Oxwich

There were very good numbers of insects in the dunes at Oxwich yesterday, most notably Small Blues on the Sea Holly and Kidney Vetch and Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis) likewise. There were also plenty of Buff-tailed Bumblebees (B. terrestris) and Six-spot Burnets on the carpets of Thyme and Grey Bush-cricket (Platycleis albopunctata) was noteworthy. On the beach there was no sign of the Eelgrass, last seen in 1974, although the tide may not have been low enough, however there was this interesting sky.

In one small area of the dunes we looked for the Dune Gentian (Gentianella uliginosa) and managed to find one good specimen along with more photogenic spcimens of Autumn Gentian (G. amarella) [below] as well as a few likely hybrids.