Every year, the BNHS recorders provide summaries of the records that have been submitted during the year. Here is their summary for 2013 –
- 2013 was the 20th driest year since 1766
- 69 species of weevils were recorded with 3 new species for Beds
- Common Frog was recorded on 32 sites
- Toad Lift in Heath & Reach helped 85 toads and 85 frogs across the road, other lifts didn’t lift any toads, just frogs!
- More than 29,000 records submitted for macro moths
- 38 regular garden moth traps
- Bat numbers down in Dec 2013 vs 2012 but back up in early 2014
- 87% bat boxes in King’s Wood used by bats
- A new mammal was recorded for Beds, a Porcupine recorded near Shuttleworth
- No Prairie Dog records since spring 2013, are they still around?
- Road-kill wallaby ‘discovered’ via blog
- Several hundred records set to People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) but only 85 sent to BNHS
- Records for small mammals mainly from cat kills
- More than 350 lichen species with 13 new species for Beds
- Number of species has increased from 132 to 350 in 30 years
- Is this due to cleaner air or climate change bringing back lichens that used to be here?
- 126 species of hoverfly, no new species
- Increase in orchid records due to orchid book being produced?
- Common Spotted, Bee and Early Purple increased coverage, Twayblades didn’t do so well
- Bird’s Nest Orchid wasn’t found in 2013, free copy of book for first sighting!
- Lizard Orchid found in allotment, now being fostered
- 2 new species of Dragonflies wandered in from Cambs – Norfolk Hawker and Variable Damselfly
- 1600 records from 74 people
- 21 species found in usual numbers and locations
- New UK Dragonfly and Damselfly Atlas being released May 2014
- 22 records for woodlice, 6 species including a tiny white one that lives in ants nests