National Biodiversity Data Centre Report on the Limerick City Urban BioBlitz Photo: L iam Lysaght 23 & 24 August 2013 Organised in association with Limerick City Council and Limerick City Tidy Towns. Limerick City Urban BioBlitz, 23rd & 24 th August, 2013. Pag e 1 Introduction Limerick City Urban BioBlitz ran from 17:00hrs on Friday 23 rd to 17:00hrs on Saturday 24 th August 2013. The event was organised by Limerick City Council and Limerick City Tidy Towns, with the support of the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Format The focus of the event was very much about promoting natural heritage and raising awareness of the biodiversity within the City confines. In addition to having a number of key experts carrying out surveys of key sites in the City, a number of public events were held to encourage members of the public to become involved. Main sites visited Over the course of the weekend, five main sites were visited. These were: Park Canal - [Grid reference: R5857] Baggott Estate - [Grid reference: R5654] Westfields - [Grid reference: R5657] People’s Park - [Grid reference: R5756] Donlon’s Field - [Grid reference: R5658] Pa Healy’s Road - [Grid reference: R5857] Coonagh - [Grid reference: R5256] O’Callaghan’s Strand - [Grid reference: R5757] Shannon at St. Mary’s Park - [Grid reference: R5758] Results Over the course of the Urban BioBlitz 454 records were generated of 249 different species (Table 1). Over half of all records were of vascular plants (Figure 1). The species recorded as part of Limerick City Urban BioBlitz are listed below. Limerick City Urban BioBlitz, 23rd & 24 th August, 2013. Page 2 Composition of records by group Butterfly Others 3% Damselfly 2% 3% Moth 12% Vascular plant 55% Bird 25% Figure 1: Number of species recorded by different taxonomic groups. No. of Taxon group species Vascular plant 138 Bird 61 Moth 30 Damselfly 8 Butterfly 6 Amphibian 1 Cranefly 1 Grasshopper 1 Mollusc 1 Moss 1 Table 1: Number of species recorded of different groups. Participating recorders We are extremely grateful to the recorders who gave of their time and expertise freely to survey sites as part of Limerick City Urban BioBlitz. The recorders were: Ken Bond Ron Byrne Kieran Fay Kevin Hannon Feidhlim Harty Susie Harty Eoin Hegarty Geoff Hunt Elaine Keegan Liam Lysaght Ida Meade Tom Tarpey Limerick City Urban BioBlitz, 23rd & 24 th August, 2013. Page 3 AMPHIBIAN Common Blackbird Turdus merula Elder Sambucus nigra Common Frog Rana temporaria Barn Owl Tyto alba Fool's-water-cress Apium nodiflorum Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Perforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum BIRD Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Red Bartsia Odontites vernus Herring Gull Larus argentatus Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Common Reed Phragmites australis Mute Swan Cygnus olor Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Alder Alnus glutinosa Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Rook Corvus frugilegus Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Black Medick Medicago lupulina Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Bush Vetch Vicia sepium Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus Cat's-ear Hypochaeris radicata Rock Pigeon Columba livia Garganey Anas querquedula Cleavers Galium aparine House Sparrow Passer domesticus Common Pochard Aythya ferina Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra Gadwall Anas strepera Stonechat Saxicola torquata Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum Little Egret Egretta garzetta Common Raven Corvus corax Common Nettle Urtica dioica Common Coot Fulica atra Stock Pigeon Columba oenas Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Common Redshank Tringa totanus Common Vetch Vicia sativa Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens Common Swift Apus apus Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Crested Dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Cut-leaved Crane's-bill Geranium dissectum House Martin Delichon urbicum Eyebright Euphrasia Sand Martin Riparia riparia CONIFER False Oat-grass Arrhenatherum elatius Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina Yew Taxus baccata Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus pedunculatus Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Hard Rush Juncus inflexus Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus FERN Marsh Woundwort Stachys palustris Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Asplenium scolopendrium Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris Black-billed Magpie Pica pica Bracken Pteridium aquilinum Montbretia Crocosmia pottsii x aurea Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus Hartstongue Fern Phyllitis scolopendrium = C. x crocosmiiflora Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes Red Clover Trifolium pratense Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata FLOWERING PLANT Selfheal Prunella vulgaris Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Gypsywort Lycopus europaeus Sharp-flowered Rush Juncus acutiflorus Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret Remote Sedge Carex remota Silverweed Potentilla anserina Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris European Robin Erithacus rubecula Hemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata Soft-rush Juncus effusus Mew Gull Larus canus Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria Sweet Vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula Purple-loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Tormentil Potentilla erecta Hooded Crow Corvus cornix Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca Limerick City Urban BioBlitz, 23rd & 24 th August, 2013. Page 4 Water Mint Mentha aquatica Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea White Clover Trifolium repens Downy Birch Betula pubescens Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis Traveller's-joy Clematis vitalba Silver Birch Betula pendula Yarrow Achillea millefolium Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus FUNGUS Rowan Sorbus aucuparia Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis Sycamore Tarspot Rhytisma acerinum Smooth Sow-thistle Sonchus oleraceus Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Groundsel Senecio vulgaris Water-plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica HORSETAIL Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa Lesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense Osier Salix viminalis Scentless Mayweed Tripleurospermum inodorum Bay Willow Salix pentandra Taraxacum aggregate BUTTERFLY Salix cinerea Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre Common Blue Polyommatus icarus White Willow Salix alba Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius Bulrush Typha latifolia Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Rosa canina agg. Shepherd's-purse Capsella bursa-pastoris Small White Pieris rapae Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium Large White Pieris brassicae Sessile Oak Quercus petraea Daisy Bellis perennis Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa Blackthorn Prunus spinosa Green Field-speedwell Veronica agrestis DAMSELFLY Wild Cherry Prunus avium Gorse Ulex europaeus Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Grey Poplar Populus alba x tremula Dandelion Taraxacum Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum = P. x canescens Fuchsia magellanica Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Knotgrass Polygonum aviculare Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa Greater Plantain Plantago major Horse-chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea Elm Ulmus Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta Redshank Persicaria maculosa Paper Birch Betula papyrifera Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Nasturtium officinale agg. Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus Winter Heliotrope Petasites fragrans Common Duckweed Lemna minor Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus MOTH Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum Udea lutealis Ivy Hedera helix Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare Common White Wave Cabera pusaria Reed Sweet-grass Glyceria maxima Marsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus Celypha lacunana Floating Sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans Wood Avens Geum urbanum Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella Common Hemp-nettle Galeopsis tetrahit Enchanter's-nightshade Circaea lutetiana Acleris laterana Ash Fraxinus excelsior Holly Ilex aquifolium Cochylis atricapitana Marsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca Firethorn Leaf Miner Phyllonorycter leucographella Wild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum Caloptilia stigmatella Wild Carrot Daucus carota Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium Phyllonorycter nigrescentella Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera Parornix anglicella Hazel Corylus avellana Broom Cytisus scoparius Elachista maculicerusella Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis Acrolepia autumnitella Limerick City Urban BioBlitz, 23rd