Swansea Bay View

Dylan's "town" and celebrations

2013-11-21T23:22:00.000+00:00

Swansea pitched a great bid to be city of culture. However minds are now turning to the Dylan centenary celebrations for 2014.

Gower sunshine

2012-05-23T23:02:00.000+01:00

Blue sky, sunshine, expanses of sand, no crowds ... this is the Gower.

Pembrokeshire Choughs

2011-07-23T22:48:00.000+01:00

Choughs at Strumble Head © David Gill

Pembrokeshire has been enjoying some welcome sunshine. I spotted six choughs in one group just round the corner from Strumble Head (heading towards St Davids) and a single chough the next day in the fields next to the end of the public road. There were plenty of stone chats, a bonxie, a linnet and a mass of gannets diving into the sea off the headland. Three seals were popping up in the small bay next to the lighthouse.

Durness Puffins

2011-07-16T21:44:00.000+01:00

Durness puffin colony © David Gill, 2011

We are back from watching one of the most northerly puffin colonies on mainland Britain, at Durness (not far from Cape Wrath) in Scotland. Some of the puffins were clearly cleaning out their burrows as sand was ejected in great flurries.

There is a handy map if you are wanting to find them. The iPad led us to the right spot.

Swansea International Poetry Festival Opens

2011-06-15T23:04:00.000+01:00

The 7th Quarry / Crosscultual Communications Swansea International Poetry Festival opened tonight at the Nick Holly Gallery. There were readings in Catalan, English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, and Welsh.

History of Science at Hay

2011-06-05T22:08:00.000+01:00

The Saturday History Wales sofa discussion at the Hay Festival related to the History of Science.

Royal Visitor to Hay Festival

2011-05-31T23:01:00.000+01:00

Duchess of Cornwall arriving at the Hay Festival © David Gill

The Duchess of Cornwall dropped into the Hay Festival today. She attended a creative writing project for children and mingled with festival-goers.

Ensnared damsel at Llanelli

2011-05-30T21:45:00.000+01:00

One of the many damselflies was caught in this web in the Millennium Wetlands at Llanelli.

Dragonfly at Llanelli

2011-05-30T19:10:00.000+01:00

The dragonflies were out in wetlands at Llanelli.

Peter Thabit Jones: Launch of Poems from a Cabin on Big Sur

2011-05-27T23:04:00.004+01:00

Launch celebration © David Gill

Peter Thabit Jones launched his Poems from a Cabin on Big Sur tonight at the Nick Holly Gallery in the Exchange Building, Swansea.

Dinefwr Woodpeckers

2011-05-23T21:58:00.000+01:00

A very noisy group of woodpeckers were high in the trees alongside the boardwalk at Dinefwr.

Dinefwr Demoiselle 2

2011-05-23T21:55:00.000+01:00

Here is another demoiselle noticed from the boardwalk at Dinefwr.

Dinefwr Demoiselle

2011-05-23T21:26:00.000+01:00

The Demoiselles were out by the ruins of the dam alongside the boardwalk at Dinefwr.

Bees in the Borders

2011-05-08T22:04:00.000+01:00

The bees are out and about at Aberglasney.

Bluebell Woods

2011-05-04T23:09:00.001+01:00

Bluebell wood at Aberglasney © David Gill

The display of bluebells at Aberglasney is particularly stunning this year.

Caerwent: Norman meets Roman

2011-05-03T09:16:00.001+01:00

Roman walls at Caerwent © David Gill

The Norman motte stands in the south-east corner of the well-preserved Roman walls at Caerwent. The motte can be seen at the end of the line of the wall.

Norman Caerwent

2011-05-02T21:56:00.000+01:00

Motte at Caerwent © David Gill

A Norman motte, dating to the late 11th century, dominates the south-east corner of the Roman town. It clearly took advantage of the remains of the Roman walls.

Caerwent

2011-05-02T21:27:00.000+01:00

Bastion on the south wall of Caerwent © David Gill

The Roman walls at Caerwent (Venta Silurum) were looking magnificent and imposing today in the May sunshine.

Aberglasney blossom arch

2011-04-25T18:33:00.000+01:00

The blossom at Aberglasney is a delight thanks to the warm, sunny weather.

Bluebells at Dinefwr

2011-04-25T18:27:00.000+01:00

There was a spectacular display of bluebells at Dinefwr.

Llansteffan views

2011-04-23T19:07:00.000+01:00

The ruins of Llansteffan castle dominate the mouth of the Tywi estuary in Carmarthenshire.

Beach Train

2011-04-23T18:44:00.000+01:00

The Arriva train leaving Ferryside station towards Llanelli runs alongside the magnificent sands of the Tywi estuary.

The Tide is High

2011-04-21T21:57:00.012+01:00

High tide in the Loughor Estuary

The tide was high in the Loughor Estuary at 8m (see BBC tide timetable). Sadly I only had a mobile on me ... but it gives an impression of the expansion of water between Penclawdd (on the Gower side) and Burry Port (on the Carmarthenshire side).

Toad in the hole

2011-04-19T16:30:00.000+01:00

We always hope to catch a glimpse of one of the stoats when we peep into the drain that runs along the back of the cells at Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire. But we had a different surprise when we opened the door to the reconstructed latrine ...

For a panoramic view of the cloisters round the cell see here.

Puffin launch

2011-04-15T23:00:00.000+01:00

The puffins have arrived on the cliffs at Bempton (RSPB). This one was heading back out to sea.