Turning from spring to summer in Cwmynyscoy

 One of my favourite local patches is in Cwmynyscoy, Pontypool. It has its own small nature reserve that is a wonderful place located in and around a disused limestone quarry. 

There are a lot of Hawthorn trees throughout the reserve and I have been waiting for them come into blossom. When these trees come into flower has since ancient times being considered the time when spring turns to summer.

When they do bloom it is quite a thing to see and this year I was determined to capture it from above using my drone.

Hawthorn Blossom from above

The reserve is on the hillside below Penyrheol and Mynydd Twyn-Glas

Hawthorn Blossom is quite pungent.

I enjoy birdwatching here throughout the year and its good for a variety of spring migrants such as Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, ChiffChaff and Blackcaps.

There is a nice bit of wild grassland that supports a variety of butterflies. I have seen there myself Common Blue, Specked Wood, Marbled White and other species.

The information sign provides quite a good summary of the wildlife that can be found there.

The information board located near the entrance to the reserve

I climbed up the hill that overlooks Cwmynyscoy , Cwm Fields, Pontymoel and Pontypool in the distant. 

The view from above the reserve is fantastic and made a great launch point for my drone.

At ground level there was just a wall of white blossom. The tree blossom really dies stink and its reported to smell like the first stages of decay of a dead body. Apparently it is really unlucky to bring Hawthorn Blossom into a house as it is considered unlucky and like inviting death into the house.

A wall of White

West Mon Comprehensive School in the distance

From above, the whole hill side was covered with white blossom, as if someone had spilt a pit of white paint all over the place.

Looking down towards Pontymoel

Some of the Hawthorn coverage is very dense.

The view really was spectacular and after taking the drone photos I sat down and enjoyed taking it all in. The whole area is quite special to me. Standing out amongst the housing estates was my old school West Monmouth Comprehensive School which reminds me of something from Harry Potter with its ancient looking redbrick and pointy tower architecture. High on the near the Upper Race is the "College of Knowledge" ,another place that I studied at back in the day when I did the dreaded A-Levels exams! Its is sad to hear that it will be closing soon for good.

I am pleased with how the panoramic photos came out. I managed to get just about all the key features of the Pontypool area in - The Folly, Pontypool Park, West Mon, Pontypool College, the town and Llandegfedd Lake ( Reservoir).

A panoramic of Pontypool from above the reserve.