|
If you are planning a cottage
holiday in Wales for the month of February, why not try and spot
the following:
Top Row - From Left to Right
1. Pussy Willow Salix caprea
Pussy Willow, also known as Goat Willow or Sallow Willow, is the
earliest of all our willows to flower, and the silver (female)
and gold (male) catkins are put out before the leaves. To some,
the emergence of pussy willow catkins are spring's earliest harbinger.
The tree is not considered a good source of timber as its wood
is both brittle and known to crackle violently if burned. The
name ‘Goat’ derives from the spring foliage being
a favourite food of goats and it is sometimes called Pussy Willow
after its soft silky catkins. The Pussy Willow rarely grows to
more than 20m. In 'The Sound of Music' when Marta is asked what
one of her favourite things is, she replies 'Pussy Willow' (during
the song 'My Favourite Things').
There is a legend associated with the Pussy Willow. Once upon
a time many little kittens were thrown into a river to drown.
The mother cat wept and was so distraught that the willow trees
on the bank felt compassion and held out their branches to the
struggling kittens who clung to them and were saved. Ever since
that time, every spring, the willow trees wear gray buds that
feel as soft and silky as kitten tails. That is why they are called
"Pussy Willows".
2. Purple Crocus Crocus albiflorus
Croci grow along the farm drive in front on the holiday
cottages. A tiny purple or white or yellow head valiantly poking
through the layers of winter leaves are a sure sign of nature
cycling around into another spring. The crocus is native to central
Europe but has become naturalised in Wales.
3. Robin Erithacus rubecula
St Valentine's Day on February 14th was commonly thought
to be the day by which all birds had chosen their mates. Surprisingly
many have - but for others it is still too early to be sure of
a successful partnership. I think the robin in this picture is
still on the market going be the effort he was putting into his
song, in a rhododendron bush a stone's throw from the holiday
cottages. Having sung alone through January, robins are joined
by other birds in February - the energetic song of the male chaffinch,
the liquid song of the blackbird which becomes more sonorous as
the month progresses and its breeding time approaches.
Middle
Row - From Left to Right
4. Common Gorse Ulex europaeus
Gorse is a very prickly shrub that rarely grows more than
3m high. It is one of the few plants that flowers in mid-winter
at Plas Farm and has been in flower since January. The flowers have
a distinctive coconut-like scent and are sometimes used to make
perfume. The monk colony on Caldey Island near Tenby do just this.
Many kinds of birds live and feed within the safety of dense thorny
gorse bushes. It is a particular favourite of the stonechat.
5. Welsh Mountain Sheep
The British Isles has many breeds of sheep, some recently
introduced and some having existed for centuries. The Welsh Mountain
sheep can be termed as an umbrella description to describe many
breeds indigenous to Wales. They are hardy, easy to manage, excellent
mothers and the meat is of course world famous. You will see many
Welsh Mountain Sheep grazing the fields around the holiday cottages
at Plas Farm. The ones in the picture were looking for some hay
to eat as the fields were covered in snow. Unfortunately for them,
all I had was a camera.
6. Common Frog Spawn
Rana temporaria
Our native frog emerges from hibernation in February. Spawning
usually takes place in early March, though occasionally the frogs
will emerge sooner and spawn as early as January. As the climate
is warmer in South Wales than much of the rest of Britain, frogs
at Plas Farm tend to spawn in February. The females are ready to
spawn immediately after hibernation and the animals enter into amplexus
very soon after arriving at their breeding ponds. Aplexus is the
mating position of frogs and toads. The male "hugs" the
female and waits for her to lay eggs so that he can fertilize them.
Amplexus can last for hours, or sometimes even days. While the frogs
are in amplexus, the female swims or hops away from danger, and
the male gets a piggy-back ride. The spawn is laid in clumps and
typically consists of 300 - 400 gelatinous eggs containing black
embryos with a white spot. The very young tadpoles are black but
soon become speckled brown in colouration making them distinguishable
from the permanently black tadpoles of the Common Toad. You are
sure to see masses of frog spawn at the farm in February - look
in the ditches that surround some on the fields and even in pools
of water that stand in the ruts made by tractor tyres!
Bottom
Row - From Left to Right
7. Snow Scape
This picture was taken from a field on the hill behind
the hoiliday cottages. It is the view from the farm to the north
- Mynydd Allt-y-Grug and the upper Swansea Valley. The clouds are
pregnant with more snow.
8. Mature Common Ivy Hedera Helix
Ivy, an evergreen vine, is a very noticeable feature of the landscape
at Plas Farm at this time of year. When young, ivy leaves have three
to five glossy lobes in the classic "ivy" shape. Plants
remain in juvenile form for at least ten years. When mature, as
in this picture, the leaves are more triangular to diamond shaped.
Mature portions tend to be more upright, producing flowers on the
tips of vines in the autumn, which are insect pollinated. Dark blue
to black berries mature in late spring, which are then spread by
starlings and robins. The seeds have a short dormancy and germinate
quickly, even in dry, shady conditions. It has two growth stages
– firstly it grows along the ground and up a tree, secondly
it puts on mature foliage. The mature foliage continues to grow
& put on weight over the years till it has smothered its host
completely. Ivy is extremely long-lived; one plant in France was
estimated to be over 400 years old.
9. Silver Birch Woodland
Betula pendula
This woodland is part of the Plas Farm trail and has a
very mystical atmosphere. It is predominantly a mixture of silver
birch and Welsh oak. Sheep graze between the trees so there is only
grass and moss under foot. Known as the 'Lady of the Woods' the
Silver Birch Tree is said to have a protective influence and is
symbolic of new birth, fertility and purification. The Silver Birch
Tree is a beautiful tree with a certain grace about it and its distinctive
silver bark makes it a popular gift for Christenings and silver
wedding celebrations.
|
