Catching up

With the weather miserable and an upcoming PhD viva, I've not been out much recently. But I've had the microscope out to finish ID work for some of last year's bioblitzes, as well as spending my royalties from the Naturalist's Handbook to Ladybirds on some more ID books, so I spent a few hours going through old samples.

Difficult beetles, I'm coming for you...

Having collected a load of bits and pieces from flood debris and rotten wood in January, I had a good-sized heap of specimens to check on Saturday afternoon - lots of snails, a few carabids, and various other things. Having ploughed through them, and had a quick wander round the garden looking at plants, mosses and lichens, I've added another 62 species to reach 273 for the square.  Highlights were the bright pink lichen-feeding fungus Illosporiopsis christiansenii and my second ever pseudoscorpion, Chenes cimicoides, under tree bark, as well as the snails Valvata piscinalis and Vallonia costata - less than 5mm long but only the second of either I've ever found!

Chenes cimicoides (phone pic down the microscope)

The list so far...

1	Branta canadensis
2	Buteo buteo
3	Columba palumbus
4	Corvus corone
5	Cyanistes caeruleus
6	Larus argentatus
7	Milvus milvus
8	Taxus baccata
9	Oniscus asellus
10	Porcellio scaber
11	Acer pseudoplatanus
12	Achillea millefolium
13	Aesculus hippocastanum
14	Alcea rosea
15	Arctium lappa
16	Artemisia vulgaris
17	Aubrieta deltoidea
18	Bellis perennis
19	Betula pendula
20	Buxus sempervirens
21	Capsella bursa-pastoris
22	Cardamine hirsuta
23	Carex pendula
24	Centranthus ruber
25	Cirsium arvense
26	Cirsium vulgare
27	Cornus sanguinea
28	Corylus avellana
29	Crataegus monogyna
30	Crepis capillaris
31	Cymbalaria muralis
32	Digitalis purpurea
33	Dipsacus fullonum
34	Euphorbia characias
35	Euphorbia peplus
36	Fraxinus excelsior
37	Galium aparine
38	Geranium dissectum
39	Geranium pyrenaicum
40	Geranium robertianum
41	Geum urbanum
42	Hedera helix
43	Hyacinthoides hispanica
44	Ilex aquifolium
45	Iris foetidissima
46	Iris pseudacorus
47	Juglans regia
48	Lamium album
49	Lamium purpureum
50	Laurus nobilis
51	Lavandula angustifolia
52	Lavatera arborea
53	Lonicera periclymenum
54	Parietaria judaica
55	Pentaglottis sempervirens
56	Picris echioides
57	Plantago lanceolata
58	Prunus spinosa
59	Pseudofumaria lutea
60	Quercus robur
61	Rosa canina
62	Rubus fruticosus agg.
63	Rumex obtusifolius
64	Salix alba
65	Senecio jacobaea
66	Senecio squalidus
67	Senecio vulgaris
68	Sonchus asper
69	Symphoricarpos albus
70	Taraxacum officinale agg.
71	Tilia platyphyllos x cordata = T. x europaea
72	Urtica dioica
73	Vinca major
74	Phragmidium violaceum
75	Rhytisma acerinum
76	Anthrenus (Nathrenus) verbasci
77	Coccinella septempunctata
78	Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris
79	Stigmella aurella
80	Episyrphus balteatus
81	Phytomyza ilicis
82	Nuctenea umbratica
83	Pholcus phalangioides
84	Steatoda nobilis
85	Lecanora muralis
86	Arion (Kobeltia) hortensis
87	Cepaea (Cepaea) nemoralis
88	Hygromia (Hygromia) cinctella
89	Limacus maculatus
90	Grimmia pulvinata
91	Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
92	Tephromela atra
93	Tortula muralis
94	Xanthoria parietina
95	Amaurobius similis
96	Zygiella x-notata
97	Anas platyrhynchos
98	Dicranopalpus ramosus
99	Soleirolia soleirolii
100	Lunularia cruciata
101	Tropaeolum majus
102	Erophila verna
103	Strix aluco
104	Stereum rugosum
105	Physcia tenella
106	Xanthoria calcicola
107	Verrucaria nigrescens
108	Toninia aromatica
109	Punctelia jeckeri
110	Lecanora campestris
111	Diploicia canescens
112	Cladonia pocillum
113	Caloplaca flavescens
114	Galanthus nivalis
115	Aglais urticae
116	Sciurus carolinensis
117	Trioza alacris
118	Calliphora vicina
119	Corvus monedula
120	Dacrymyces stillatus
121	Allium vineale
122	Lumbricus castaneus
123	Lumbricus terrestris
124	Allolobophora chlorotica
125	Lithobius forficatus
126	Juncus effusus
127	Lapsana communis
128	Parus major
129	Symphytum officinale
130	Dicyrtomina ornata
131	Cercospora ligustrina
132	Trifolium repens
133	Erithacus rubecula
134	Calystegia sepium
135	Ribes rubrum
136	Phyllonorycter leucographella
137	Rumex crispus
138	Cornu aspersum
139	Sambucus nigra
140	Salix babylonica
141	Foeniculum vulgare
142	Gallinula chloropus
143	Malus pumila
144	Mercurialis perennis
145	Ardea cinerea
146	Philoscia muscorum
147	Orchesella cincta
148	Cepaea (Cepaea) hortensis
149	Diaporthe samaricola
150	Phoma samararum
151	Amaurobius fenestralis
152	Streptopelia decaocto
153	Arum maculatum
154	Calloria neglecta
155	Plantago major
156	Cerodontha iraeos
157	Parornix fagivora
158	Phyllonorycter maestingella
159	Cameraria ohridella
160	Phalacrocorax carbo
161	Troglodytes troglodytes
162	Periparus ater
163	Aegithalos caudatus
164	Harmonia axyridis
165	Chrysolina polita
166	Forficula auricularia
167	Adalia bipunctata
168	Polyxenus lagurus
169	Salticus scenicus
170	Steatoda bipunctata
171	Anthriscus sylvestris
172	Heracleum sphondylium
173	Pentatoma rufipes
174	Viviparus viviparus
175	Armadillidium vulgare
176	Monacha (Monacha) cantiana
177	Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata
178	Corvus frugilegus
179	Pogonognathellus longicornis
180	Accipiter nisus
181	Androniscus dentiger
182	Tandonia budapestensis
183	Eranthis hyemalis
184	Armadillidium depressum
185	Hyphodontia sambuci
186	Ranunculus ficaria
187	Primula vulgaris
188	Dendrocopos major
189	Eisenia fetida
190	Fringilla coelebs
191	Fulica atra
192	Aythya fuligula
193	Mergus merganser
194	Alcedo atthis
195	Leptosphaeria acuta
196	Trametes versicolor
197	Discus (Gonyodiscus) rotundatus
198	Oxychilus (Oxychilus) alliarius
199	Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii
200	Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
201	Typha latifolia
202	Daedalea quercina
203	Daedaleopsis confragosa
204	Bombus (Pyrobombus) pratorum
205	Petasites hybridus
206	Acidia cognata
207	Dicyrtomina saundersi
208	Hypogastrura purpurescens
209	Isotomurus unifasciatus
210	Lepidocyrtus curvicollis
211	Tomocerus minor
212	Verbascum thapsus
213	Amauromyza verbasci
214	Brachypodium sylvaticum
215	Lissotriton helveticus
216	Nepa cinerea
217	Vitrina pellucida
218	Selimus vittatus
219	Inonotus dryadeus
220	Phlebia radiata
221	Hymenoscyphus imberbis
222	Arcyria ferruginea
223	Clitocybe nebularis
224	Sitta europaea
225	Turdus merula
226	Parthenolecanium pomeranicum
227	Calvia quattuordecimguttata
228	Buddleja davidii
229	Cygnus olor
230	Anser anser
231	Oryctolagus cuniculus
232	Ruscus aculeatus
233	Podiceps cristatus
234	Clematis vitalba
235	Xylaria hypoxylon
236	Anchomenus dorsalis
237	Penicillium italicum
238	Physcia adscendens
239	Prunella modularis
240	Larix decidua
241	Lysimachia nummularia
242	Myosotis arvensis
243	Narcissus pseudonarcissus
244	Papaver somniferum
245	Sonchus oleraceus
246	Illosporiopsis christiansenii
247	Phytomyza ranunculi
248	Segestria senoculata
249	Bruchus rufimanus
250	Agonopterix subpropinquella
251	Aegopinella nitidula
252	Deraeocoris lutescens
253	Heterogaster urticae
254	Platynus assimilis
255	Agonum (Europhilus) thoreyi
256	Balea (Balea) heydeni
257	Macrogastra (Pseudovestia) rolphii
258	Columella edentula
259	Cochlicopa lubrica
260	Bithynia (Bithynia) tentaculata
261	Oxychilus (Oxychilus) cellarius
262	Zonitoides (Zonitoides) nitidus
263	Succinea putris
264	Bathyomphalus contortus
265	Bithynia (Codiella) leachii
266	Planorbis planorbis
267	Anisus (Disculifer) vortex
268	Notiophilus biguttatus
269	Valvata (Cincinna) piscinalis
270	Vallonia costata
271	Merdigera obscura
272	Vitrea crystallina
273	Chernes cimicoides

Signs of spring

There are a few signs of spring now with more plants coming into flower and therefore making them more identifiable for a notice like me. I also decided to try find some molluscs and found a few species behind a paving slab. Hopefully next time I am back there will be even more to see.

07/02/2014
73. Sweet violet
74. Dandelion
75. Wren
76. Strawberry snail

Strawberry Snail

09/02/2014
77.Silver moss
78. Pointed spear moss
79. Brown lipped snail
80. White lipped snail
81. Margined ramshorn
82. Great pond snail
83. Field speedwell
84. Common dog violet
85. Fairy beads - Microlejeunea ulicina
86. Primrose
87. Common rough woodlouse
88. Common striped woodlouse
89. Trichocera saltator

Silver Moss

Primrose

Identifications of things seen previously this year
90. Anthocoris confusus
91. Chromatomyia primulae (A leaf miner on cowslip)

2014: the beginnings

This time last year I started properly paying attention to the wildlife in my local area, particularly in the 1km square centred roughly on my house.  Then at Easter I got a job monitoring insects in oilseed rape fields in Wiltshire that meant I barely visited the square for four months, and most of the rest of my spare time went to finishing writing up my PhD, so it ended up with a fairly small-scale effort, though I did eventually reach 4,609 records of 1,059 species (with a load more stuff in pots awaiting a spare minute!).

This year, with just one full-time job and a few side projects, I've got the chance to try it properly.  In addition, I start as one of BBC Wildlife's local patch reporters on the 10th February, so I'll be documenting everything I find over the next year.

So far,I've taken advantage of the warm January weather to wander round a few of the local paths, checking on the progress of the floods (most of the top half of the map has been underwater for much of the year so far) and poking through the flood debris.  So far, I've found and identified 221 species in my square: the full list is at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AnHCIn7ZT3T3dDZkX2xTekhja0sxRVFub2NyVURMRVE&output=html but the highlights include four pairs of goosanders and two kingfishers on the lake at bottom right, 16-spot ladybirds in the flood debris, and a water scorpion:

(cross-posted at Insect rambles and 1000 species for 1km)

Beetles, bugs and bryophyes

10/01/14

56. Rhyzobius lophanthae (In my garden - still the only known site in Buckinghamshire at the moment I think although it is probably quite common if people looked for it)

57. Red valerian

12/01/14

58. Pied wagtail

25/01/14

59. Wood mouse
60. White stonecrop
61. Red dead nettle

62. Lecanora muralis

63. Parmelia sulcata

64. Xanthoria parietina

65. Common pincushion moss - Dicranoweisia cirrata
66. Ribwort plantain

67. Syntrichia ruralis

68. Common Feather-moss - Kindbergia praelonga

White Stonecrop

Recently identified things
69. Monalocoris filicis (Found 03/01/14)
70. The true bug - Deraeocoris lutescens (Found 04/01/14)
71. Zygina angusta (Found 09/01/14)
72 Zyginidia scutellaris (Found 09/01/14)

12/1/14

Since the last post from me I have spotted quite a few more species:

1. Fallow deer
2. Wall rue
3. Wall spleen wort
4. Sanicle
5.  Peziza versiculosa(fungi)
6. Macrotyphula fistulosa(pipe club fungi)
7. Tramella aurantia(fungi)
8. Schizopora parradoxa(fungi)
9. Velvet shank(fungi)
10. Witches butter(fungi) 
11. Silver leaf fungus
12. Common orange lichen
13. Lace wing(I found it hiding in our spear bedroom)

 I'm now up to 231 which is a bit of an improvement on how many I had last post.
 

TG4523 - Horsey, East Norfolk

I moved to Horsey last October, having lived and birded in Kent for the previous 43 years - I needed a change! I've been becoming more interested in taxa other than birds and thought that this challenge would help increase my limited knowledge of most insects, plants etc.

TG4523 has a fantastic geographical position, being half a mile from the coast and sand dunes and close to many great Broadland sites including Reydon Marshes, Stubb Mill and Horsey Mere, and the Horsey area is one of the Crane capitals of the country. The square has a range of habitats, with agricultural fields, hedgerows, a few dykes, a small area of woodland, a couple of copses and a small number of houses. Access is not great to a lot of the square but should still be OK to record a large number of species.

I'm sure that birds will be excellent, particularly in passage periods, and so far this year I've already recorded 56 species including Crane, Whooper Swan, Barn Owl, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Brambling, Little Egret and the thousands of Pink-footed Geese that use or fly over the square every day in the winter.

Insects should also be good, with species such as Norfolk Hawker and Swallowtail butterfly almost certain, including in my garden. Dark Green Fritillary is also a possibility, whilst the dykes in the square might attract the occasional otter - they are regular on the Waxham Cut about 200 yards outside the square but probably wander into the square on occasion.

I've recorded 108 species at the time of writing.

Slow and steady

Slow and steady progress in SP8112. I go back to university on Monday and was hoping to find lots of species before then but that doesn't look like that is gong to happen. Here is a continuation of my list so far

03/01/13

18. Dunnock
19. Greenfinch
20. Robin
21. Redwing
22. Sycamore
23. Ivy
24. Yarrow
25. Common ragwort
26. Oxford ragwort
27. Groundsel
28. Silver birch
29. Elder
30. Petty spurge
31. Lesser duckweed
32. Ash
33. Hawthorn
34. Silverweed
35. Cleavers
36. Common Nettle
37. White Dead Nettle
38. Great Grey (Leopard) Slug
39. Garden Snail
40. Herb Bennet
41. Holly
42. Daisy
43. Horse Chestnut
44. Yew
45. The springtail - Dicyrtomina saundersi.
46. Common Water Slater
47. Hedgerow cranes bill

07/01/14

48. Common Hemp Nettle
49. Shepard's purse
50. Purple toadflax
51. 7 spotted ladybird

08/01/14

52. 14 spot ladybird 
53. Small flowered cranesbill
54. Common chickweed

09/01/14

55. Long tailed tit

Dicyrtomina saundersi

Groundsel

A continuation

Hi everyone
My name is Helen Ackerman,I'm doing this challenge partly for a school project for the next 3 months but I'm carrying on until the end of this year .i  started my list of species last November but I haven't got that many species yet so must try harder!
At the moment I'm up to 222,and I've still got a couple of fungi to look up that we found this morning.
  My square (SO51 17)is situated around our house in welsh newton common which is a little village near Monmouth.
These are a few of my first species:

1. House sparrow
2. Hazel
3. Ivey
4. Elder
5. Oak
6. Beech
7. Ash
8. Wood pigeon (a flock)
9. Black bird
10. Buzzard
11. Red wing
12. Robin
13. Bramble(I don't know which one)

These were seen from inside our living room on the 1 of November 2013.






























.

A slow start in SP8112

Hello everyone,
Firstly I had better introduce my square (SP8112), my square is located in the centre of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and is located around my house. I am in my final year of completing a degree in Biology so I will only be able to go looking for new species when I am at home at weekends and the holidays until May when I finish my degree. A couple of years ago I could barely identify birds and mammals, since then I have learnt how to identify common species of a wider variety of groups of wildlife and have started a pan species list.
I especially like recording wildlife in my local area and recorded over 400 species in my garden in 2013. I am also one of the founding members of the Garden Bioblitz which aims to inspire people to record wildlife in their gardens.
One of the main problems I see with my square is the fact that most of it is comprised of private gardens, as you can see on the map above, which I wont be able to gain access to but hopefully I will still find enough habitats to explore.

So today it was the first day of the year and what a miserable day it was. So much so that I only recorded 17 species, all from the comfort from inside the house. I will really have to try harder over the coming days!

1. Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
2. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
3. Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
4. Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
5. Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
6. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
7. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
8. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
9. Magpie (Pica pica)
10. Man (Homo sapiens)
11. Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
12. Blackbird (Turdus merula)
13. Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
14. Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
15. Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
16. Great Tit (Parus major)
17. Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Good luck to everyone participating in the challenge. You can follow my progress on twitter (@RyanClarkNature)

Ryan Clark