Beetles and birds, Jan 23

Is it only one new species of beetle since last update? Ground has been frozen and covered in ice for days. Doesn't look good for a grand January total. Have to put a bit of effort in a week to reach the previous 50. Below the line are species not recorded in Jan 2021. Most amazingly the massive glut of 7-spot Ladybirds over the last couple of years seems to have entirely vanished. Not a one so far.

Count	Family	Species	Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum fuliginosum	Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Agonum thoreyi	Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Amara plebeja	Cullaloe LNR
4	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula	Dalgety Bay
5	Carabidae	Bembidion mannerheimii	Cullaloe Hills
6	Carabidae	Cychrus caraboides	Loch Fitty
7	Carabidae	Paradromius linearis	Moss Morran
8	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita	Cullaloe LNR
9	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus	Dalgety Bay
10	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus	Dalgety Bay
11	Chrysomelidae	Crepidodera fulvicornis	Cullaloe LNR
12	Chrysomelidae	Oulema melanopus s.l.	Moss Morran
13	Chrysomelidae	Phaedon tumidulus	Loch Fitty
14	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea	Cullaloe LNR
15	Silphidae	Silpha atrata	Dalgety Bay
16	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus	Dalgety Bay
17	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes	Cullaloe LNR
18	Staphylinidae	Philonthus decorus	Moss Morran
19	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus	Cullaloe LNR
20	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno	Cullaloe LNR
21	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar	Cullaloe LNR
22	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum	Cullaloe LNR
---	---	---	---
23	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus obtusus	Cullaloe LNR
24	Carabidae	Agonum muelleri	Cullaloe LNR
25	Carabidae	Bembidion saxatile	Dalgety Bay
26	Carabidae	Leistus fulvibarbis	Inverkeithing
27	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes	Cullaloe LNR
28	Coccinelidae	Coccidula rufa	Cullaloe LNR
29	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti	Cullaloe LNR
30	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis	Cullaloe LNR
31	Staphylinidae	Sitona lineatus	Cullaloe LNR
32	Staphylinidae	Stenus bifoveolatus	Cullaloe LNR
33	Staphylinidae	Stenus clavicornis	Moss Morran
34	Staphylinidae	Stenus picipes	Cullaloe Hills
35	Staphylinidae	Tachinus rufipes	Dalgety Bay
36	Staphylinidae	Xantholinus longiventris	Moss Morran

Bay Birds - story so far

With almost all of the regular winter birds in the bag there are a small handful of "normal" birds left to add before spring birds start coming in. 119 spp. remain on the list of birds seen in the Bay which I haven't seen this year. I wouldn't mind a White-winged Gull or a Black Guillemot. Be nice to get some kind of patch gold before end of month. A Waxwing would be better than nothing.

Index	Species
1	Kingfisher
2	Carrion Crow
3	Long-tailed Tit
4	Blackbird
5	Robin
6	Chaffinch
7	Siskin
8	Greylag Goose
9	Pink-footed Goose
10	Shelduck
11	Wigeon
12	Mallard
13	Eider
14	Grey Partridge
15	Pheasant
16	Stock Dove
17	Woodpigeon
18	Collared Dove
19	Great Crested Grebe
20	Oystercatcher
21	Lapwing
22	Curlew
23	Bar-tailed Godwit
24	Dunlin
25	Redshank
26	Black-headed Gull
27	Common Gull
28	Herring Gull
29	Lesser Black-backed Gull
30	Cormorant
31	Grey Heron
32	Sparrowhawk
33	Buzzard
34	Magpie
35	Jackdaw
36	Rook
37	Coal Tit
38	Blue Tit
39	Great Tit
40	Wren
41	Starling
42	Song Thrush
43	Mistle Thrush
44	Redwing
45	Fieldfare
46	Tree Sparrow
47	House Sparrow
48	Pied/White Wagtail
49	Bullfinch
50	Greenfinch
51	Linnet
52	Lesser Redpoll
53	Goldfinch
54	Yellowhammer
55	Dunnock
56	Tawny Owl
57	Great Black-backed Gull
58	Shag
59	Turnstone
60	Grey Wagtail
61	Great Spotted Woodpecker
62	Little Grebe
63	Goldeneye
64	Teal
65	Red-breasted Merganser
66	Treecreeper

Freezing

Everything is covered in ice. Booo

Beetles: no additions

Bird latest totals: 18th January 

Dalgety Bay birds 2023: 63 spp. (Little Grebe, Goldeneye) 

Inverkeithing birds 2023: 46 spp. (various)

Beetles, birds and a bug

 A few new beetles. A few new birds. Surprising result in a tussock yesterday was Fife's 2nd Blue Shieldbug.

Count	Family	Species	Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum fuliginosum	Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Agonum thoreyi	Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Amara plebeja	Cullaloe LNR
4	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula	Dalgety Bay
5	Carabidae	Bembidion mannerheimii	Cullaloe Hills
6	Carabidae	Cychrus caraboides	Loch Fitty
7	Carabidae	Paradromius linearis	Moss Morran
8	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita	Cullaloe LNR
9	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus	Dalgety Bay
10	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus	Dalgety Bay
11	Chrysomelidae	Crepidodera fulvicornis	Cullaloe LNR
12	Chrysomelidae	Oulema melanopus s.l.	Moss Morran
13	Chrysomelidae	Phaedon tumidulus	Loch Fitty
14	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea	Cullaloe LNR
15	Silphidae	Silpha atrata	Dalgety Bay
16	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus	Dalgety Bay
17	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes	Cullaloe LNR
18	Staphylinidae	Philonthus decorus	Moss Morran
19	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus	Cullaloe LNR
20	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno	Cullaloe LNR
21	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar	Cullaloe LNR
22	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum	Cullaloe LNR
---	---	---	---
24	Carabidae	Bembidion saxatile	Dalgety Bay
25	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes	Cullaloe LNR
26	Coccinelidae	Coccidula rufa	Cullaloe LNR
27	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti	Cullaloe LNR
28	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis	Cullaloe LNR
29	Staphylinidae	Sitona lineatus	Cullaloe LNR
30	Staphylinidae	Stenus bifoveolatus	Cullaloe LNR
31	Staphylinidae	Stenus clavicornis	Moss Morran
32	Staphylinidae	Stenus picipes	Cullaloe Hills
33	Staphylinidae	Tachinus rufipes	Dalgety Bay
34	Staphylinidae	Xantholinus longiventris	Moss Morran
35	Apionidae	Exapion ulicis	Cullaloe LNR

(below the line beetles not found in Jan '21)

Bird latest totals: 13th January

Dalgety Bay birds 2023: 61 spp. (GSW)

Inverkeithing birds 2023: 41 spp.

Beetles - the first 30

Agonum thoreyii and Coccidula rufa picked up at Cullaloe, where they are pretty certain. Hopefully one or two others in the mix but not as varied as hoped. Maybe the perpetual wetness of the grass makes it harder to get out some specimens. 

Count	Family	Species		Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum fuliginosum		Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Agonum muelleri		Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Agonum thoreyi		Cullaloe LNR
4	Carabidae	Amara plebeja		Cullaloe LNR
5	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula		Dalgety Bay
6	Carabidae	Bembidion mannerheimii		Cullaloe Hills
7	Carabidae	Bembidion saxatile		Dalgety Bay
8	Carabidae	Paradromius linearis		Moss Morran
9	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita		Cullaloe LNR
10	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus		Dalgety Bay
11	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus		Dalgety Bay
12	Chrysomelidae	Oulema melanopus s.l.		Moss Morran
13	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes		Cullaloe LNR
14	Coccinelidae	Coccidula rufa		Cullaloe LNR
15	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti		Cullaloe LNR
16	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea		Cullaloe LNR
17	Silphidae	Silpha atrata		Dalgety Bay
18	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus		Dalgety Bay
19	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes		Cullaloe LNR
20	Staphylinidae	Philonthus decorus		Moss Morran
21	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus		Cullaloe LNR
22	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis		Cullaloe LNR
23	Staphylinidae	Sitona lineatus		Cullaloe LNR
24	Staphylinidae	Stenus clavicornis		Moss Morran
25	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno		Cullaloe LNR
26	Staphylinidae	Stenus picipes		Cullaloe Hills
27	Staphylinidae	Tachinus rufipes		Dalgety Bay
28	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar		Cullaloe LNR
29	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum		Cullaloe LNR
30	Staphylinidae	Xantholinus longiventris		Moss Morran

January beetles 'n' birds

Beetles - a few added from Moss Morran plus "leftovers" from other sites. In '21 I had recorded 30 spp. by the 10th of January,  If anything I'm marginally behind (but there are 24 hours to go!). Obviously that means I only recorded 20 spp. in the latter 20 days of January '21, which I can surely better. Thus far only tussocking and light rock/log turning. Too wet/frozen for leaf litter. Nothing strand line/littoral. No pond dipping.

Paradromius linearis, as common as they come.

Count	Family	Species		Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum fuliginosum		Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Agonum muelleri		Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Amara plebeja		Cullaloe LNR
4	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula		Dalgety Bay
5	Carabidae	Bembidion mannerheimii		Cullaloe Hills
6	Carabidae	Bembidion saxatile		Dalgety Bay
7	Carabidae	Paradromius linearis		Moss Morran
8	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita		Cullaloe LNR
9	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus		Dalgety Bay
10	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus		Dalgety Bay
11	Chrysomelidae	Oulema melanopus s.l.		Moss Morran
12	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes		Cullaloe LNR
13	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti		Cullaloe LNR
14	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea		Cullaloe LNR
15	Silphidae	Silpha atrata		Dalgety Bay
16	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus		Dalgety Bay
17	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes		Cullaloe LNR
18	Staphylinidae	Philonthus decorus		Moss Morran
19	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus		Cullaloe LNR
20	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis		Cullaloe LNR
21	Staphylinidae	Sitona lineatus		Cullaloe LNR
22	Staphylinidae	Stenus clavicornis		Moss Morran
23	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno		Cullaloe LNR
24	Staphylinidae	Stenus picipes		Cullaloe Hills
25	Staphylinidae	Tachinus rufipes		Dalgety Bay
26	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar		Cullaloe LNR
27	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum		Cullaloe LNR
28	Staphylinidae	Xantholinus longiventris		Moss Morran

Bird latest totals: 9th January

Dalgety Bay birds 2023: 60 spp. (Grey Wag, Turnstone)

Inverkeithing birds 2023: 36 spp.

20 Beetles

A decent start without wandering too far or getting too exotic. Nothing brand new but some I didn't encounter in Jan '21.

Count	Family	Species		Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum fuliginosum		Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Agonum muelleri		Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Amara plebeja		Cullaloe LNR
4	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula		Dalgety Bay
5	Carabidae	Bembidion saxatile		Dalgety Bay
6	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita		Cullaloe LNR
7	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus		Dalgety Bay
8	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus		Dalgety Bay
9	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes		Cullaloe LNR
10	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti		Cullaloe LNR
11	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea		Cullaloe LNR
12	Silphidae	Silpha atrata		Dalgety Bay
13	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus		Dalgety Bay
14	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes		Cullaloe LNR
15	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus		Cullaloe LNR
16	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis		Cullaloe LNR
17	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno		Cullaloe LNR
18	Staphylinidae	Tachinus rufipes		Dalgety Bay
19	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar		Cullaloe LNR
20	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum		Cullaloe LNR

Beetles, birds update

A second session of beetling briefly in the rain at Cullaloe has added about ten species (two or three to still do), including two new species for Cullaloe. That's not a bad result. Both are species I know from other sites. Sadly my phone seems to lose colour so that Agonum muelleri's lovely bronze and green barely show at all in the photo, despite being clear even to the naked eye.

Dryops ernesti

Agonum muelleri

Despite the consistently rainy/frosty weather that's a start that would probably get me where I want to be. Beetles on the list so far:

Count	Family	Species		Location
1	Carabidae	Agonum muelleri		Cullaloe LNR
2	Carabidae	Amara plebeja		Cullaloe LNR
3	Carabidae	Bembidion guttula		Dalgety Bay
4	Carabidae	Pterostichus nigrita		Cullaloe LNR
5	Carabidae	Pterostichus strenuus		Dalgety Bay
6	Carabidae	Trichocellus placidus		Dalgety Bay
7	Chrysomelidae	Phyllotreta nigripes		Cullaloe LNR
8	Dryopidae	Dryops ernesti		Cullaloe LNR
9	Erotylidae	Triplax aenea		Cullaloe LNR
10	Silphidae	Silpha atrata		Dalgety Bay
11	Staphylinidae	Anotylus rugosus		Dalgety Bay
12	Staphylinidae	Lathrobium brunnipes		Cullaloe LNR
13	Staphylinidae	Quedius fuliginosus		Cullaloe LNR
14	Staphylinidae	Sepedophilus nigripennis		Cullaloe LNR
15	Staphylinidae	Stenus juno		Cullaloe LNR
16	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus dispar		Cullaloe LNR
17	Staphylinidae	Tachyporus hypnorum		Cullaloe LNR

Also a walk around Dalgety Bay on the 2nd returned a handsome 51 species. Usually on a walk I'd count over 40 as a good result. Nice to see some partridges, with or without a pear tree, and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits.

5th January

Dalgety Bay birds 2023: 58 spp.

Inverkeithing birds 2023: 31 spp.

New Year's Beetles

A bit of a walk in Inverkeithing  got my patch list under way bird-wise but produced not even a single beetle, despite lifting numerous rocks. A lot of moveable rocks there are wet below anyway, and more likely to have newts.

A bit of a tussock probe in Dalgety Bay finally got the beetle drive underway. There are more than enough tussocks to bother. The fare was somewhat predictable, but that's not at all unexpected. 50 beetle species in January was 2021 total, so anything over that would be a success. Less than 60 would feel like a fail, though. 100 would be nice.link

I have this link to Clive Washington's January beetling post in an earlier blogpost but putting it here will make it easier to find: link

Ross Plantation. Fairly small tussocks here.

Silpha (Phosphuga) atrata - of course.

A modest collection to get off the start line

Trichocellus placidus

beetle spp. so far

Silpha atrata

Bembidion guttula

Trichocellus placidus

Pterostichus strenuus

Anotylus rugosus

Inverkeithing birds 2023: 31 spp., patch gold spp: none so far