Tag: IRecord

Where To Send Your Wildlife Records?

As I mentioned previously, biological recording is a bit of a minefield and there are plenty of organisations, groups, societies and schemes out there vying for your valuable wildlife records.

Generally, biological recording is an interconnected affair and records submitted through a chosen platform usually (but not always) find their way to where they’re needed. Still, trying to unravel the spider’s web that is environmental data-sharing in the UK is rather complex and I will not try to explain it here. I doubt that I could!

Where you send your records is ultimately down to you but some things you may wish to consider are:

  • Where will my records have the greatest impact?
  • Will they be added to national and local datasets?
  • Do they go where I want them to?
  • How easy/time efficient is it to send in sightings?
  • Will I get feedback on my records?

iRecord

iRecord is a fantastic platform for sharing records of species you have already identified. Recorders can add sightings of taxa quickly and easily, set up ‘Activities’ associated with particular species groups or places and readily explore what other naturalists have been spotting in their local area.

The single best thing about iRecord (in my humble opinion) is its interconnectedness. Sightings added to iRecord are shared with recording schemes, county recorders and expert verifiers, enabling sightings to be ‘confirmed’ before finding their way into wider datasets. The platform is also firmly linked with the NBN Atlas, enabling records to be shared wider with anyone who needs them and downloaded by Local Environmental Record Centres. Feedback on iRecord is not always instantaneous, but the wait is worthwhile knowing your sightings are going to the right place.

Truthfully, iRecord takes a little time to get your head around but is well worth it.

Opinion: iRecord is the platform to use if you seek comfort in the knowledge that someone, somewhere will use your wildlife records for something positive.

iNaturalist

A global wildlife recording platform, iNaturalist is incredibly easy to use. Whether you choose to use the website or app, you need only upload an image and hit send. Somewhat different to iRecord, recorders don’t even need to know what they’ve spotted and unidentified records are quickly confirmed by other users.

The community feel of iNaturalist is a great bonus of the platform and the very reason it is often used for bioblitzes such as the City Nature Challenge. You’ll need multiple confirmations from other users for your wildlife records to be marked as ‘Research Grade’ before they can be picked up by recording schemes – something which is likely to remove the majority of errors. A potential drawback here is that while there are many knowledgeable people using iNaturalist, anyone can ‘verify’ a record. You do not receive the same access to experts as provided by iRecord.

Recently, records from iNaturalist began to be automatically imported into iRecord, meaning they can be verified just like any other; though some schemes opt to ignore these and issues such as the use of nicknames and incorrect location names can throw a spanner in the works.

iNaturalist has, however, come a long way in a relatively short space of time!

Opinion: use iNaturalist if you’re seeking help with identification, are just starting out in biological recording or enjoy a more interactive experience.

Additional options for your wildlife records

Local Environmental Records Centres (LERCs)

Local Environmental Records Centres are not-for-profit organisations that collect, collate and distribute environmental data for a set geographic area. A good example is my local Environmental Records Information Centre here in the North East.

As well as collating data from various groups, clubs and schemes, LERCs often have their own portals to allow record sharing by local naturalists, often using the same software as iRecord. Sightings shared with LERCs will eventually make their way down the same channels as those shared to iRecord and may also be shared with NBN if centre staff and volunteers can spare the time.

It is worth mentioning that LERCs also have the ability to collect records shared to iRecord and iNaturalist. This may take a little time and ultimately, depends on the resources of the centre in question.

Opinion: submitting to your local LERC is a good way to ensure your records are used where they’re needed locally. However, under ideal circumstances, active LERCs should receive records shared with other platforms anyway.

Targeted Recording Apps

If you are only interested in recording a select few species groups, you might consider some of the targeted surveys out there. Two good examples that spring to mind are iRecord Butterflies and iRecord Ladybirds, both of which do a great job capturing important data on these groups through a series of handy apps. There are others out there too!

Vice-County Recorders (VCRs)

Vice-County Recorders are local naturalists appointed to gather, verify and curate wildlife sightings, and coordinate surveys. From plants to moths and mammals, for most of the well-studied species groups, the chances are there is a vice-county recorder in your area. Most welcome sightings via email, and others may request records to be collated in spreadsheets.

Many VCRs are plugged into some of the same platforms mentioned previously and actively verify and collect records from iRecord, in particular. That said, there remain some out there who are ‘selective’ about the platforms they choose to support, both reasonably and unreasonably in some cases. If you plan on doing serious recording locally, it is probably best to check the preference of your VCR to avoid your sightings floating about in permanent limbo.

Opinion: sending sightings direct to a VCR is a viable alternative for anyone wishing to avoid online recording portals but please do check their preference before filling their inbox.

Recording Schemes

From shieldbugs and snails to bees, beetles and fungi, thanks to a long history of wildlife recording in the UK, there are recording schemes out there for just about everything. NBN have a great search function to help you find the scheme that’s right for you.

Like the aforementioned VCRs, many of these schemes are wired into iRecord and even iNaturalist, while others choose to run their own recording portals or capture data in other ways. The UK Hoverfly Scheme‘s Facebook group is a good example of this.

For the purposes of this blog, I’m also lumping bird clubs and natural history societies that collect records in this category too. Many of these may share your sightings more widely but it helps to be cautious here as some may not distribute them any further than their own archive.

And there we have it! Ultimately, where you send your wildlife records boils down to what you hope to achieve. If you’re keen to support conservation, research and the production of resources, choose a route that leads to NBN. Here, your data can be downloaded and accessed at will by those who need it. More specifically, if you want expert feedback, opt for iRecord, or if you prefer the social site of wildlife recording, consider iNaturalist. The list goes on…

While the entire process of wildlife recording can be confusing, the most important thing is that you’re making the effort to document your finds in the first place. You can tackle the rest later.

Creating a Wildlife Record

Wildlife recording is quickly becoming a main passion of mine. The process of searching out interesting species, making notes, creating records and contributing in some small way to our understanding of nature proving to be a fulfilling way of making use of time outside.

Before digging into the subject in a little more detail on this blog, I wanted to cover the basics first and take a closer look and just what makes up a wildlife record…

The importance of wildlife recording

The importance of wildlife recording, or biological recording, to use the proper lingo, cannot be understated. Citizen science and the records generated by naturalists across the UK help inform conservation action by monitoring the abundance and distribution of wildlife, revealing expansions and of course, bringing to light declines too. They help paint a picture of how wildlife is faring on a national level but, closer to home, highlight local trends too, helping conservationists, organisations and researchers to target effort where it is needed most.

What is a wildlife record?

Whether we’re talking plants, insects, birds or a different group entirely, all wildlife records have a few main components:

What

The name of the plant or animal you’ve spotted and identified. If you’re unsure what you’ve seen, an identification to family level may suffice – the great thing these days is that there are plenty of people out there ready to help identify your finds.

Photograph

A picture speaks a thousand words and photographs help verifiers and county recorders confirm the species you’ve seen. Images are not always needed but for tricky species, they’re a big help.

Where

The place at which you spotted your plant or animal. An accurate grid reference is the most important factor here and generally, it is best to be as specific as possible. For many species, a six-figure grid reference is a good starting point.

Grid Reference Finder is an excellent tool to help with this.

When

The date on which you made your wildlife observation.

Who

Your name, in full. Or least written in a way that you would like to be displayed when your record is used elsewhere. Usernames and nicknames can sometimes be an issue for those looking to use your records so it is best to stick to writing your name in full.

What else could you record?

Depending on how thorough you wish to be, there are many other things you could note when creating your wildlife record. Additional informal is a great way to maximise the value of your sighting. Some things you might wish to include are:

How many

How many of your plant or animal did you see? Was it a single individual, or twenty? Information such as this is very important when it comes to assessing local and national populations.

Stage

Only applicable with some taxa but useful to note. If you spotted an insect, was it an adult or was it in its larval stage? If a plant, was it flowering, in seed or vegetative?

Habitat

Knowing more about the site at which you spotted your plant or animal is really useful. You may which to stay broad, for example by stating ‘woodland’ or may specify further, coniferous or wet woodland for example.

Additional observations

Anything else you observed while recording your plant or animal. If, for example, you’re recording a pollinator, what kind of plant was it feeding on? If a fungus, was it growing on a particular kind of tree?

What to do with your wildlife records?

Knowing what to do with your wildlife records is a different kettle of fish entirely. Biological recording in general is a bit of a minefield and plenty of websites, apps and organisations welcome the submission of your valuable records. Generally, there are a handful of really good options for wildlife recorders in the UK, but we’ll cover those further in another blog…

Wildlife recording on the street – looking back at 2020

When lockdown dawned in 2020 and naturalists across the country were forced to redirect their wildlife-watching close to home, I set myself a challenge: to find and record as many species as possible on and around my Newcastle street. Birds, bees and butterflies; mammals and molluscs, everything and anything counted. An easy task, or so I thought – there couldn’t possibly be much to be found within a small area of parkland, rail verge, and urban conurbation.

Fast forward to the start of 2021, and with a few final pleas for help identifying the last few remaining invertebrates, it seems I concluded the year with 272 species recorded on the streets of Heaton. Not a bad total for someone almost entirely new to biological recording and with little experience with anything lacking feathers.

A few highlights and musings follow…

Botany

Throughout 2020, 137 plant species were recorded during walks in Heaton. Unsurprisingly, the highest total of any group. Many of these were to be expected – Groundsel, Danish Scurvygrass, and Sun Spurge – ‘weeds’ often associated with urban areas. That said, there were several surprises and highlights. The presence of Northern Marsh Orchid and Sneezewort in the local park, deep-red Scarlet Pimpernel and sprawling Bittersweet tucked into the hidden corners of the street, and the odd bloom of Cuckooflower and Goat’s-beard.

Befitting my location, many of the plants recorded here in 2020 were somewhat tropical in origin. Heaton, it seems, is home to a wealth of globe-trotting flora. There was, of course, plenty of Buddleia, Trailing Bellflower, Yellow Corydalis and Opium Poppy to be seen; though there were a few surprises. Stands of Greater Quaking-grass and Black Nightshade were notable, Procumbent Yellow-sorrel was an interesting find and Causican Crosswort was most unexpected. I suspect there will be a few more escapees and garden renegades to uncover in 2021.

Sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica
Northern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza purpurella
Scarlet Pimpernell, Anagallis arvensis
Bittersweet, Solanum dulcamara

Prior to 2020 and the onset of the Natural History Society of Northumbria‘s North East Bee Hunt, I confess, I hadn’t spared much of a thought for bees and certainly couldn’t identify them. With this in mind, I was delighted to record 17 species of bee close to home. Some of these were to be expected – Tree Bumblebee, Common Carder and the omnipresent Buff-tails – but others were slightly more interesting. In the local park, colonies of Chocolate, Tawny and Buffish Mining Bees were unearthed (not literally). In the garden, Bronze Furrow Bee and Blue Mason Bee became regular visitors and a bit of sympathetic planting lured in Patchwork Leafcutter and Fork-tailed Flower Bees.

When it comes to wasps, I still haven’t a clue, though some friendly advice from the good folk of Twitter identified a moribund wasp as Median Wasp – a new species for me altogether.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris
Fork-tailed Flower Bee, Anthophora furcata
Patchwork Leafcutter Bee, Megachile centuncularis
Median Wasp, Dolichovespula media

Flies (mostly hoverflies)

Like bees, flies were new to me in 2020 (and even more confusing). With the help of the superb Wild Guides hoverfly publication, I was, however, able to make a start identifying the various species present on and around my street. In total, 21 species were observed. Among these, Pied Hoverfly and Narcissus Bulb Fly were particularly abundant. The garden also came up trumps again in this regard luring in Scaeva selenitica, Sphaerophoria scripta and Melangyna labiatarum.

Other flies were few and far between or rather, overly taxing, but Dark-edge Bee-Fly, Holly Leafminer and the tiny Trypeta zoe were all interesting spots.

Doubtless, there will be many more to uncover in 2021, should I develop the patience…

Pied Hoverfly, Scaeva pyrastri
The Footballer, Helophilus pendulus
Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus
Narcissus Bulb Fly, Merodon equestris

Lepidoptera

It was a poor year for moths here owing to street lights that overhang our yard, though the moth trap did yield one notable highlight: Obscure Wainscot, a regionally scarce species and a specialist of marshland and fens. Neither of which are present in the immediate vicinity. A brace of more familiar species including Peppered Moth, Grey Pug, Barred Yellow and Bee Moth at least ensured an entirely unrespectable list of 23 species recorded on the street. Another stand-out highlight was a Mother Shipton netted as it crossed the garden in Spring.

Whilst it was a bad year for moths, it was certainly a good year for butterflies with 9 species seen. Orange-tip in Spring was a welcome addition as was a new colony of Holly Blue that appears to have sprung up on the outskirts of the nearby allotments. Small Skipper and Ringlet adorned the local park throughout summer and our ever-trusty garden Buddleia succeeded in luring in Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Let us hope for a Painted Lady in 2021, a species conspicuous in its absence last year.

Small Skipper, Thymelicus sylvestris
Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus
Obscure Wainscot, Mythimna obsoleta
Orange Swift, Triodia sylvina

Other smaller life

Records of other insects were few and far between and there is clearly still much to do in this regard. Among the beetles, Rosemary Beetle and Cream-spot Ladybird were highlights, and we did manage four species of Shieldbug. One of which, the Blue Shieldbug, was quite exciting.

We got off to a good start with molluscs too with Great Ramshorn and Great Pond Snail scooped from a local pond and the garden attracting Green Cellar Slug, Iberian Three-band Slug and some impressive Leopard Slugs.

The surprising lockdown hobby of counting woodlice also yield five species, one of which – Porcellio spinicornis – was entirely new to me.

As for spiders? Two notable records were had. The first, Hypositticus pubescens, constituting the first record for North East England for around 90 years. The second, Pseudeuophrys lanigera, is a similarly rare (or under-recorded) jumping spider.

Hypositticus pubescens
Common Pill Woodlouse, Armadillidium vulgare
7-spot Ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata
Rosemary Beetle, Chrysolina americana

Birdlife

Birds were never going to be the most numerous group so close to the city, but I did manage a respectable 42 species on walks close to home. Setting aside the tits and finches, it was nice to catch up with Siskin and Meadow Pipit as they migrated south over the house and the daily commutes of the local Ring-necked Parakeets added a splash of colour on dull days. A lone male Reed Bunting perched atop the tiny stand of Phragmites in Iris Brickfield Park was most welcome, as were a party of Redwing in late winter. Other highlights included Jay, Blackcap, Stock Dove and Oystercatcher.

What next?

Whereas like many I suspect, I thought lockdown and the resulting banishment from my favourite haunts would lead to endless boredom, I was pleasantly surprised to find the process of observing and recording wildlife close to home both cathartic and educational. I’ve learnt a great deal and, dare I say it, seem to be developing a wider appreciation for natural history in all its forms – as opposed to the birds, colourful orchids and iconic mammals that interested me previously.

I think I’ll continue with the process (or at least the attempt) of documenting my local, urban wildlife in 2021, albeit with a few changes. In the interest of diversity, I’ll be spreading out from the street to cover a circular 1-mile of Newcastle. What I’ll gain from this remains to be seen, but the extra shred of parkland, a small portion of the nearby Ouseburn, a cemetery and a few more streets to comb will undoubtedly help. I’ll also make a much more concerted effort to add everything I find (or at least the species I can competently identify) to iRecord.

Already, at the start of 2021, some twenty new species have been found in the local area. Fungi, bryophytes and molluscs mainly, which coupled with a renewed focus on invertebrates in Spring and Summer should provide challenge enough for this year.

Let’s set a target of 500 species by 2022 within the urban mile…

Five MORE great apps for modern naturalists

Following my first post on the subject, I thought I would revisit the matter of great mobile applications designed to make life easier for naturalists on the go – there are just so many worthy of a mention and it very, very difficult to choose! With this in mind, featured below are five more educational, fun and all around beneficial apps for you to consider. While they may differ in purpose, all make a worthy edition to home-screen of any iPhone or Android device.

INaturalist

A truly global and incredibly popular app, iNaturalist helps you identify myriad plants and animals at the touch of a button. This incredibly user-friendly application allows you to capture photos in the field and post them online for others to identify – perfect for those lacking the time to flick through extensive field guides or for those lacking knowledge of a specific taxonomic group. Like the apps mentioned in my previous post, iNaturalist is essentially a citizen science application: one that lets you record and upload records of plants and animals on the move. Though, in this case, this app comes complete with an added sense of community – allowing users to follow and interact with like-minded individuals and learn from the extensive experience of others. It is well worth a moment of your time and, perhaps best of all, is entirely free to download and use.

Mammal Tracker

Brought to you by the Mammal Society, Mammal Tracker is the easiest and most efficient way to submit mammal sightings on the go. From small mammals – voles, shrews and mice – to deer and badgers, this app lets you submit records on the spot, complete with important information such as date, location and the number of individuals involved in the sighting. With records feeding directly into the societies database and, ultimately, helping paint a better picture regarding the health of Britain’s mammalian populations. Records submitted via Mammal Tracker are all verified by experts, thus the submission of photos alongside reports of hard to identify species is recommended; though it should be noted that this app is open to everyone, expert and novice alike. Additionally, Mammal Tracker is also incredibly helpful when identifying the species seen on your daily forays, and comes complete with a confusion species gallery to aid in proper identification of troublesome species. I certainly found it useful with regards to voles…

IRecord

I cannot stress the virtues of IRecord enough: this app should be the go-to resource for biological recorders, amateur or otherwise, in the UK. IRecord allows users to submit sightings of myriad different taxa alongside handy GPS acquired coordinates and relevant descriptions. All of which feeds directly into national databases and provides scientists with no end of useful information regarding the health and spread of faunal and floral populations. This application has many advantages: the ability to work offline and record any species, small or large, foremost among them. It also automatically checks sightings in order to highlight potential errors and allows experts to verify sightings deemed accurate. In this regard, photos of hard to identify species are recommended. As with iNaturalist, this app comes with a real sense of community, letting recorders share their sightings with others both locally and nationally; and even comes complete with a slight competitive element for those interested in a bit of sport. With sightings recorded via the app feeding into league tables visible on the IRecord website. Though for most, this will play second fiddle to the importance of recording in the first place; with this easy to use and appealing app making biological recording on the go both incredibly easy and enjoyable. Check it out!

PlantTracker

Born of the combined efforts of the Environment Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Nature Resources Wales and others, this is an incredibly important application that fulfils a very significant purpose: recording the spread of invasive botanicals. We all know the perils brought about by invasive species – whether that be Himalayan Balsam or Japanese Knotweed. They displace and out-compete native species, ruin vulnerable habitats and, in some cases, cause extensive damage to human interests. In order to control said species, it is necessary to understand them: which is where Plant Tracker comes in. Letting users submit GPS based photographic records of eighteen particularly problematic species wherever they are encountered. This app is definitely one for those wishing to do something positive for nature.

Roger’s Mushrooms

Available as in both a lite, free version and a more extensive yet affordably priced version, Roger’s Mushrooms is the perfect tool for identifying (and learning about) fungi. This user-friendly app comes complete with over 2,600 photographs of 1,650 fungi species from across Europe and North America and allows users to document their own fungal adventures and share their finds with like-minded recorders. Additional features of the app include an Eat Mushrooms section complete with handy tips and recipes from founder and author, Roger Phillips, and a Learn Mushrooms section which allows users to test their mettle through a series of fun and educational quizzes. Rogers Mushrooms is, without a doubt, an app worthy of a space in the phone of every aspiring mycologist.