I say "finally", but actually 400 is a bloody fine tally for early March. If it wasn't for Ali's (frankly quite ridiculous) surge into the record breaker's book, I'd be very pleased with attaining 400 in March.
Anyway, lovely weather today (no wind, no rain, no sleet, no snow, no midges - that's pretty much as good as it ever gets up here) so I took the day off work and hit the square big time. I added over 50 species today, Floating Sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans being a 1KSQ addition even for the BSBI.
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| Doesn't come much sexier than this, huh? (umm...) |
I found this wee sweetie sunning itself on a tree trunk. Coz yeah, we even had sunshine today!
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| Megabunus diadema (aka the Mascara Harvestman) |
I managed a few bryophytes and lichens whilst checking the trees for 'proper' species (oh no I di'int!)
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| Sticta canariensis with Mycobilimbia pilularis in the background |
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| Sticta fuliginosa with a big, fat fingernail in the foreground |
My fave shot of the day was of a rarely recorded bird for my square. I heard them calling, looked up, nailed them in the bins and only then reached for the camera. If nothing else, this shows that even Skye enjoys the blue stuff from time to time. Next lot due in May...
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| Rooks - not at all common over Uig, though you get them regularly in Portree (less than 20 miles away) |
I won't add a full list, though I could maybe link to my 1KSQ 2018 Spreadsheet? Nah, you aren't really that interested! Total after today's efforts is 401 species with several more in pots on my desk.
And I'm taking tomorrow off work too.....
You'll sail into the lead in June if you haven't already. Remember to put post-its on all those Stictas and Degelias! Last year i was on 419 by end of March and I was well happy with that. Somehow things are just clicking into place this year so far. I haven't even put out a pitfall, which I did last year.
ReplyDeleteYes, having the three of you in my square is a cunning ploy that is bound to jettison me ahead of the pack. Unless Tim's 450 species of garden moth have all shown up before that...
DeleteOK, so it's happening. Next up is a plan centred around sunrise, sunset and low tides at c.10am. Naturally this plan will hit on all the highlights of the square which can be ticked off to approving nods without delaying the important task of reaching the 1000 total in one day
Deleteone WEEKEND
DeleteI like the idea of species having to be met with approving nods, hopefully we'll all be suffering an aching neck by the end of the weekend!
Deleteoh, and congrats on the 400 and breaking in the moth trap!
ReplyDeletePut that Megabunus in a jar please Seth and feed it until June 23rd...
ReplyDeleteI suspect we could find another when you're up! They're all immature and less then half-grown at the moment. The adults are far prettier :)
DeleteWow. It really does seem scarcer in your part of the world. I would think it's highly likely we'll see it more than once over the weekend
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