My dictionary has two terms for water lily - “lili’r dŵr” or “alaw’r llyn”
Apparently “alaw” is just “lily” so “alaw’r llyn” would be something like “lake lily”
2 Likes
Just back from a week in Criccieth and many things to post, first more excitement than imagined as i came across an (ystifflog) on the beach after a rather stormy night.
Ystifflog - squid, not quite giant squid found in north Wales but it’s body was bigger than my size 11 foot.
The tentacles (two long arms) have some suckers for trapping prey.
And seriously large eyes for seeing prey in the depths of the ocean.
Cheers J.P.
6 Likes
The coach trip north west included a stop at Llangollen. (Thomas the tank engine was in town).
Trên ager - Steam train.
After dinner at Criccieth it was down to the beach to see what i could find.
Crachen môr - Barnacle s.p. on Llygad maharen - common limpet.
Cheers J.P.
2 Likes
I love that “Tren ager”. It reminds me on the times when our son was still little and we had Thomas raills set through the all house … and we all played with it. 
Besides that - all your photos are really excellent and unique @ramblingjohn. A question: are you on Pixoto? Let me know if you are so I can follow you. Diolch. And if you’re not, your photos certainly belong there.
I had not heard of Pixoto ( oh dear, so much of the net i have not seen).
Castell Criccieth. Never did see a nice sunset to surround it (maybe next year).
Cranc gwyrdd - Shore crab.
Draenog mor - Common sea urchin. This one had decided to use small items as a disguise. (or maybe fancy dress).
Anemoni gleiniog - Beadlet anemone.
Anemoni nadreddog - Snakelocks anemone. (apparently can cause a rash it touched). (tricky photographing through water). (click on images for full size).
Gwymon cwrel - Coral weed.
Enw hiraf - longest name, (i’m not sure the phonetic translation is particularly good).
Now for some time i have mentioned and searched the net due to a lack of lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) names. Well, imagine my surprise when looking on the shelf in Pwllheli book shop, this one said here i am, just for you.
Complete (so it says) list of lepidoptera and odonata names ( thats butterflies and moths including micro moths, plus dragon flies and damsel flies). the lists are in Latin, English, welsh for well over 2000 species (i could be boring for quite some time) that should contain a few new useful words.
£4.50 (now that’s a bargain).
Cheers J.P.
8 Likes
I really like your sea life photos. Congrats on your book find! Perffaith, and a bargain besides…Enjoy!
You can take a look. Won’t post my profile here though so it won’t look like too self-praising.
And, Your findings of all sorts of animals are amazing so are photos. Da iawn!
I’m sure it’s not!! I think it;s impossible to put one that people with no idea how to pronounce ‘ll’ can make any sense of!!
Croeso nol, John, I hope you had a lovely holiday!!
More bad pics, I’m afraid! The first is a bird I always wanted to see, but do not remember seeing. I didn’t expect it in Scotland, but the bird book does show it as being here!
I don’t think it has centered properly!
It is a jay which I think is ‘screch y coed’. My friend took the picture, as she did the other one. We thought a few leaves had fallen on an old dock basin off the canal, but when they multiplied it was clear it was plants. We think ‘long leaved pondweed’!
Damn! having trouble getting it! I’ll try in a separate post!!
1 Like
I’m having trouble!! See you later!!
[quote=“ramblingjohn, post:505, topic:971”]
Enw hiraf - longest name, (i’m not sure the phonetic translation is particularly good).[/quote]
No, it isn’t a great guide to the pronunciation. But if you want to learn how to pronounce that, I’ve added a track to soundcloud that I learned it from a LONG time ago. You’ll find a link to that here.
Its another of those moments when i have to say i’m not given to jelousy but this is a close call.
In other words when am i going to be lucky and that close to one. diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thanks for the link, i noticed by coincidence that the name came up in another thread.
coincidence is rather wonderful at times.
Cheers J.P.
1 Like
A few photos, some new species and some i feel are just better quality. (as usual click on image for full size).
Glesyn cyffredin (benywaidd) - common blue (female).
Pidyn y gog - cuckoos point, now fruiting and looking way different to earlier in the year.
Sioncyn y ddol - meadow grasshopper. (note very short wings - nodiad, adain byr iawn).
Sioncyn gwair cyffredin - field grasshopper. (note, hairy under body).
Criciedyn hirgorn tywyll (gwrywaidd) - dark bush cricket (male). Those antennae sure are long.
Cridiedyn hirgorn tywyll (benywaidd) - dark bush cricket (female) note, long egg laying tube (ovipositor) at rear end.
Now it gets interesting.
Ysgallen y maes - creeping thistle.
The large swelling in stem (first time i have found it) is a gall caused by a fly with various names
Urophora cardui - picture winged fly, Canadian thistle gall fly (but none in welsh as yet). Now i need to find/photograph the fly.
Cheers J.P.
5 Likes
O’r diewydd! Here is the pond weed!! Janet found an entry on the web which implies it is a native to the Florida waterways. If so, it’s travelled a long way! But I’m sure I found it mentioned somewhere as ‘found in Scotland’!!
I’m glad you liked our surprise visitor! Here is a better version of the picture (I hope)!
p.s. We had an experience yesterday! Janet asked me, “Are those baby goldfinches?” I ran (well hurried) for the bird book and we could see at once that they were not siskins and were baby goldfinches!! Nicos ifanc!!! Of course, neither of us had any sort of camera/phone to hand!! But I felt almost as proud of ‘our’ mam a thad nico as if I’d raised the chicks myself!!
I do hope the breeding of goldfinches in Argyll isn’t evidence of global warming!!!
5 Likes
I may well be wrong, but from where i have looked ‘Nico’ may be one of those words that does not have a plural (just the same word).
Today was wet at times and somehow despite sitting in likely places i did not really see anything new (in fact i saw surprisingly little). All part of the fun.
So just a photo to help mouths water.
Mwyar duon - Bramble, with ripe black berries (there seem to be plenty this year).
Cheers J.P.
4 Likes
I actually looked up ‘nico’ in my big dictionary before posting that mailing and it said: “nico (os) goldfinch.”!!! I guess as usual, it depends which dictionary and which end you look in!! Looking up ‘goldfinch’ gave all three possible words but no plurals!!! 
p,s, Lovely mwyar duon!! Rain is good for some things!! Our poor nicos may have had second thoughts about moving north, given our appalling summer!!! I hope they don’t move away again!
Yep, that’s what i found, but as ever it seems welsh is flexible and i’m sure we can cope with that. 
smiley:
Your post a bit back about pond weed, made me think about how little i know about pond weed, It’s a bit difficult to see detail in your photo but just for a comparison start here is one species from today.
Dyffrllys llydanddail - Broad leaved pondweed.
Cheers J.P.
2 Likes
Went to some different places today which produced results (have not managed to identify some insects so will not post them).
Chwydden goronog - Knopper gall, (another gall, this time on acorns).
Gwenynen fel ar y gynffon las - honey bee on budlleia.
Jac y neidiwr - Himalayan balsam.
Orange balsam, for which i have not found a welsh name but i put it in for comparison (two imported species that seem to be flourishing here).
Rhiain y dwr - pond skater.
Cheers J.P.
6 Likes
I wouldn’t swear on oath that ours isn’t that, but I’d say the one in ‘our’ mooring bay has narrower leaves.
Some closer photo’s will help (when you get the chance).
The wet weather has been keeping critter count low but a surprise can always appear.
Mystery, yep it buzzed into view and soon moved on.
Gellyg - pears. It does look as if fruit will be good this year.
Gwrnerth y dŵr - water figwort (i think). Trying to learn new plants and this ones flowers look rather small and insignificant until i get really close.
Cheers J.P.
5 Likes