A bit of banter on Twitter with Graeme Lyons a few weeks ago centered around 'bogey' species, and perhaps establishing a bit of a Bogey Blitz in 2014. My immediate thought was that I haven't really got any bogey species as such - there is nothing that immediately comes to mind that I have specifically tried and failed to see several times. But it did get me to thinking about species I really should have seen.
Despite a few years of avid twitching in the 90's, there are a number of birds that I really should have seen but haven't on account of never having once made the effort. I guess I always expected that I'd connect with these during a twitch or other birding trip. Similarly, most birders drift into watching butterflies and dragonflies in the summer months, but I never really did as mothing was my main alternative focus. Therefore my butterfly list, currently 40 species, is largely thanks to incidental encounters and there are some blindingly obvious gaps in my list. My odonata list is even more laughable at just 17 species, as previously I've really struggled to be bothered with looking for/at them.
So, my personal 2014 challenge will be to tackle some of these gaps ......
Metaphorically speaking, I'm going to attempt to devour this big tart by seeing the following omissions from my bird, butterfly and odonata lists:
Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Leach's Petrel
Roseate Tern
Greenish Warbler
Swallowtail
Lulworth Skipper
Silver-spotted Skipper
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small pearl-bordered Fritillary
High Brown Fritillary
Purple Emperor
Brown Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
Black Hairstreak
Beautilful Demoiselle
Variable Damselfly
Small Red Damselfly
Common Hawker
Hairy Dragonfly
Club-tailed Dragonfly
Downy Emerald
Keeled Skimmer
That's a nice round 30 species. Whilst I doubt that I'll see all 30 I'll have a good go, and I will be calling on the advice, help and company whenever possible of friends and the the various bloggers, twitterers and facebookers that I've made contacts with. Of course it would be great if other PSLers had hit-lists like this so we can share the odd tick along the way.
6 comments:
Hi Mark, Happy New Year. In your ommissions I have all the birds, 6 butterflies and 9 of the dragons.
I see you havent bothered looking at odonata very much? Try Dan Powells A Guide to the Dragonflies of Great Britain. His prose really got me hooked. He gives them a great vibe, quite aethetically pleasing rather than scientific species / taxa approach.
He describes a Black tailed Skimmer eating the face off a Common Dater that dared stray into his territory!
Brilliant!
Oh and Northumberland in August is Roseate tern heaven as well as easy Common Hawker and Black Darter :)
Cheers Stewart - HNY and a nearly belated Happy Birthday to you.
Up your way for Roseate was certainly in my thoughts, and I was hoping for an early Greenish around same time. Maybe I should bring a couple of traps up and make a proper trip of it.
Hi Skev, I learned my Odonata this summer - Hairy Dragonfly and Common Emerald Damselfly are both relatively easily found on the summer trail behind Lag 2. The circular trail around Lax Hill is also a favoured spot for WL hairstreak - I think a few were seen this year.
Cheers, Andy
Cheers Andy - will be out and about more in 2014 having spent most of 2013 in my home 1km square.
I've seen your VC55 bird hit-list - a few on there I need as well.
Aye well, if you fancy coming up, get in touch and we'll have a scout around. I'm sure Tom would be up for some trapping too....
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