Hello again!
Today was my last day collecting my pitfall traps from the brownfield sites Garibaldi Bing and Forge Dam. I had to take away the traps at Roughcastle two months ago as there were lots fo young frogs across the site and I didn’t want thm to get trappd and die in my pitfall traps. I have been collecting my pitfall traps regularly across the summer as well as sweeping the vegetation with my net for invertebrates at the three main sites I’m looking at in Falkirk.
When I finished my habitat surveys on the Falkirk 2007 vacant and derlict land register I was given permission to sample for invertebrates at sites owned by Falkirk council. I chose a site close to Roughcastle (at the Falkirk wheel) and another in Bo’ness. I put out pitfall traps at the site in Bo’ness but unfortunately they were accidently dug up and I didn’t replace them. I have been out with my net sweeping the vegetation and putting my specimens in alchohol to preserve them.
After collecting my invertebrate specimens I have been sorting them into order and labelling them with the site name, collection method, date and invertebrate order. I am looking at several groups of invertebrates closer and will be identifying them down to species over the winter. So far I have identified the different beetle and spider families that I have collected.
While I’ve been out visiting my sites and collecting invertebrates I have been really lucky to see my first comma butterfly, sandwich terns and broad leaved helleborine orchids.
As well as sampling my sites for invertebrates and learning about beetle and spider families I have also been to Uist with some of the other apprentices. The plant diversity of the Machair on Uist was amazing and I saw lots of cool things including frog orchids, great yellow bumblebee, moss carder bee, hen harrier and short eared owl and I also saw a peregrine and a brief glimpse of a merlin 🙂
I have a busy few months ahead of me as I try to identify the different species I have collected. As well as spiders and beetles I will also be identifying hoverflies, sawflys, digger wasps, millipedes and I have already done woodlice and ants so will need to get them checked. I have collected hundreds of beetles so identifying them all will take a while but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
I am going down to the buglife office in Peterborough for a couple of weeks in October to learn more about brownfields and the work buglife is doing with them. I also have a kick sampling course, harvestmen course and beetle course in the next month. I’m looking forward to the busy months ahead and will keep you up to date with my progress.
Thanx for reading!