Since 30 Days Wild in June, I’ve been keeping up with my Random Acts of Wildness in the garden and at my local woodland.

More recently I’ve been embracing the seasonal changes at one of my local nature reserves,  Gwent Wildlife  Trust's Magor Marsh.

Magor Marsh is a wonderful place to visit throughout the year. Here you can find a variety of habitats such as ponds, wet woodland, lowland fen, reedbed and all of their wildlife. 

When summer arrives an array of colour is splashed across the meadows as the wildflowers blossom. Due to lockdown I was unable to visit Magor Marsh to see this, but I feel lucky to have caught the end of the Purple Loosestrife and Meadowsweet that immersed me as I strolled along the path.

I noticed the sound of munching and as I looked to the water I spotted a cute Water Vole feasting on a grassy dinner. I find the best time to spot Water Voles is during the quieter times in the evening. 

From the bird hide I watched Mallard ducks, Little Egrets, Moorhens and a heron. Over the winter months the bird hide is a great place to see Teals and Shovelers. 

My favourite spot of this visit is the super cool Musk beetle, serving metallic green and purple realness with long antennae. I had never seen a Musk beetle before and I can confirm it is a beast! This beetle is a type of Longhorn beetle that releases a musky scent when defending itself. 

Magor Marsh is home to a huge variety of wildlife. I look forward to the day I finally get to see an otter! If you are nearby, I definitely recommend visiting and spending time at this wonderful nature reserve. 

Stay safe and I trust you’ll keep it wild!