Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - March 1984
Ian Morgan
Llanelli Town
Historically, the Parish Church of St. Ellyw can be regarded as the town centre of Llanelli, but unlike many old churchyards it is not botanically rich. however on the walls of the Church grows Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria diffusa) and the perimeter walls have Polypodium interjectum (Polypody) and Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort). Often Chaffinches and Blackbirds sing from the large evergreen tree - a Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) , not a traditional Yew, nearby Carmarthenshire’s first nesting Collared Doves were at New Road in 1968.
Except for ubiquitous House Sparrows and Feral Pigeons (the latter sometimes winter-nesting on the Public Library), not much bird-wise can be seen in the town centre, but towards Parc-y-Dre ("People's Park") and especially Old Castle Pond more can be seen. In 1982, a pair of Mistle Thrushes nested successfully in a small tree, at head height, right next to the old Town Hall.
Old Castle Pond is known locally as Pond Twym. ("warm pond") for it as used as a source of cooling water for the now defunct, adjacent steel works. Such warm conditions allowed someone's discarded goldfish to breed and flourish but they have now disappeared, with Rudd, Roach, Pike, Perch and Eels taking their place. The island in the centre of the pond is believed to be the site for Castell Carnwyllion, a small Anglo-Norman 'motto and bailey' type castle, destroyed by the Welsh in 1190 and again in 1215.
Pond Twym is a convenient bird-watching spot regularly holding Pochard, Tufted Duck and Mallard in winter, even a Goldeneye has turned up, whilst this Winter a female Goosander competed with local anglers for fish. Ducks introduced in the mid-1970's (Carolina, Red-crested Pochard and Shelduck) have gone except for a pair of Canada Geese, Mute Swans are currently suffering misfortune at this site; after the death of "Old Bill" nesting has not occurred for a few years. The female wanders in winter to the ponds at Machynys or the estuary off Pwll. Even when they were nesting, most years saw the nest robbed by thoughtless vandals. Coots and Moorhens also nest.
In summer, Willow Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings haunt the vegetated peripheries of the Pond and one autumn (1970) saw a Black Tern sitting, tamely at the water’s edge - on a floating tyre! The pond is frequented by resting gulls, Black-headed, Common, Herring; and Lesser Black-backed (with occasional birds of the Scandinavian sub-species).Tufted Duck are present in summer - do they breed?
Part of the pond, near the railway, is choked with scarce Spiked Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and Canadian Pondweed (Elodea canadensis) also the cress (Rorippa sylvestris) occurs on wet paths in the reeds. The nearly-bulldozed (for a new "road area between the pond and Sandy Bridge recently had Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacae) much Buddleia (“Butterfly Bush”) and leguminous food plants of butterflies such as the Common Blue and Small Blue, both of which had colonies at this site. Nearby grew (or still grows White Melilot (Melilotus alba), Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris) and Yellow Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum) the last named 'being unusual away from the sea's edge. That the sea once covered part of this area at high tides is attested by the name Banc-y-llong ('Boat--bank') alongside Sandy Bride; here small boats engaged in the early coal trade were hauled up.
A road can be taken towards the North Dock and Seaside and where this road approaches the main railway line much Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and some plants of the Duke of Argylle’s Tea Tree (Lycium spp.) can be admired. The Lycium was erroneously introduced into this country as a source of tea by the afore-mentioned Duke.
At times the North Dock and nearby parts of the Burry Estuary can provide excellent birdwatching. Offshore can be seen Pintails in good numbers, waders such as Redshank, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher on the muddier parts with a few ever-active Sanderling on the sandy parts of the beach.
At high tide look out for the odd adventurous Grey Seal. Bar-tailed Godwits sometimes can be watched here and Snow Buntings have been seen in winter. In the winter of 1975-1976 a Glaucous Gull was recorded near the North Dock.
The keen-eyed will find lumps of chalk amongst the slag and rubble dumped to form a breakwater seawards of the North Dock. The chalk was used as ballast in the holds of ships returning after the export of coal to parts of the Continent during Llanelli's hey-day as a centre for the export of the 'black diamonds'. The chalk and other ballast was subsequently dumped by the breakwater and many exotic plants were recorded from the late 1700's to the late 1800's; some examples were: Carlina subcaulescens (a type of Carline Thistle) from Spain (1880), Cirsium eriolphorum (Woolly Thistle - c. 1775-1855) and Centaurea calcitrapa (Star Thistle, 1840 - at Burry Port).
In the hot summer of 1976 the black and red Squash bug, Corizus hoscyami was seen feeding on a thistle flower by the now-demolished "Stamping Works" at Sea¬side. Nearby, Brown Argus butterflies were also noted.
Interesting plants still growing around the North Dock include Goatsbeard (Tragopon pratense), Sea Campion (Silene maritima) and Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa). In early spring plants such as Spring Whitlow Grass (Erophila verna) and Dwarf Forget-me-Not (Myosotis ramosissima) grow amongst the dunes with nesting Skylarks and Linnets) towards Sandy Road.
Moving across the town, 'cornfields at Llanlliedi', between Llanerch and Llanelli, once used for grain production but now mostly built on, many years ago held the extremely rare Wall Bedstraw (Galium pariense) at its only site in Wales. It has long been extinct at the locality since its discovery by James Motley in 1859, as is the Mallow (Malva verticillata) found with it.
