Return to blogging

It's been a long time since any post on the blog - the last from Mike a worthy call to arms. This will be a short post to highlight a recent find with very few records in the UK.

Last weekend I was down Pembrokeshire. First stop was Barafundle Bay. Walking down the steps to the bay I noticed several galls on the leaves of Greater Knapweed, Centaurea scabiosa. On opening one, a small orange grub was in residence, looking very much like a fly larva. 

On getting home I checked with the excellent Bladmineerders website (https://bladmineerders.nl/) and this led me to Loewiola centaureae, a species of Cecidomyiidae fly with only 4 records listed against it on the Aderyn website and only 8 in the UK.

Into new territory

After doing bits and pieces around the house on Saturday morning, I headed out looking to add to my PSL challenge, this time tackling the monad immediately east of my home monad, looking to add mainly fungi, bryophytes and lichens to the squares list, keeping an eye out for any avian year ticks - in particular the very invisible Fieldfares.

I was quite successful in adding over 50 species to the monad's list. Amongst these were a couple of lifers.

First lifer was the micro fungi, Phragmocephala atra. This is a micro fungi of dead Nettle stems, found when checking the Nettels for the much commoner Leptosphaeria acuta. Mark had posted about P. atra on Facebook a couple of years ago, but I couldn't find any at that time. They look like short, dark, stiff hairs erupting from the stem, but when they are fresh they have a "pompom" head, which makes them quite distinctive.

The larger, mammary shaped fungi are L. acuta, with the fine "hairs" P. atra. A couple with "pompom" heads can just be seen. one is to the right of the top most L.acuta.

The second lifer was also a new family for me. Bristletails, Machilidae. Thanks to a recent post on Facebook by Christian Sparrow Owens, providing a photo reference for bristletails, when I spotted one, I felt that I might be able to identify to species level, so grabbed a few pics. A quick perusal of the reference photo's were enough to convince me that I had Dilta chateri. I did, however, post it up on Facebook and Christian agreed the id.

 The key features to look for are the relatively short antennae and the solid dark band across the rear of the "hump". At this time of year this band is paler than during summer months.

This species appears to be restricted to Wales. In fact the NBN atlas has only 14 records for this species and all within south Wales.
 

Who's eating who?

Yesterday was a day focusing mainly on PSLing, looking to get the species lists up in a couple of 1km squares centred on Mynydd Goetre-Coed. I wasn't able t add any birds to the frankly pathetic year total of 51, but did find myself some new bryophites - the moss, Bicolored Bryum, Bryum dicotomun and the Liverwort, Thick-set Earwort, Scapania compacta. 

I also managed to find my first spider for the year whilst looking under stones, as well as Yellow Meadow Ants. I also found my first caterpillar for the year - looks to be the caterpillar of Dingy Footman.

Whilst wandering over the top of the ridge, I noticed a couple of pellets, about 40mm long, mainly,with largish bones protruding. In one of the pellets, very near the surface was a claw. Quite large at over 10mm long. Any suggestions as to prey, or preditor?

Today is back to birding, with a visit to Nelson Bog and Parc Penallta - both an easy walk from the house, so complying with the current Covid restrictions. 

The first year tick came within minutes of arrival at Nelson Bog as a Green Woodpecker flew over. Making my way to view over the back bog I flushed a Snipe, the second year tick of the day, from a ditch. As expected the back bog held a few Teal and, eventually, a Reed Bunting. At this point I thought I heard Willow Tit, but could only find a couple of Blue Tits. Given both Blue and Great Tits can make calls similar to Willow, I assumed it was the Blue Tits as that was all I could locate. Moving on I passed the main feeding point, lots of Coal, Blue and Great Tits, but no Willow coming for seed. It's been almost 2 years since I recorded a Willow Tit at this site, and the more visits without a sighting the more likely this species has vanished from what was one of it's local strongholds. Further on, however, another Willow Tit call - this time I was certain it was and I quickly located the bird. It showed well for a couple of minutes before flying off. Great to see that at least one is still around, but worrying that it was only one bird.

On to Parc Penallta, where a second Snipe was flushed, before two Water Rail were seen dashing for cover and later a Woodcock was flushed. Making my way up to the pagoda I could hear a flock of finches feeding. Next thing, a flock of around 40 Lesser Redpoll flew past. Further on a second flock of over 60 birds, this time mainly Siskin was found, though there were a couple of Redpoll in the flock. The Lesser Redpoll taking the year list up to 59.

A slow start

Well as expected the birding has gotten off to a slow start. Rather than the 1st January out with the boys picking up75+ species, it was a wander around the local area, with just 30 species logged. Highlights(?) were a couple of fly-by Stock Doves, a fly-over Goosander and a small flock of Siskin. 

Today's shorter wander was up round Parc Taf Bargoed and the settling beds. This added a further 15 species to the year list. 6 Red Kites was a record site count for me, but these were outshone by a Sibe Chiffy feeding at the lake side. Although it never called during the 20 mins or so I followed it, it was generally browner than a normal chiffy, lacking any green tones to the upperparts plumage. The cold pale grey underparts lacked any yellowish hues. The Super' was quite lengthy. The best of my photo attemps is below.

Whilst the birding might have been slow, I've managed 4 lifers across other taxa. Yesterday was 2 fungi - a single largish mushroom proved to be the Goblet, Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformes. This was follow by a tiny mushroom, Cinnamon Navel, Omphalina pyxidata.

                                              Goblet

                                               Cinnamon Navel

 Todays wander round Parc Taf Bagoed produced a further two lifers and just go to show that no matter how many times you visit a site, there is always something new to uncover. First up was the fern, Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris. Whilst photographing this I noted a slug not far away. This turns out to be (tentively) a Rusty False-keeled Slug, Arion fasciatus.

Review of the year (part 3) - the pick of the bunch

 Whilst the birding has been pretty poor this year, my PSL listing has continued apace with my adding some 570 species to my life list - I started the year on 3011 species and I'm currently on 3582, and not expecting to add anything between today (29th) and the start of the New Year.

So what have been the highlights? 

Moths

Making my first forays into moth trapping has been great, and brought quite a few new species - I also seemed to add quite a few new moths away from the trap, sometimes as caterpillars, but sometimes as adults.My top additions this year are all species I've wanted to see for some time and I managed to get at least one in the trap this year.

Top billing has to go to Merveille du Jour, with the runner up spots to Vestal and Chinese Character.

                                             Merveille du Jour, Dichonia aprilina

                                                 Vestal, Rhodometra sacraria

                                                   Chinese Character,  Cilix glaucata

 Beetles

Without doubt my top addition was the Blue Ground Beetle, Carabus, intricatus from Melincwrt, That was, however, a bit of a twitch. My best find was the colourful, and reasonably large, rove beetle Platydracus stercorarius.

                                                Platydracus stercorarius

 

Bugs

Again an easy choice, Spiked Shieldbug, Picromerus bidens has evaded me until this year, so it was nice to come across 2 over the year.

                                              Spiked Shieldbug, Picromerus bidens

 
Remaining insect orders

Two standout finds this year. One I'll leave to the end of this post, the other was part of the bye-catch from the moth trap - a Giant Lacewing, Osmylus fulvicephalus. 

                                              Giant Lacewing Osmylus fulvicephalus

Other animals

The standout addition was a slug - the Lemon Slug, Malacolimax tenellus. I know, a slug - something many people think are disgusting and most don't give a second glance to, except to try to kill. But this is quite attractive and unlike most slugs when you handle them this doesn't curl up and do nothing - rather this acts more like a snake or slow worm, in quickly trying to get away. This individual was about eye level on a conifer trunk in the middle of a gloomy patch of dense forestry and just stood out.

                                             Lemon Slug, Malacolimax tenellus

 

Plants 

The highlight plant was a twitch, on the back of twitching the Forester Moth (that didn't even make my top three new moths this year) - the Narrow-lipped Helleborine, Epipactis leptochila. My only new orchid of the year.

Of my own finds, my highlight was Heath Groundsel, Senecio sylvaticus found whilst undertaking my BBS.

                                                  Heath Groundsel, Senecio sylvaticus

Fungi

This was close to being my best find of the year, Whilst surveying for Willow Tit, I cam across a mass of Hoof Fungi, Fomes fomentarius. Whilst in itself it's not that spectacular, it was the shear number of fruiting bodies - well into 3 figures - that made this a spectacular find for a species with very few Welsh records.

                                                 Hoof Fungi, Fomes fomentarius

As stated above, the Hoof Fungi was close to the top addition to my life list this year. So what beat it. For that we have to go back to virtually the start of 2020 and the Snow Flea, Boreus hyemalis, found some 800m from home. Just wish I managed to get better photo's of it.

                                               Snow Flea, Boreus hyemalis

 

Review of the Year (part 2)

 At the start of the year I set myself a Pan Species Listing (PSL) challenge to increase the number of species recorded in my home 1Km square (ST0996) to over 1000 species. Foolishly, I also decided to expand that to all those 1km squares that border my home 1Km square. While I may have foolishly expanded the challenge, I also set out to get all 9 squares up to 1000+ species over a 2 - 3 year period rather than try to do it in one calendar year.

So how have I gotten on? Well the home square started with 756 species logged. A few days ago, I called up the current list from Aderyn and it now stands at 1067 species. A quick check through it shows some species I have recorded have not yet worked through, such as Yellow-line and Red-line Quakers, Twenty-plume Moth. So success for ST0996. What about the others?

I have increased all, but some not by much The list is

ST0895  was 270, is now 360

ST0886 - 509 to 570

ST0887 - 87 to 218

ST0995 - 452 to 647

ST0997 - 152 to 279

ST1095 - 172 to 303

ST1096 - 245 to 253

ST1097 - 270 to 453 

So a lot of work still to be done, but I think that i'll definitely have them a lot closer to the 1000 species mark come the end of 2021. 

Review of the year (part 1)

I don't think anyone needs reminding of what a strange year this has been as a result of the ongoing Covid pandemic, with only a faint glimmer of light at the end of a distant tunnel showing, it looks like restrictions are going to be in place for a while yet. The restrictions have curtailed travel resulting in a bird list that only just scrapped over two hundred, 201 to be exact, plus a probable Ring-billed Gull from last weekend, and 3 non counters (all wildfowl).

That said, there have been some highlights. The 3, possibly 4, Ring Ouzel from a local common in April stood out. It's the third year, in the previous 4 that I've recorded Ring Ouzel at this site. A couple of years ago a male held territory for about a week, with a female also present. His territory was centered around a small disused quarry. Unfortunately the quarry is a favoured training site for climbers, so disturbance is high if the weather is nice. With the potential to breed at the site, I'm keeping the exact locality quiet. 

Coed Cefn Ffoerest held no fewer than 5 Spotted Flycatchers in early May, my highest number for many years, that included 3 singing males. At least 4 were still in the wood at the end of the month, but I couldn't find any later in the breeding season.

The other spring highlight was a brief Sedge Warbler at the edge of local woodland at the edge of Treharris.

The biggest disappointment was not connecting with the Great White Egret at Parc Taf Bargoed. It spent at least 40 minutes there early one morning, only for news to be put out after it had flown off. Given the growing frequency of both this and Little Egret, its only a matter of time before I can add either to my list for the site.

The autumn highlight was undoubtedly the flock of 11 Common Sandpipers at Parc Taf Bargoed in early August. A single, Black-headed Gull in late September, provided my only site tick of the year for the park.