Spring is forcing its way in – I have seen in the last few days more than the odd violet, great swathes of kingcups in the nearby valley bottom and vivid carpets of Golden Saxifrage frankly everywhere. The latter possibly … Continue reading
Category Archives: Wildflower Meadows
Signs of Spring
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Thanks to Andrew for this article and wading around his fields to take some photos: If you were at the Spring Meeting at Bancyfelin on 24th March you will have heard Richard Pryce’s talk on indicator species for various types … Continue reading
Bulbous Buttercup
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During his interesting talk on grassland indicator species at the Meadows Group meeting last Saturday Richard Pryce (our county plant recorder) highlighted the bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) as an indicator species of meadows with better draining, base-rich soils. Of the … Continue reading
Seaweed – Valuable Input or Expensive Luxury?
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Thank you to Julian for this article – and we look forward to discussion and debate: With little else to do as our meadows here are blasted by Easterly winds, and temperatures so low that nothing’s really growing, I decided … Continue reading
Shooting For Snipe (With a Camera!)
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This gallery contains 21 photos.
Like many readers, I guess, we’re still under the cosh of the Beast from the East up here, with minus 14 degrees C measured on occasion, and horrendous wind chill. Though for now we’ve escaped the worst of the snow. … Continue reading
February Roundup
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Its mid February – its dry and bright but I doubt I am the only one itching for spring. I have gone back to the blog post for this time last year. It featured comment on moles, dissected owl pellets … Continue reading
Bumblebee Surveys In Carmarthenshire; Spawning in Local Ponds
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Thanks to Isabel for forwarding on information about these 2 surveys which will probably interest a lot of our members and readers: Bee Wild West Wales Bumblebee Survey 2018 Here at Bumblebee Conservation Trust Wales we are looking forward to … Continue reading
Two interesting links
Two updates that may be of interest:
First, thanks to Andrew for this link to the current “British Wildlife”.
There is often discussion on the possible benefits (nutritional or pharmaceutical) to livestock from the the variety of wild plants in herb-rich grassland, either from direct grazing or from winter feed of hay or haylage. There has been a review of evidence in the available literature carried out by Cath Shellswell of Plantlife.

Second, the PONT conference, “Farming, Nature and Food – Grazing for the Future” is coming up on 7 -8 February at the Dragon Hotel, The Kingsway, Swansea.
For more information and easy online booking visit https://www.pontcymru.org/training-events/pont-conference-2018/
Rachel

Thanks for reading, and remember I’m always happy to receive any suitable articles or photos to include as blog posts. Please send them to me…
Julian Wormald… website@carmarthenshiremeadows.com
Insect Biomass Decline – Follow Up; Provisional Programme for 2018.
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Thanks very much for this detailed follow up by Andrew to the short piece I featured in a previous post on a German study hinting at significant declines in insect biomass over a 25 year period. Everyone (well, anyone who … Continue reading
PONT Conservation Grazing/ Livestock Checking Courses in December
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Thanks to Emma and Isabel for details of 2 new courses in December, which may be of interest to members. Firstly : LANTRA accredited Livestock Checkers training – Tuesday 5th December 2017, Cross Inn, Llantrisant, RCT. Click conservation grazing course stock … Continue reading