Motygido wildlife Other Pages The Red Kite Dolphins Coastal Plants      Grasses  & Flowers Marine Life Self Sufficiency

The coast of Cardigan Bay is home to has some fascinating wildlife species including the Red Kite, the famous Bottlenose Dolphins, the Grey Seal, and the Chough. In the county of Ceredigion - formerly known as Cardiganshire, the coast consists largely of cliffs formed from ancient Silurian rocks interspersed by small coves and bays with sandy beaches where streams and rivers enter the sea. Much of the coast is bordered by the coastal path with its unique flora of salt tolerant and wind resistant plants.  This coastal region is characterised by deep wooded valleys dominated by sessile Oak and Hazel,  and rounded hills used mostly for sheep farming. Red Kites, reintroduced to Wales in recent years, nest in these valleys and are now an integral part of the local fauna. Motygido is situated on a hill a mile from the coast with views of Cardigan Bay and the Snowdon range in the far distance , it is bordered by two valleys, Cwm Mot and Cwm Gido. The small rivers that carved out the valleys over thousands of years, the Mot and Gido - are believed to have been named after a medieval monk and his dog. The rivers then run through Cwm Gido to Gilfachreda where they join to become the Llethi -  entering Cardigan Bay at Llanina. Motygido was once a large farm (for this area) of around 160 acres. We know from the diaries of the Rev. John Pugh that in the eighteenth century when Motygido Farm hosted a school, that  it was used to farm sheep and cattle as well as having fields of wheat and barley.   About 50 years ago, a former owner demolished every hedge and grew peas and beans for 'Birdseye'. More recently,  another  owner split the farm up into three sections. Most of the fields were ploughed up and re-seeded with Rye grass. However, our remaining few acres around the original farm buildings have never been 'improved' and still have native grasses and wild flowers in profusion.

When we bought the property in 1991, the buildings stood in isolation, surrounded by open largely unfenced land.  In the years since, we have planted hundreds of  trees and shrubs around the buildings and between the fields - grown from seeds or cuttings of local stock wherever possible. These  include, Elder,  Alder, Grey and Silver Birch, Willow, Sallow, Aspen, Whitebeam, Maple, Sycamore,  Ash, Oak, Horse Chestnut, Rowan, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Redwood, Lime and Black, and Lombardy  Poplars.

As the trees have grown, the number of  bird and insect species has increased dramatically. Birds breeding on the farm now include Swallows, Jackdaws, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Wood Pigeons, Pied Wagtails, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, and Willow Warblers. We  also had Red Kites nesting at the bottom of our field a couple of years ago. Although the Kites no longer nest  here, they are regularly seen overhead. The adjacent valleys also support  populations of Buzzards, Ravens, Barn Owls, Tawny Owls and Peregrine Falcons.

Most recently, we have fenced off an area around our spring and our pond as a wildlife area. Here there is a  natural spring line above a layer of impervious clay. It is boggy in places with rushes and many other marsh plants. It has not been grazed or mowed for 2 years now and is a haven for butterflies with caterpillar food plants such as native grasses, nettles, and Bird's Foot Trefoil in profusion. 

Wildlife of the Bahamas

For several years Rod was professionally  involved in wildlife conservation in the Bahamas. At this time, he wrote weekly articles in both of the island's daily newspapers. Many of these are featured in his Bahamas Wildlife Pages - click here to go to the website.