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Post by tuniwes on Mar 6, 2012 21:51:22 GMT
I did some kick sampling at Tesco's on the opening day. I'm pleased to say that it was much improved from last year with a good spread of olives, heptagenids, stoneflies, caseless caddis and shrimps. Almost every sample I have done on the Ogmore has contained at least one bull head and this was no exception. Some pics of the invertebrates that turned up: A large stonefly An angry looking Heptagenid Shrimps at play(no wonder the hare's ear works well) with a caseless caddis keeping his head down The bullhead swimming away Ian
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Post by tuniwes on Mar 10, 2012 13:48:40 GMT
! Went up to the higher reaches today to see how the fly life is doing up there. The first sample was taken just above the junction bridge on the main river. The sample was teeming with life, excellent numbers of heptagenid, caseless and cased caddis, stoneflies and olives. Noticeably this high up gammarus(shrimp) are not present This was just one small area of the sample tray and typical of the remainder I then dropped down 200 yards to below the Ogwr Fach confluence The sample here was not quite as good but still pretty reasonable, could be down to variations in my technique. Again all species were present A heptagenid with olives for company Next stop Ogwr Fach just above Blackmill industrial estate Again looks fine with good numbers of all species here's a stonefly with some other suspects Last stop up to the Dimbath just above the ford First impressions indicate fly life on the Dimbath is not as good as other areas and I will be investigating further with some follow up samples. There were olives and caseless caddis present but only a couple of heptagenids. A caseless caddis and what looks like a juvenile hanging on for dear life to the twig This little fry turned up in the sample. I hope it will be considerably bigger the next time I see it. All in all a pleasant and pleasing way to spend a spring morning in the upper catchment. Ian
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Post by tuniwes on Mar 12, 2012 6:27:48 GMT
Andrew our head ballif and I did some more sampling yesterday afternoon. We took a fresh look at upper and lower Newbridge fields. The area below the Nant Cefn Glas brook was poor last year following continual pollution from cross connections in Cefn Glas. First a control sample at the tennis courts. This was OK last year Again a very good and healty sample teeming with life and all species present Nice to see a juvenile eel in the sample. The river was stacked with these when I was a kid, sadly a rarity these days We dropped down to the end of the playing fields and I pleased to report it has recovered well from the disasterous sample I took last year. A couple of fellow members stopped to chat and see the sample and I forgot to take a picture but it does seem well on the way to recovery. Ian
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