As a diversion, here's an extract from this time 4 years ago (when I last attempted the 1000 in a 1KSQ Challenge) - "One other difference to the site is the annual presence of a herd of
conservation cattle to Epsom Common. Whilst I was in Wales they have
arrived. There are now three grazing areas, one of which is slap bang in
the middle of my recording square. For anyone not too sure, I can
thoroughly recommend high-stepping over the electric fence whilst being
rained upon and getting an electric jolt through your left knacker.
Getting zapped again before you can throw yourself off just heightens
the fun. Always a thrill and I simply can't recommend it enough"...
So, four years later and I'm getting caught up in barbed wire rather than electric fencelines, but I'm way ahead of my old total for the time of year (575 versus 512)
Additions today are all courtesy of "Nick" who arrived unannounced at the front desk this afternoon asking for me. He reads my blog, apparently. My boss started to play lovesongs into the walkie talkie (one stays at reception and the other is always in my trouser pocket) midway through my introduction to Nick. Never a great move...not on a first date anyway, lol. Despite this we headed into Uig Woods so that Nick could see the Mitella ovalis for himself (now being the fourth person in Britain to see it growing in 'ze wild')
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| Palustriella commutata - common on wet rockfaces |
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| Pellia endviifolia - again on a wet rockface |
This chump arived on the scene yesterday. This morning he still hadn't moved so I had to carry him 20ft upslope into a 'safe' area (I was carting snedded trees back and forth along the pathway where he had taken up residency). Judging by the amount of bill clacking and talons being waved in the air, it was less than amused at proceedings!
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| Tawny owlet - and a feisty wee bugger too! |
572 - Ctenidium molluscum (moss)
573 - Chiloscyphus polyanthos (liverwort) - Lifer
574 - Palustriella commutata (moss) - Lifer
575 - Pelia endiviifolia (liverwort)
I'm fully expecting to pass 600 before the month is out. This is way ahead of my 2013 tally for this time of year. Will I crash and burn-out or will I stay the course and smash through that 1000 barrier? Will Christian ever update his tally so that the rest of us know what we're up against?
You must have just scratched the surface with the bryophytes. There surely must be 70+ species in your square seeing as you're in the best corner of the UK for bryos. Quite happy to help out if there's any you get stuck on.
ReplyDeleteProbably well over 100 species in the square, quite a few habitats available. I've only managed 45 so far (41 by myself and 4 from Nick) and I really haven't put much effort into them. I have to be in the right state of mind to tackle mosses (ie mental) but some liverworts are quite nice.
DeleteBroadly speaking I'm assuming that Christian's tally will be such as to be worth my worrying about, in the sense that it will be way ahead of mine. I'm playing it as a "me against the square" game fortunately!
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