Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Our main summer holiday was spent camping, following the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Around 300 kilometers from Amroth to Cardigan by foot...

...by bus, and by...

...kayak. Here're some of the photos I took, an account of wildlife encountered and other interesting things (interesting to me at any rate).

Common Eyebright (thanks for the ident. Marie) at Lydstep Headland.

Mute swan at Bosherston Lily Ponds. We also saw Perch and Moorhen chicks here (but no Otters).

Bell heather (purple), Ling (pink) and Gorse (yellow) at St Govan's Head.

Sea Sandwort hanging in there at Freshwater West.

Old (WW1/2) gun emplacements on the Angle Peninsula. Relics of unhappier times.

7th to 9th Century ring-cross at Martin's Haven. To receive the prayers of those about to travel by sea?

Saw lots of these beetles (and slugs). What is it?

A huge Garden spider at Pwll Deri Youth Hostel.

Local youngsters helped to make this signboard at Marloes. A really good way of involving people in local heritage projects.

We saw lots of badger signs on the path. This is the typical five-toed print with long claw-marks and wide plantar pad. More later.

Ponies graze the cliff-top meadows to maintain the habitat for wildflowers.

Stone circles (this is a modern one near Trefin) and...

...burial chambers (this one near Abercastle) are special places and common in Pembrokeshire.

More badger "signs". The top one is the typical "muddy" deposit resulting from a diet of earthworms and beetles (the wing-case is a giveaway). The bottom one has been eating grain among other things. Badgers are omnivorous and dig latrines to act as territory markers. Caroline was not as interested in this aspect of the journey as I was. Odd that!

We saw Common lizards. Some only as long as a little finger, others full grown. This one's been in the wars having lost its tail and with a gouge in its side. We also saw Common toads and Adders.

Goodwick is the site of the last invasion of the UK by the French in 1797. In the event, the French mercenaries (along with their American commander) got drunk and surrendered a matter of days later. A more recent French invader is hiding behind the memorial.

A Magpie moth. Common but striking.

Cemaes Head. One of the most striking places along the coast path and near its end. We saw Chough, Peregrine and large groups of Grey Seals on the rocks below. Our best view of seal were from a boat trip to Ramsey Island from St. Justinians.

More photos at my Flickr page and Caroline's Flickr page.