Uber patch update
Earlier in the year, in a moment of inspiration, I formed my north-east Surrey Uber patch. This came about one evening when, looking at an OS map, I realised that my regular natural history patches could, with a little imagination and create thinking, be linked together to form one area. With my recent return to Beddington SF, I'm delighted to say that this addition forms a natural extention north-eastwards. Result!
In moments of fancy I consider writing up an Uber patch report, collating all of my observations made in this magnificent part of Surrey (Magnificent? Surrey? In the same sentence?) To tell you the truth, I have already done just that for the birds. Each of the 201 species that I have recorded have an account commenting on status, larger counts, early and late dates for migrants and details of all records of the scarcer birds. For a land locked area the list is, I think, impressive. After 35 years of recording maybe that is to be expected. It also tells the tale of local extinctions and colonisations rather clearly.
I have started to collate the plant and lepidoptera records and I hope to have something to show by the end of 2011. Why am I doing it? For the sheer pleasure of doing so, that's why.
Comments
You define your area in your mind - we have "Greater Kent" which conveniently includes Pas de Calais and Rye Harbour .
Stewart: I will send you a copy when complete, and may even let you have a sneak PDF of the systematic list of birds.