I’ve been a member of Plant Life for a few years now but despite my best intentions have not submitted records to their National Plant Monitoring Scheme in the past. I was determined to do better this year…
Over the past few months I’ve moved my transects for the BTO WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey), BCT National Bat Monitoring Programme and Plant Life Wild Flower Count to the same patch, a kilometre of footpath along the banks of the river Mersey in Didsbury, a short journey from my home in Rusholme.
So far this has worked a treat. When I’ve been out on my WeBS surveys I’ve also recorded any non wetland birds, flowering plants and butterflies I’ve seen and am beginning to build up a satisfying spreadsheet of my own records which I will use to inform my various wildlife organisation transect surveys and submit to my local records centre (GMRC). And there’s just something nice about having your own records, data you collected. I was enthused and inspired by the recent Biological Recording Conference I attended in Manchester and have been building my data stash ever since.
Today I took advantage of the beautiful June weather and headed out to my patch, accompanied by my glamorous assistant/wife Stacey who despite claiming to have no botanical knowledge (she’s more at home with a sewing machine than a hand lens, here’s her blog: http://staceystitch.com/) is slowing absorbing ID skills and exclaims triumphantly whenever she gets something right. Though she does have a habit of guessing Green Alkanet at everything first. One day it will be!
By the end of our walk we had a list of 30+ plants and several birds and inverts. Not bad…
Sawfly gall (Pontania proxima). Thanks to @savrevert on Twitter for the ID help
A tasty looking Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) on Wood Avens
Not great on my ladybirds. ID welcome?
Kidney-spot ladybird?
Dame’s Violet (Hesperis matronalis). New to me, it has popped up all along the riverbank. Some white, some violet. Most with much bigger racemes than the above photos.
Yet to be ID’d. Need to pop back and have a look at the leaves.
Wood Avens (Geum urbanum) seeds
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Bearded Nerd
Dame’s Violet (both colour variations) and Hogweed flowers visible in foreground
Common Bistort (Polygonum persicaria)
A very fresh, glistening ladybird with faint spots. Presumably not long emerged?
I took my new Opticron 8×32 T3 Trailfinder Binoculars out for the first time having treated myself to them recently. Unsurprisingly useful for the birds with great views of swifts and some nesting grey herons, but also great for botany with confirmed IDs of some species on the opposite riverbank using them which were not possible by eye alone.
Then home to blog about it and update my records spreadsheet. A really pleasant morning recording. I’m a little wiser and browner, the mark of an excellent Sunday.
from here to ecology 
Great work on identification. It’s my partner Trevor who is the expert. Some years ago I’ve walked along the Mersey and Fletcher Moss. Have just been up to see my daughter for a few days. Had some interesting walks through streets to parks in Fallowfield/Rusholme.
I’m becoming some what of Ann expert in the flora of South Manchester walls and gutters!
Indeed and it is amazing what triumphs over adversity! Having let my garden in London go wild as not here it was good to see a goldfinch and a young one on some thistles!
😀 Great blog Timothy, I especially like the bearded nerd!