Wildlife challenges

[shaggystu]

Here's a surprisingly easy one - find 100 different species in a day. Plants, animals, fungi, whatever.

Then try it in smaller and smaller locations. Amazing what you learn to see.

Challenge accepted, that sounds like a great way to spend a day, and luckily SWMBO agrees

I'm away for a week from Friday but when I get back we'll crack on and post results, cheers for the idea

Stuart.

 

[Niels]

I too am trying to learn the plants in my environment. Last year, in autumn, I thought I had them all down. Now, just in the last two weeks, I learnt chickweed, goosegrass, lesser celandine, and jack by-the-hedge. I'd also love to learn more about insects and spiders and dragonflies.

I'd love to go and see some roe deer in my nearby forest. I saw 4 of them from the bus today, but that's just not real enough for me.

I also want to see some whooper swans. And foxes, I've seen dozens of tracks when the snow was there, yet I've only seen them twice in my entire ±12 years of coming there. Any wild reptiles would be great too.

There's also a white-tailed eagle confirmed in my area. I'd love to spot it, though I'm hoping I could tell it apart from a buzzard. Looking at this picture though, it's massiveness should be unmistakeable.

The 100 species idea is something I must try too!

 

[Elen Sentier]

See a Pine Marten in the New Forest (apparently a small colony is now established here)
See badger cubs at the sett that I watch
Find (perhaps that should be "re-find") & photograph wild gladiolus. The only plants I knew of have disappeared in recent years

Grand ... and I was hoping to get over there later in the year anyway. Ta for the heads-up.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Here's a surprisingly easy one - find 100 different species in a day. Plants, animals, fungi, whatever.

Then try it in smaller and smaller locations. Amazing what you learn to see.

Mmmm - I must have a go at that. we used to get sent out from primary school to do that back in the 50s, and I've not done it since

 

[Bartooon]

Re the New Forest Pine Martens - if you live down this way, you might find this interesting, Martin Noble is giving a talk
on the ecology of the elusive Pine Marten, with particular reference to the New Forest where a small population appears to have become established in recent years.
Speaker
Martin Noble – Chairman of the Hampshire Mammal Group
Light refreshments will be provided
Booking Details
Please book your place by contacting Sarah Bignell E-mail: SarahB@hwt.org.uk
Telephone: 01489 774409
The event is free to members. Guests are welcome. Suggested donation £2.
Location - Shawford Parish Hall, Pearson Lane, Compton, Winchester SO21 2AA.
Monday 15th April 7.30pm - 9.30pm

 

[TurboGirl]

Its a wonderful idea but I'm still enough of a noob to wander round simply delighted with what chooses to reveal itself, growing, running or flying We have breeding buzzards and a good herd of muntjac locally, lots of badgers, grey squirrels and sparrowhawks and a good range of native plantlife along the brooks although its very deforested and mostly field and farmland.

 

[Falcn]

Visit the gannet colony on Bass Rock by sea kayak
Photograph Sea Eagles fishing
Photograph toads spawning from under the water (Looking up)
Photograph a dragonfly in flight taking prey

 

[daveO]

Its a wonderful idea but I'm still enough of a noob to wander round simply delighted with what chooses to reveal itself, growing, running or flying .

You're clearly from my school of observing wildlife. If I go out with binoculars and camera , nothing, if I stagger home from the pub in the dark, full on animals of farthing wood experience.

I've never seen a stoat while out stealthily walking about but I've had one follow me around while stamping around working on an old barn. I've seen more lizards in my greenhouse than I've ever seen in the wild. I gave up setting goals in the end and trust to luck.

 

[Imagedude]

I'd like to forage enough protein in a day to make a game pie with at least 6 different kinds of meat.

 

[daveO]

I'd like to forage enough protein in a day to make a game pie with at least 6 different kinds of meat.

Have you tried the bins behind Tesco?

 

[Bushwhacker]

I'd like to forage enough protein in a day to make a game pie with at least 6 different kinds of meat.

That would be a good challenge. I suppose feathers would be the best thing to target to get the numbers up.
Fish pie might be another option along with crustacean and shellfish.

 

[Harvestman]

On the topic of finding 100 species in a day, last weekend I went with a friend out to take some photographs, mainly of wildlife.

At the end of the day, we sat in the car and were concluding that we hadn't really seen much. A pleasant enough day, but minimal wildlife.

Then I said, "Ok, let's count how many bird species we saw today".

The answer was 32.

Throw in at least a dozen tree species (probably more like 2 dozen), a pile of herbaceous plants and grasses (even in pre-spring conditions there are lots to see), mosses, liverworts, ferns, sedges and rushes, some fungi, some slugs and snails, and a few flying insects, and there's your 100 species without really trying.

The thing I like about this challenge is that you don't even have to completely identify the species. For example, if you are no good at identifying mosses (like me) you can just say "the green spiky moss on the woodland floor, the slimy moss on those rocks, and the prickly moss on the tree branch". So long as you are certain they are different species it is fine. It isn't a test, just a fun thing to do.

 

[Elen Sentier]

On the subject of identification I just got myself (on Xylara's recom) a grand little book for edible and medicinal plants by Edmund Launert. Smashing little thing and fits into the inside pocket of my jerkin so likely to go out with me too. Hope this will help me to get identifying ...

 

[greensurfingbear]

On the topic of finding 100 species in a day, last weekend I went with a friend out to take some photographs, mainly of wildlife.

At the end of the day, we sat in the car and were concluding that we hadn't really seen much. A pleasant enough day, but minimal wildlife.

Then I said, "Ok, let's count how many bird species we saw today".

The answer was 32.

Throw in at least a dozen tree species (probably more like 2 dozen), a pile of herbaceous plants and grasses (even in pre-spring conditions there are lots to see), mosses, liverworts, ferns, sedges and rushes, some fungi, some slugs and snails, and a few flying insects, and there's your 100 species without really trying.

The thing I like about this challenge is that you don't even have to completely identify the species. For example, if you are no good at identifying mosses (like me) you can just say "the green spiky moss on the woodland floor, the slimy moss on those rocks, and the prickly moss on the tree branch". So long as you are certain they are different species it is fine. It isn't a test, just a fun thing to do.

I like that idea