Out and about

I've had a lean winter recording-wise, but at least February proved to be reasonably productive. Most records were made around Cardiff, Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil, during stop offs on the way home from work trips. Nothing remarkable has been recorded but minor highlights have included:

Lophozia bicrenata growing with Lycopodium clavatum among sparse Calluna heath on the former dry ski slope at Troedyrhiw (SO0703). I first saw the clubmoss here back in 2007 and it was pleasing to see it still thrives at the site.

 

Bryum violaceum on gravelly roadside soil, also at Troedyrhiw (SO0603); note smooth violet rhizoids and small tubers.

Scapania compacta and Andreaea rothii ssp. falcata on sandstone quarry waste at Merthyr Vale (ST0899).

In Cardiff and Bridgend I've not seen anything noteworthy, though it has been good to confirm Ulota crispa s.s. from several localities (I've been unable to find either U. intermedia or U. crispula to date, despite microscope checking of quite a few samples).

I'll aim to prepare an updated tetrad map in the next couple of weeks, which should show at least a few recording gaps being filled.

Swansea main line slag walls revisited

'railway hepatic mat'

Scapania compacta

I was back at Llwynbrwydrau today, so before going on site I went down to Llansamlet railway station to see if the slag wall did, as suspected, extend all the way along this section.  Sure enough at the east end of the platform I could see the wall was continued to this more western location (which also happens to be in the next tetrad to the west) and I took the opportunity to take a sneaky look at the first 10m (or so). A less hurried search produced more hepatics, with the following noted growing on or between the slag blocks:
Cephalozia bicuspidata (r)
Cephaloziella stellulifera (only seen at eastern location)
Diplophyllum albicans (o)
Gymnocolea inflata (r)
Lophocolea bidentata (o)
Nardia scalaris (f)
Scapania compacta (o)
Solenostoma gracillimum (o-lf)
Solenostoma hyalinum (o)
Mosses were more prominent on the peaty soil on top of and behind the retaining wall, though there was nothing of any real note other than fruiting Hypnum jutlandicum. Unfortunately no real metallophyte assemblage, so no realistic Scopelophia potential in this section, but I live in hope...

Hypnum jutlandicum in fruit

Gilfach, Radnorshire

A quick stop at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust's Gilfach reserve en route back from a meeting produced a few interesting mosses on riverside rocks.  Highlight was Grimmia ramondii (photo), which was frequent on one boulder and is the first Record for VC43.  Nearby were Isothecium holtii (photo) as well as small patches of Platyhypnidium lusitanicum.  Fruiting Scapania compacta (photo) occupied the driest parts of the rocks in the river.

It doesn't look as though next month's BBS Spring Meeting in Radnorshire will be visiting Gilfach, perhaps because it is perceived as being well-recorded.  I'm not sure my 20 minute visit backs up that feeling :-)

Cwm Clydach (Brecs)

A couple of pics from a site visit to Brynmawr Sections SSSI last week:

Hygrohypnum luridum on concrete retainer

Scapania compacta on thin soil over sandstone