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.

Thats more like it

With a coaching session this morning in Cardiff, I got down early to visit the bay to see if either of the Ring-necked Ducks were still about. At the wetlands reserve, the only wildfowl apart from Mallards were singles of Tufted Duck and Pochard. Moving round to the icerink and I found the flock of Tufties. I counted 198, all with their heads down snoozing. No sooner had I finished counting than several more groups flew in taking the flock to over 300, plus a single Pochard. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Ring-necks.

After my coaching session I decided to head over to Goldcliffe, mainly as the hides could provide shelter from the rain. Walking into the reserve I managed to see my first Fieldfares for this winter. I've heard a few, but hadn't managed to actually see one. Fortunately the hedges round Goldcliffe were full of thrushes, includes many Fieldfare.

The first lagoon was pretty dead, a few Canada's, a couple of Shelduck and the Peregrine sat on the island. The second lagoon was a bit busier with a few Teal and Shovler, and a group of Graylags on the bank.

Entering the sea wall hide, I met Matt Meehan, who was glad to see me as he had just found 2 Bean Geese to go with a White-fronted, 4 Barnacles and a single Dark-bellied Brent. The Bean's were with the Greylags. I quickly found them, and commented that one of thems bill looked a bit pink. However, both then decided to sit down and pug their heads down before we could get any better looks. Fortunately Matt had a couple of digiscope photo's. Looking at these, it became clear that one was a juv Tundra Bean Goose and the other was an adult Pink-foot. It turns out that the Tundra Bean is a first for Gwent, with the Gwent listers soon making there way down to twitch it. 

The Tundra Bean, Pink-foot and the White-front were all year ticks, taking my year list to bang on 200. 

Those, with the Brent, the 4 Barnacles and the resident Canada's and Greylags, meant I clicked 7 species of geese in a single afternoon in Wales. 

The trap that keeps giving

With a mild night forecast, I decided to put the moth trap out, more in hope than expectation as returns have, predictably, become rather scarce. 

On first inspection this morning it didn't look too promising with the top of the trap covered in water. Fortunately from a heavy dew, rather than rain. However, opening the trap brought my second Merveille de Jour, Dichonis aprilina just inside the lid. As always a smart moth, and already made it a worthwhile catch.

In total I had 7 moths, of 7 species - my best return for a few weeks. Even better, 3 of those moths were lifers, the highlight being the migrant moth Vestal, Rhodometra sacraria, though the Streak, Chesias legatella is a scarer moth in Glamorgan. As well as being new for myself, and my home 1km square, all three are the first records for the 10km square ST09.

 

                                             Vestal Rhodometra sacrari                  

                            

                                              Brick, Agrochola circellaris (lifer 2)

                                               Streak Chesias legatella (lifer 3)

                                                and Merveille de Jour, Dichonia aprilina

This is a Yellow Browed Warbler.

 

Good morning out with Mr Bevan last Sunday the highlight being this little stunner at Dare Valley Country Park. Its a rarity like me posting on here lately. Must do better. 

Not a Yellow-browed Warbler

 As expected the returns in the moth trap are dwindling and after a nil return on last Sundays efforts, I was contemplating stopping for the Winter. However, with others  still pulling in the odd moth or two, including a few that wood be lifers, I've kept going. 

I ran the trap on Thursday (8th) and it returned 4 moths, of 4 species. This included the first Red-green Carpet, Chloroclysta siterata for the trap and for the km square, and a lifer in the form of a Flounced Chestnut, Agrochola helvola.

I ran the trap again last night and a slightly small return of three moths of 3 species. But it did contain two lifers, Red-line Quaker, Agrochola lota and Yellow-line Quaker, A. macilenta. They don't quite live up to the Yellow-browed Warb' found by Phil and Martin in Aberdare Country Park yesterday, (Top find guy's, I couldn't even find a Chiffy) but it will do for me.