The coastal soft rock cliffs in the square are indeed very bio-diverse and were a major reason for my choosing this square. They are especially noted for their invertebrates and are nationally notable for beetles (and I think Hymenoptera)
However in front of the cliffs to high-water is a beach mostly composed of small pebbles. This is not a good substrate for Algae at all. (or indeed any littoral wildlife!) Right at the western boundary of the square are some larger boulders which I expect to have at least a few algae on but have not yet visited at very low water.
I could add more algae/seashore life by either of the following.
Beachcombing. Certainly algae does get washed up but is not tickable?? This is strange when so many people were ticking dead washed up jellyfish last autumn?
The square has to be 1km squared but it does not - apparently - have to be an exact grid square. If I was to move the boundary 100m west it would improve things!
However for now I am happy to continue as normal. Any constructive comments on this would be welcomed.
Finally a photo of a beetle. This photo was taken by me at Eype last summer. I took the photo during my first ever twitch to see a beetle! Oh nooo what is happening to me?!
I would think nudging you square over could become a huge pain in the rear. I wouldn't have thought you'd have much troble meeting your targets in that square though? (assuming enough moth trapping is possible)
ReplyDeleteThe Rules state that it needs to be "a" square kilometre, not necessarily an OS grid square. In the first year of this Challenge Skev (Mark Skevington) moved his 1ksq across a bit to exclude the plot of land the M1 (I think) had bisected. I think, generally speaking, the whole idea of a single 1ksq is that it makes submitting records a whole shedload easier, but the area is the area, wherever it is.
ReplyDeleteRegards washed up algae (ie seaweed, right?) As far as I'm concerned, if it's been washed up less than 2 tides ago then it's still alive and therefore tickable. If you read through Andy's original set of Rules, dead stuff that has clearly died in the square is countable. (personally, I don't count such species, but the Rules say you can). And thirdly, that beetle is pure porn on legs. I hate you already...
Thank you both for your comments as that clarifies things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ali, and certainly felt before posting, that I did not what to move the boundary. And its good to know that some of the seaweed will be countable.
I had no idea things dying in the square were tickable! I've only counted things that were dead in pitfall/water traps because I knew the provenance. I would personally allow for galls on this years leaves to be tickable rather than killing the culprit to prove it. Killing them when you don't have to seems like bad form to me.
ReplyDeleteHey Pete, are you the Pete Forrest of Pegwell Bay fame? If so, hi! I've booked a cottage on Exmoor for a week in June, and plan to visit the Eype area during the holiday. Fancy meeting up?
ReplyDelete