Plodding through the Snowdrops

I was well aware that the pan listing would get tougher after the initial flurry during this month. Its been very quiet on the birding front this weekend, with not a single species added, despite trying very hard to dig out a Treecreeper, Mipit or even a Kestrel. I did two 3 hour sessions strolling around the patch, and here are the key finds.
  The first flowering  Snowdrops of the year !

Also found in flower was this Lesser Periwinkle

The only other plants I identified were Reed Mace and Duck Weed ( I was getting desperate on Saturday). Still, they all count.
The only creature I added was this Leopard Slug, but that's the beauty of pan listing, at least I'm finding stuff, and stuff I've never seen before. If I was purely birding, it would be a very dull and unchallenging month

Limax maximus

On the Fungi front I had forgotten the name of Coral Spot until fellow local pan-lister flagged some up on his blog ( Cheers JK ;0 )
It was one waiting in the wings so can now go on the list.
One I hadn't heard of, was the White Brain Fungus, and it was with interest I saw this had only been recorded in the county 18 times previous the Shenstone find. I am happy to add the 20th record for VC37, having spotted this tiny fungi myself in the wood shortly after the Snowdrop find.

I had walked past this many times and wandered what it was. Whilst reading my Gall book the other day I noticed an almost identical picture to one I had taken last week. It's a Crown Gall caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Crown Gall on Birch

Considering the lack of avian additions, and the weather, I was quite satisfied with 10 additions to last weeks total, especially the diversity and some new species learnt about.

Species Total 110

100 up , Celebrations cancelled

A perfect winter birdwatching day on Saturday, great light, blue skies. A 5 hour shift on the patch produced half of bugger all. Ok, not quite, as there was a Great Crested Grebe on the fishing pool, which is pretty unusual for January. Aside from that, eventually snagged a Goldcrest and a got eyes one of the few House Sparrows that populate the designated patch for the bioblitz.I can't remember the last time I birded the patch on a such a day and failed to see a single Buzzard or Green Woodpecker. Very odd.
I added Crab Apple, that I knew I had, but actually found another.Cherry Laurel too. Fungi-wise, a few more noted, ID's to be worked on.

Through the week I had processed and confirmed, a few including the Fungi Witches Butter

Utterly unbutterly

and Purple Jelly Disc

and a new plant for me, Wood Sage

Wood Sage

The sun brought out a Yellow Dung Fly, and a walk through the wood revealed an unexpected Red Campion in flower.

Red Campion..100 UP 

Sunday was dire.

So with additions from the weeks homework, I moved up to 100 species...yea !


So why the downer ? Well, I was pretty pissed off a few weeks ago to see the set aside had been given a grade 1 haircut. This was presumably because the footpath was getting a bit narrow, but the response had all the finesse of an ataxic Edward Scissorhands. I tried to consolidate myself that hither too dormant species of plant may show now the lighting had improved. However , on Saturday I noted  Edward had returned and aimed his reaper at anything pointing horizontally up to about 2 meters. So, after an excellent lepidoptera year, a substansial number of eggs will have been obliterated, including this Purple Hairstreak one I found the other week. I wish I had snipped it off and reared it now.

RIP Purple Hairstreak August 2013-Jan 2014.

Birds 52
Plants 23
Fungi 15
Mammals 3
Diptera 2
Woodlice 1
Galls 3
Coleoptera 1

Pan Listing Begins with good birding !

A great start to the Pan listing year. I have quickly confirmed the presence of a few species I knew were about, stuff like a few  fungi, lichens, some common trees and plants. Stuff that, baring something major, would still be present come New Years Day.

Wrinkled crust

The Poor weather on New Years Day proved a blessing. Braving the elements it was clear a lot of birds were pinned down. The fishing pool held Tufted Duck, Goosander, 3 Mute Swans ( actually very rarely seen on the patch) but not as rare as a grounded Merlin, which I stumbled across nearby ! ( no sign since) The adjacent fields held a good mixed flock of winter thrushes, including the first Fieldfares actually on the deck this winter.

Patch rarity

 The following day, another patch mega, I flushed a bird whilst slightly "off road" in the wood, which I watched fly away low and straight deeper into the wood. A Woodcock !
The session got even better when I spotted a very fine Red Fox going about his business
The New Years birding carried on being good. A flock of c30  Lesser Redpoll were the first of the winter, with a few Siskin mixed in for good measure. The Kingfisher gave itself up nice and early in the year too, rapidly getting me up near 50 on my birdlist. I usually average around 55 for January.
Apart from 7 spot Ladybird, I was able to add another species from the walk , the Fly, Photomyza ilicis aka Holly Leaf Minor, and the mine contained the pupae of the fly.Two species for the price of one !

Holly Leaf Mine with Pupae of the  fly Phytomyza ilicis

Back to fungi, a lot found on the 4th. This one I had read about as being fairly common on Ash, but need to revisit it

Anthonia Radiata/Lecidella elaeochroma

 Was pleased to find a new one for me, a Knopper Gall induced by a gall wasp, Andricus quercuscalicis. Looking forward to lots more varieties later in the year. I'm counting them as evidence of causative species if  organism not found.

Knopper Gall

So, a nice solid start, approaching 100 species and a few in the 'To ID' box for those dark after work evenings. It's going to get harder but looking forward to the challenge !
 For a list of all species, check the species recorded page, which I will update every week or so, and tweak as necessary if I have doubts about definitive ID's.

Birds 49
Fungi  12
Mammals 3
Flies 1
Plants 18
Woodlice 1
Beetles 1
Galls 3

A final find, and what lies ahead...

2013 has been all about Moths and Butterflies.So many new species seen in what was a good recovery year for them. The year held one final highlight. Whilst out for a walk recently, I managed to find a Purple Hairstreak egg. This was especially pleasing, not only because they are tiny and tricky to find ( especially with eyes that require increasing distance to see small things ! ) but it was at a site I have yet to see any adults, so hopefully I will have a new tree and colony to study.

I hope you have enjoyed the variety on the blog this year. The intention is to get more into Pan Listing and Bio Blitzing in 2014, with a bit of friendly rivalry from another nature botherer down the road,Shenstone Birder. Happy New Year

December Moth, Winter Moth,and a change for the blog

A forecast of a slight increase in the minimum temperatures persuaded me to roll the dice for possibly the last time this year with the moth trap.
 It's been a great full first "proper year" after the washout of 2012, and I have managed to identify 157 of the moths that have visited my Garden in 2013. My Garden list is now 167, and I think there a lot more to come given a bit of decent weather in 2014.I will also be trapping at other locations.
Anyway, I had 2 species in mind, December and Winter Moth. The former is 'the looker' of the two, and nicely marked moth, the male having great feathery antennae.
The moth gods were kind....

Larger ♀ on left, ♂ on right

♂ December Moth solo shot !

Winter Moth

Finally, a change of Blog title.
Since coming back to birding a few years ago, my interests have diversified. I will still include birding in the blog, in fact January will concentrate on the "Foot It" challenge...This is how many species of bird  can be seen within a 1 mile radius of home in the first month of the year,using leg work only. A bit of exercise and something to help get through the bleak winter months.
However, birding is just one element of what I enjoy, do, and indeed blog about... so I think it's time the title reflcted this. I will include more pan listing especially with respect to a 1 square Km I am, and will continue to survey over 2014. So hopefully lots of new creatures, flora ( and good birding ) next year !

Cheers !

November still buzzing

Still plenty of life and interest on the patch, despite reaching the penultimate month of the year ( already !)
First off, I found a Northern Wheatear on the 9th November on the paddocks, a nice late record from a brief foray.
The sun came out the following day, complete contrast, warmth and inverts aplenty. The Ivy blossom was teaming with various Diptera and Wasps, hundreds of individuals, a marvellous November sight !.

Noon Fly  ( Mesembrina meridiana)

Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis Pertinax)

Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria )

Vespula vulgaris ( probably ! )

A Peacock and a Comma Butterfly were noted.

The nettles and posts were teaming with Ladybirds, and 4 species were seen, 2 were patch lifers, Pine Ladybird and 16 Spot Ladybird. There were very big numbers of 7 Spot and Harlequins on the wing.

16 Spot Ladybird

Finally, a subject I had started to read about recently, and it was nice to get acquainted with my first galls, these two occur on the underside of Oak leaves, and house a wasp that hatches in late winter and early Spring.

Silk-Button Spangle Gall

Common Spangle Galls

Many thanks to Brett Westwood, who supplied  fine company and great information on some hitherto unfamiliar flora and fauna during our walk.

Mervtober

October, a month with the hope of passage birds, and still a few Inverts around if the weather is kind.The first and last weekends have been the most productive. Lets start with the first.
From the moth trap, some more lifers. September and  October are the months the much sought after. Merveille du Jour can be trapped. It's a lovely looking moth with a fancy name to match. It's quite a trophy species for moth botherers like me. Every morning visit to the trap brings a tingle of anticipation in case a 'Merv' is lurking. Anyway, these two fella's were a decent start..

Green-brindled Cresent ( f.capucina ) )

Angle Shades

 

Whilst a trip up to Titterstone produced no Stonechats, and only 1 Wheatear it did  produce a decent immigrant moth.

Rush Veneer



 And a caterpillar I had never come across.

Broom Moth Caterpillar

Ironically , my first ever patch Stonechat was waiting for me back home, found by local birder Terry H.

Stonechat ( Patch Lifer )

Another patch rarity this year has been Red Admiral. This one was enjoying the ivy blossom that afternoon on the patch

Only the 2nd patch Red Admiral of 2013

Also that afternoon was the first time I managed to get a record shot of a Hawker on my patch

♀ Southern Hawker

The rest of the month , locally,was pretty pants, until this weekend, except for a Rock Pipit at Grimley. I made a sojourn to Norfolk for a couple of nights, and suffice to say, I had plenty of good birds. Eider's, Velvet Scoter, all the waders and Geese you would expect, Marsh Harriers by the score...Thankfully, the moths have kept me going on the home front....Back to them...

Grey Shoulder Knot 12/10/2013

 



Juniper Carpet 12/10/2013

I've had quite a few Junipers this month, and November Moth's have been the next most common. Indeed final trapping of the month on Friday 25th, I had 3 and 2 respectively. Also, another nice lifer, Figure of Eight moth.

Figure of Eight



But the jewel in crown was settled just next to the trap as I checked it that evening, the much sought after MDJ !!!  Get In !!

Merveille du Jour    :-)