Viewing entries tagged
Dog Poo

Free for all comes at a cost.

Just when I think things are on the up, I get reminded just 8 days into Llandegfedd being back open to public, just how much the site is set on a downwards spiral.. I really hope new management turn things around as the current free-for-all setup is coming at the cost of our environment. I arrived to see Dog’s running around off lead on the island , a site that used to have breeding Lapwing. A fisherman set up very considerately right in front of Bert Hammar Hide, Poo Bags are thrown everywhere, Dog poo everywhere and plenty of litter. Welsh Water has done a lot of work this winter repairing the hides, with new roofs and bin additions, but I’m starting to think that all this encourages is for people to use the hides as picnic areas and not for their intended purpose. Just 8 days in and the bin is overflowing in Green Pool Hide and as a result, bottles, cans and wrappers surround the hide. Green Pool never saw litter prior to the installation of these bins, so I think they need to go. I was also very disappointed to see four silver birches cut down. These birches were planted as part of past conservation efforts and were reaching a good age, but it was deemed a necessary loss as it enabled DCWW to cut the grass with the tractor to save time. Three Boats were fishing right in Green Pool inlet and as a result, flushed what little Teal are left on site. There’s no policing of the site what so ever, which is exactly why these things go totally unnoticed by the rangers. This is what it’s like now, in wet and windy conditions, so you can imagine how bad it gets on sunny weekends during the summer.

Moving onto more positive things, I spent some time with the Macro lens, and I have a ‘thing’ where if I photograph something, I need to find out what it is, which is why I pick and choose what I photograph as it can often lead to a headache, as not all species are identifiable without use of a microscope. I just need to get some decent books. If it wasn’t for this website - https://www.naturespot.org.uk/ - I wouldn’t manage at all at the moment. I bought a Moss book but turns out it’s Arable Garden Mosses only, so not much good for me.
Any recommendations, please let me know! I want to grow my book collection.

Llandegfedd / Welsh Water / SSSI Status / Business

I've tried my best to not talk about this for a while as if I'm honest, it's getting me down. To see a site that I love dearly go to ruins is heart breaking. Having fort really hard for wildlife protection and conservation plans for many years, frankly, opening the north side to the public has been the worse thing to happen since Llandegfedd's birth. 

Recently I had to shout down two idiots who thought it was a good idea to rip up the Wild Flower Meadows on a Quadbike. I've got no shame what so ever posting his picture on here because he knew he shouldn't have been doing it because he waited for me to get out of site before opening a non-vehicle access gate while my back was turned. This isn't the first time I've heard this vehicle, in-fact just the day before I heard it riding around the Island but couldn't get back to the water in time to get a photo. 

Theres always a select few that spoil it for everyone but in my opinion, the site should have been kept to permit holders only to rule this problem out entirely. 

After fighting for so long for improvements to be made for the wildlife at Llandegfedd, hides are continuable neglected, no conservation management is done what so ever other than the odd winter grazing which didn't happen last winter. There hasn't been any maintenance for the SSSI status for Wintering Wildfowl in years and yet it's ok for Welsh Water to use this SSSI status for advertised tourism? I can't help be feel angry about this, especially as our 'Wintering Wildfowl' is already turning up.. Clearly the 'wintering' wildfowl didn't read the site closing time memo, perhaps they should fly back to Scandinavia and wait a little longer for the Quadbikes to go home. 

Early Teal 

To top all this off, naturally, with Dog Walkers you get? I never thought in a millions years that I would see this at the North end of Llandegfedd. It was my place of sanctuary and solitude where Foxes, Badgers and wildlife would roam freely in the day and now you'll be lucky to see a Rabbit.

If any rangers are reading this from Llandegfedd, I do apologise, it's not a direct punt at you, you're only doing your Job and what you're being told to do from above. It's the people sat behind the desk that make these decisions for the sake of money, money, money that I have a problem with. Greed as a lot to answer for. 

Take a hint from this Kingfisher, do what is right, a balance needs to be struck, don't forget the wildlife. We need to cherish it all and embrace what makes Wales such a special place.