The Bioblitz held over 24 hours at Stanpit Marsh Nature Reserve in Christchurch has recorded 492 species of flora and fauna.
The event was organised by Christchurch Council’s Countryside Service in collaboration with the Friends of Stanpit Marsh, Christchurch Harbour Ornithological Group, RSPB, Dorset Bat Group, Christchurch History Society, Christchurch Monday Camera Club and numerous naturalists and experts.
The aim of the Bioblitz was to provide up-to-date records of the wildlife on the marsh which can be used to inform the management of nature reserves, ensuring the effective protection and safeguarding of habitats and wildlife for the future.
It was also a way of involving local people and making them more aware of the types of flora and fauna in their locality. 250 people joined the Bioblitz to help with the recording process.
Peter Holloway, Senior Countryside Warden, said: “This was a really successful event. Last year’s Bioblitz recorded 400 species, so we recorded a lot more this year. In fact, ten per cent of the species recorded had never been found on the marsh before and, as far as we know, 26 of these species are new records for the whole borough.”
New species recorded range from a barnacle goose to a water-mite and include a number of species of beetle.
The Bioblitz included a wildlife photography walk, birds and plant identification, pond and stream dipping, minibeast hunts, spider walks, bat talk and walk and moth and mammal trapping events.
There were stalls and information displays about wildlife in the MarshPod information centre and a pop-up café to provide refreshments. On the reserve wildlife hubs were set up under canvas to provide base stations for experts to record the species and for people to participate in workshops and to look at their finds.
Small mammal traps were placed on the reserve overnight whilst people searched for bats and set up light traps to record moths. A dawn chorus and breakfast went down well for early risers on the Sunday morning. The final event saw the grand opening of the previous night’s moth and small mammal traps and the downloading of footage from a trail camera set to monitor wildlife movement after dark. An ‘Anabat’ that had recorded batecho location calls has suggested a new bat record for the marsh.
Peter Holloway added: “I would like to thank everyone who came to help with the recording process. I’m sure everyone enjoyed themselves in what was a very worthwhile exercise.”