62:
416:) – have been noted. The marsh and small pearl-bordered fritillaries occur in the wet pastures, whilst the dark green is found on the drier bracken slopes and the silver-washed in the tree canopy. All have declined nationally and are local species, now principally of south-western Britain. Rare and also present is the brown hairstreak (
631:
600:
569:
34:. It was designated an SSSI in 1989, primarily for its flush and spring vegetation as well as the diverse mosaic of unimproved pasture, ‘ffridd’ land (steeply sloping land between enclosed fields and open hills, often dominated by
695:
544:
635:
604:
573:
339:
On the south-facing slopes of the valley, adjacent to the SSSI, there are a number of traditionally managed hay meadows where various wildflowers are present, such as meadow buttercup (
437:). This is a species of southern wet heathlands whose larvae develop in the wet mud of base-enriched flushes or bog pools. The valley is particularly rich in
73:(a tributary of the Cothi) run through the valley bottom in a series of mires, merging into areas of wet healthy pasture dominated by purple moor-grass (
23:
70:
118:
656:
128:
433:
Another species of note, found in the wet flushed areas, is the nationally uncommon keeled skimmer dragonfly (
535:
The site is under private ownership and there is no public access, except with the permission of the owners.
287:
Distinctive wet flushes descend these dry slopes and, where there is a deeper accumulation of soil, bracken (
152:
79:) and rich in sedges. In the very wet, flushed mire areas there are many bog-mosses Danthonia decumbens (
497:
237:
168:
162:
146:
387:
351:
262:
100:
289:
219:
140:
109:
451:
381:
369:
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225:
393:
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256:
247:
231:
207:
50:. These habitats, which are well represented at this site, have been greatly reduced in north
336:
Red kites, buzzards, sparrow hawks, kestrels, and goshawks are a common sight in the valley.
375:
341:
274:
213:
191:
91:
75:
477:
422:
357:
268:
201:
51:
27:
179:
Along streamsides, linear areas of poor-fen vegetation occur, including various rushes (
134:
43:
241:). More open areas along these streamsides favour the uncommon ivy-leaved bellflower (
689:
491:
55:
317:
596:
Cefn
Blaenau Site of Special Scientific Interest: Your Special Site and its Future
254:
The drier valley slopes have grazed acidic grassland characterized by tormentil (
280:
61:
58:. Only about 140 hectares of flush and spring vegetation remain in the county.
311:
671:
658:
126:
At the base of the valley slopes, boggy areas contain common cottongrass (
305:
301:
scrub. These ffridd areas are important for birds, particularly nesting:
81:
529:
438:
47:
35:
545:
List of Sites of
Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen and Dinefwr
156:). The wet pasture supports uncommon species such as whorled caraway (
521:
517:
326:
294:
181:
525:
60:
39:
31:
696:
Sites of
Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr
516:
The area is home to a good population of mustelids, such as
54:
due to land improvement, agricultural intensification, and
293:) is dominant, interspersed with grass-heath areas and
441:
species: dragonflies recorded include the emperor (
532:, and pine marten. Brown hares are also present.
46:, broadleaved woodland, streams, and small rock
65:Cefn Blaenau SSSI, Carmarthenshire, Wales, 2012
400:Four species of fritillary butterfly – marsh (
8:
627:Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation
565:Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation
16:Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wales
85:spp.) and other localized plants such as:
632:"Cefn Blaenau - Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru"
601:"Cefn Blaenau - Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru"
570:"Cefn Blaenau - Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru"
556:
481:); damselflies include the large red (
7:
24:Site of Special Scientific Interest
14:
195:), greater bird's-foot-trefoil (
150:), and many-stalked spike-rush (
42:), marshy grassland, wet heath,
625:Countryside Council for Wales,
594:Countryside Council for Wales,
563:Countryside Council for Wales,
1:
509:), and beautiful demoiselle (
166:), and heath spotted-orchid (
26:in a small upland valley in
420:), while the small copper (
712:
391:), and smooth hawksbeard (
347:Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
119:Potamogeton polygonifolius
467:), black-tailed skimmer (
404:), small pearl-bordered (
229:), devil's-bit scabious (
457:Libellula quadrimaculata
455:), four-spotted chaser (
449:), broad-bodied chaser (
430:) are notably abundant.
426:) and green hairstreak (
129:Eriophorum angustifolium
505:), scarce blue-tailed (
132:), cross-leaved heath (
447:Cordulegaster boltonii
435:Orthetrum coerulescens
412:), and silver-washed (
243:Wahlenbergia hederacea
153:Eleocharis multicaulis
89:marsh St John's-wort (
69:The headwaters of the
66:
28:Carmarthen and Dinefwr
498:Enallagma cyathigerum
475:), and black darter (
469:Orthetrum cancellatum
385:), common cat's ear (
379:), common eyebright (
245:) and bog pimpernel (
238:Athyrium filix-femina
223:), meadow vetchling (
185:spp.), ragged-robin (
169:Dactylorhiza maculata
163:Narthecium ossifragum
147:Pedicularis palustris
98:round-leaved sundew (
64:
473:Sympetrum striolatum
459:), southern hawker (
388:Hypochaeris radicata
352:Achillea millefolium
332:grasshopper warbler.
263:Deschampsia flexuosa
260:), wavy hair-grass (
144:), marsh lousewort (
138:), common bilberry (
101:Drosera rotundifolia
668: /
638:on 27 December 2013
607:on 27 December 2013
576:on 27 December 2013
483:Pyrrhosoma nymphula
355:), black knapweed (
290:Pteridium aquilinum
266:), heath bedstraw (
220:Filipendula ulmaria
211:), marsh marigold (
199:), marsh bedstraw (
187:Lychnis flos-cuculi
158:Carum verticillatum
141:Vaccinium myrtillus
110:Pinguicula vulgaris
107:common butterwort (
471:), common darter (
463:), common hawker (
452:Libellula depressa
445:), golden-ringed (
402:Euphydryas aurinia
382:Euphrasia nemorosa
373:), yellow rattle (
370:Trifolium pratense
235:), and lady-fern (
226:Lathyrus pratensis
189:), marsh thistle (
67:
487:Coenagrion puella
394:Crepis capillaris
364:Prunella vulgaris
257:Potentilla erecta
248:Anagallis tenella
232:Succisa pratensis
208:Achillea ptarmica
160:), bog asphodel (
703:
683:
682:
680:
679:
678:
673:
672:52.052°N 4.069°W
669:
666:
665:
664:
661:
648:
647:
645:
643:
634:. Archived from
623:
617:
616:
614:
612:
603:. Archived from
592:
586:
585:
583:
581:
572:. Archived from
561:
511:Calopteryx virgo
507:Ischnura pumilio
503:Ischnura elegans
501:), blue-tailed (
495:), common blue (
376:Rhinanthus minor
345:), oxeye daisy (
342:Ranunculus acris
275:Conopodium majus
217:), meadowsweet (
214:Caltha palustris
197:Lotus uliginosus
192:Cirsium palustre
92:Hypericum elodes
76:Molinia caerulea
22:is a 23-hectare
711:
710:
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541:
478:Sympetrum danae
428:Callophrys rubi
423:Lycaena phlaeas
414:Argynnis paphia
410:Speyeria aglaja
408:), dark green (
367:), red clover (
358:Centaurea nigra
278:), and mosses (
269:Galium saxatile
205:), sneezewort (
202:Galium palustre
52:Carmarthenshire
17:
12:
11:
5:
709:
707:
699:
698:
688:
687:
677:52.052; -4.069
650:
649:
618:
587:
555:
554:
552:
549:
548:
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540:
537:
443:Anax imperator
418:Thecla betulae
406:Boloria selene
361:), self-heal (
334:
333:
330:
324:
321:
315:
309:
135:Erica tetralix
124:
123:
116:bog pondweed (
114:
105:
96:
44:acid grassland
15:
13:
10:
9:
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2:
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531:
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492:Lestes sponsa
488:
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474:
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465:Aeshna juncea
462:
461:Aeshna cyanea
458:
454:
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72:
71:River Marlais
63:
59:
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56:afforestation
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
653:
640:. Retrieved
636:the original
626:
621:
609:. Retrieved
605:the original
595:
590:
578:. Retrieved
574:the original
564:
559:
534:
515:
510:
506:
502:
496:
490:
489:), emerald (
486:
482:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
450:
446:
442:
434:
432:
427:
421:
417:
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401:
399:
392:
386:
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374:
368:
362:
356:
350:
346:
340:
338:
335:
318:yellowhammer
288:
286:
279:
273:
272:), pig nut (
267:
261:
255:
253:
246:
242:
236:
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218:
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127:
125:
117:
108:
99:
90:
80:
74:
68:
20:Cefn Blaenau
19:
18:
675: /
349:), yarrow (
281:Polytrichum
660:52°03′07″N
551:References
485:), azure (
312:tree pipit
174:ericetorum
663:4°04′08″W
520:, otter,
690:Category
629:, 1989.
567:, 1989.
539:See also
306:whinchat
299:hawthorn
82:Sphagnum
48:outcrops
598:, 2006
530:polecat
439:Odonata
323:linnet,
284:spp.).
172:subsp.
36:bracken
642:27 May
611:27 May
580:27 May
522:weasel
518:badger
327:curlew
295:willow
182:Juncus
113:), and
526:stoat
329:, and
40:gorse
32:Wales
644:2012
613:2012
582:2012
297:and
513:).
397:).
251:).
176:).
38:or
692::
528:,
524:,
122:).
104:),
95:),
30:,
646:.
615:.
584:.
320:,
314:,
308:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
