This weekend I had a very pleasant reminder of the wealth of wildlife that can often be found right under our noses. As I have mentioned before on this blog my current house backs onto Penllergare woods, the remains of the stately grounds that used to accompany the family home of John Dillwyn Llewelyn. After having been left to its own devices for the last few decades the place is alive with wildlife. A short walk through the bottom of the valley produced numerous bird species including Shellduck, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler amongst others. The highlight though was a pair of Tree Pipits that were happily singing from the top of the trees out on the heathland. This is a brand new species for me which is always exciting, but to find one so close to home only made the moment even sweeter.

Away from the birds the area was absolutely packed with dragonflies and damselflies. I’ll freely admit at this point that insects and flowers have never really caught my attention or interest previously, but as time goes on I am finding myself being drawn more and more towards nature in general. This interest is only heightened when I get the chance to photograph a beauty such as the Golden-Ringed Dragonfly above. This is not only my first dragonfly photo but also my first identification of a dragonfly full stop. Measuring over 7cm in length it was certainly a sight to behold. Over the next few months I hope to take advantage of my privileged surroundings and see what other wildlife can be found out there.


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