2021 Focus

Well, time flies when you're incapacitated. It's just a day off five weeks since I had surgery. I'm feeling stronger each week, though I've got a fair way to go and will have to endure some more chemo (probably in the New Year, which I will not find out the details for until mid-December). I can just about sit at the PC for long enough now to do useful stuff to pass some time. In particular I've been pulling through records from Naturespot and iRecord, plus additional records from my own notes/photos/Blog, and updating my personal Mapmate database. I'm also well underway with catching up on transcribing my garden moth records from my digital dictaphone.

Over the last week or so, I have been able to gradually walk a bit further and have starting ambling down the lane with my bins. Getting fresh air and watching a few common birds has been a tonic, with Jay, Sparrowhawk, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Yellowhammer, Fieldfare, Redwing and Great Spotted Woodpecker all adding interest. I've also noticed a number of regular wild plants that are in flower, or only just gone over - perhaps a sign that the November weather overall was not particularly arduous.

Whilst shuffling along minding my own business, I started mulling over what may be possible in 2021. I probably won't be driving much before January, and currently have no idea what the chemo treatment plan will look like and what the impact will be. But I am sure that I will have recovered sufficiently from the surgery itself, and dealing with life-changing adjustments has so far the least troublesome aspect of recovery. I am sure that I should be able to do something at least locally, and aside from general aims (like staying alive, avoiding novel viral infections and still managing to metaphorically put food on the table), I feel that I need to start setting some targets and personal challenges. Like all naturalist bloggers seem to do in December!

My mind wandered back to the inaugural 1000 species in 1k square challenge. I was surprised when I looked back that it was in 2013 - though it does feel like a long while ago now. I managed to build a pretty good total for the year (1139 species), but looking back the garden moth trap enjoyed a particularly good year which helped. Here's a reminder of the species breakdowns:

I started thinking along the lines that I must (or at least should) be better equipped now than I was then: more literature, even more web resources, more on-line groups and - above all that - more experience and hopefully I've learnt a bit. I also remembered that, at the time, it seemed to be pretty much all consuming and that I was adamant I wouldn't be trying again. But .....

I think there is a manageable but still challenging half-way on this. Back in 2013, my botanical skills were even poorer than they are now. I was also only just getting started with some insect groups. So perhaps in 2021, targeting the same square, I could try and beat my 2013 totals for plants (vascular + liverworts & mosses), coleoptera, diptera, hemiptera and hymenoptera. It would mean getting back out into local areas on foot regularly, bashing and sweeping whilst making a note of what I'm bashing and sweeping. It would also perhaps be a measure of whether I really have have improved my field and ID skills over the eight years. Or it might just be a measure of how much weather patterns and habitat change over time affect what is there to be found! I would no doubt see other stuff, but I would not be trying to beat my 2013 total. I will mull over this a bit more before finally making a pledge to myself as to whether to go for it.

Over the next couple of weeks as I finalise my 2020 records, I will re-assess where I am with some of the 2020 personal targets I set and, no doubt, out of that will come a few more challenges. 

Sunset down the lane - 26/11/2020

I've been listening to some varied stuff lately, including some old prog stuff and some late 70s punk/new wave. But my general favouritism for all things electronica means that decent new releases from Inner City, Faithless, Sub Focus and a couple of tracks from Pendulum have been repeatedly played.

Square Fungi

Managed a quick foray into my home 1k square on Sunday morning, mainly looking for fungi. I headed straight down to a scrubby track at the back of fields where I knew there was a decent pile of felled tree trunks and branches, and sure enough I scored with some nice additions to the square list.

Small Stagshorn

Brown Cup

Common Eyelash

Candlesnuff

Also a few that I've already recorded this year, like Jelly Ear, Cramp Balls, Velvet Shank and these:

Crystal Brain

Shaggy Parasol

Another new hover

Seems just lately that very hoverfly I pot up to scrutinise is a new one for me - buying Stubbs at the Birdfair last year is really paying off!

Dasysyrphus venustus

Meanwhile, the burgeoning hawthorn hedgerow means lots of new larval life

- though not sure which tortrix this will turn out to be ....

Various Bits from 10/05/2013

Here's a few shots of various bits I swept, netted or beat out yesterday late afternoon from around my square:

Triplax aenea

Neocoenorrhinus aequatus

Cheilosia albitarsis

Spear Thistle Lacebug

Large Red Damselfly

Xysticus cristatus

Wireworm Click Beetle

Common Leaf Weevil

Spotted Cranefly

Empis trigramma

Bibio lanigerus

Nettle Weevil

Diverse

Just lately the weather has been glorious, sunny and warm in the day - and pretty damn chilly overnight. Garden mothing has therefore been pants with only one new species for the year over the last three nights, a Purple Thorn last night.

03/05/2013
Total catch 3 of 2sp.
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  1
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

04/05/2013
Total catch 10 of 5sp.
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  2
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  4
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

05/05/2013
Total catch 10 of 8sp.
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1
1919  Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)  1 (NFY)
1927  Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  3
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  1

The only other moth I've seen in the garden was a Wormwood Pug flying in the late afternoon on 3rd.

Normally I'd be a bit deflated by this rubbish state of affairs, and even more disgruntled at not having had a chance to head over to either Melton Mowbray to tick a tame bread-eating Ring-billed Gull or to Thornton Res to gawp at a Grey-headed Wagtail. In truth the lack of birding has not been entirely down to lack of opportunity, as when I have had a bit of time I've been concentrating on my 1000 in 1kmsq challenge - and that I have to say is going pretty well.

A reminder that my overall list is posted here, and have a look at the main challenge blog for some recent photos and highlights.

Scarce Fungus Weevil - found one on 01/05/2013, and another four yesterday including this one sat on top of a Cramp Ball that it probably emerged from.

Eudasyphora cyanella

14-Spot Ladybirds making more 14-Spot Ladybirds

A few more bits

Before I post some photos from today, this news about the Orkney Walrus is exciting. Of course, Walrus has featured on this blog before. I'm sure there will be a lot of listers heading up to tick this bloated goofy blubber sack (the Walrus, not Dickson-Wright), which is preferable to the action of the finder who threw a stone at it to see if it was alive!

Had a bit of time in the garden after U12s football this morning, and a couple of hours in the square this afternoon. All very relaxing. Found some more new lichens, a couple of fungi and added some more inverts to the 1000 in 1kmsq list.

Eristalis tenax

Liocoris tripustulatus

Empoasca vitis

Agonopterix arenella

Scotohaeus blackwalli

Narycia duplicella

Phaonia tuguriorum - a slightly better photo than yesterday

Liking Lichens

My work/family/pursuits balance has taken a complete pasting over the last week and a half thanks to a major work issue. Not good. Working too many hours, not spending any decent time at home, and barely getting any fresh air let alone time in the field. Things have been a little more settled since yesterday - just in time for me to feel like complete crap with man-flu. Today I just had to get out before my head exploded. I left work just after lunch-time and managed to have a relaxing walk around the home square in the late afternoon pointing the camera at a few bits and just enjoying a bit of peace. Here's a load of lichens from various trees, twigs and branches.

A Pair of Ticks

I've managed to sneak in two PSL ticks into my 1000 in 1kmsq challenge so far - both acquired whilst rooting about haphazardly in the garden. First up was this nice new woodlouse found on Sunday during a between-coats break whilst decorating ....

Rosy Woodlouse

I'd like to find another to try and get a better shot - this one was constantly on the move and trying to get back under stones. The other tick came whilst searching around the garden moth trap last night with a torch. No moths in or around the trap one of two harvestman noted was this .....

Odiellus spinosus

Currently on 59 species without really having made a concerted effort away from the garden, and most of the list at the moment comprises birds seen whilst out on Foot It walks. No vascular plants listed as yet - I'll have a dedicated effort on those sometime soon.

I've created a page up at the top where I'll periodically update the list.

A Morning Walk

Once again, up early enough to get out early to slog around my local environ in wellies. Before I set out though I quickly checked through the 80W/20W Actinic/CFL combo trap that I'd out in the garden overnight. Nothing actually in the trap, but I did find my first identifiable adult moth of the year on the adjacent fence (having noted a few moths fluttering in the car headlights last night as well). Probably the drabbest looking geometrid you could imagine, but very pleased to see this one nonetheless ...

Early Moth

When I did get going, it was just starting to get light. It was mild but pretty cloudy and dull - highly unlikely to make for any good photos. I had a really good morning seeing some excellent local birds (all good for the square challenge and also a few for Foot It). As I ambled down Springwell Lane, a Green Woodpecker was yaffling away and one of the regular Little Owls was obligingly sitting out in the open. I carried on down the lane and headed over to 'Countesthorpe Meadow' - or at least that's what I'm calling it. A small series of damp meadows with Whetstone brook running through it. The northern half of this is within my square, and so were Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher and best of all a couple of Treecreepers. I then got a message that there was a decent flock of Waxwings over in Cosby so I started walking west. Cosby is still within my Foot It area but well outside of my 1k square unfortunately.

When I got there, 35+ Waxwings were still knocking about - making tentative feeding forays down to a single berry-laden tree. Not entirely sure what the tree was, but looks very similar to what the Enderby birds were feeding on late in the 2010 influx. I think it may be Himalayan Tree-cotoneaster, but with so many berries on it still it's obviously not favoured by anything until there is no choice.

The Waxwings were not quite as obliging as they can sometimes be, mainly due to an ageing Staff Terrier barking its head off from one of the houses around the green. The same mental dog had earlier barked agressively at me when it arrived home with its owner - thought it was going to come for me so I was fully prepared to shut it up with my right welly. So with wary Waxwings, crappy light, a demented twat of a dog and to be honest little time and patience, I got no good photos. So here's a rubbish one and some arty efforts which hide my lack of photographic prowess.

By now I'd walked a good way and needed to head home to get stuck into some decorating .....

By the time I arrived home, I'd walked another 9km and been out for 2.75hrs. Aside from the above mentioned birds that were all Foot It ticks, I also picked up Wren, Black-headed Gull, Redwing and Mistle Thrush for my 1k square. Just as I got to the door I also noted a large harvestman on the wall - Opilio canestrinii.

A Challenging Start

Yesterday morning, bright and early, I set out from home on foot to start my 2013 challenges. After all the recent shite weather, it was really nice to set out into clear, still skies with the sun rising, and not too nippy either with the merest hint of a ground frost. I was also stone-cold sober - a feat in itself for 1st January - due to having been on Dad's Taxi service for Isabelle.

I'd planned to head straight through the village and on to Jubilee Park, but on the way I took a slight diversion through a local park in Whetstone and eventually found my way through fields and across the railway line following a path that I didn't know existed. All being well, if you click the links under the following photos you see where it was taken on the map.

Sun rising and moon still high in the sky - Warwick Road park

Stop, Look, Listen, ignore the pants graffitti - railway crossing

I thoroughly enjoyed the early morning birding - nothing scarce or unexpected but good to see the common finches, tits and all five expected thrushes. I carried on walking to Jubilee Park where the Soar was still very high but the floodwaters had receded a little. Plenty of Wigeon around the pool, masses of gulls including a menacing Great Black-backed, big flyover flock of Lapwing and a nice male Shoveler on the pool to boot.

River Soar

Looking toward Jubilee Park

By the time I left Jubilee Park, I was on 34 species for my Foot It list, and 28 for my Patch Challenge list (some overlap north of the railway line, but my home estate is not in the patch area). I decided to keep going and headed to Narborough Bog in the hope of picking up Woodcock. Turned out to be a bad idea on the whole - despite the nice conditions on the day, the wet woodland at the Bog was very boggy indeed. Trying to walk through all of that was energy sapping to say the least and I was flagging a bit.

Turns out that wellies are great for bog trotting, but completely rubbish for a lengthy yomp from home.

Who ate all the mince pies - it would help if I wasn't so lardy

(some may recall an abandoned attempt to shift some lard last year).

By the time I'd hiked back home, I'd done a 13 and a bit kilometer circuit and walked/birded for 3.5 hours and was on 41 for Foot It, 35 for the patch - if the links work you can see my respective Bubo lists. I was in need of some hot tea and a light brunch.

I pottered about for a bit, headed into the loft to get the boxes down for the Christmas decos, and had a mooch about in the garden with my 1000 in 1kmsq challenge in mind.

After a tip off from Neil Hagley, I was out again in the afternoon for another hike to the Guthlaxton Trail where the flooded marsh that I noted last year was still looking good and was holding Snipe and Teal - two good birds for the lists. Also Goosander on the canal, plus Grey Heron and (oddly) Mallard that I'd missed earlier taking me to 46 Foot It, 40 Patch.

That really was it for the day - aside from getting some records onto BirdTrack and MapMate.

Today was back to work, so no hiking around in wellies (thankfully), though I did nip out to the balancing pool at Grove Park at lunch - a good move as Pochard, Gadwall and Little Grebe were good patch additions, along with Coot an Greylag Goose.

Back home after work, I ponced around in the garden for a few minutes with a torch and camera.

I'm hoping to get down the lane sometime this weekend - which will be good for the Foot It list and really kick-start my 1kmsq list.