January roundup

So January comes to a close - at least I have made my last January visit this morning. I had set my sights on recording at least 100 spp in January on the way to a target of 500 for the year, and it turned out to be significantly easier than anticipated.

This was helped in no small part by the Southwest and Central Scotland recording group of Bryologists who took my meagre collection of 30-ish for the year and pumped it up significantly. There are still species which were found on that day that I didn't see, but a whole heap that I did. I will have to disentangle the iRecord records somewhat to disavow some of those spp which I didn't personally connect with - although I still have a chance for them through the year since I know that they're out there.

Remarkably I only connected with one non-avian vertebrate - Brown Hare, which I bumped into twice. They like the eastern leg of the reserve where they have some shelter next to open fields. On the bird front I made a decent start of 48 species. None of them was particularly exceptional, although Gadwall isn't always straightforward.

Also a decent start was made to fungi, a group previously not really recorded no the reserve. Some species found remain unidentified, beyond genus certainly, but I am hopeful that the target of 50 species is still a cautious one. The bryophyte target of 50 is of course, already smashed. So I'm declaring January the month of the bryophyte

Bryum dichotomum - Bicoloured Bryum

Scapania undulata, also from the 26th

After sharing my list my omission of Radula complanata and Sanionia uncinata have been corrected, and we're getting close to a compete list (which hasn't been finalised yet). Also missed were Bryum gemmiferum and pseudotriquetrum. At least one more species is in the lab awaiting analysis.

Thanks to SB, for whom here's the Scapania...

Scapania undulata, Water Earwort

26-01-2014

Diary Jan 29th-Feb 4th

Jan 29th
Bulrush and a gall wasp added to the list

Jan 30th
After a review of notes and collecting boxes, the following species were added to the list from the Bryo meet of the 26th

156    Pseudocrossidium revolutum, Revolute Beard-moss
157    Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Elegant Silk-moss
158    Rhynchostegium confertum, Clustered Feather-moss
159    Archidium alternifolium, Clay Earth-moss
160    Aulacomnium palustre, Bog Groove-moss

Also added from 26th
161    Ascocoryne sarcoides, Purple Jellydisc

A few more mosses into the mix

Still processing my box of goodies from the 26th, from which there are a few additions today.

First out of the box is Aulacomnium palustre, a tall skinny moss with longish pale green leaves and a whole lot of tomentum on the stem - hand lens not required!

Aulacomnium palustre, Bog Bead-moss

BBS Field Guide page

Diary 22nd-28th Jan, 2014

22nd Jan
Added Wild Strawberry to year list this morning - in two locations at least, both around the filter beds and in the more open end of the "orchid field".

In addition, added both Hazel and Yarrow last night from photos/samples taken in the field.

113    Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
114    Corylus avellana, Hazel
115    Fragaria vesca, Wild Strawberry

23rd Jan
Lunchtime visit picked up a nice couple of additions for the year

116    Corvus corax, Raven
117    Gallinago gallinago, Common Snipe

24th Jan
Creeping Cinquefoil and Creeping Buttercup added

26th Jan
Bryophyte survey with Central Scotland recording team, recording over 70 species of Bryophyte, not all of which I have recorded yet, having reconstructed the list from memory. The day started out so wet and cold that I didn't bring a camera! Took the year list up to 152, not counting those I may have seen and not remembered.

See story Bryophyte Bonanza

27th Jan
Photographed a couple of species turned up yesterday - Snowdrop and Canadian Pondweed. No new records added.

28th Jan
Finished the fourth week on 153 species with the addition of Atrichum undulatum from the field collection box

Catherine's moss added to year list

A species I missed off the list from Sunday, but which I shall now add. One of those moments when you hope nobody was looking as it was originally mis-identified ... this is of course Atrichum undulatum, or Catherine's Moss. The leaves are not only toothed, but doubly so. On a naming note this is a rare occurrence of a moss with two English names, as it's also called Common Smoothcap (a-trichum = hairless).

Aulacomnium androgynum

Cute little guy with gemmae on a stick. Retrieved from the woodland - compartment 6

Aulacomnium androgynum