Bohemian Like You

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Sunday 2 January 2011 18:20

I need 979 species to get to 4000 by next year. This works out at a mean of 2.68 species per day! So far this year, nothing. I think I need to get organised. So, for the the first month of the year I am going to concentrate on bryophytes (and maybe lichens). I will also twitch any bird I need within about 100 miles but that does not happen very often! I still have not had chance to play with my new camera but I will be off to see what mosses I can add to my list tomorrow!

As for today's farm survey, good numbers of Skylarks and a flock of 600 Wood Pigeon were of note but as for the oddities, there were three Brambling, a Snipe (flushed from a stubble field complete with a big blob of clay on the end of its beak - looked pretty odd in flight!) and best of all, a Waxwing! It was bound to happen eventually but I only heard it. It called twice but I find birds quite hard to pick up against big blue skies and I couldn't see it. Frustrating. Anyway, it's on the site list now! I think Bohemian Waxwing is a pretty cool name and I might start using it.
I was amazed at how much Common Field Speedwell there was in flower. I know this plant flowers all year round but I would have thought the snow would have really knocked it back. It's nice to see some flowering plants already. Oh yeah, there was also a Skylark singing today and a drum-off between two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. In recent years I usually hear my first one before Christmas but these are the first ones I've heard this winter. It was nice to see the Sun again!

2 Response to "Bohemian Like You"

Mark Telfer Says:

I reckon getting to 4000 by the end of 2011 is massively ambitious ... but it is definitely not impossible and would be an amazing achievement. Very best of luck!

Graeme Lyons Says:

After scraping around on a frozen heathland for a a single woodlouse tick for two hours today, I'm inclined to agree! I reckon I need a long trip to Scotland to get a whole load of northern species. I think also I am going to make a list of my most embarrassing needs like Otter, Quail, Field Mouse-ear, Lappet Moth, Purple Emperor and Keeled Skimmer which might help or just make me look like a right fool.

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