TG2507: Quality over quantity...

My reluctance to go hunting around for small invertebrates has resulted in my list grinding to a standstill, with just flowering Red Dead Nettle added from my past few visits. However I can now add a fungus from earlier on in the year, as the spores of my Gloeophyllum sp. have now been checked. It turns out it is Conifer Mazegill (Gloeophyllum sepiarum), which as well as being a first record for Whitlingham CP, is the first record in Norfolk for 35 years (and third ever).

103. Red Dead Nettle

104. Conifer Mazegill 

TG2507: Past the hundred mark

A few additions to take me over the 100 mark, notably:

95. Buddleia (lots of self sown ones growing about the place)
96. Bullfinch (I forgot I saw this on my last update)
97. Lecanora chlarotera (lichen)
98. Lecidella elaeochroma (lichen)

99. Physcia tenella (lichen)

100. Biting Stonecrop

101. Yarrow

102. White Clover

The latter two were the only new species on today's visit, but I did get good views of a Water Rail and decided that ethically I shouldn't try to flush a Great-black backed Gull on a post just outside my TG square into TG2507. 

TG2507 Total: 102 species

TG2507 - a few fungus additions

16th February 2013

During the week the county lichen recorder kindly put me out of my misery by identifying the lichen that was annoying me most (I had got it down to a Lecanora sp, it turned out to be Lecanora albescens). Today I photographed at least five more to work through at my leisure and added three fungi, Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa, pictured below), Peniophora quercina and Exidia glandulosa. Some Snowdrops and some distinctive leaves of Dovesfoot Cranesbill took me up to 94 species. By the way has anyone counted naturalised Buddleia? No new birds today, but two Nuthatches and a Green Woodpecker backed up the heard-only sightings last week

Lumpy Bracket

TG2507 - More birds, mosses and lichens

9th February 2013

I continue to stumble along towards 100, boosted by some more birds today. A Mealy Redpoll with the Siskin and Lesser Redpoll flock was the pick of the bunch, with Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Green Woodpecker (h), Nuthatch (h), Jay and Fieldfare all new for my 1km square. I found a fern that I presumed was Male, but is actually Broad Buckler Fern and added a couple of fungi in the form of Tar Spot and Scurfy Twiglet. Against my better judgement I went and had a look at a couple more lichens (one identified OK and one not - any help welcome!) and added my first three mosses to the list too.

Treecreeper. Unbeknown to me at the time I appeared to have slipped back into the Victorian period judging by those sepia tones.

That grey spotty lichen looks distinctive doesn't it? It could be a Lecanora sp, or it could be something else, I really don't know. I hate lichens.

Two mosses in here, most of it is Rough-stalked Feather Moss, with lashings of Common Feather Moss. I also saw Wall Screw Moss, infinitely increasing my moss life list from 0 to 3. 

TG2507 Total: 87 Species. I'll start listing them in an itemised way if/when I get to 100.

TG2507: A few plants added

3rd February 2012

This was my first visit since taking up the all-taxa challenge without a covering of snow, so I stretched my plant knowledge and notched up Dog's Mercury, Lesser Celandine, Daisy, Dandelion, Ribswort Plantain Ground Ivy and Lesser Burdock. A scouring of some likely trees produced some Turkeytail and Elder Whitewash (I also appeared to have found the only Elder in Norfolk that doesn't have Jelly Ear growing on it). From reading previous posts I'm taking it that we aren't counting Bramble (agg) or Bramble rust, so neither of those are included in my total. Using a basic key I ID'd the three commonest lichen species, taking me up to the giddy heights of 66 species.

Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor)

Species Total: 66.

TG2507 - Cold weather birds and unidentified lichens

26th January 2013

The cold conditions did me a favour today, with ice covering much of the Great Broad. An open area of water near the visitors centre held the Slavonian Grebe and a Goldeneye. A Water Rail ran across the ice and a Great-spotted Woodpecker flew out of a nearby tree. Speaking of trees I ticked Alder, Oak, Silver Birch, Yew and Scot's Pine on my way round. It wasn't all good news - I found out that once again no moth trapping events are scheduled here this year, taking away a good source of species.

I also took a picture of three lichens, which I will attempt to ID (feel free to help if you have already seen these ones!)

 Goldeneye

Slav Grebe, finally in range of my camera

 A very numerous yellow lichen sp (Xanthoria parietina?), plus a grey-green one

Another unidentified 'splat' lichen

Current total: 47 species

TG2507 - An introduction

25th January 2013

Late to the party, I am going to be recording in the TG2507 square, which comprises the south-western quarter of Whitlingham Country Park, Norfolk. This has several disadvantages, notably I don't live in the square and don't have access to half of it, but even with that handicap I anticipate seeing more than in my home 1km square (I am aiming for around 500 species). My interests are mostly birds, larger insects and fungi, although I have a working knowledge of flowering plants and ferns. Everything else will be a learning curve!

So far I have seen 33 bird species within TG2507, and one fungus. Unfortunately I can't count the fungus yet, as it is thought to be the second Norfolk record of Gloeophyllum trabeum, but I need to dig a specimen out of the snow to check the spores for confirmation! 

Gloeophyllum sp.

TG2507 Total so far: 33