The mild night produced a good haul of moths here in Brechfa too - I really should have trapped! 69 individuals of 18 species including 19 Oak Beauty and 4 or 5 of most others. 1 Red Sword-grass was probably the nicest of the bunch and I was disappointed not to catch any White-marked (but needn't have worried, as Vaughn got them at Salem).
Also a heads-up for Ian et al to look at Poplar twigs for the pinhead lichen Phaeocalicium populneum (look it up on-line), which I've just found new to Wales in the park in Brechfa. I can't believe it'll be only here and one site in England south of Scotland, so please check your local Poplars and Aspens!
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Will search for that pinhead lichen Sam -the little black pinheads look distinctive. I wonder if the original host at Brechfa was aspen and the species survived over the centuries (in what remained a well-wooded landscape) in that area?
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of planted (< mostly 50 years old) poplars and, more recently aspen, in the Llanelli area, but a lot are currently being cut down - I`ve just seen more fellings today (1/4/14). Aspen is scattered throughout Carms.
Apparently the Brechfa park Poplars are earmarked for felling, so Phaeocalicium may well become extinct in Wales within months of its discovery!
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