Copulating Adders - Vipera berus

This morning  I was leaving Wales, I woke early at my fathers caravan at Llangenith, and set off for a walk towards Rhossili .
Just half showing out catching the morning sun on an old wall I found a pair of copulating Adders

 The female here with head on the right was showing signs of Ecdysis, milky white on the eyes are a sign that she is ready to shed her skin, I am quite suprised she was out in the sun

These members of the Viper family are under persecution by most caravan owners and gardeners around the caravan park , feared and killed and this is illegal under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside act.
I never felt a bit in danger of these un-aggressive snakes as I sat watched them.
I even returned a little later and showed the kids.
They were in a difficult photography position and I did not wish disturbance to there day, but Ill settle for these shots any day.

Mediterranean Gulls of Blackpill,Swansea

While taking my children to the paddling pools on Swansea bay I noticed down along the bay several Med Gulls. With the left overs of a buffet in the car I fancied my luck of a few good photos...Still these gulls are not as easy coming as there Black-headed cousins ,and stay more of a distance away from you, but cant resist Pasties.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

The female Golden ringed Dragonfly is Britains longest Drangonfly , this species is not found in Ireland

Six-spot Burnet Moth

Six spot Burnet Moths plentful in and around the sand dunes of Llangenith..A day flying Moth ,its larvae feed mainly on Birds foot Trefoil.

Mewslade to Tiers Point- Gower,Wales

I had a few hours to myself on friday ,and headed out along the south Gower coast in search of Dartford Warblers that have been resident breeding in this area for about 6 years.The songs of Yellowhammers, loads of Whitethroats,Choughs ,Swifts and a family of Stoats gave my great confidence of finding some Dartfords.. but today it was not to be, perhaps when the Whitethroats leave there would be a better chance in catching a song.
Still it had been over 13 years since I had been here and it is a jewel of a coastline.

Mewslade Valley

Tier Point

Heath spotted Orchid (i think?)

South Gower

Fall Bay looking east

Stoat

Brynmill Park -Swansea

While back in Wales on family duty, I took my children to a local park that I grew up near too.
Plenty of Grey Squirrels, Moorhens and Ducks and the Water Lilys were wonderful , but I never found the Ring necked parakeet that I was told about.

Pyramidal Orchids

Pyramidal Orchids are decorating the pieces of meadow around Lahinch Marsh. 

Flowering between April and July, now is the best time for them,and with this heat wave the colours are deep

Burren Wildflowers June

Sherard's Downy-rose

Wild Thyme 

Ox-eye Daisy 

Burnet Rose 

Common Spotted-orchid 

O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid

With not much birding activety going on in the county at this time of year, its good to get out into The Burren National Park and learn a little about wildflowers.
I aint no Botanist but I am finding this challenge rather enjoyable and a fun thing to do with the family

Corra-gheal-bheag / Little Egret

In Gaelic Corra-gheal-bheag, In welsh Creyr bach .
Back in times before the 16th century when these languages were spoken as first languages The Little Egret would have been a bird fit for table banquet ,between 16-20th century the birds disappeared in GB and Ireland, hunted for food and feather Plumes for hat fashion .
After seen as an Exotic bird of the Meditereanean and Europe.

In 2002 a pair nested in Wales not far from where i lived . they were the first in a rapid increase of Little Egret to over 750 pairs in 2008. In  1997 a pair bred in Cork  and now they breed in most  Irish counties

Cuckoo

I had the pleasure of a few close encounters with Cuckoos over Doonagore in the past week, They keep one step ahead of you and are very quick to move off at human sighting.They are jumpy birds, always being harassed by local birds protecting there territory .....No Rest for the Wicked!

Strong evening at The Cliffs of Moher

Some evenings just have strong power in there making.
 No better place to feel that power of open space than The Cliffs of Moher on a evening walk.
Its nice to have this sort of aspect within 10 minutes from home.

Fields of Yellows,Dragons & Damsels

Yellow Iris

Hairy Hawker(female)

Banded Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle(fem)

Banded Demoiselle (female)

As spring enters summer Yellow Iris flood the damp fields, water ways and fens , giving life to Dragonflys and Damselflys..The Hairy Dragonfly is our smallest Hawker and a sign of good water quality. The Banded Demoiselles catch the eye

Dotterel

5:00 am in the morning I started of on my walk around the Tacumshin lake. I only got 100m into it when the Dotterel that I had seen the day before ran across my path.

She was certainly busy this morning feeding and calling. While waited for the sun to come up a bit I carried on walking to check out the flock of waders over the East end...

 6:30am I came back to the Dotterel  for some easy photos and then wandered off , but nothing else that morning would compete with this experience, by 8:00am i was done.