Sunday, March 31, 2013

not a Pallid Harrier in sight...

Unexpectedly had a couple of hours to kill before the mother-in-law arrived so sped off over Epsom Common for a sneaky bit of TQ1960 action.

An overhead Meadow Pipit was the first addition to the Challenge tally followed by an Engrailed on a tree trunk (noticed whilst having a pee up said tree trunk!). I noticed that a few of the Lords and Ladies were showing pale brown leaf spots, EOL supplied a list of possibilities, Google did the rest. Result was Spermosporina aricola, sweet. Less luck with Lesser Celandine fungal leaf spots, I'm hoping that by the time they finally start flowering their parasitic fungi will be developed enough to safely identify...all still a bit hazy at the moment though.

A bit of kerbside botany added Columbine and Common Chickweed before I had to get back for the mother-in-law. She duly arrived and offered to run us out into the countryside for a nice wee walk. Somehow we ended up back on Epsom Common (!!!!) where I wandered into the adjacent square, easily finding rares such as Mandarin, Teal, Bogbean, Barberry and Bank Vole. I'm hopeful of finding the latter in my square soon, not sure I'll get any of the others though *sigh*.

We waved goodbye to our visitor, ate a bit, drank a bit - then I got onlline and discovered the TOTALLY SHOCKING news that Surrey's first ever Pallid Harrier (a full-on adult male) has been flapping round Papercourt this afternoon. That's like...what...15 miles south of me! Bloody hell's bells!!!! It'll probably fly over Epsom Common tomorrow but I'm straight back to work at 7am. Dammit - suddenly square-bashing seems to be getting in the way of Surrey megas :(

I've seen Pallid Harriers before (3 in UK plus in Turkey) so I'll survive, but I did (ever so briefly) feel like "doing a Johnny Allen".

Anyway, today's additions are:

366 - Meadow Pipit - 1 overhead, Epsom Common
367 - The Engrailed - 1 roosting on tree trunk, Epsom Common
368 - Columbine - several growing in a kerbside near allotment plot
369 - Common Chickweed - finally decided to check it out, railway bridge steps
370 - Spermosporina aricola - frequent on Lords and Ladies' leaves, Epsom Common (LIFER)
371 - Pallid Harrier (I fkkn wish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

3 comments:

  1. Step 1 : read Seth's post
    Step 2 : go outside
    Step 3 : find Lords and Ladies (abundant down here in Devon)
    Step 4 : tick Spermosporina aricola on your PSL list

    Piece o piss this PSL lark - just keep up with postings from people that know what they're doing ;-)

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  2. HAHA you messer, lol. But thanks, does my ego the world of good :)

    Looking forward to the PSL weekend, then we can all find out how crap we really are! ;)

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