South Gower Coast Walk- Part I

While we're up on Islay, Tom's been enjoying the sun on the south Gower coast:

After getting the bus to Scurlage I walked through the inland footpaths and tracks filled with butterflies. While it was early in the morning, there were plenty of speckled wood, common blues and dingy skippers. 

Speckled Wood and Brown Argus 

 On reaching the coast at Port Eynon the clouds rolled in, as forecast, I went to look for the Long Horned Bee (Eucera longicornis) a rare, UK priority species.

Male Long horned bees and the habitat. 

 Long horned bees breed in the soft rock cliffs of the south Gower peninsula, first emerging in mid-May. The males are the first to emerge and hence, I only saw around half a dozen males, and no females on the wing.

Three species of Broomrape, left to right: Common, Knapweed/Common usual colour form and Ivy Broomrape

 Throughout the walk I went through many different habitats, from deciduous woodland, yellow dunes and mature dunes. In all these habitats there were many broomrapes, proudly standing in the vegetation.

Orchids and Yellowflag

 There were also many orchids, mostly early and southern marsh orchids, as well as yellow flag iris.
On the cliff-sides of Port--Eynon Bay, near The Cove, there is also some fantastic limestone grassland. Full of rockrose and knapweed, this mixed grassland was full of life- especially butterflies.