2025

As always an interesting year here despite, or maybe because of, strange weather patterns with lots of dry weather until we had lots of wet weather in the autumn. Species of the year has to be Bracken Plums and Custard (which when confirmed byu DNA will be the first confirmed UK record). Honourable mentions to the two new Pinkgills - Dark Pinkgill and Scented Pinkgill. Also shouldn't forget that we have a new bee species for the site this year - the Early Bumblebee. A couple of favourites that continue to show up are the Stoat and the Lesser Horseshoe Bat that has now been in residence in our shed for at least 11 years. He must be getting old in the tooth by now. A big welcome back to a couple of lovely species that I haven't seen in recent years - Ragged Robin and the Small Copper butterfly. For species seen in unprecedented numbers I have to note Bee Orchids which until the five appeasred this year had only ever appeared singly. Also hordes of 7-spot Ladybirds (but zero other Ladybird species). As a kid I remember that there were sometimes years when swarms of ladybirds appeared and this was like a watered down version of that in as much as there were many times the number seen previously here. Lastly there are usually one or two things that pop up in unexpected places. This year it was the Broad-leaved Helleborine that appeared in the North Field and the Quasking Grass that grew on the side of the drive. It's a privilege to complete another year of interesting records. Photo - Bracken Plums and Custard of course.