geological, geomorphological and biological interest, and in
the same year it was declared a National Nature Reserve.
More recently, the site has been given international
recognition through its proposed designation as a
European Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the
EC Habitats and Species Directive.

In the past, conservation managers have relied heavily on
the sldlls, knowledge and expertise of the agricultural
industry in managing land, which is typically by seasonal
grazing using a single species of livestock at a set stocking
density. Whereas this may meet a site’s objectives, it does
have drawbaclcs. We have decided to adopt a more
holistic approach to conservation management on the
reserve, not only to cater for site features but also to
enhance bìodiversity and ecosystem development. Our
aim is to replicate a ‘natural grazing’ system.

Natural grazing is based on the principal of year-round
grazing as opposed to seasonal grazing. The number of
animaís is limited by the availability of food at times of
scarcity, especialiy late winter. This means that in practice
there is a surplus of food in summer that benefìts
flowering plants. It depends on a variety of herbivore
types - small, medium, large, multi sex, multi age,
ruminants and other grazers.

Our management of about 650 ha of sand dune habitat is
based on four guiding principles:

* All year grazing

• A varìety of herbivore types - small, medium, large
(ruminants/ungulates)

Multi sex/multi age herbivores
• Animal welfare requirements

The site is currently grazed all year round by a herd of
Welsh Mountain ponies at a stockîng density of
approximately one pony to every three or four hectares.
This level is suffìcient to meet animal welfare
requirements and maintain the conservation interest. It
creates a short sward community during the winter/spring
period and allows a profusion of growth during the
summer period. The pony herd is multi-aged and
currently single sex (female). However, from winter 2003
stallions that have had a vasectomy will be introduced to
the herd to replicate a natural pony herd, without the
need to dispose of unwanted foals each year.

No additional feed is given to the pony herd and dosing
for parasitic infections is required on iess than 5% of the
herd each year. Basically they are now managed as feral
livestock and to satisfy animal welfare requirements a vet
examines the herd once a year.

The site also supports an increasing number of rabbits
which in some areas are reaching pre-myxomatosis levels.
This is encouraged as, along with small mammals like
voles, they provide the small herbiyore grazing. lo achieve
the full range of grazing types, we are loolcing at ways of
introducing a medium sized herbivore to the site. One
option may be native deer species or rare sheep breeds
that require minimal animal welfare intervention.

To replicate peaks and troughs in a ‘natural herbivore
population', we may have to periodically remove some or
all the ponies. This will allow plants that have been
selectively grazed by livestock to replenish and reseed.
Rabbit populations naturally undergo peaks and troughs.

This form of management at Newborough Warren has
taken place since 2000 and so far the results are
encouraging. Monitoring of the vegetation is continuing
and distinct patterns of grazing and social behaviour can
already be seen in the pony herd.

Wil Sandison is Area Warden for CCW’s North West Area.

Mobile dunes at Newborough Warren NNR.

Photo: CCW.

Hysbysfwrdd / NoticeBoard

lf you would like your wíldlife event to feature on this page please contact Mandy Marsh on 01248 385S74 or e-mail m.marsh@naturcymru.org.uk

RSPB Cymru

25 Oct FEED THE BIRDS DAY

Call Ruth on 029 2035 3007

ruth.billingham@rspb.org.uk

for further information

Annual Lacey Lecture
IOLO WILLIAMS

Birds o f Prey in Wo/es

28 Nov at the Civic Hall, Conwy.

Details from NWWT (01248 351541)

British Trust for Ornithology
REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Oct 18 Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth
Advance booking only:

Sue Starling 01842 750050

sue.starling@bto.org

Plas Tan y Bwlch 2003/2004

HYFFORDDIANT PROFFESIYNOL
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

FfônTel 0871 871 4004
neu or 01766 590274

www.plastanybwlch.com

All courses are taught through the
medium of English
Cynnigwyd ysgoloriaethau ar gyfer
unigolion sy’n gweithio yng Nghymru
Fellowships are offered to those
worldng within Wales

Medi September 23 - 25

Rheoli Tirwedd Tir Ymylol

Landscape Management of Marginal
Land £ 196

Hydref October 6-10

Dehongli Amgylcheddol

Environmental Interpretation £334

Hydref October 27-31

Hybu Bywyd Gwyllt mewn Gerddi
hanesyddol a Pharcdiroedd

Wildlife Ënhancement ìn Historic
Gardens and Parldands £359

Tachwedd November 10-14

Hyfforddiant Sylfaenol ar gyfer
Wardeiniaid a Gwarcheidwaid

Basic Training for Wardens and Rangers
£344

Tachwedd November 17-21

Cynllunio Rheolaeth yng Nghefn Gwlad

Management Planning in the
Countryside £355

Shared Earth Trust
THINRING OF CREATING
A NEW WOODLAND?

With careful planning, woodlands can
be a great asset to a holding. The
Shared Earth Trust’s course on
4th Sept will help you identify what
you want to get out of a new woodland
as well as how to meet the needs of
wildlife. You will also learn how to
decide on the best location, as weil as
what to plant where. Contact: 01570
493358

set@denmark-farm.freeserve.co.uk

http://www.shared-earth-trust.org.uk

Other courses available:

Oct 7 Back to the Future

Oct 16 Introduction to permaculture

Nov 13 Managing for Wildlife Forum

Nov 21 & Feb 27 2004 Practical
Hedgelaying & Coppicing

Gwent Ornithological Society

Cymdeithas Adaregol Gwent

REEDBEDS IN WINTER

CORSLEOEDD YN Y GAEAF
Rhagfyr 21 December

An early morning walk to see over-
wintering ducks on the Uskmouth
Reedbeds, Birds of prey such as hen
harriers and short-eared owls may also
be seen.

Taith gerdded yn y bore cynnar i weld
hwyaid sy'n treulìo’r gaeaf ar
gorsleoedd Aber-wysg. Mae hefyd yn
bosibl gweld adar ysgiyfaethus, fel
bodaod tinwyn a thylluanod clustiog.
Tel Ffôn: 01633 275567

d»

Fenns Whixhall Mosses
on the Wales/Cheshire border
FREEEVENTS

28 Sept Fungal Foray

19 Oct Woodcarving on the Mosses
(including walk to fetch bog pine)

7 Dec Xmas Tree Task

A Year on the Mosses Slide Show by
JL Daniels at:

Whixall Social Centre 28 Oct
Town Room, Wem Town Hall, 12 Nov
Whitchurch Civic Centre 27 Nov
Full details from Joan Daniels on 01948
880362 (weekdays) or 07974 784799
(weeltends)

Plant Science Wales

SYMPOSIUM - An opportunity for
postgrads and postdocs to present their
work in an informal and supportive
environment.

17-18 Dec IGER, Aberystwyth.
Deadline for registration: 30 September
Deadline for abstracts for papers:

14 November
For full details contact:
liz.griffiss-white@bbsrc.ac.uk
(please use subject header:

Plant Science Wales)

Tel: 01970 82 3001
Fax: 01970 82 0212
http://www.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/igdev/PSW/
index.shtml

South and West Wales Wildlife
Trust INDOORS OR OUTDOORS

Here are some of the many events
offered by the Trust this Autumn and
Winter:

26 Sept Seol Watch at Worm’s Head

8 Oct Nature Photography with David
Painter, Llandeilo

20 Nov Rainforest Wildlife in Costa Rica
slide show in Newport

7 Dec Brown Hairstreal< Egg Count,
West Williamston Nature Reserve

For full details of these and many more,
contact the Trust on 01656 724100 or
email information@wtsww.cix.co.uk

Bacl< issues of Natur Cymru are available priced £2.50

For illustrations, thanks to/diolch am y lluniau i:

English Nature, Mandy Marsh, Alastair Robertson, RSPB Images.

“O na, miri’r Nadolig yrn mis Medi!”
“Oh no, not Christmas in September!”

A yw cerdded i fyny ac i lawr y Stryd Fawr yn ceisio dod o hyd i anrheg Nadolig
gwerth chweil yn peri diflastod llwyr i chi? A oes gennych deulu neu ffrindiau a
fyddai’n hoffì eistedd o flaen tanllwyth o dân yn darllen Natur Cymru ? Yn awr, fe allwch
ladd dau aderyn â’r un garreg. Yn sicr, mae Natur Cymru yn anrheg well a mwy
diddorol o lawer na’r siocledi a’r ’sanau arferol, ac fe fydd y rhifyn nesaf ar gael erbyn
y Nadolig. Y cwbl sydd angen i chi ei wneud yw llofnodi eich llyfr sieciau...

D o you fìnd trudging up and down the High Street looking for Christmas presents
a bore? Do you have family and friends who would really enjoy spending time
sitting by a cosy fìre reading Natur Cymrul Now you can kill two birds with one stone.

Natur Cymru makes a far more interesting and worthwhile present than all those
chocolates and socks, and the next issue is available just in time for Christmas. All you
have to do is pick up a pen and fìnd your cheque book...

Hoffwn roi’r canlynol yn anrheg / I would like to make a gift of:

□ Un copi o / One copy of Natur Cymru at £3.50

□ Tanysgrifìad blwyddyn / One year’s subscription £12.50

□ Tanysgrifiad dwy flynedd / Two years’ subscription £20

At / To:

Teitl / Title.Enw blaen / First name.

Cyfenw / Surname.

Cyfeiriad / Address.

Côd Post / Postcode

Oddi wrth / From:

Fy enw / My name.

Cyfeiriad / My Address

......Côd Post / Postcode.

Rhif tanysgrifìwr / Subscriber number.Dyddiad / Date.

Er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr y bydd yr anrheg yn cael ei dosbarthu cyn y Nadolig, a fyddech gystal â
dychwelyd y ffurflen hon i Natur Cymru, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DW,
erbyn Dydd Llun I Rhagfyr 2003.

To guarantee delivery in time for Christmas, píease return this form no later than Monday

Ist December 2003, to Natur Cymru, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DW

Mae OL-RIFYNNAU o Natur Cymru ar gael i danysgrifwyr am £2.50 yn unig. A fyddech gystal â rhoi tic ger y
copiau yr ydych eu hangen - yn anffodus, does yna ddim mwy o gopi'au o’r rhifyn cyntaf ar gael.

BACK ISSUES of Natur Cymru are available to subscribers at only £2.50 each. Please tick the copies you
require - we’re sorry no more copies of Issue I are available.

Nifer / Quantity ___ Cyfanswm y gost / Total price

Rhif 2 / No 2 - Gaeaf / Winter 2001
Rhif 3 / No 3 - Gwanwyn / Spring 2002
Rhif 4 / No 4 - Haf / Summer 2002
Rhif 5 / No 5 - Gaeaf / Winter 2002
Rhif 6 / No 6 - Gwanwyn / Spring 2003

Rhif 7 / No 7 - Haf / Summer 2003

_ Anrheg - copi / tanysgrifìad / Gift copy / Subscription _

Cyfanswm / Total

Amgaeaf siec / archeb bost yn daladwy i Natur Cymru am:

I enclose a cheque / PO, made payable to Natur Cymru, for £