The Waldridge 1000

 I've done it at last, I've seen 1,000 species in the 1km square at Waldridge fell this year.  This morning only a dozen or so moths were in the trap but amongst them a Rush Veneer, #1000. Previously a Green Sandpiper flew over and helpfully called which was 999 but I thought it would be some fungi this weekend that would take me over. It's been a hard slog but at last I'm there.


My 1000 breakdown

997, nearly there

It's been more than a couple of weeks since the last post but the list for the fell for the year is pottering on, despite mean having been poorly recently. Thanks mainly to the moth trap and now that the fungi are starting to appear I'm nearly at that magical 1000 mark [though a few of the most recent species actually go back to July but have been waiting to be identified].

Feathered Thorn & Green-brindled Crescent

Still a few butterflies about with Small Copper, Speckled Wood, both Large and Small White as well as Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell being seen the last few days.

Small Copper & Speckled Wood

It is now feeling like autumn and as well as  the autumn moths appearing in the trap, 3 Redwing flew over despite the House Martins still feeding young in their nests in the town centre.

Heath Groundsel & Corn Spurrey

The species bagged since the last posting are -

959). Zygiella x-notata (Missing-segment Spider)
960). Nomada panzeri (a cuckoo-bee)
961). Epinotia ramella  (a micro-moth)
962). Straminergon stramineum (Straw Spear-moss)
963). Eurhynchium striatum (Common Striated Feather-moss)
964). Stoat (Mustela erminea)
965). Puccinia coronata var. avenae (Oat Rust)
966). Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)
967). Boletus edulis (Cep)
968). Agaricus silvaticus (Blushing Wood Mushroom)
969). Inonotus radiatus (Alder Bracket)
970). Agaricus campestris (Field Mushroom)
971). Tricholoma album (White Knight mushroom)
972). Tricholoma ustale (Burnt Knight mushroom)
973). Leccinum scabrum (Birch Bolete)
974). Salticus scenicus(Zebra or Jumping Spider)
975). Hyperomyzus lacticae (Blackcurrant-Sowthistle Aphid)
976). Rhytisma acerinum (Tar-spot Fungi)
977). Conocybe lactea (White Dunce Cap )
978). Spergula arvensis (Corn Spurrey)
979). Odontites vernus (Red Bartsia)
980). Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed)
981). Epiblema rosaecolana (a micro moth)
982). Tipula  paludosa (a Crane-fly)
983). Helena impuncta (a fly)
984). Cloeon Dipterum (Pond Olive)
985). Catocala nupta (Red Underwing)
986). Xanthia icteritia (Sallow)
987). Colotois pennaria (Feathered Thorn)
988). Rhizedra lutosa (Large Wainscot)
989). Lithophane leautieri (Blair's Shoulder-knot)
990). Allophyes oxyacanthae (Green-brindled Crescent)
991). Agrochola lota (Red-line Quaker)
992). Limnaecia phragmitella (a micro moth)
993). Xylota segnis (a hoverfly)
994). Laccaria laccata (The Deciever)   
995). Lactarius tabidus (Birch Milkcap)
996). Neuroterus numismalis (Silk Button Gall Wasp)
997). Coprinus niveus (Snowy Inkcap)

With 3 more to go next weekend could be it.

Common Darter and the galls on an oak leaf of the Silk Button Gall Wasp  

3 more - 958 and one that got away?

The moth trap had nearly 200 moths in it but well over half were of 2 species, Large and Lesser Yellow Underwings but inside the trap was a new species for the year, Barred Chestnut. The best moth however was the first moth I saw this morning, a male Vapourer, sitting on the outside of the trap. I have seen this species flying over the trees at the fell but this was the first to grace the garden.
In addition there was a pretty little Picture-wing fly which after checking turned out to be Herina lugubri.

Quite a few Swallows and House Martins flying south today, and though I will not count it, I am quite sure I heard a Tree Pipit overhead. I only heard the call twice and could not see the bird but I
reckon that is what it was

So the three new species brings the total to 958.


Orgyia antiqua (Vapourer)
Diarsia dahlii (Barred Chestnut)
Herina lugubris (Picture-wing Fly)

Time for an update

Time for an update as I have neglected the site a bit but still trying to see as many species as I can in the 1km square in the little time I have. At the end of August I had reached 950, so only 50 more to go.

I'll try and fully list the final 50.

The moth trap overnight produced nothing new though a Havestman after some checking was found to be number 951. It relied on checked a bit of waste ground, there's surprisingly very little in the square which produced to more plants and then sweeping the vegetation for hoverflies yesterday which gave be another two.

So the  list has now reached 955 with these -

951). Opilio saxatilis (a Harvestman)
952). Persicaria lapathifolia (Pale Persicaria)
953). Epilobium ciliatum  (American Willow-herb)
954). Melanostoma mellinum (a hoverfly)
955). Sphegina clunipes (a hoverfly) .

	Actual
Birds	80
Vascular Plants	336
Mosses & Liverworts	41
Lichens	12
Fungi & Slime Moulds	13
Terrestrial Mammals	9
Butterflies	22
Moths	281
Dragonflies	9
Hoverflies	30
Other invertebrates	119
Amphibians & Reptiles	3
Aggregates & hybrids (not included)	21
TOTAL	955

Waldridge - 908 species - on the final straight

It's been a good month for the list and despite being away in Croatia for a while, I've gone past the 90% mark for my 1000 species in this Waldridge 1km square challenge

The moth trap has been most productive and even overnight last night gave me a few new for the year viz - 

Gortyna flavago (Frosted Orange)
Ypsolopha dentella  (Honeysuckle Moth)
Hydraecia micacea (Rosy Rustic)
Amphipyra tragopoginis (Mouse Moth)
Acleris emargana (a micro moth)
Mompha raschkiella (a micro moth) Honeysuckle Moth Dusky Thorn - there were 4 of this rather uncommon moth in the trap

 Having said that ,I am most pleased with the butterflies, having got everything I expected for in the square and after a fair bit of searching, I eventually added Purple Hairstreak to the 1ksq list having seen it juts outside the boundary earlier. I knew both this species and White-letter Hairstreak were lurking somewhere, but to get 22 species in my square is excellent.

Purple Hairstreak

 I'm also way past my expected bird list (by ten!) including a fly-over Yellow Wagtail yesterday which I thought I had dipped on as a bird in the spring did a U-turn meters away from the boundary. But not this one.
So it's the final straight and with me not back to work till next week and bit of effort I should not have to rely too much on bryophytes & fungi in the late autumn to get 1000 species.

This Garden Spider - Araneus diadematus in the garden is a particularly large specimen. The package all wrapped up is an unfortunate  Speckled Wood butterfly

	Actual	Expected
Birds	80	70
Vascular Plants	320	395
Mosses & Liverworts	41	50
Lichens	12	12
Fungi & Slime Moulds	13	20
Terrestrial Mammals	7	8
Butterflies	22	20
Moths	262	336
Dragonflies	9	9
Hoverflies	25	25
Other inverts	115	50
Amphibians & Reptiles	2	5
Aggregates & hybrids (not included)	21
TOTAL	908	1000

Early August update

It was quiet overnight in the moth trap, probably due to the weather, both in numbers and species with the first time in a while, no new species being seen that were new fort the year.

I haven't had much time to update the site as you can see but I have been getting onto the fell sometimes as fell as in the garden.
Amongst the more interesting of the moths since the last posting include Variegated Golden Tortrix, Svensson's Copper Underwing, Common Lutestring, Rosy Minor, Suspected, Rhyacionia pinicolana (a relative of the Pine Bud moth), Large Twin-spot Carpet and Olive. The latter two, were new for the garden and in fact the Olive was completely new for me.

Variegated Golden Tortrix

Rhyacionia pinicolana

Little Snipefly (Chrysopilus asiliformis)

Field Grasshopper

Common Green Grasshopper

Butterflies have been very showy and in decent to very good numbers. I have done the Big Butterfly count a couple of times at different spots, the other day I have 49 butterflies of 9 species in 15 minutes in the horse pasture above South Burn Woods. I had another good butterfly following on from the White-letter Hairstreak last month on the edge of Fell-edge Wood, in the way of it's cousin, the Purple Hairstreak. However I was a (very) little disappointed when I found out I count not add it to by list of species I have seen this year in the 1km square on the fell - NZ2549, as it was about 20, metres outside!

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Small Skipper

Again I was nearly trampled on by a Roe Deer when I flushed one from some willow scrub in Wanister Bog. I was upwind from it some it must not have known I was there until I made a noise then for some reason ran towards me, turning away at the very last moment.
The birdlist is 76 for the year, better than I thought but I'll be lucky to add a couple more by the year's end.

My list for the square this year (1000for1ksq) is now 855, hopefully I can get to the planned 1000 with some effort.


The breakdown is

	Actual
Birds	76
Vascular Plants	305
Mosses & Liverworts	41
Lichens	12
Fungi & Slime Moulds	13
Terrestrial Mammals	7
Butterflies	20
Moths	239
Dragonflies	5
Hoverflies	24
Other inverts	111
Amphibians & Reptiles	2
Aggregates & hybrids (not included)	21
TOTAL	855

 

White-letter Hairstreak

The moth trap was relatively quiet with only 2 being new for the year, though both Early and Purple Thorn and a nicely marked July Highflyer being amongst 46 species present. The two new one were Single-dotted Wave and Elachista atricomella .

Elachista atricomella

Single-dotted Wave 

July Highflyer

Purple Thorn 

Later a walk around the fell was more productive as quite out of the blue whilst checking the flat tops of a patch of Tansy for overflies I noticed a White-letter Hairstreak. Apart from seeing some larvae in the adjacent 1k square many years ago by the mine pond off Waldridge Road, this was a first for me (at least) for Waldridge. I was standing on Waldridge Lane at the time and just managed to get my camera out before a car went passed that made both myself and the hairstreak move. I managed to get a single shot off before it flew off. I did manage to get one quick photo.

White-letter Hairstreak

A Chiffchaff  and a Willow Tit were very vocal nearby, with a Tree Sparrow singing, if you can call it that, further up the lane. Three Curlew flew over calling too.

Tree Sparrow

Together with a few more plants and hoverflies seen, my number of species I have seen this year in the 1ksq at Waldridge is now 820, Only 180 o go for the 1000for1ksq challenge.