Quick blast around the square this evening after work, only out for a shortish while and concentrating on plants. Quite a few that will be new to the Challenge List, except I'm too poor a botanist to recognise many of them. I did manage a few newbies, but pride of place goes to the flyover Hobby at treetop height - a short but very sweet addition and one I see less than annually over Epsom Common. In fact I'm not sure I've ever had a spring passage record before?
Today's extra snippets are:
491 - Hobby - 1 heading directly north at treetop height, lovely!!!
492 - Midland Hawthorn - leaves sufficiently developed to allow identification
493 - Meadow Vetchling - leaves only
494 - Creeping Thistle - basal leaves only
495 - Common Figwort - quite large plants already
496 - Cut-leaved Cranesbill - I hate cranesbills...finally "did" the species!
I've got one last chance to hit 500 tomorrow evening after work, then I'm off to Wales for a week with the missus. Climbing Snowdon for our 1st Wedding Anniversary, as you do... By the time we get back I'm sure Mike will be well over the 500 mark, and maybe a few others too.
PS - this is the very first time this year I've been into TQ1960 and NOT found a lifer, how crazy is that?!?!?
Might be unlikely to pass the (semi) magical 500 at the current rate of progress. These Sussex moths just aren't coming out to play - too damn breezy/chilly for 'em - and my High Weald bird & butterfly survey season has just kicked off too. On the other hand, if you want to start a new challenge 'Ascents of Snowdon', my life-list is currently on seven ..... but just don't ask WHY!?
ReplyDeleteWell we're in Wales for 8 days, maybe we'll go up once each day? (heh heh, or maybe we bloody won't, lol) Did you see the Rainbow Beetle up there at all? Very similar to the Rosemary Beetle which is ubiquitous in South London. Good luck with the surveywork!
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