This week, I was both surprised and delighted to receive the NBN Newcomer Award for Wildlife Recording.
Now, it isn’t often I post about myself on this blog but on this occasion, you’ll have to forgive me. Following yesterday’s announcement, I can now say that I was thrilled (and more than a little surprised) this week to receive the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Newcomer Award for Wildlife Recording. A slightly daunting prospect given some of the incredible past winners but one I am sincerely grateful for.
Wildlife recording for me isn’t just about box-ticking, lists and spreadsheets, though I enjoy those too! Instead, it is a valuable way to give back to nature by creating valuable data that can (and is) used to protect it. Equally, it is about encouraging and supporting others to do the same and getting more people out and about encountering wildlife.
On a more personal and perhaps a little self-centred level (I think that’s allowed here), recording also provides a focus to my weekend walks and an excuse to spend every spare minute rummaging around in a host of great places. What’s not to like? Whether we’re talking plants, ladybirds or something else, occasionally, you also make the odd interesting discovery too which does help keep you motivated but doesn’t matter all too much in the grand scheme of things.
While I can think of far more deserving citizen scientists out there, I am truly grateful to NBN for the award, and to those who supported and encouraged me over the years. Not least, colleagues at NHSN and BSBI and the plethora of local naturalists I have the pleasure to meet with regularly.
I would also like to thank anyone who has stuck with this blog since its creation in 2011 – it has changed a fair bit, but the feedback received here has also been constantly encouraging!
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.
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.
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…
2021 has been a funny old year but despite the big c and the various restrictions it brought, it has also been a memorable one. While time outdoors has been limited this year, thankfully, I have still been lucky enough to observe, enjoy and record some fantastic wildlife. As the New Year dawns, I thought I’d share some highlights here.
Truthfully, I have seen more bees in 2021 than in any other year of my life to date, but perhaps that is because I have actually been looking?
Regardless, spurred on by NHSN’s North East Bee Hunt and supported to no end by helpful local experts, I have encountered some rather lovely species this year: my first Moss Carders on Lindisfarne, my first Hairy-footed Flower Bees (a county scarcity) and some delightful Bilberry Bumblebees to name but a few. All of which goes without mention of a dazzling assortment of other leafcutters, yellow-faced bees and bumbles.
Perhaps the highlight of the year on this front was finding this little Northern Mining Bee on spring wander through Ingram Valley in North Northumberland. This marked the first vice-county record for this attractive little insect and certainly made the hike worthwhole.
Northern Mining Bee, Andrena ruficrus
Lots of ladybirds
2021 marked my first year of purposefully seeking out ladybirds and I have been lucky to find and record a great many this year. Some of these, the 22-spot, 7-spot and Orange Ladybirds were familiar while others including the Eyed and 11-Spot Ladybirds shown below were entirely new for me.
A real highlight was discovering the inconspicuous but beautiful Water Ladybird at several new sites around Newcastle; while I also caught up with my first Adonis’ and Kidney-spot Ladybirds locally,
A little account of ladybird recording in Newcastle can be found here.
Befitting two exciting (but equally terrifying) new roles as joint BSBI vice-county recorder for North Northumberland, and joint Botany Specialist Group lead for NHSN, much of this year has been spent admiring plants.
Highlights here are too numerous to list with many interesting sites visited and many species observed. Instead, a few local finds spring to mind including the first county record of Curry Plant growing on the pavement here in Heaton, and a county-first Marshmallow spotted beside a local pond. Vosges Whitebeam was a notable find at a couple of local sites, if only because it took some time to ID it, while it has been interesting to observe several Thorn-apple plants growing close to home. A sure sign of their spread into the North of the UK.
Of course, our native species have enchanted too with a particular highlight coming from an encounter with my first-ever Maiden Pinks on the North Northumberland coast. I will make a point of revisiting these next year.
Spending so much time at home, it was inevitable that more time would be dedicated to recording wildlife in our little garden. With over 200 species encountered, there are too many to list but standout moments include the arrival of Currant Clearwing and Mint Moth, plenty of Davies’ Colletes and some nice moth trap finds, including the superb Figure-of-Eighty shown below.
In the latter half of 2021, I set about attempting to learn urban trees with a focus on the more unusual, non-native species so commonly planted in our parks, towns and cities. Spending countless hours roaming various sites in Newcastle, I was delighted to encounter dozens of new species, from North American Pin and Red Oaks to Himalayan Birch and a range of unusual maples. While conifers still baffle me, getting to grips with the various globe-trotters with whom I share the city has certainly been eye-opening – there are so many out there!
You can share a closer look at Newcastle’s trees (and shrubs) with me here.
A slightly unusual one now and while searching for ladybirds, I have been amazed by the quantity and diversity of shieldbugs uncovered at a range of local haunts. Some of these, like the Green, Hairy and Hawthorn Shieldbugs were familiar to me already; though a range of new species were encountered too including the striking Spiked Shieldbug and aptly named Parent Bug. I will certainly spend more time exploring this group in 2022.
A small, artificial reserve on the fringes of the city, Silverlink Biodiversity Park in North Tyneside has long been a favourite of mine when it comes to plants and invertebrates. Each year, I make a point of visiting the site in Summer with the aim of counting and enjoying its beautiful Bee Orchids and this year, the plants did not disappoint.
2021 was a record-breaking year for these colourful little wildflowers and here, hundreds were observed blooming across the site’s small but diverse grassland areas. It was also great to share this little-known with local naturalists as part of a guided walk back in July.
Bee Orchid, Ophrys apiferaA group walk at SilverlinkBee Orchid, Ophrys apifera
A trip to Teesdale
At the tail end of Spring, I was lucky enough to pay my first visit to the botanist’s paradise that is Upper Teesdale. While our walk may have been a little longer than planned – I severely misjudged the route – it was sensational to observe many of the plants that help make this area so special. Iconic and beautiful Spring Gentians, Alpine Meadow-rue, Bird’s-eye Primrose, Mountain Pansy and Green Spleenwort, there was certainly much to see.
I look forward to visiting again in 2022 and hopefully catching up with a few of the species that eluded me this time around. I’m looking at you Shrubby Cinquefoil and Holly Fern…
While pottering about in search of plants, bees and ladybirds, it would have been rude not to pay closer attention to the other taxa seen on my travels. From butterflies and hoverflies to fascinating fungi, highlights have been too many to count but a few stand out moments include more Dingy Skippers than I can shake a stick at, thirty species of hoverfly, some impressive longhorn beetles and the first record of Diprion similis, a scarce Sawfly, for North East England.
While I have a long way to go before I can confidently identify species in these groups, I look forward to broadening my horizons further next year.
Nature is better when enjoyed together and it would be rude of me not to mention the many passionate naturalists I have had the pleasure to meet and work with this year. By offering help with species identification and sharing experiences in the field, it is the people that have made 2021 so rewarding for this amateur naturalist.
Special thanks go to Louise Hislop and Charlotte Rankin for their help identifying bees and to Chris and Hazel Metherell for some memorable botanical moments, but really, it has been wonderful to share experiences with so many committed wildlife-watchers. I hope to meet many more next year.
Bees at SilverlinkBotany at WylamAdmiring Bombus rupestrisLook, a Moss Carder!
