Thursday, March 28, 2019

Cullaloe LNR, Fife - 599

So it's going to be at least 600 before month end and probably before end of tonight. IN terms of additions it's been a very slow month and I can't really account for that (other than I was having my garage converted).

This little stinker was chowing down on some pig-liver that was left from a bottle trap. Be interesting to see what else it can pull in. The bait trap has been great at attracting heleomyzid flies, although it was ostensibly set up for calliphorids. On that front it's only managed Calliphora vicina, which you can easily get without leaving the house.

Nicrophorus humator - Black Sexton Beetle
The rest of the year will be more or less a focus on flies and beetles, with the odd bit of this and that poking in. Vascular plants will be picked up along the way but without special focus and fungi will undoubtedly continue to feature.

A complete list of the species on the reserve, plus additions, can be found at the Cullaloe blog: linky

While updating that page I just realised the reserve list is now at 1800 species. hurray!

Category Jan Feb Mar
alga 1 1 1
Protist other 0 0 0
slime mould 0 1 1
lichen 33 37 40
fungus 67 93 103
liverwort 9 9 10
moss 44 45 48
flowering plant 93 95 102
conifer 2 2 2
fern 4 4 4
cnidarian 0 0 0
mollusc 11 20 21
bryozoan 0 0 0
annelid 2 3 5
flatworm 0 1 1
harvestman 3 5 5
pseudoscorpion 1 1 1
spider 19 24 25
gall mite 0 0 0
tick 0 1 1
millipede 2 5 5
centipede 2 2 2
crustacean 4 5 5
collembola 6 7 8
bristletail 0 0 0
odonata 0 0 0
dermaptera 1 1 1
orthoptera 0 0 0
hemiptera 5 9 10
coleoptera 30 47 56
diptera 4 19 38
lep-moth 4 13 20
lep-butterfly 0 1 1
hymenoptera 4 8 9
insect-other 1 2 3
tunicate 0 0 0
echinoderm 0 0 0
invert-other 0 0 0
fish 0 0 0
reptile 0 0 0
amphibian 1 2 3
bird 48 56 64
mammal 1 1 4
Total 402 520 599

Monday, March 25, 2019

Bridport and Thorne week 12

Finally the wind speed dropped and a few extra species were added. Very good too and this coming week looks even better.

Added a few moths including the Shoulder Stripe shown in the photo below


The numbers for the two sites are given below

Group
Thorne
Bridport
Group
Thorne
Bridport
Slime moulds
1
1
Hemiptera
5
0
Lichens
16
6
Coleoptera
5
1
Fungi
17
2
Diptera
2
2
Bryophytes
19
7
Hymenoptera
6
3
Plants
87
67
Butterflies
3
1
Molluscs
5
2
Moths
15
3
Annelids
2
0
Insects RSO
0
0
Arachnids
2
0
Fish
1
0
Myriapods
0
0
Amphibia
2
0
Crustacea
8
5
Reptiles
0
0
Springtails
0
0
Birds
44
41
Odonata
0
0
Mammals
5
4
Orthoptera
2
1
Total
247
145





Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Total so far, steady progress maybe.

Old Nisthouse, Harray, Orkney patch.

Textrix denticulata

The spider above and recently Otiorhynchus sulcatus, Vine Weevil have been located in the house. The beetle total is around 15 I think (I need to do a proper count up). I've been learning molluscs, attempting annelids, remembering myriapods and to this point largely ignoring plants although the first Primroses and Marsh Marigolds have been in flower this week.

Pied Wagtails, which are mostly a summer visitor here, brought the birds total to 55 (including Water Rail, 2nd record in 9 years) but despite a few attempts with the light traps which did bring in Helophorus grandis and Trichocera regalationis my Lepidopteran total stands at one, a Large Yellow Underwing cat.  

Mammals are on six including Orkney Vole, Wood Mouse and House Mouse (another species observed indoors) but I dipped Hedgehog which Louise and the dog found whilst I was at work.

I think the total is about 140, I'll try and sort out a proper list for next month.


Cullaloe LNR, Fife - today is the day

There is a day in every year when things change. One day you're getting to where you're pushing it to add new lichens and bryophytes, and you're more or less on top of all the inverts you can find - at least the ones you can identify. You lift the same rocks and find the same beetle.

Then the Day comes. The sun shines, the flowers open (today mostly Coltsfoot, but also  Lesser Celandine) and things start buzzing around the place. From this point until the end of the year I will never, ever be ahead of the invertebrates! Aaaaand I don't have enough store box space, which is a problem I need to address right now.

Apart from the great invert surge we also have some newly arrived and loud Chiffchaffs and some serious toad monkey-business. I'm looking at making 600 by month end, which should be alright unless I'm distracted by something.

Whole Lotta Rosie


Category Jan Feb Mar
alga 1 1 1
Protist other 0 0 0
slime mould 0 1 1
lichen 33 37 39
fungus 67 93 102
liverwort 9 9 10
moss 44 45 48
flowering plant 93 95 98
conifer 2 2 2
fern 4 4 4
cnidarian 0 0 0
mollusc 11 20 21
bryozoan 0 0 0
annelid 2 3 5
flatworm 0 1 1
harvestman 3 5 5
pseudoscorpion 1 1 1
spider 19 24 24
gall mite 0 0 0
tick 0 1 1
millipede 2 5 5
centipede 2 2 2
crustacean 4 5 5
collembola 6 7 8
bristletail 0 0 0
odonata 0 0 0
dermaptera 1 1 1
orthoptera 0 0 0
hemiptera 5 9 10
coleoptera 30 47 53
diptera 4 19 27
lep-moth 4 13 18
lep-butterfly 0 1 1
hymenoptera 4 8 9
insect-other 1 2 3
tunicate 0 0 0
echinoderm 0 0 0
invert-other 0 0 0
fish 0 0 0
reptile 0 0 0
amphibian 1 2 2
bird 48 56 63
mammal 1 1 3
402 520 573

Monday, March 18, 2019

Bridport & Thorne week 11

A miserable week weather wise with gale force winds practically every day and a fair amount of rain.
Not much added but with the addition of Tree Bumblebee (photo below) am now on 3 Bumblebees for the year.


The numbers are as follows;

Group
Thorne
Bridport
Group
Thorne
Bridport
Slime moulds
1
1
Hemiptera
3
0
Lichens
16
5
Coleoptera
4
0
Fungi
15
2
Diptera
2
0
Bryophytes
19
7
Hymenoptera
6
3
Plants
80
64
Butterflies
3
1
Molluscs
5
2
Moths
12
0
Annelids
2
0
Insects RSO
0
0
Arachnids
2
0
Fish
1
0
Myriapods
0
0
Amphibia
2
0
Crustacea
8
5
Reptiles
0
0
Springtails
0
0
Birds
42
40
Odonata
0
0
Mammals
5
2
Orthoptera
2
0
Total
230
132





Thursday, March 14, 2019

Cullaloe LNR, Fife - Marching along

Just realised I passed my March total for last year with some moth trap results - Small Quaker, Clouded Drab, Twin-spotted Quaker, Ophion obscuratus. Apparently I haven't taken the pics off my phone yet, so here's the lovely weedy liverwort Marchantia polymorpha from the path. It's probably in everybody's garden somewhere, even in plant pots.

Marchantia

Category Jan Feb Mar
alga 1 1 1
Protist other 0 0 0
slime mould 0 1 1
lichen 33 37 39
fungus 67 93 102
liverwort 9 9 10
moss 44 45 46
flowering plant 93 95 96
conifer 2 2 2
fern 4 4 4
cnidarian 0 0 0
mollusc 11 20 21
bryozoan 0 0 0
annelid 2 3 4
flatworm 0 1 1
harvestman 3 5 5
pseudoscorpion 1 1 1
spider 19 24 24
gall mite 0 0 0
tick 0 1 1
millipede 2 5 5
centipede 2 2 2
crustacean 4 5 5
collembola 6 7 8
bristletail 0 0 0
odonata 0 0 0
dermaptera 1 1 1
orthoptera 0 0 0
hemiptera 5 9 9
coleoptera 30 47 53
diptera 4 19 24
lep-moth 4 13 16
lep-butterfly 0 1 1
hymenoptera 4 8 9
insect-other 1 3 2
tunicate 0 0 0
echinoderm 0 0 0
invert-other 0 0 0
fish 0 0 0
reptile 0 0 0
amphibian 1 2 2
bird 48 56 58
mammal 1 1 3
402 521 556

Monday, March 11, 2019

Thorne & Bridport week 10

A fairly quiet week mostly due to the fact that the weather has returned to conditions more normal for early March.

Photo this week is from a couple of weeks back showing a Red Admiral sunbathing at Thorne. This was one of 3 species of butterflies I recorded before the end of February which is unusual to say the least.


The numbers are as follows.

Group
Thorne
Bridport
Group
Thorne
Bridport
Slime moulds
1
1
Hemiptera
3
0
Lichens
16
5
Coleoptera
4
0
Fungi
15
2
Diptera
2
0
Bryophytes
19
7
Hymenoptera
5
3
Plants
77
64
Butterflies
3
1
Molluscs
5
2
Moths
12
0
Annelids
2
0
Insects RSO
0
0
Arachnids
2
0
Fish
1
0
Myriapods
0
0
Amphibia
2
0
Crustacea
8
5
Reptiles
0
0
Springtails
0
0
Birds
42
40
Odonata
0
0
Mammals
5
2
Orthoptera
2
0
Total
226
132