Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

Field Notes 1983 Birds Albino House Martin At about 14.00 hours on 13th August 1983 a flock of about 200 House Martins (Delichon urbica) were observed flying around the ruins of Llantony Priory (502927) in the Honddu valley in the Gwent section of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Towards the centre of the flock was a single pale individual which appeared to totally lack pigmentation although its wings seemed to be tinged grey. Within 30 minutes the flock moved to a farm just south of the Priory and the aberrant individual was eventually lost to view. F.M. Slater 1984 Invertebrates Invertebrates in Flintshire An all-day visit by a group of North Wales Naturalists' Trust members on 1 July to Ddol Uchaf Nature Reserve produced a list of well over 100 species, many of them new to the reserve. A series of pitfall traps laid down the previous day yielded a range of interesting specimens ranging from the tiny bristly springtail Orchesella villosa (Geoff.), numerous ground beetles, click beetles and weevils, to woodlice and millipedes. As well as the common Philoscia muscorum (Scop.), Oniscus asellus L. and Porcellio scaber Latr., an unexpected find was Androniscus dentiger Ver. This uncommon, pinkish- white, woodlouse only reaches 6mm. and is easily overlooked. It occurs mostly in limestone areas. Millipedes found in this old marl-pit included the pill millipede, Glomeris marginata (Vill.) and Polymicrodon polydesmoides (Leach), both associated with calcareous soils, and Cylindroiulus nitidus (Ver.). Schizophyllum sabulosum (L.), a brown species with longitudinal orange stripes along the body, also found here, does not appear to have been recorded previously in North Wales. M.J. Morgan A Good Butterfly Summer In general 1984 was a good summer for butterflies and it was a delight on country walks to see so many flying along the hedgerows or feeding on garden flowers during the long sunny days. An early Comma was seen on 2 April at Talsarnau, Merioneth (Hazel Harrison), but this species did not prove to be particularly abundant in the following months. Numerous caterpillars of the Small Tortoiseshell were found on nettles above Llanafan Forest, near Aberystwyth at about 1000 feet, 12 June, where an occasional Small Heath was on the wing. From mid-June adult Tortoiseshells were to be seen in many parts of North Wales until about mid- August. Meadow Browns were abundant for about six weeks from early July, unusually large numbers flying over meadows and along the sunny side of hedges, towards the end of the month. The Small Copper seemed to be more plentiful than usual in August. Two were seen near the river in Glaslyn marshes N.R., Merioneth, on the first of the month and at Tregarth, near Bangor, two or three were feeding on mint flowers in the garden on the 10th, 11 th, 12th and 15th along with all three species of Whites, Hedge Brown, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Common Blue. So many species feeding at a small patch of garden mint has not been observed here before; perhaps the flowers held more nectar than the Buddleias which did not seem particularly attractive this year. One memorable sight was on a visit to the NWNT Gogarth N.R. on the Great Orme on 9 August in early evening. Large numbers of the Brown Argus were flying above the vegetation. On bending down to examine one on a leaf I was suddenly aware that about a dozen with wings closed were resting on grass blades in an area of only about one square foot. Peacocks had a notably good year. Large numbers were present at Craig Wen N.R. Anglesey on 12 August where they were particularly attracted by flowers of Hemp Agrimony. At least nine were counted on one single clump. A few Clouded Yellows were reported, but no large numbers were seen. Single ones were noted at Ruthin, Denbs, 8 August (David H. Hughes); The Spinnies N.R. near Bangor 28 and 29 August (Nigel Brown); Brynsiencyn 27 August and 20 September (P. Hollindale); Llanddwyn 7 September and Aberffraw, Anglesey, 26 September (L.S.V. Venables); Caernarvon 2 September (L.J. Larsen). A few Hummingbird Hawk moths have been sighted in North Wales, but on the whole 1984 has not been a spectacular year for migrants and the Red Admiral and Painted Lady have not appeared in any number. M.J. Morgan The House Cricket Following recent notes about the House Cricket Acheta domestica (L.) in North Wales another colony has now been discovered. The insects have in fact been established for 4 or 5 years in farm buildings at Bryngwran, Gwalchmai, Anglesey, but not recognised as such. On an evening visit in early August the song could be heard in various outbuildings where a male had been caught earlier in the day. Mr. J.E.G. Davidson hears them regularly in his pig farrowing shed where the temperature is maintained at between 15-20°C throughout the year, providing the constant warmth the crickets need to survive the winter. This is the first record of the species in Anglesey. Subsequent to the above visit it was of considerable interest to receive a phone call in early October from a neighbour of Mr. Davidson to say that she also had a colony of crickets. This property is on the other side of the river about half a mile to the west. The insects were heard singing in the fields during the hot weather "in hundreds" but with the onset of autumn at least one had now found its way indoors. M.J. Morgan The Beet-leaf bug This tiny plant bug Piesma quadratum (3mm length) is known as a pest in beet growing areas on the continent, where it is responsible for the transmission of a virus disease of beet known as Crinkle. Fortunately it is rarely found on this plant in Britain, occurring mostly on salt marshes where its host plant is sea purslane and shore orache. It was found for the first time in Anglesey on 17 July 1984 near Valley at the edge of a small saltmarsh. The only other North Wales record is from the sand dunes at Point of Air, 24 July 1977 (M.J. M.). M.J. Morgan An abundance of Chafers The Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola (L.)) was particularly common in 1984. Measuring up to half an inch