Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

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SteveH
Posts: 2072
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am
Location: Elton, Cheshire

Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

Post by SteveH »

Morning all,

a few of us (myself, Marion Barlow, Steve Hind, Paul Hopkins, Huw John etc;) spent time on 1st June at the Port Sunlight Bioblitz - and it was really excellent.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, its a 24 hour marathon recording session, when everything people see is logged and at the end of the day its all totted up to see just how diverse the wildlife (flora and fauna) is at the location.

Moth traps were set ovenight and the general public comes along during the daytime hours to either just look at what's been caught or they can join in on rambles for birds or any number of other topics. Basically they are great fun and though tiring for those that have done the overnight activities, I don't recall anyone coming away from one of these events disappointed.

ANYWAY... to yesterday! Our band of four (Steve HH, Marion, Huw and I) recorded between 180-190 species (of all sorts) in total, including a number of very interesting moths (Mullein, Scoparia pyralella, Coleophora lineola, Epiblema stictiana, Micropterix aruncella, Phyllonorycter ulicicolella, Elachista argentella, Grapholita lunulana, Platyptilia gonodactyla, Cochylimorpha straminea and Eupoecilia angustana to name but a few). Overnight trapping had accounted for a number of other very nice species, including Iron Prominent, Treble-lines, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet and Yellow-barred Brindle.

As to the site, I'd never been there before and was hugely impressed by it - we could easily have stayed hours longer but the place was closing - we had to get a bit of a wiggle on to get back to the reception building in time to leave!

Hope to post some photos as soon as possible.

Cheers,
Steve
PaulHopkins
Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:11 pm
Location: Bromborough, Wirral. MapMate Recorder

Re: Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

Post by PaulHopkins »

That's an amazing total! My relatively modest total from 2 hours' trapping was:

8 Marbled Minor agg.
7 Common Swift
4 Light Brown Apple Moth
4 Epinotia bilunana
3 Brimstone Moth
2 Mottled Pug
2 Middle-barred Minor
2 Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 Flame Shoulder
1 Diamond-back Moth
1 Garden Carpet
1 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

I also saw the following lifers caught/found by others:

Mullein
Treble Bar
July/Lead Belle
Ptycholoma lecheana

A very enjoyable event, looking forward to next year already!

Cheers
Paul
SteveH
Posts: 2072
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am
Location: Elton, Cheshire

Re: Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

Post by SteveH »

We're up to 204 species now, with perhaps only a handful more possible but yes, it's a very varied site with corresponding wildlife.

I had two lifers too Paul, Grapholita lunulana and Phyllonorycter ulicicolella - and there may be a new Dichrorampha to come :-)

Cheers,
Steve
PaulHopkins
Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:11 pm
Location: Bromborough, Wirral. MapMate Recorder

Re: Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

Post by PaulHopkins »

Ron Thomas has now sent me the pictures he took at the event - here are a selection.

Cheers
Paul
Attachments
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Common Swift
Common Swift
Scoparia ambigualis (I'm pretty sure...)
Scoparia ambigualis (I'm pretty sure...)
July/Lead Belle - gen det pending (Huw John)
July/Lead Belle - gen det pending (Huw John)
Silver-ground Carpet
Silver-ground Carpet
Iron Prominent
Iron Prominent
Dark Arches
Dark Arches
Treble Bar
Treble Bar
SteveH
Posts: 2072
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am
Location: Elton, Cheshire

Re: Port Sunlight Bioblitz - June 1st

Post by SteveH »

Very nice photos too!

Steve HH has now also confirmed the identification of not one but two Dichrorampha species on the day, Dichrorampha aeratana and Dichrorampha plumbana.

Quite amazing what you can find with a small group of four people just ambling along at snails pace for 4-5 hours. On a day with more helpful weather we would certainly have managed more than the 32 species of moths we found - though we are likely to exceed that in any case as there are some larvae which Steve is going to breed through.

Cheers,
Steve
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