2021 - a look back.

What a year 2021 was, who would have thought that everyone would have been so affected by the impact of COVID across the world.  With the recurrence of illness back in March I am just happy to have made 2022! To keep me going I look forward to having the opportunity to be able enjoy some summer sun and associated wildlife, keep setting goals, and achieving them. Having spent 45 years amassing a decent library of Natural History books, many for identification of numerous different family groups, it was with the sole intention of spending my retirement actually putting them to good use.  Too much focus on birds in the early years, moths in more recent years, at the expense of so many other species; a few notable finds of these other species included only the second British record of a harvestman Opilio canestrinii, and Himerta sepulchralis a new parasitic wasp for Yorkshire and rare nationally. So much more to see!

My initial recollection of 2021 was that it was a poor year, a very slow start due to the poor Spring weather, then very limited opportunity for trapping out at my usual local sites during the Summer and Autumn.  I was surprised to find that it was actually my fourth best year in Yorkshire with 379 species of moths, 19 of which were new for me in Yorkshire.  With a great family week away in Cornwall in August, fairly modest catches in a private garden in Gorran Haven contributed to my National total for the year which included 16 Lifer moths.  

The year is well documented on the blog so not wishing to duplicate I will just choose one highlight.  Of the new ones this year perhaps the most rewarding was a tortrix moth trapped at Brafferton, which I am sure I have trapped before but mis-identified, and on now being aware of its occurrence in the County I despatched it to Charlie the CMR who had dissected the only other three previous records.  It came back confirmed as Pammene ignorata, new for VC62. 

Pammene ignorata, 16 Jun 2021, Brafferton, VC62,

I expect to have the time to reminisce on the numerous highlights I have enjoyed over the years and will try and document them here.