Country diary: walking the wild expanse of Teifi Marshes

Aberteifi/Cardigan, Ceredigion: Ducks doze on the mud-banks, while Canada geese argumentatively cruise the creeks of the main channel


Shimmering through a blend of August afternoon heat haze and the swirling movement of reeds in the strong westerly wind, the wild expanse of Teifi Marshes was sunlit and inviting. The flooding tide in the river and the open arc of the sky were uniformly blue, with white fair-weather clouds reflected in the still water of the more protected pools.

Before this area was glaciated, the Afon Teifi appears to have looped south of the narrow gorge it now occupies at Cilgerran. The abandoned route has left a broad, low-lying valley whose sides – clearly cut by a wide, meandering stream – are thick with trees. In the 1880s, the dynamic of the landscape was changed further when the Whitland and Cardigan railway constructed a causeway of dark, blocky furnace waste across the marshland. This impeded the ingress of seawater and began the evolution of the predominantly freshwater environment visible today.

To the south of the old railway line, which is now a welcome route for those walkers who appreciate dry feet, stands of reed almost encircle areas of open water – the brittle hiss of their stems and seed heads moving against each other blanketing out other sounds. Groups of duck preened and dozed on the low mud banks, while a larger contingent of Canada geese argumentatively cruised the creeks of the main river channel to the north.

A flash of blue seen fleetingly in the corner of my eye made me wonder if there was a kingfisher nearby. Although I paused at the spot and waited, I saw nothing else, but another walker asked me later if I had seen one – and, to my chagrin, reported seeing it perching in full view.

Despite the recent rain the blackberries were still hard, small and unripe, but the blackthorn bushes alongside the path were heavily laden. The sloes were already darkening from green to the deep blue of remembered childhood ink, their skins mottled with a characteristic lighter bloom. As the afternoon heat grew stronger the breeze also strengthened, filling the air with the floating, invasive seeds of the rosebay willowherb. Summer might not yet be over, but the signs of its demise are building rapidly.

Contributor

John Gilbey

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Country diary: screaming gannets and clever corvids are out for food
St Non’s, St Davids, Pembrokeshire: Jackdaws hurry me along the coastal path, fixing bright eyes on my rucksack

Jim Perrin

13, Jul, 2019 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: Egyptian geese are wild about this pond
Petersfield, Hampshire: These showy African birds were introduced to Britain in the 17th century, but there is now a self-sustaining feral population

Claire Stares

17, Aug, 2018 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: iridescent beauties, pavilioned in splendour
Buxton, Derbyshire: The drake mandarin duck ranks among the Earth’s most beautiful birds

Mark Cocker

19, Mar, 2019 @5:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: a boon to walkers, a threat to the wetland
Dibden Purlieu, New Forest, Hampshire: Presumably intended to make the path more welcoming, the drain has significantly changed the delicate hydrology of this hillside

John Gilbey

23, Jul, 2018 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: no peacock now struts Owain Glyndŵr’s land
Dyffryn Tanat, Powys: Little remains today of Sycharth, the Welsh hero’s courtly seat, razed by Prince Hal six centuries ago

Jim Perrin

08, Feb, 2020 @5:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: autumn arrives in the estuary
Aberdyfi, Gwynedd: As the season shifts, oystercatchers gather on the foreshore, and new colours dominate the landscape

John Gilbey

28, Sep, 2020 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: who killed our blackbird? The sparrowhawk has form in this area
Comins Coch, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: The drift of pale feathers drew my eye, evidence of the rural food chain in action

John Gilbey

27, Apr, 2020 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: a glorious vista, come rain or shine
Clarach Bay, Ceredigion: Stoic anglers and squabbling cormorants ignore the ominous clouds

John Gilbey

22, Aug, 2019 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: a swan builds a fortress for a nest
River Tern, Shropshire: Despite their size and aggression, swans are very vulnerable to egg thieves such as fox, mink or raven

Paul Evans

23, May, 2019 @4:30 AM

Article image
Country diary: Willing the waxwings south | Lev Parikian
West Norwood, south London: These spectacular berry lovers have made it down here before, and conditions are tantalisingly in our favour

Lev Parikian

15, Nov, 2023 @5:30 AM