LOCAL NEWS
Bowled over by Bittern
The Bittern is one of the UK’s most threatened bird species, so it was a great surprise to discover one hanging out at Llyn Coed y Dinas Nature Reserve! First seen by Trust Chairman, Chris Townsend on 5th January 2010, the next day Education Officer, Katie Gee captured this amazing image.
Once common, the Bittern suffered persecution and drainage of its reedbed habitats to such a degree that by 1885 it was extinct. Fifteen years later it returned to Norfolk and was confirmed to be breeding in 1911, but today there are still only a handful, mainly in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lancashire.
During the winter, these paltry Bittern numbers are swelled by the arrival of birds from Northern & Eastern Europe and it is these birds which can turn up in unexpected places. The Llyn Coed y Dinas Bittern is particularly exciting as the first record for this elusive species at this site. Whether it will spend the rest of the winter at the reserve remains to be seen.
UPDATE 8 Jan 2010 - The Bittern has now moved on and who can blame it, since the lake is now completely frozen!
6 January 2010
Wildlife In Your Pocket
.png)
Everyone enjoys playing I Spy. Now visitors to local nature reserves can play an exciting new version of the game, and have fun learning about wildlife at the same time.
‘WildSpy MWT’ is an interactive ‘app’ that has just been launched by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust. Estelle Bailey, CEO of the Trust, says “WildSpy MWT is actually three games in one - there’s one for Llyn Coed y Dinas, Cors Dyfi and Severn Farm Ponds nature reserves so people can play in different places and spot up to 60 amazing species”..png)
WildSpy MWT is played on an Ipod or IPhone Touch. Up to 4 people can compete to be the first to spot plants and animals and win the game. “There are some fantastic images and sound effects to help players so it’s great for families” says Estelle. “When one of you spots a heron, for example, you can zoom right into the tiniest detail – even into its eye or a single feather – and confirm the sound you hear the bird making with the recording on the app. You can also read a few words about the heron and follow a link to the internet (on the reserve or later at home) to learn even more”.
“The Trust is the first to launch an app of this type. It’s one of a suite of WildSpy apps that we’ve developed with Imagemakers, a company that specialises in helping people enjoy our unique heritage. We are so excited to be leading the way in this field” said Estelle. “Using new technologies like this helps us to engage visitors on a new level”.
The app is currently free to download from the Apple iTunes store. In a few weeks time people will pay a small fee for the app, which will raise money for The Wildlife Trust.
16 December 2009
On Yer Bike!
Katie Gee, Education Officer for the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust is appealing to the county’s businesses to help her “go green” and inspire local school children to do the same.
Katie currently delivers outdoor environmental education sessions to many schools across Montgomeryshire, either as outreach sessions on school grounds or at the Trust’s nature reserves. In order to transport all her equipment she has to rely on a car. However, Katie is hoping to raise the funds needed to purchase a bicycle, trailer and high visibility jacket which would allow her to deliver her education programme without having a negative impact on the environment.
“Using sustainable transport will reduce emissions, cut fuel costs and deliver a sustainable message to all the pupils I engage with” said Katie, who has led over 60 sessions with local schools this year as well as several family events.
To achieve her goal, Katie is looking for sponsors who would all receive advertising on the new trailer. Brooks Cycles in Welshpool have already agreed to provide a bike at trade price and also to service the bike and trailer for free. To sponsor Katie’s Bike Scheme, please contact the Trust on 01938 555654. For more information about Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Education Service, click here or contact Katie by phone or email katie@montwt.co.uk.
9 December 2009
Tree O'Clock
The Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust had a hugely successfully tree planting event on Dec 5th! In the name of Tree O'clock we planted nearly 350 trees on three sites between 11am and 12 noon! We planted at our Severn Farm Pond and Llyn Coed y Dinas nature reserves and on a Forestry Commission site near Lake Vyrnwy.
A huge thank you to all who volunteered for the day, we hope everyone enjoyed it! Also a big, big thanks to The Forestry Commission, The Derwen Garden Centre and also the good folk of Montgomeryshire who very kindly donated trees for the event.
7 December 2009
Numerous 'Naked Ladies'
.jpg)
Staff and volunteers of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust were stunned when, on completion of the annual count of Meadow Saffron flowers at Llanmerewig Glebe Nature Reserve, they found that they had a new record of 1,196!
Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale), a native plant of damp meadows and woods, is also known as Autumn Crocus or Naked Ladies; the latter name stemming from the habit of the flowers appearing without any leaves. The flowers, which appear in the autumn, resemble pink crocuses, but are in fact colchicums and not related to true crocuses. The leaves appear in the spring and can be confused with Wild Garlic (Ramsons) a potentially lethal mistake, since all parts of the plant carry a deadly poison called colchicine. For this reason, the unimproved grasslands where this beautiful plant grew were typically managed for hay since the leaves die down prior to harvest.
Changes in agricultural practice has meant that Meadow Saffron is now very rare; remnant populations are generally found in field margins or road verges. Consequently, Llanmerewig Glebe represents an extremely important population and the Trust is delighted that they are doing so well.
22 September 2009
Dedication of Wildlife Trust volunteers is celebrated at Number 10
The commitment of more than 40 volunteers for The Wildlife Trusts has been celebrated at Downing Street. Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown held a reception in the garden at Number 10 (on Wednesday 22 July) to thank volunteers involved in practical land and marine conservation work.
Judi Stretton, who volunteers for the Trust every week, attended the Downing Street reception hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. As well as helping out with a wide range of work at the Trust, Judi leads a team who help maintain the the Trust’s Severn Farm Pond Nature Reserve’s sensory garden, an area designed to help engage people with the natural world around them.
The Wildlife Trusts are leading the way in promoting land and marine conservation at the UK, national, regional and local levels. More than 40,000 people volunteer for The Wildlife Trusts and many undertake frontline practical work on land or at sea. Many are young, students, unemployed and skilled workers of all ages, gender and ethnicity from rural and urban backgrounds. All have a common purpose; an ongoing active commitment to the natural environment.
Estelle Bailey, CEO of Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust said: “We are thrilled this particular group of committed like-minded people has been recognised by the Prime Minister. They give their time so readily and deliver real environmental benefits to local communities throughout the UK. We, at The Wildlife Trusts, are very proud of our army of volunteers – approaching 40,000 people of all ages and backgrounds – who care for and improve local wild places. And their positive action benefits us all. It is absolutely right that their efforts should be acknowledged.
“We hope many more will continue to be inspired by wildlife on their doorstep and the next generation of volunteers will take the opportunity to improve their local environment, learn new skills and have fun at the same time."
29 July 2009
'Fast food' reserve showcases the unusual
Llyn Coed y Dinas Nature Reserve is continuing to attract unusual birds, particularly during the recent spell of unsettled weather. Sightings from the last few days include a Mediterranean Gull, Little Stint and 30 Lesser Blackback Gulls; a pair of Lesser Blackback Gulls have decided to breed on the reserve, a first for Montgomeryshire.
On the outskirts of Welshpool, this reserve was created when the bypass was constructed and has provided a valuable source of food and shelter for a great variety of birds ever since. To find out more about this reserve and how to get there, click here.
15 May 2009
TV naturalist opens new osprey centre
Visitors to the Dyfi Osprey Project at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve will now be able to get up close and personal with Wales' rarest bird. The new visitor centre was officially opened by Iolo Williams at 3pm on Saturday 25th April, allowing all those who attended to witness the first close-up images of the ospreys which have taken up residence at the reserve.
Courtesy of two high-definition cameras and a microphone, visitors can enjoy unbelievable live footage of the ospreys on two large plasma screen TV's, as well as viewing the action through high-power telescopes in the Trust's new elevated hide. The Trust hopes to have these amazing images live-streamed to our website within a couple of weeks, so watch this space!
The Dyfi Osprey Project is open everyday, 10am - 6pm. To find out more, click here.
28 April 2009
Excitement mounts as Ospreys set up home in Dyfi Valley
Wales' rarest bird has taken up residence on a specially constructed artificial nest platform at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve. The male arrived over the Easter weekend, much to the delight of hundreds of visitors, who were able to watch him from the newly erected hide. The female joined him approximately a week later and now everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that they will breed.
Emyr Evans, Project Manager for the Dyfi Osprey Project, said "Everybody at the trust has worked so hard over the winter setting up this new project in Wales, so you can imagine our absolute delight when this male decided to set up home right here on the Dyfi!"
The hide will remain open throughout the summer and a new visitor centre will open at the reserve on 25th April. Visitors will be able to watch and hear the ospreys on two large plasma screens courtesy of two high-definition cameras and a microphone, which were placed on the nest over the winter.
20 April 2009
MWT on the BBC again!
Dolydd Hafren Nature Reserve was featured on a BBC Radio Wales programme on Friday 6th March when Tammy Stretton, Biodiversity Officer met Iolo Williams to look at the Brown Hares which thrive there.
08 March 2009
Pumlumon Project featured on BBC
The Trust's Pumlumon Project headlined the BBC's Countryfile programme on St. David's Day, with John Craven discussing the work being carried out with Conservation Manager, Clive Faulkner and Agricultural Ecologist, Liz Lewis-Reddy. The ten minute slot on this popular national TV programme provided a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of this ground-breaking project.
02 March 2009
Unexpected discovery at wetland reserve
Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve is home to a number of interesting plants and animals, including Nightjar and Otter. However, no-one expected to find a woodland
species on this restored bog!
This gorgeous little creature is a Hazel Dormouse and was found in the most unlikely of places; under a large slab of stone, in the middle of the bog. This is the first record of this species for Cors Dyfi and brings the total of Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust sites with dormice to three.
The Hazel Dormouse is a generally tree-dwelling species, but will use dense areas of scrub and it is thought that this is where they are living at Cors Dyfi. Surveys will now be carried out to ascertain how these little mice are using the site and to inform future management of the site.
23 February 2009
Exotic species found at Red House
It is now widely accepted that Climate Change is a reality, but is this another indication?
.jpg)
This Bearded Dragon was found dead on Red House Nature Reserve on 14th November 2008. Bearded Dragons are popular exotic pets and this poor creature was almost certainly dumped on the reserve when it could no longer be cared for. Being originally a native of Australia, a Bearded Dragon would not be able to survive in our climate; in captivity, it is recommended that they are kept at about 40oC during the day and 15-26oC at night.
.jpg)
It is illegal to allow any animal which is not ordinarily resident in Great Britain, or is listed on Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to escape into the wild, or to release it without a licence. There is a good reason for this; a number of our native species have become seriously endangered as a result of the activities of animals released into the wild. A good example is the Water Vole, a once common rodent found on every little watercourse, throughout the UK. When animal rights activists released American Mink from fur farms, they put a nail in the Water Vole's coffin (caused by loss, disturbance and fragmentation of riparian habitats, pollution of watercourses and poisoning by rodenticides); this non-native species breed and spread, gobbling up Water Voles as it went.
With the increasing financial crisis, it is likely that more and more people will no longer be able to afford to look after their pets, but for the sake of the individual animal's welfare, as well as our wild animal populations, they should not be released into the wild.
14 November 2008
Upland cattle handling
Following the reintroduction of Welsh Whites onto the Pumlumon Mountains, the staff at the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust have recently had to turn cowboy in order to round up and confine the cattle for their pre-movement TB testing. With buildings and pens being thin on the ground on the upland site the Trust have purchased a mobile cattle management system which combines a cattle crush and corral, but which can be driven onto site when required. The Trust’s Pumlumon Project is keen to show that grazing in the uplands is a viable and beneficial proposition, and is willing to hire the equipment out to the site’s surrounding landowners should they wish to give upland grazing a chance.
03 October 2008
Pumlumon Challenge
On Saturday 27th September, 100 brave souls set out on the gruelling feat of endurance that is the Pumlumon Challenge. 27 miles of upland terrain lay ahead, including the three highest peaks in the Pumlumon Mountain Range, and amongst those taking part were three members of staff from the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust. While Clive Faulkner and Liz Lewis-Reddy opted to walk the course, Iestyn Thomas ran the distance in an impressive time of 7 hours and 23 minutes. The trio decided to take part in the event in order to highlight the Pumlumon area and to promote the Pumlumon Project.
27 September 2008
Reserve continues to attract rare visitors
Llyn Coed y Dinas Nature Reserve in Welshpool has once again attracted some unusual visitors to its shores. Following a severe night-time thunderstorm, a Common Scoter was a new record for the site. This sea duck, relatively common in Carmarthen Bay, is rarely spotted so far inland. It was followed two days later by 12 Black-tailed Godwits, which rested while a heavy shower passed through, before taking off due south and climbing to cross Long Mountain. These birds, some still in summer plumage, would be making their way southwards for the winter after summering perhaps as far north as Iceland.
Late summer 2008
Off the beaten tracks
Visitors to the Welshpool and Llanfair Steam Railway are being encouraged to step down from the carriages and explore the stunning countryside around them, with the help of a new book produced by one of the railway’s volunteers. “Off The Tracks” has been compiled by Steve Page and details walks and places to visit along the Banwy Valley where the steam railway runs. Clive Faulkner and Tammy Stretton, of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, have contributed an article to the book detailing the flora and fauna that visitors to the area should keep an eye out for including Kingfishers, Otter, Deer and Globeflower.
16 July 2008
Encouraging sighting for Environment Minister
Jane Davidson, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, was delighted to spot a Hen Harrier flying overhead on a recent visit to Glaslyn Nature Reserve. Ms Davidson was visiting the site to see the work the Pumlumon Conservation Project has so far undertaken in the area, which includes hydrology management and the promotion of upland grazing. The presence of the Hen Harrier was confirmation that the habitat management undertaken by the Trust on the reserve is already improving biodiversity in the area, one of the main objectives of the Pumlumon project.
02 June 2008
Children help design interpretation screen
Earlier this year children from Maesydre School in Welshpool were involved in helping design the interpretation for a new screen that the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust will be having constructed on its Severn Farm Pond Nature Reserve. The screen will be placed to deflect noise and sights from the industrial units that surround this little urban oasis nature reserve. The children worked with contractors Creu-ad who helped Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust staff to photograph and record sights and sounds from the site, and create designs, pictures and words that will be used on the final screen. The idea is that the screen will hold transferable interpretation which can be changed to suit the seasons and community involvement work sessions held on the reserve.
May/June 2008
Spoonbill Surprise
Two unusual avian visitors, spoonbills, were recently spotted at Dolydd Hafren Nature Reserve. Spoonbills are members of the Ibis family and have a huge, extraordinarily shaped bill, which they use with elegant sideways sweeps, to feed on small crustaceans, fish and molluscs in the shallows of lagoons and lakes. The Eurasian Spoonbill, one of seven species worldwide, is an occasional visitor to Britain, most usually spotted along the east coast and in the southwest. It is mostly to be found in more southerly areas of Europe, as far east as Japan, although there is an isolated breeding colony near Amsterdam. Most birds migrate south in winter, but some remain and winter in Western Europe.
The two recent visitors to Dolydd Hafren, thought to be young birds, are a first record for the reserve and the cause of great excitement to members of the Montgomeryshire Bird Group who were conducting their regular weekly survey of the reserve. Two members of Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust staff were also present to spot the unusual visitors to a reserve which Iolo Williams calls "the jewel in the crown of Montgomeryshire reserves".
Spring 2008
