Trip reports
Indoor meeting - Newport Wetlands
Male lapwing RSPB Images
Friday, 16 April 2010
But to the Reserve. As I never tire of banging on - the reserve is a compensation site for the loss of Cardiff Bay SSSI. The habitat is different so it is not mitigation despite the large slate slab at the top of the reserve.
The fly ash from which the reserve was carved is alkaline so there are plants typical of limestone grassland - Kevin showed photos of the rare narrow leaved birdsfoot trefoil a There were orchids such as southern Marsh, bee, common spotted and pyramidal, hemp agrimony, marsh helleborine and the chlorophyll lacking yellow birds nest.
Newport is one of the best sites in Wales for the shrill carder bee - a Biodiversity action plan species. Kevin also showed us were the green tinged beetle normally on coastal heathland, the scarlet tiger moth and the elephant hawk moth. Newport is also an important site for the small eggar moth
Butterflies were represented by peacock and marbled white. 21 species of butterfly have been recorded here as have 16 species of dragon and damsel fly including the early flying hairy dragonfly, a scarce species that flies in late April. Kevin also had photos of 4-spot chaser, broad bodied chaser and the southern hawker.
Birds were represented by, amongst others, bearded tit, bittern, water rail and marsh harrier. In the wet grasslands lapwing and avocet breed Kevin showed film of a lapwing nest with the eggs about to hatch. In an attempt to minimise predation of both lapwing and avocet an electric fence has been erected around the nesting area. It seems this brings it's own problems. Keep out foxes, and corvids learn it is safe to enter the area. Also on the lagoons, little ringed plover bred in the fresh water areas and ringed plover in the saline lagoon.
Kevin showed us some great photos and film of a reserve full of biodiversity, or - as I think of it - wildlife, we had an overview of the creation of the site and a talk full of enthusiasm for the area. Everyone seemed to enjoy their virtual tour of the reserve.. Now on SATURDAY June 12th Roger James a CCW volunteer at Newport will be leading a walk around the Uskmouth site looking at non-bird wildlife. We will be meeting at the Wetlands Visitor Centre (G.R.ST334834) for a walk to start at 10:30 Why not come along and see and smell the real thing?