2814

The pan-species list creeps on to 2814...

Flora 1376
Mosses & Liverworts 27
Lichen 11
Fungi 30
Birds 375
Moths 708
Butterflies 50
Dragonflies 34
Mammals 32
Amphibians 5
Reptiles 4
Fish 17
Snails & Slugs 8
Marine 20
Worms 1
Leeches 1
Algae 1
Thysanura (Bristletails) 1
Orthoptera (Grasshoppers) 3
Dermaptera (Earwigs) 1
Hemiptera (Shieldbugs, hoppers) 9
Thysanoptera (Thrips, Lice) 1
Neuropterans (Lacewings) 2
Trichoptera (Caddisflies) 2
Diptera (Flies) 18
Hymenoptera (Wasps, Bees, Ants) 19
Coleoptera (Beetles) 31
Centipedes 4
Millipedes 2
Woodlice 4
Ticks, Mites, Harvestmen 4
Spiders 13

If you are still reading this then you deserve a medal. There is plenty of scope to add to the list, and no doubt my totals for moss, lichen, fungi, flies and beetles will draw howls of derision from many naturalists. Before I draw more flak from the 'Pan-species listing is pointless and why don't you get a life' brigade, I will point out that I enjoy keeping the list, it's a bit of fun and it gives me a much wider appreciation of what there is to see in our country.

So there.

Comments

Skev said…
I started looking at drawing up a pan-list thinking my 400 birds and 1040+ moths would be a good start. Soon realised my lack of botanical skills would be a hinderence and gave up. May go back to it when the nights are long and dark - I'd guestimate it's c2000. No intention of doing anything other than taking note of a wider range of stuff when out and about, rather than specifically looking for it.
5 July 2011 at 20:37
Steve Gale said…
I'd encourage you to keep a private pan list Skev, because in the winter when you are fed up with Chestnuts and Light Brown Apple Moths there are plenty of lichens, mosses and insects to be found. It also enlivens quiet birding days. I used to keep away from plants, but in 1998 (during the France World Cup), went out with a field guide and started to teach myself what was flowering locally. I've never regretted that.
5 July 2011 at 21:11
Graham James said…
I have started that long overdue list for Holmethorpe, Steve, and it isn't easy when I only have limited knowledge but the internet is a great source of info and I use the iSpot website at http://www.ispot.org.uk for things I can't ID. They are pretty good.
It does open up a whole new world. Will send you a copy of the list as it grows.
5 July 2011 at 21:34
Steve Gale said…
I'm glad that you have started the Holmethorpe pan-species list Graham, as the sand pits have a great fauna and flora. Peter Alfrey is starting to gather a similar list for Beddington. Such knowledge could be a powerful tool in understanding and protecting individual sites.
5 July 2011 at 21:52
Flora said…
Only 1 alga? You need to spend some time on the coast and get those seaweeds sorted! Seaside lichens are pretty easy (a relative term, I know, with lichens). What do you lump into your salmagundi 'marine' group?
6 July 2011 at 05:53
Steve Gale said…
Hi Mel, my marine group is a pretty arbitary grouping of seaweeds, jellyfish, crabs, anemones etc. In fact anything that doesn't fit into the other categories on my list! Seashore lichens would go into my lichens total and not the marine total. As for algae, my total of one isn't likely to move forward...
6 July 2011 at 07:48
Mark G. Telfer said…
Steve, have updated you on the rankings at:
http://markgtelfer.co.uk/listing/

While I'm here. how does Beddington compare to these two sites for a 2011 pan-species list?
http://btovrspbbirdtrackchallenge2011.blogspot.com/

Cheers, Mark
17 July 2011 at 14:20
Steve Gale said…
Interesting stuff Mark. It is quite rewarding to have helped turn a number of the rabid birders at Beddington into budding all-round naturalists. Peter Alfrey has even started a Beddington Pan-list. Just look what you started...
18 July 2011 at 22:18
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goldfinches and Lavender

Image
We have three medium-sized Lavender bushes in our back garden. Throughout the summer the flowers (which last for several months) are a magnet for insects and give off a most restful aroma. As tempting as it is to cut the dead stems in the autumn, we always leave them, as we know that during the late winter we will get visitors to feed on the seed heads... This video was taken from the kitchen window this morning. We will normally see one or two birds over a few days, but have had up to 14 at once. We never tire of watching them. Lavender is a wonderful plant to have in the garden, with year round natural history benefits. So what are you waiting for? They are readily available at a garden centre close to you right now! There is an historic association with Lavender in this part of northern Surrey and south London. Lavender fields have been harvested for many years, with one particular field close to Woodmansterne being very popular with day trippers. A significant proportion o
Read more

To tell it like it is, or not...

Image
I am grateful to Gavin Haig (Not Quite Scilly) who drew my attention to an opinion piece, penned by Matt Phelps, which appeared in the November issue of 'Birdwatch' magazine, entitled 'Positive Approach', which I have now read. In it, he suggests that there is too much negativity being posted on social media regarding the state of our birding world, which is then acting as a deterrent towards a younger generation in adopting conservation and wildlife study. He also suggests that a lot of this negativity is being generated by older birders, and that these old timers keep banging on about the 'good old days' which isn't helpful in encouraging the youth to pick up a pair of binoculars and get out into the field. Does he have a point? Now, I am undeniably an older birder, and I am also guilty of having posted, blogged, written and spoken about the slump in bird and invertebrate numbers. I also like nothing better than to revisit my notebooks and share in the hi
Read more

Time to reflect

I normally come up with the title for a post after I have written it. If I'm feeling creative it will be some sort of play on words, or if I'm not then an all-encompassing word or two will do. As for this particular post, and with a few things to discuss, I've written the title first, inspired by having just read a feature about musicians who have used the title of an album as the starting point for their creative exercise. Here goes... Firstly, blogs - yes, this very medium that I am writing in and you are reading from. - what content they derive, the reason that the content exists and what the writer should (or should not) expect from any reader that visits the blog. This was brought into sharp focus by a series of posts to be found here, at Jono Lethbridge's excellent 'Wansted Birder'.   His blogging output has recently included detailed and entertaining reports on his recent overseas trips which have received a bit of flak from certain quarters. None of us b
Read more