Diary 13-19th March

13th March
Added Buff-tailed Bumblebee, from photos of one of the many that were going back and forth betwen the ground and the Willow catkins - the highest ones they could get to, just to make life difficult.

14th March
A quick roundup of obvious and easy trees that I already knew were there but held off recording. Since I found an online guide to bud/twig ID it was a good opportunity. I'll re-record them when the leaves come but I still only get one species for the effort! Part of the reasoning also was that given the time of year I will be faced with lots of new stuff that I am not so comfortable with and it's better to get the easy ones out of the way.

17th March
A couple of species of plant added, Spear Thistle, Cirsium vulgare, and Curled Dock, Rumex crispus. Also found some pond skaters on flat water beside a spill pipe near the hides (other side of the path). Unidentified as yet, but there are only a few species in Britain and only 6 known from VC85. (they were Water criskets! Velia sp.)

18th March
Picked up a couple of pond skaters this morning. Also identified a rust on Rumex acetosa as Puccinia phragmitis thanks to assistance via the PSL facebook page (in particular link). First Little Grebe record of the year was a little chap sounding off near to the hide this morning in the rain. Unfortunately I had left my camera in the car due to said rain. At lunchtime a Water Rail sharming from the filter beds and some Hawthorn leaves were emerging so I stuck that on the list as well. Totals so far:

	2014	2014	Target	% of
	Target	Actual	left	target
Birds	90	60	30	66
Vert other	5	1	4	20
Lepidopt	75	1	74	1
Invert other	50	7	43	14
Vascular	200	44	157	22
Bryophytes	50	80	-30	160
Fungi	50	15	35	30
Lichens	5	3	2	60
	525	211	314	39

19th March
A few species added at the conclusion of this week, and 250 should be not far out of sight by the end of March hopefully. Two species added this week based on the discovery of the guide to rusts on plants, and a continuing flourish of green spring appearances. Germander Speedwell is in flower though, and the leaves are everywhere but not identified until now.

208	Tachybaptus ruficollis	Little Grebe	18/03/2014
209	Puccinia phragmitis	n/a - a rust on Rumex acetosa	18/03/2014
210	Rallus aquaticus	Water Rail	18/03/2014
211	Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	18/03/2014
212	Caltha palustris	Marsh-marigold	18/03/2014
213	Luzula sylvatica	Great Wood-rush	19/03/2014
214	Veronica chamaedrys	Germander Speedwell	19/03/2014
215	Phragmidium bulbosum	fungus on Rubus spp.	19/03/2014