2022 - Adding New Species to my List

As it is the last day of 2022, I'm looking over my wildlife observations fot the yearand seeing what is new.  Most of my sightings were within walking or running distance of my home - i.e. in and around Uckfield.  Numbers of new species were significantly up from last year.  I think this has been driven by some serious plant hunting in Hempstead Lane, which turned out to be very species rich. Some of my new species are described in my previous post, Botanical Survey - Hempstead Lane. 

At the end of the year the number of new species found were:

• 60 Species new to my records
• of which, 30 were new to me.

Here is a selection of species that are new to me or my records.

Fools Parsley, New Year Plant Hunt

Once again, my recording year started with the BSBI New Year Plant hunt.  There was just one new species for my lists - Fools Parsley (Aethusa cynapium) found on Bellbrook Industrial Estate. Probably the most miserable-looking specimen that I have ever tried to photograph.

Goat's Rue, 26 June, Bellbrook Industrial Estate

The industrial estate also yielded one of my showiest new plants - Goat's Rue (Galega officinalis). The officinalis part of the scientific name suggests that it had medicinal uses and indeed, the RHS Encyclopaedia of herbs says that it was used in the treatment of fevers and to help milk production.  

Slender St. John's Wort, 18 June

One of the big changes in recording this year is that the Sussex Botanical Recording Society have asked us to submit records using iRecord. This makes it much easier to add casual records while I am out and about. While I was running along Etchingwood Lane, I noticed a St. John's Wort that looked a bit "off". On closer inspection and much looking up in books, it turned out to be a Slender St. John's Wort (Hypericum pulchrum), which is one that I have not encountered before. The downside  of being able to record on-the-fly is that my running times are even worse than they used to be!

Snowy Inkcap, 3 Sept, near Gatehouse Green Farm

While I was running through a field  - carefully to avoid stepping in cow poo - I found a gleaming white Snowy Inkcap (Coprinopsis nivea) growing out a pile of the mucky stuff.  Looking at the scientific name, Copros is latin for dung and Niveus means snow-white.

Fig Gall on Elm Leaf, 8 May, Hempstead Lane

One of the weirdest things that I found this year was a Fig Gall (Tetraneura ulmi).  This little black sac contains the offspring of a type of aphid. 

Early Thorn, 19 March, Uckfield garden

This Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) took me by surprise when I was cutting back the old Epimedium leaves. Its wings still floppy so it must have just emerged.

Small Phoenix, 14 May, Uckfield garden

Another garden find was this striking little Small Phoenix, which likes woodland habitats and whose foodplants include Willowherbs. Its presence may owe something to my failure to keep up with the weeding!

Small Blood-vein, 27 Aug, in the house

During the heatwave, we got a lot of moths inside the house including this Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria).

So, if all goes according to plan, on the New Year bank holiday, I will start with another New Year Plant Hunt.