I'm coming back to Jersey EVERY year!!!

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Thursday 1 June 2017 07:48

Yesterday was another cracking day on Jersey. Chris and I went to some heathlands on the south east of the island where we found three of these amazingly hairy green crab spiders Haeriaeus oblongus. This spider is just amazing!

We found one of these on Holm Oak, Gibbaranea bituberculata is now thought to be extinct on the mainland.

We also found a male and female of what I think is Macaroeris nidicolens that is shown in the new spider book to have recently colonised the Thames gateway.

But by far the commonest jumper there is Aeleurllis v-insignitis (here a female).

But it wasn't just good for spiders! We bumped into just one of these, the striking ground bug Melanocoryphus superbus.

Spotted Rock-rose is everywhere, a species I've only seen at South Stack.

And nearby a very fussy Cistus Forester.

More Allseed than I've EVER seen before.

New for me was this tiny but smart Heath Pearlwort.

And Hairy Bird's-foot Trefoil.

Oh and I finally managed a photo of a European Green Lizard.

And then an epic 30 minute journey to the opposite end of the journey to some of the strangest landscape I have ever seen. This is La Rocque and the tidal reach here is huge, Jersey can double in size between low and high tide. The rock pools just extend for miles and it's actually quite hard to work as it's so difficult to know where to go. I did however see loads of these huge (5 cm plus chitons). I was amazed to find the are all the same species, Acanthochitona fascicularis.

Jersey is a great place for seeing a lot of British wildlife that's rare and on the edge of its range or has just not quite reached us yet. I have found this so useful for work that I think I'll offset this against my tax return! It's not that expensive to get to and is a lovely place. Now I have received some criticism for counting my finds on my PSL total, DESPITE us defining it as OK in the rules years ago. It's in the rules and anyone can come to Jersey and add to their lists and learn a lot about wildlife at home in the process. If you don't want to, fine but if other people do, then let them! I will be coming here every year for a week to add to my list and discover this wonderful little island! Now for the ferry back home.

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