Top ten natural history highlights of 2012

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Tuesday, 1 January 2013 13:01

I may be doing less natural history than usual but I still had an amazing year in 2012 so I thought it only fair to pull together some of the highlights and my favourite photos! I saw an additional 414 species in 2012 starting the year on 3735 and ending the year on 4149 species. So, in reverse order then my highlights were:

10). Crazy day of natural history in West Sussex
I found Marsh Clubmoss at Stedham after not being seen for a decade. We also then went onto Graffham and found three RDB saproxylic beetles on a single fallen birch tree including this Diaperis boleti.

9). Honey Buzzard at Butcherlands
I put this in as it was such a great view, shame the photos didn't come out so well.

8). Seaford Head
Really enjoyed working up there this year and this is my favourite photo of the year.

7). Rock-pooling!
Who would have thought such strange things are lurking just off Brighton Beach? This is the Long-spined Sea Scorpion.

6). Seven new birds in 2012.  
Getting the twitch on again is always good value. Common Yellowthroat, Spanish Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Paddyfield Warbler, Kentish Plover, Siberian Stonechat (photo {of a photo}) and Desert Wheatear.

5). A very painful first for Sussex!
This is Pogonocherus fasciculatus and I really did get bitten by Wood Ants whilst trying to get a photo.

4). Pan-species listers field meeting featuring Mr Lumpy.
This was the Fern Weevil Syagrius intrudens. A remarkable alien weevil that got everyone excited and was my highlight of the meeting. I hope someone is going to organise an event next year.

3). Ireland
The pictures say it all really. The Burren was one of the most stunning places I have ever been to.

2). Spiders at Stedham
This is the second cutest jumping spider in the world. Aellurilus v-insignatus

1). Pellenes tripunctatus
This is THE cutest jumping spider in the world, ever! So, 2012 was the year I got into spiders. What will 2013 bring? Seriously, I am running out of taxa.

1 Response to "Top ten natural history highlights of 2012"

Chris Harold Says:

Reptiles and Auchenorrhyncha. OK the first won't boost your list much but the second should as there as 400 species in Britain and Ireland, and they're cute!

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