Sea Kale Growing On Cemlyn’s Shingle Bank
After a brief convenience stop at the loos at Penrhos CP it was off to the second venue for todays coach trip Cemlyn Bay NR. Cemlyn is known mainly as a valuable site for terns with Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Arctic Terns seen on the breeding colony unfortunately no sign of the Roseate Tern that the warden noted.
Arctic Tern. Picture by Chris Derri.
Sandwich Tern. Picture by Chris Derri
Other Birdlife included a second year Northern Gannet, Mute Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Black Guillemot, Barn Swallow, Rock Pipit, male and two juv Stonechats and Raven. Grey Seal bobbing around and the corpse of a Bloody-nosed Beetle Timarcha tenebricosa.
Plenty of seashore life with Flat Periwinkle Littorina obtusata, Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea, Velvet Mite Entrombidium rostratus, Marine Springtail Anurida maritima, Common Limpet Patella vulgata, Black-footed Limpet Patella depressa, Beadlet Anemone Actinia equina, Encrusting Red Algae Lithothamnion sp., Red Algae Polysiphonia lanosa, Channel Wrack Pelvetia canaliculata, Egg Wrack Ascophyllum nodosum, Spiral Wrack Fucus spiralis.
Channel Wrack
Seashore Lichens of note included Xanthoria parietina, Sea Ivory Ramalina siliquosa and Black Shields Lecanora atra.
Sea Ivory Lichen against the yellow Xanthoria parietina
Botanists again were delighted with Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Thrift Armeria maritima, a rather interesting Centaury sp. with rounded leaves, Common Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica, Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor, Heath Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata, Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa x Heath Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata hybrid, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Curled Dock Rumex crispus, Heath Groundsel Senecio sylvaticus, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum, Spring Squill Scilla verna, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Sea Campion Silene maritima, Halberd-leaved Orache Atriplex hastate, Sea Kale Crambe maritima, Common Gorse Ulex europaeus, Western Gorse Ulex gallii and Wild Carrot Daucus carota.
English Stonecrop
A memorable last find of the day by Harry – a desiccated Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish
Thanks to Chris Butterworth for help with the species lists and Chris Derri for use of his macro lens when mine had a premature death.