Winter birding delight!

Superb winter birding today around the patch despite the lack of any Sea Ducks, Grebes or Divers!

Notable birds of the day included Greenshank on Lavender Marsh, Pied Wagtail over The Saltings (a  surprisingly rare winter bird here!) 50 Twite in Thornham Harbour, 2 Stonechat, East Bank (+2 Gore Point) and my first every Holme winter record of a Green Sandpiper at the Village Hides.

Tundra Bean Goose near Smithdon High School this afternoon per Andy.

Yellow/metal (left leg) X Yellow/White (right leg) was ringed at Derby Delph, South Yorks on the 29th September 14

Summaries for 2014. Part 7: Molluscs

Between us we recorded 62 species of molluscs on the patch in 2014: 5 freshwater molluscs, 21 land snails, 11 slugs, 7 marine gastropods, 16 marine bivalves and two cephalopods (with first date recorded):

Freshwater Molluscs
Hydrobiidae	Hydrobia ulvae		30th Nov
Lymnaeidae	Lymnaea peregra		23rd February
Lymnaeidae	Lymnea palustris		15th September
Planorbidae	Anisus vortex		23rd February
Unionidae	Anodonta cygnea		7th July
Land Snails
Cochlicopidae	Cochlicopa lubrica		20th Nov
Cochlicopidae	Cochlicopa lubricella		20th Nov
Discidae	Discus rotundatus		3rd March
Enidae	Ena obscura		2nd October
Helicidae	Candidula intersecta		16th February
Helicidae	Cepea hortensis		3rd March
Helicidae	Cepea nemoralis		23rd February
Helicidae	Cernuella virgata		3rd March
Helicidae	Helicella itala		19th October
Helicidae	Helix aspersa		23rd February
Helicidae	Monacha cantiana		30th December
Helicidae	Trichia striolata		3rd March
Oxychilidae	Oxychilus alliarius		30th December
Oxychilidae	Oxychilus cellarius		30th December
Punctidae	Punctum pygmaeum		24th November
Pupillidae	Pupilla muscorum		9th November
Succineidae	Oxyloma pfeifferi		27th September
Vertiginidae	Vertigo angustior		5th November
Vertiginidae	Vertigo pygmaea		2nd February
Vitrinidae	Vitrea crystallina		30th December
Vitrinidae	Vitrina pellucida		18th October
Slugs
Agriolimacidae	Deroceras laeve		November 10th
Agriolimacidae	Deroceras panormitanum/caruanae/invadens		10th February
Agriolimacidae	Deroceras reticulatum		November 10th
Arionidae	Arion ater		29th March
Arionidae	Arion hortensis		November 10th
Arionidae	Arion subfuscus		3rd March
Limacidae	Ambigolimax valentianus		10th February
Limacidae	Limacus flavus		27th June
Limacidae	Limacus maculatus		November 10th
Limacidae	Limax maximus		27th March
Milacidae	Tandonia budapestensis		November 10th
Marine Gastropods
Buccinidae	Buccineum undatum	Whelk	10th February
Buccinidae	Neptunea antiqua	Red Whelk	21st December
Calyptraeidae	Crepidula formicata	Slipper Limpet	10th February
Littorinidae	Littorina littorea	Edible Periwinckle	10th February
Muricidae	Nucellus lapillus	Dog Whelk	10th February
Muricidae	Ocenabra erinaceus	Sting Winkle	10th February
Naticidae	Euspira catena	Large Necklace Shell	21st December
Marine Bivalves
Cardiidae	Cerastoderma edule	Common Cockle	10th February
Cardiidae	Cerastoderma glaucum	Lagoon Cockle	15th June
Mactridae	Spisula solida	Thick Trough Shell	10th February
Myacidae	Mya arenaria	Sand gaper	21st December
Myacidae	Mya truncata	Blunt Gaper	10th February
Mytilidae	Modiolus modiolus	Horse Mussel	10th February
Mytilidae	Mytlus edulis	Edible Mussel	10th February
Ostreidae	Ostrea edulis	Common Oyster	10th February
Pectinidae	Chlamys varia	Black/Variegated Scallop	10th February
Pholadidae	Barnea candida	White Piddock	10th February
Pholadidae	Zirfea crispata	Oval Piddock	21st December
Solenidae	Ensis directus	American Jack-knife Clam	10th February
Tellinidae	Macoma baltica	Baltic Tellin	10th February
Tellinidae	Tellina tenuis	Thin Tellin	21st December
Veneridae	Tapes corrugata	Pullet Carpet Shell	10th February
Veneridae	Tapes rhomboides	Banded Carpet Shell	10th February
Cephalopods
Sepiidae	Sepia officinalis	Common Cuttlefish	6th December
Sepiolidae	Sepiola atlantica	Little Cuttlefish	8th September

Summaries for 2014. Part 6: Odonata

Between us, we recorded 15 species of dragonfly and damselfly on the patch in 2014 (with date first recorded):

Aeshnidae	Aeshna cyanea	Southern Hawker	1st June
Aeshnidae	Aeshna mixta	Migrant Hawker	9th June
Aeshnidae	Anax imperator	Emperor Dragonfly	June 8th
Aeshnidae	Brachytron pratense	Hairy Dragonfly	24th April
Coenagrionidae	Coenagrionpuella	Azure Damselfly	12th May
Coenagrionidae	Enallagma cyathigerum	Common Blue Damselfly	April 21st
Coenagrionidae	Erythromma viridulum	Small Red-eyed Damselfly	12th June
Coenagrionidae	Ischnura elegans	Blue-tailed Damselfly	15th May
Coenagrionidae	Pyrrhosoma nymphula	Large Red Damselfly	April 24th
Lestidae	Lestes sponsa	Emerald Damselfly	5th July
Libellulidae	Libelllula depressa	Broad-bodied Chaser	12th May
Libellulidae	Libellula quadrimaculata	Four-spotted Chaser	15th May
Libellulidae	Orthetrum cancellatum	Black-tailed Skimmer	10th June
Libellulidae	Sympetrum sanguineum	Ruddy Darter	30th June
Libellulidae	Sympetrum striolatum	Common Darter	30th June

Summaries for 2014. Part 5: Orthoptera

Between us, we recorded 12 species of crickets and grasshoppers on the patch in 2014 (with date first recorded):

Acrididae	Myrmeleotettix maculatus	Mottled Grasshopper	16th June
Acrididae	Chorthippus brunneus	Field Grasshopper	23rd June
Acrididae	Chorthippus albomarginatus	Lesser Marsh Grasshopper	28th June
Acrididae	Chorthippus parallelus	Meadow Grasshopper	20th July
Acrididae	Stenobothrus lineatus	Stripe-winged Grasshopper	26th July
Conocephalidae	Conocephalus dorsalis	Short-winged Conehead	28th June
Conocephalidae	Conocephalus discolor	Long-winged Conehead	27th July
Meconematidae	Meconema thalassinum	Oak Bush Cricket	21st July
Phaneropteridae	Leptophyes punctatissima	Speckled Bush Cricket	30th June
Tetrigidae	Tetrix subulata	Slender Groundhopper	20th April
Tetrigidae	Tetrix undulata	Common Groundhopper	9th June
Tettigonidae	Metrioptera roeselii	Roesel's Bush Cricket	19th June

Summaries for 2014. Part 4: Flies, Bugs, Ants, Bees and Wasps

Between us, we recorded:

a total of 113 species of Diptera

Agromyzidae	1		Scathophagidae	2
Asilidae	4		Sciaridae	1
Bibionidae	3		Sciomyzidae	6
Bombyliidae	2		Sepsidae	1
Calliphoridae	1		Stratiomyidae	13
Chloropidae	2		Syrphidae	42
Conopidae	1		Tabanidae	5
Dolichopodidae	2		Tachinidae	5
Empididae	1		Tephritidae	8
Muscidae	1		Therevidae	2
Oestridae	1		Tipulidae	5
Opomyzidae	1		Ulidiidae	1
Rhagionidae	2

49 species of Hymenoptera

Andrenidae	4		Gorytidae	1
Apidae	11		Lasioglossidae	1
Argidae	2		Nomadidae	2
Chrysididae	2		Pompilidae	2
Crabronidae	4		Sphecidae	3
Cynipidae	5		Tenthredinidae	6
Formicidae	3		Vespidae	3

and 169 species of Hemiptera

Acanthosomatidae	4		Miridae	50
Anthocoridae	9		Nabidae	7
Aphididae	1		Naucoridae	1
Aphrophoridae	4		Nepidae	1
Berytidae	1		Notonectidae	1
Ceratocombidae	1		Pentatomidae	11
Cercopidae	1		Piesmatidae	2
Cicadellidae	18		Pleidae	1
Cixiidae	1		Psyllidae	1
Coreidae	5		Reduviidae	2
Corixidae	6		Rhopalidae	3
Cydnidae	2		Saldidae	2
Delphacidae	4		Scutelleridae	1
Hydrometridae	1		Tingidae	6
Lygaeidae	20		Veliidae	2

on the patch in 2014. Full species listings with dates and localities where found on the 2014 summary spreadsheets tab.

Smmaries for 2014. Part 3: Beetles

Between us, we recorded 583 species of beetle on the patch in 2014. A breakdown by family is given below, with a full species list providing dates and places of capture on a separate sheet.

Anthicidae	2		Histeridae	5
Apionidae	21		Hydraenidae	2
Byturidae	2		Hydrophilidae	29
Cantharidae	10		Hygrobiidae	1
Carabidae	77		Kateretidae	3
Cerambycidae	8		Latridiidae	8
Cerylonidae	1		Leiodidae	18
Chrysomelidae	57		Malachiidae	4
Clambidae	1		Melandryidae	2
Coccinellidae	23		Melyridae	1
Corylophidae	1		Monotomidae	3
Cryptophagidae	15		Mycetophagidae	2
Curculionidae	52		Nitidulidae	6
Curculionidae	1		Noteridae	1
Dascillidae	1		Oedemeridae	2
Dermestidae	1		Phalacridae	5
Dryopidae	1		Phloiophilidae	1
Dytiscidae	17		Ptinidae	4
Elateridae	10		Salpingidae	1
Erirhinidae	1		Scarabaeidae	17
Erotylidae	1		Scirtidae	4
Eucnemidae	1		Scraptiidae	3
Geotrupidae	1		Scydmaenidae	1
Gyrinidae	1		Silphidae	6
Haliplidae	2		Silvanidae	1
Helophoridae	5		Staphylinidae	133
Heteroceridae	1		Tenebrionidae	6