Well, here we are in the far west of Wales in the Gwaun valley nestling below the Preseli Hills Mountains; the weather is wall to wall sunshine, not too hot at the moment but that might change…
On the drive down on Friday, 22nd taking the scenic route to the north of the Brecon Beacons, we saw many dying ash trees – ash dieback I wonder? Upon arrival at our little cottage, greeted by swallows, house martins and swifts! Indeed, upon driving around, there are quite a number of swifts over countryside and the local towns -so this is where all our swifts are?
Geologists list it as one of most important meltwater channels in Britain from the last Ice Age. The valley is pure rural idyll, thick with beech and hazel, ash and oak. Sightings of pied flycatcher, wood warbler, redstarts, marsh tit, nut hatch and tree creeper are recorded. We watch from the cottage, buzzards, kite and (our) four young swallows on the overhead cable opposite.
Up on the mountains, bog aspodel, sundew, cotton grass, heathers, western gorse(?) and a small pink flower I shall have to look up upon my return oh and ponies! Farming appears to be fairly benign , it mostly on the intermediate middle ground just above the valley. The road verges are quite floristically rich – the foxgloves are spectacular at the moment!
