Yeovil end of June, update

Finished the month on 488 made up of ;
Plants 205, Bryophytes 3, Fungi 8, Lichens 14, Annelids 3, Crustacea 2, Spiders 9, Molluscs 9, Myriapods 2, Diptera 21, Hymenoptera 22, Coleoptera 22, Moths 58, Butterflies 16, Hemiptera 12, Orthoptera 3, Stoneflies 1, Odonata 9, Insects - other groups 2, Fish 1, Amphibians 3, Birds 56 and Mammals 7.

Highlights were White Wood-louse (excellent and never even knew it existed until started following PSL/1000 for 1ksq websites) and Hummingbird Hawkmoth which are always good to see.
Pete

Dalgety Bay, Fife - finally breaching 700!

Finally reached June target last night with one night to spare. Because of the rain it was a case of pulling out items from stock and working them through, though the Muscina took little time as I know the species and I obviously hadn't looked at it properly before. The Staph was a bit more tricky and I had to bite the bullet and accept that I just disagree with the key  on one couplet! (I cannot see the pronotum as "bending" under no matter how much I look).

Afterwards, when I realised that the rain had stopped, a quick walk added another couple of easy ones in the moth department. Probably two other moths to come too, but better nail down the ID first.

Muscina levida

Barred Straw

Marbled Minor agg. - not listed

Numbers:

698	Nephrotoma appendiculata	A cranefly
699	Muscina levida	A muscid fly
700	Bisnius fumitarius	A rove beetle
701	Gandaritis pyraliata	Barred Straw
702	Scoparia ambigualis	A micromoth

Sand Point VC6 - 800

Last night produced ideal conditions for moth trapping. At half light the temptation proved too much so I packed my gear up and ran a single MV on the patch until 1am. Highlights were: Shore Wainscot, 2 Acleris umbrana, European Corn-borer, 2 Ypsolopha sequella, Catoptria pinella.

Algae 7
Slime Mould 1
Lichen 49
Fungi 13
Bryophytes 64
Vascular Plants 157
Cnidarians 1
Molluscs 7
Arachnids 4

Myriapods 2

Crustaceans 3

Springtails 3

Orthopteroids 2

Hemipteroids 21

Hymenoptera 26
Coleoptera 51
Diptera 149

Butterflies 15

Moths 153
Remaining small orders 2

Birds 63

Mammals 5
Others 2
Total 800

Acleris umbrana

Catoptria pinella

European Corn-borer

Dalgety Bay, Fife - Crowded House

A lot of people showed up to watch me catch moths last night. Then a big boat went past and they suddenly all went away. Very odd.

Nice moth collection though

Bird-cherry Ermine

Bird-cherry Ermine

Twin-spot Carpet

Barred Yellow - very nice

Yellow Shell - not new

Angle Shades

Mottled Beauty

Striped Hawk-moth (just kidding!)

682	Cidaria fulvata	Barred Yellow
683	Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle Shades
684	Ourapteryx sambucaria	Swallow-tailed Moth
685	Yponomeuta evonymella	Bird-cherry ermine
686	Alcis repandata	Mottled Beauty
687	Leucania comma	Shoulder-striped Wainscot
688	Evergestis forficalis	Garden Pebble

Sand Point VC6

Eventually dragged myself onto the patch this morning. One of the things I was hoping to find were some gone over Bee Orchids but couldn't find a single one. No matter, there was still plenty to keep me occupied. My only lifer this morning was Amblyjoppa fuscipennis nectaring on Umbellifers. Not often I can ID a hymenoptera but this one was in the Pisces Insects of Britain and Europe Book. Here's the list from the last post up to today:

648. Heliophanus cupreus
649. Helina impuncta
650. Empis caudatula
651. Dolichopus plumipes
652. Trixa conspersa
653. Speckled Bush Cricket
654. Common Froghopper
655. Sandy Carpet
656. Paederus littoralis
657. Greater Burdock
658. Phytomyza lappae
659. Volucella bombylans
660. Neria cibaria
661. Xysticus cristatus
662. Lucilia sericata
663. Sea Aster
664. Valerian
665. Greater Burdock
666. Puccinia dioicae
667. Bishops Mitre Shieldbug
668. Eurygaster testudinaria
669. Phaonia valida
670. Pherbina coryleti
671. Neomyia viridescens
672. Phyto melanocephala
673. Dolichopus ungulatus
674. Hydrophorus praecox
675. Mother of Pearl
676. Eucosma campoliliana
677. Bright-line Brown-eye
678. White Plume
679. Lady's Bedstraw
680. Thyme
681. Pyramidal Orchid
682. Biting Stonecrop
683. Sea Lavendar
684. Common Emerald
685. Marbled White
686. Chrysoteuchia culmella
687. Meadow Barley
688. Calameuta filiformis
689. Haematopota crassicornis
690. Common Centaury
691. Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea
692. Hemp Agrimony
693. Amblyjoppa fuscipennis
694. Coptotriche marginea
695. Field Bindweed
696. Nemotelus uliginosus
697. Slender St John's Wort
698. Oliarus leporinus

Nemotelus uliginosus

Lipara lucens

Melieria cana

Amblyjoppa fuscipennis

Dalgety Bay - Two thirds of the way

In an attempt to squeeze my target of 667 before heading off for a week or so I went for a brisk one hour romp through the coastal path with a headtorch. Last gasp n the way home I scored a surprise mammal. I was expecting it - just not yet. Also nice that it was alive!

I haven't mentioned it (because the pain is too fresh?) but this year a roe deer was BORN in my square, which I saw photos of later, and I failed to see dolphins which I heard about over the weekend. Gah! Still, there's plenty of year left and I have a low mammal target. Maybe a school of pilot whales will come to visit (again). Or even a humpback (again). Who knows?

Now at 48 species of moth, none of which have been caught in a moth trap. I have run a moth trap but it hasn't caught any species I didn't catch with a headtorch anyway. 

Numbers:

659	Eulithis prunata	Phoenix
660	Korscheltellus fusconebulosa	Map-winged Swift
661	Aphomia sociella	Bee Moth
662	Perizoma flavofasciata	Sandy Carpet
663	Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet
664	Perizoma affinitata	Rivulet
665	Dysstroma truncata	Common Marbled Carpet
666	Erinaceus europaeus	West European Hedgehog
667	Dolichopus claviger	A long-legged fly

Edit: Colour Supplement!

668	Epistrophe grossulariae	A Hoverfly
669	Argyresthia conjugella	Apple Fruit Moth
670	Galium verum	lady's bedstraw
671	Iris foetidissima	Stinking Iris

Past the 700 mark - a nice surprise

I was asked a few weeks ago to lead a Durham Wildlife Trust Botany Group outing on Waldridge Fell today,  so yesterday,  I did a little reconnaissance and today the group and myself spent a good 3 hours in a small bit of the square. We all seemed to enjoy it but it was only was I added them all up tonight I realised I had gone past the 700 mark - a nice surprise.

No moth trapping tonight and out of the square doing my National Plant Monitoring Scheme plots tomorrow and with some survey work on Thursday I'll not be adding any more to the totals for a few days.

Keith Robson
Waldridge (VC66)

Skye - Remotely Interesting

Bang! 700 has been passed.

Had a quick bimble into Uig Woods between shifts and bumped into one of the house-keeping staff wandering through on her way towards the shop. "What's that pretty tree called?" she asked. Turning around I was amazed to see a large Laburnum in full blossom - just kinda standing there looking all obvious and stuff. How the heck have I missed seeing THAT? No leafmines on it (though hardly any leafmines on anything up here yet, apart from various flies in Rumex/Ranunculus/Urtica, most of which I'm unsure of) but it's new to the tally.

Subtle as a brick - yet I've missed it until now!

Number 700 was Shepherd's Purse in an overgrown layby with Corn-spurrey all around. Finally, on my way back out of the woods, I spotted this very distinctive looking sedge

Looks distinctive enough even for me to ID

This is Remote Sedge and a lifer for me. Checking the BSBI map it isn't known from the top end of Skye so I've emailed the local recorder the details.

699 - Laburnum (possibly planted?)
700 - Shepherd's Purse
701 - Corn Spurrey
702 - Remote Sedge - Lifer

Dalgety Bay, Fife

Not the best pic in the world as I couldn't see the screen for glare. Tree Bumblebee is a recent colonist and not many records in Fife - no records apparent on NBN, though I know it's in a friend's nestbox in his garden and is not uncommon in the town.

Most of the other stuff isn't very interesting photo-wise, but here are the latest numbers:

646	Senecio jacobaea	Common Ragwort
647	Vicia cracca	Tufted Vetch
648	Tenthredo livida	A sawfly
649	Enoplognatha ovata	A spider
650	Dolichopus ungulatus	A long-legged fly
651	Platycheirus angustatus	A Hoverfly
652	Phaonia angelicae	A muscid fly
653	Blastobasis lacticolella	A micromoth
654	Coenosia tigrina	A muscid fly
655	Bombus hypnorum	Tree Bumblebee

Skye - 24hr Mega Bash

As part of the madness that is PSL, yesterday I took part in Graeme Lyons' daft idea of a 24 hour megablitz event. Despite some fairly crappy weather (I never even swung my net once. Not once!) I managed to record 462 species. Then I realised I'd misread my own handwriting and skipped from 240 straight to 247 (my 0 in 240 looked like a 6, what can I say..) so the revised tally for the 24 hour period is 456. I also managed to record Flid Vole, whatever that is. I still have loads of dead stuff to key through so the tally will eventually rise, though Graeme's Rules state that any ID work needs to be completed on the day so they won't make it onto the tally even when I do identify them. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before all that I added 30 species from my last update on 30th May. Lifers were a couple of Cantharis soldier beetles, three flies (a Doli, a feverfly and a leaf-mining larva), an exciting Psyllid and Spear Thistle Lacebug which was noted whilst strimming. I always carry pots now, no matter where I may be. 

Dolichopus popularis. I'd be popularis too with a genital package as large as that

Craspedolepta nebulosa - a Psyllid new to Scotland!!!

Excited with my 'new to Scotland' psyllid I contacted the local recorder who went out and also found it on Rosebay Willowherb. He told his hemiptera chap who said it's all over the place now, just that the maps haven't been updated in a while. Buggerit. 

Back to 10th June, the Big Day. I won't list all the new additions coz it'll be a long, long list. Essentially I added plenty of plants, a few moths, a few beetles, Noctule Bat, Blue Jellyfish, a coupla flies and other assorted oddities. Managed a grand total of ELEVEN lifers which was very pleasing. 

10th June at 0000hrs - time to start....

Species Number 2 (0003hrs) - Pale-shouldered Brocade - Lifer!

Dawn at 0430 with a rainbow overhead

Flid Vole, if the rain-splattered scrawl in my notebook is to be believed

Number 456 of the day: Map-winged Swift on the wall at 2354hrs.

All of that puts me up to 698 species, a tidy jump. Hoping to be 3/4 of the way there by month's end.

Dalgety Bay, Fife - Moth try harder

Who needs a moth trap when you have a head torch, a net, and warm still weather? The missus went to sleep early so I went for an impromptu half hour walk around the square, which turned out a cracking list of lovely creatures. Bizarrely the addition of Foxglove Pug prompted me to notice I hadn't recorded Foxglove, which has been in flower for a good while now!

Still, it looks like I'm back into the tight tete-de-la-course. Until Christian declares 1000 next week, that is ...

The list additions:

631	Psallus ambiguus	A bug
632	Campaea margaritaria	Light Emerald
633	Pseudoips prasinana	Green Silver-lines
634	Hypena proboscidalis	Snout
635	Eupithecia pulchellata	Foxglove Pug
636	Digitalis purpurea	Foxglove
637	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell
638	Tinea trinotella	A micromoth
639	Crambus perlella	A micromoth
640	Idaea biselata	Small Fan-footed Wave

641

Byturus tomentosus

A beetle

642

Eupeodes luniger

A Hoverfly

Bee Orchids, Stonechats and Hoverating

After several days of wind and rain the list continues. Even the moth trap would have been a waste of time.

The highlight, nothing mega, only Bee Orchid. But the two puny specimens are a first for the monad and in a small area I regularly check for Dingy Skippers so there's no way I will have overlooked them in previous years. Also the, (my) pair of Stonechats have fledged two young

One of two pathetic specimens of Bee Orchid - but a first for the square

.

A pleasant day despite the wind and armed with my pooter I did my first real  bit of 'hoverating'  on the Hogweed. 

The list to date

Keith Robson
Waldridge (VC66)

Sand Point VC6

Been back out on the patch and again concentrating mainly on the flies. It's starting to be a diptera patch year list at the moment with total of 131 as of today. This mornings highlights were Lipara lucens and an interesting Melieria which might turn out to be M.cana. Earlier this week I had two lifers from the car park puddle; Pseudocollinella humida and Parydra coarctata and a very nice Tachinid that was in fact a Sarcophagid Pierretia nigriventris.
Butterflies are on the up with Painted Lady the most recent addition. Last years unauthorised re-introduction of Glanville Fritillary looks to have been unsuccessful so far. Even if some do emerge I don't think I will count them.
Still not run the moth trap but numbers are racking up slowly but surely. I potted an interesting micro that could be Chrysoesthia sexguttella. Waiting for the guru David Agassiz to get back to me on that one. Be a nice lifer for me if it is.

613. Eristalinus aeneus
614. Chrysotoxum elegans
615. Coriomeris denticulatus
615. Sitona lineatus
616. Thecophora atra
617. Hedgerow Cranesbill
618. Coriomeris denticulatus
619. Macrophya ribis
620. Nomada flava
621. Hedge Woundwort
622. Scathophaga furcata
623. Chlorops pumilionis
624. Dasysyrphus albostriatus
625. Urophora solstitialis
626. Anaspis maculata
627. Closterotomus norwegicus
628. Cixius nervosus
629. Microplontus campestris
630. Parydra coarctata
631. Pseudocollinella humida
632. Pierretia nigriventris
633. Painted Lady
634. Red Twin-spot Carpet
635. Bactra lancealana
636. Yellow-tail
637. Cheddar Pink
638. Corizus hyoscyami
639. Melieria picta
640. Meadow Brown
641. Homoeosoma sinuella
642. Capsus ater
643. Psychoides filicivora
644. Cantharis nigra
645. Neocoenorrhinus aequatus
646. Chrysoesthia sexguttella
647. Lipara lucens

Pseudocollinella humida

Parydra coarctata

Pierretia nigriventris

Just about caught up

I was hoping to break the 600 barrier for the square by the end of May but missed out by just a few. It's been very busy since I got back (as May and June usually is) and with botanising outside the square quite a bit, I've have had little time to do updates but I think I've just about caught up.


 It's nice that the invertebrates are beginning to show and I need to put an effort in this month to get some more and hopefully some new ones. The same goes to get the 130 or so more plants that I still need and know they should be around if I look hard enough.


The moth trap is beginning to come into its own now and looking at the overnight catch (which I haven't checked yet and just covered it over as it's stotting down) I reckon I should have hit the 600 mark. I can see two new ones for the year just looking through the funnel.

So here's where I am /was at the end of May

So let flaming June begin ....  once it's stopped raining. I'm off now going to make a cuppa and check a few pots of creepy-crawlies thats in the fridge.


Keith Robson
Waldridge VC66