Mid-April 2022
I had lunch in Earlham Cemetery, and spent most of the time staring at a couple of Larch trees in the hope of finding Larch Ladybird, a species that has so far eluded me. It continues to do so, but I did find a few nice things, including a Pine Cone Bug, an Eyed Ladybird and an egg-laying Larch adelphid aka Larch Woolly Aphid), Adelges laricis.
Early April 2022
Fairly early on when learning about wildflowers you find out that the ubiquitous Dandelion is not one species, and that it is in fact 230+ (micro) species. Many botanists shy away from identifying microspecies due to the difficulties associated with identifying and confirming them, but with a new BSBI handbook out recently I thought I would give it a go. The book is very nice, but to be honest it went pretty much how I expected. Despite it being easy to notice differences particularly in leaf shape, stature etc, the issues arise with plasticity, whereby a species can look dramatically different if it has been mown, is competing against high vegetation, is growing in the shade, if the day you see it ends in a y etc etc. Some species produce different shaped leaves early on to those produced later, and that is before you even get started on understanding all of the different terms associated with ID and assessing colour, hairiness etc.
I had hoped to make inroads at least into identifying some of the species present at Whitlingham, but have so far got no further than a few to sub-group. Alex Prendergast ran several identification workshops but I was unable to attend any of them unfortunately. Nonetheless I do have names for two of the Dandelions seen during the month. Firstly Taraxacum lacistophyllum, a low growing plant with finely divided leaves seen on a dry grassy area at the Norfolk & Norwich hospital and identified by Alex. Secondly, and so far the only species I've identified correctly myself and had confirmed, Taraxacum leucopodon. This is a robust species with rather crinkly leaves and the terminal leaf lobe is described as looking like an old German helmet. I found it growing at Earlham Millenium Green.
6th April 2022
A brief visit to Whitlingham in the hope of seeing some spring migrants. Other than Chiffchaffs the only other warbler heard singing were Blackcaps, and there were no hirundines etc. After reading a few Mute Swan rings I noted rust fungi on Lesser Celandine and Cuckoo Pint before having a look around the picnic meadow, seeing a very obliging Little Nomad Bee, Nomada flavoguttata.
Late March 2022
A selection of random things from around Norwich on my walks too and from work. I had been looking at grasses around the city for Early Meadow Grass (Poa infirma), and finally found a big patch on Brazen Gate. I also walked out to Hall Road to check out the yellow form of Sweet Violet (sulphurea), which looked nice if a bit trampled. Nearby I found some tiny galls on Goosegrass leaves which seem to amtch the description of Synchytrium globosum (https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/fungi/chytridiomycota/chytridiales/synchytrium/synchytrium-globosum/), but even Peter Shirley of AIDGAP gall guide fame wasn't really aware of it in the UK, so I can't easily confirm it (they are tiny!)
Elsewhere there were two new aphids for me, Cinara cupressi on my rubbish bin (kept near a cypress sp) and what I think are Aulacorthum solani on Thale Cress.
Finally I saw some white-flowered Herb Robert in an alleyway near the house and a brood of Egyptian Geese were in Wensum Park, the second one I've seen in the city after the ones near the Ribs of Beef.
