The Bevis Trust

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The Bevis Trust

The Bevis Trust is a not-for-profit company based on a 270 acre farm in Carmarthenshire, South-West Wales.

Our objectives are founded in habitat management, translocation and conservation education.

12/06/2025

We have already found and identified over 60 moth species on our farm throughout June! This includes...

🌙 The elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) flies from May-July and feeds on tubular flowers, such as honeysuckle, with their long proboscis.

🌙 The large longhorn (Nematopogon swammerdamella) flies from May-June. Their antenna are notably 2-2.5 times longer than their forewings.

🌙 The barred yellow (Cidaria fulvata) prefers woodland, chalk downland and scrubland, and the larvae feed on the leaves of dog rose (Rosa canina).

🌙 The ghost moth (Hepialus humuli) is sexually dimorphic. The males are entirely white, however, the females are larger with a striking yellow forewing with distinctive orange markings.

09/06/2025

Here be dragons!

Well... dragonflies, basking on the edges of beaver lake! The emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) is one of the largest dragonfly species in Europe, with a wingspan of 10.5cm. Although common in South Wales, the emperor dragonfly is rarely found far from wate where they deposit their eggs in floating pondweed.

07/06/2025

Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) are nocturnal - meaning that they can be difficult to spot during daytime surveys! Fortunately for us, like many other native mammals, they leave tracks and signs!

Here is a beaver pawprint that we spotted in the mud by the bank of our lake. 👀👣

04/06/2025

This week we have been moth trapping, another small part of ongoing wildlife surveying and monitoring undertaken here at the farm.

We identified over two dozen species in our trap on Monday morning! This included poplar hawkmoth (Laothoe populi), buff ermine (Spilosoma lutea) and brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata).

All specimens caught in the moth trap were returned to the woodland where they were found. 🌳

01/06/2025

This week we welcomed the Llanteg & Amroth Renaturing Community - LARC committee to our farm for an evening of beaver watching.

We began our evening exploring the woods by the lakeside which has been shaped and carefully managed by our resident beaver population. We then positioned ourselves by the lake and waited patiently for our semi-aquatic residents to emerge from their lodge. As the sun began to set on the lake, our patience was rewarded!

Once widespread across England and Wales, beavers were heavily hunted for the fur and scent glass over the course of hundreds of years. By the sixteenth century they were almost extinct. The Bevis Trust is proud to be working alongside these charismatic mammals in our effort to bring life back to our land.

Photo Credit: Jack Gradidge

21/05/2025

Did you know there are over 4,000 species of beetles in the UK?

The most commonly seen group of beetles across England and Wales is arguably the ladybird beetles, which are well known for their red and black spots. However, if you begin to lift logs and look under leaves, you will discover a hidden world of colourful, six-legged gems. Here are three species spotted on our farm recently:

(1) Green dock beetle (Gastrophysa viridula) - These metallic beetles can be found on dock leaves.
(2) Ground beetle (Nebria spp.) - These small, dark brown beetles are commonly found under logs.
(3) Red-headed cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) - This bright orange beetle can be found basking in the summer sun on wood and hedgerows.

17/05/2025

🪰 Species Spotlight: Yellow Dung Fly! 🪰

The yellow dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) is one of the most abundant flies in Europe and is often found on the dung of large mammals. In fact, the species depends on dung to complete its life cycle, and as a result, it provides an important ecosystem service by decomposing dung.

Male yellow dung flies are larger and more colourful than their female counterparts, as seen here. Following copulation, females will lay their eggs on the dung. These eggs will hatch into larvae within 24-48 hours, and the larvae will quickly burrow into the dung for protection and food. After 10–20 days, the larvae burrow into the soil around and beneath the dung and pupate into adult flies.

13/05/2025

We have mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings, as well as Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and a greylag goose (Anser anser) goslings on our main lake. We've even spotted a pair of geese with eleven goslings! 🪿

10/05/2025

Our farm here in South Wales is teeming with colour thanks to the variety of wildflowers in our meadows. How many wildflower species have you spotted in your garden or local area? 🌸

27/04/2025

Spotted on Site: Alderfly by Beaver Lake!

Alderflies are flying insects often found near bodies of water. This is because their larvae are small aquatic carnivores that live in the silt at the bottom of ponds and streams! They are widespread and can be found in most wetland areas.

20/04/2025

This weekend we laid fifteen tin sheets in partially shaded areas around our lake. By doing this we have created artificial refugia for lizards and snakes, which will assist with reptile surveys from now until September. 🦎

These surveys, like all surveys undertaken here on the farm, will help inform the way in which we manage the land around our lake. 🏞️

14/04/2025

👀 Spotted on Site: Brook Lamprey! 👀

The brook lamprey is an ancient and rarely seen fish, classified as Near Threatened under the IUCN Red List, which can be found in rivers and streams in the UK.

Adults spawn in shallow streams from April-June, depositing their eggs into pits in the stream bed. These eggs hatch within a few days and the offspring stay in a larval stage for 3-6 years.

This species is in decline due to pollution and habitat destruction - so we're overjoyed to have them on-site here at our farm.

To learn more about brook lamprey, check out The Woodland Trust link below;
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/fish/brook-lamprey/

Address

The Bevis Trust PO Box 19
Carmarthen
SA335YL

Website

https://www.bevistrust.com/

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