AFON
To learn and see more – Sophie Bagshaw
Happy New Year! In the first week of this shiny new year, we are hearing from seven AFON members on their hopes and plans for 2017.
This past year has been full of wildlife for me. I have definitely delved into different aspects of nature a lot more this year and have loved it. My identification skills, though still basic, have become more rounded overall, taking into account many more wildlife groups such as hymenoptera, botany, arachnids and lepidoptera. I believe it is because I have met a wider range of people, found a mentor and by looking at a wider range of species I naturally just want to learn more. So, my goals and aspirations for 2017 are like any naturalist really…I would like to learn and see more.
A hymenopteran attacking its arachnid prey (c) Sophie Bagshaw
Throughout the year with the changing seasons I have many goals I would like to conquer. The first of which is probably the same as yours too (if you’re into nature), seeing new species. The top of my ‘wanted’ bird list is quite embarrassing to say the least, but to you may be a surprise, I haven’t seen or even heard a cuckoo. In 2016 birding has been put to the side as I got intrigued more so by other aspects of nature, so this year I plan to bring it back into my life more, maybe even do some ‘proper’ twitches!
Lepidoptera is becoming quite a passion. This year I should have reared through 11 Buff Tip, Phalera bucephala caterpillars which I can then release or even try breeding off them. I found a spot earlier last year near to my college which was like a butterfly gateway (well, good for up here); speckled woods, orange tips, small, large and green veined whites and holly blues. It was great to go there when I had a long break and watch the orange tips, Anthocharis cardamines, laying their eggs on cuckoo flower. Usually they only lay one egg on one plant as their larvae are cannibalistic. But here, due to their high adult numbers, I found one plant which had five eggs on. I took some home to rear through, they have pupated and will come out this spring. This year I plan to get back there and see what else is about.
This year I’m with A Planet Fit For Nature (APFFN) and we are trying to get more children involved and interested in nature. Hopefully, I will get to go into my old primary school and run a nature club. The staff sound really keen so hopefully this year we will pull it off. I’m grateful to hear any activities or ideas anyone has for it.
My final goal for this year is to get my natural collections sorted. Right now they are just stored away in drawers with no organisation to them. I need to photograph them and make a file of their data, so I will have records of everything. My skulls need this doing the most as I still haven’t stored away things found in 2014! Hopefully I’ll be able to get this done, that is if I don’t get distracted by wildlife!
Grey seal skull (c) Sophie Bagshaw