Gower Peninsula Trip

Spent the last few days in Wales on the Gower Peninsula on a family camping trip. We visited Oxwich Bay National Nature Reserve, the National Trust's Rhossili Beach, had a couple of walks around Pitton Cross and a day at Swansea market. 

Didn't target anything wildlife wise, just kept my eyes open while kite flying, playing in the sand, digging for cockles, BBQ, making bacon sandwiches in the campervan, eating out and other kids stuff with Jacob (also taught him how to play Monopoly). I ran the actinic heath trap at the campsite but it was quite cool in the evenings.

A bit of a drama getting home when the van broke down and we needed to get a car hire while the van was flat back recovered back home. The cabbie, Jo, who took us to the car hire place imparted some cabbie wisdom on us to embrace the disaster (just like her friend did recently after he lost his leg in a work accident and sold his paddle board for a good price as he wouldn't need it anymore). So inspired by her little story we embraced our unplanned trip to Swansea by visiting the famous indoor market and having cockles with laverbread for lunch.  She also, after meeting Jacob for a few minutes imparted more wisdom and told Jacob that not everyone is normal but it's those weird people like you who change the world. You cannot beat a bit of cabbie wisdom lol.  

Here's a few pics of things that caught my eye. Birds included Chough, Fulmars, Guillemot, Sandwich Terns and Wheatears. 

Southern Marsh Orchids in the Dunes at Oxwich Bay 

Small Blues in the Dunes

Bloody Crane's-bill

The Pyramidal Orchids are coming out 

Creeping Willow in the Dunes

Burnet Rose in the Dunes

Small Angle Shades

Ingrailed Clay is closest I can get on this 

Shears, also had Sandy Carpet, Brown Silver-Lines, Small Square-spots, Poplar Hawkmoth, Lesser Yellow Underwings, Heart and Dart and a few other moths which weren't particularly exciting. Considering we were on the coast I was hoping for a Striped Hawkmoth or Bordered Straw. 

 

We found more Wedge Shells than we did Cockles. We cooked up a small lunch with a few of the cockles we found and also tried these wedge shells too which are also edible 

First time flying a Kite (above and below) 

Rhosilli Beach 

The Worm's Head at Rhossili

The Vile, a medieval field system managed by the Trust mainly for wildflowers and meadows but this field has been sown with Sunflowers 

We've had a few problems with the van in the past including a fire in Croatia and lost our brake lights last year in Dorset but actually being recovered on a flat back lorry is a holiday first. As Jo the cabbie advised, we embraced the disaster and Jacob thought the lorry coming along and the campervan piggy backing home was all part of the holiday excitement