Species of the year

A strange year weather wise which led to some things not being seen and gluts of other things. As usual there was new stuff as there seems to be every year so I am happy to note a few species of the year in different categories. First off flowers - it has of course to be the Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha). A stunning sixth Orchid species - lets hope it comes back next year (with friends as well please). Next Fungi - I think Black Magic (Dermoloma magicum), not seen fruiting but on the eDNA survey that was so full of surprises. I shall be looking for that species closely next year. Bird species of the year goes to the Red Kite (Milvus milvus) for appearing overhead several times this year, a welcome and increasing avian presence. Butterfly of the year goes once again to the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) which now seems established all over the site. Moth of 2022 goes to the Canary-shouldered Thorn. Great look, great name - having started some Moth trapping this year the Moth species list has increased greatly. More next year! Mammal of the year has to be Stu the Stoat who made a brief return appearance a couple of weeks ago after being a regular resident earlier in the year. Lichen of the year - Phaeographis smithii - the least common of the Lichen species I recorded at the beginning of the year Photo - has to be the photogenic Stu the Stoat

eDNA results - Earthtongues

Actually perhaps even more surprising than the very surprising Clavaroid results of the eDNA survey of the fields here were the Earthtongues. Previously a single Earthtongue had been recorded here. That was last year on the Gwent Fungi Group foray here when a single Hairy Earthtongue (Trichoglossum hirsutum) was found. The eDNA survey recorded five species of Earthtongue Geoglossum aff simile - has been recorded in UK Glutinoglossum pseudoglutinosum - note that this has been found in the UK as a fruiting body Hemileucoglossum aff alveolatum - has been recorded in Europe Trichoglossum aff. variabile - has been recorded in UK , morphologically very similar to T. hirsutum (chance our record here was misidentified??) Trichoglossum walteri (Short-spored Earthtongue) - there are a number of records in the UK including in our area but still a rare fungus. Also described as very similar to T hirsutum. So five rare Earthtongues one of which has been recorded in Europe, the others occasionally in the UK. I simply don't know what to make of it except to say that DNA studies are going to play havoc with species and records! Photo of the T. hirsutum or was it T. variable or T. walteri from 2021??

eDNA results - Clavaroids

I have blogged a couple of times about the eDNA survey of our fields this year mentioning the results for Pinkgills and Fanvaults, but actually the most amazing and surprising results were for Clavaroids. Not only were there nine species that I had not recorded but some of those new species are not even featured in my extensive collection of fungi books. Take Ramariopsis avellano-inversa which I understand has only been recorded fruiting in New Zealand and Italy. Then there is R. crocea which Collins describes as 'very rarely recorded' and R. flavescens which is not in Collins or Laessoe and Petersen. What are we to make of all three being found in a small sample area in my fields and even more amazing to be found at 29, 23 and 16 respectively of the 30 Monmouthshire sites tested. My take is that it is not feasible that there has been regular fruiting of these species whcih has not been spotted. Maybe they fruit irregulalrly or not at all. Maybe they have been misidentified - R. crocea is somewhat similar to the fairly common C. corniculata for example. It's puzzling evidence and I shall be focusing on Clavaroids next year.

2022 - Flower Summary

I think the most positive news on the Flower front is that Orchids increased in number yet again albeit only by 5% and reached a total of 810 spikes. Even better than that was the surprise appearance of a single Great Butterfly Orchid. However the Fallow Deer have caused havoc this year eating pretty much any unprotected Orchid and also on the negative front numbers of Orchids that were not Common Spotted were down. The weather was strange this year so perhaps I should not draw too many conclusions but I didn't see a few of the less common flowers this year - the single Burnet Saxifrage, the small patch of Hairy Lady's Mantle, Quaking Grass - all eluded my view this year. As ever there were one or two new species recorded Teasel and Greater Butterfly Orchid were the notable ones plus Field Horsetail (which is actually a fern rather than a flower). The photo is of course the Butterfly Orchid.

2022 - Butterfly Summary

Slightly better than last year for species in that 16 species were recorded versus 14 in 2021. Numbers of most species were low however particularly some formerly 'common' ones such as Peacocks and Large and Small Whites. In addition the Small Copper was seen just once and the Small Skipper just a couple of times. On the positive side there continue to be good numbers of Marbled Whites - we seem to have a stable or perhaps growing colony based here. The particular management which leaves some longer grass until later in the summer must work for them but the weather at breeding time has also been kind for the last couple of years especially this year. There were reasonable numbers of Common Blues as well but perhaps not as many as lasy year which was particularly good for them. Photo - the elusive Small Copper.

Stu the Stoat is back

After an absence of seven months or so the Stoat who lived under our conservatory for a while has returned. He ran past us with a bird in his mouth - a Goldfinch I think. The local Rabbits need to up their alert status.