Pan Species Listers anywhere? (1 Viewer)

[Tiraya]

Wondered how common this is on here. I can't find much about it. For those who don't know the term it is like bird listing -- but everything!

As for me I do try and involve myself in it but I'm very jealous of the people that seem to know all the seldom seen species and their locations, info which is impossible to find on the internet. I can imagine it must be so much more convenient knowing a place for 30-40 good species as opposed to randomly walking around acres of habitat and hoping you'll bump into just 1 of them!

 

[AlexC]

James, I do! I call it my "Life List of Life" - hadn't heard of pan-species listing as a moniker for it.

Of course birds are my main squeeze, but I try to learn as I go with others:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OGxXhQ7K7zrcFe8NYLyz-N21KVCry2f8YWBbQQcRjKY/edit?usp=sharing
Check the additional "sheets" at the bottom of the google excel for groupings.

 

[lazza]

I'm trying hard to get to 1000 species by bike this year, so kind of pan-species listing.... But I am realising how difficult it is:

Firstly, my knowledge of pretty much all families is seriously limited! Although I have a few books, on moths, flowers, insects, etc., the huge range of species (in comparison to birds) often means that the species I find are not listed, or that only the most common is shown together with a vague comments about "37 similar species"!

It's enormously time-consuming! What could be a pleasant cycle ride out into the Northumberland countryside turns into a stop-start procession of phone-photography!!

I don't take it seriously enough....! I realise as I go on that I should be more methodical, such as having a moth trap or beating bushes to dislodge insects, and that I just simply ignore the difficult groups (mosses, grasses, lichen) as I have very little idea where to start! So I presumably miss a huge number of species on a daily basis.

AlexC: can I ask where you got your spreadsheet from, or did you create it yourself? I did (rather optimistically) have a look on-line if there is any such thing as a worldwide species listing!! Seeing your efforts makes me think that I should possibly keep some kind of on-going list of what I have seen through my life. It's an excellent format you have there!

 

[Tiraya]

It's enormously time-consuming! What could be a pleasant cycle ride out into the Northumberland countryside turns into a stop-start procession of phone-photography!!

This is my life haha. I don't think I could take a "normal" nature walk again though the more you see the less you have to stop!

My "list" is only 3507 at the moment, I still have lots of photos to identify and sort out from many months into the past...I've been using this site to keep track of my list, at the same time keeps record of location and date: http://www.inaturalist.org/lists/59...rved=any&rank=species&taxonomic_status=active

 

[chris butterworth]

Apart from mammals, reptiles, higher plants, fungi, galls, butterflies, dragonflies, marine algae, some marine invertebrates, some families of beetle, a few groups of easily identified flies and all molluscs I don't really look at much, other than birds.

 

[AlexC]

AlexC: can I ask where you got your spreadsheet from, or did you create it yourself? I did (rather optimistically) have a look on-line if there is any such thing as a worldwide species listing!! Seeing your efforts makes me think that I should possibly keep some kind of on-going list of what I have seen through my life. It's an excellent format you have there!

I did create it myself - you're welcome to mirror it for your own use! I love having it as a GoogleDoc because I can access it anywhere, and it's always backed up. Outside of birds (which is pretty regimented per AOU and IOC), my sequencing isn't perfect, but it works. I get most of my family taxonomy info from iNaturalist and Wikipedia.

 

[amears]

A mate of mine is over 10000 for Britain, have you all seen this: http://www.brc.ac.uk/psl/about

 

[Tiraya]

I'd love to know where this guy gets his info from. You can barely find information on 4,000 UK species on the internet. I guess he must know a lot of people.

 

[Dom F]

I am a part time Pan Species lister with a couple of exceptions - I don't do plants just too many and they are really no more than insect fodder (ducks for cover very quickly...) and I am an arachnaphobe which living where I do is a bit of an issue (can cope with the small jumping / wolf spiders its the huntsman the size of a dinner plate crawling out o the air con at 2am that freaks me out). My kids hate going for a walk with me as even with the dog we rarely get to our chosen destination as there is just too much to stop and look at. Like James have a huge back log of photographs to work through.....

 

[lazza]

I did create it myself - you're welcome to mirror it for your own use! I love having it as a GoogleDoc because I can access it anywhere, and it's always backed up. Outside of birds (which is pretty regimented per AOU and IOC), my sequencing isn't perfect, but it works. I get most of my family taxonomy info from iNaturalist and Wikipedia.

Thanks! Been having a look through your spreadsheet in a bit more detail, and it really is excellent. Love the comment about the one species listed under hominidae!

I may well steal it as you suggest and adapt for my own lists, as I realise as these things progress how hard it is to keep track.

 

[roo.]

A mate of mine is over 10000 for Britain, have you all seen this: http://www.brc.ac.uk/psl/about

I'm a member of this site, only on 188 species so far but I'm slowly building up a collection of guides to help increase it.

 

[Tiraya]

Definitely takes time both in learning the content and while at the locations. But getting 10-30 life ticks at the same location each time you visit is always a good feeling (depending on what sort of "lister" you are, I suppose).

Speaking of actual life ticks, only had 1 of those this year. Buggers they are. Always bring tweezers!

 

[lazza]

I did create it myself - you're welcome to mirror it for your own use! I love having it as a GoogleDoc because I can access it anywhere, and it's always backed up. Outside of birds (which is pretty regimented per AOU and IOC), my sequencing isn't perfect, but it works. I get most of my family taxonomy info from iNaturalist and Wikipedia.

Thanks! Been having a look through your spreadsheet in a bit more detail, and it really is excellent. Love the comment about the one species listed under hominidae!

I may well steal it as you suggest and adapt for my own lists, as I realise as these things progress how hard it is to keep track.

Well, I took your fabulous spreadsheet and have spent a couple of weeks modifying it for my own purposes... and have learnt an awful lot about taxonomy in the process (mostly that it is all a bit of a mess! But also that we are at an interesting time when genetic analysis is both confirming family relationships and disproving others. And who'd have thought I'd seen 4 subspecies of Eurasian Magpie!)

And as of today, the lifetime numbers are:

Birds: 455
Fungi & Plants: 192
Bugs & Crustaceans: 130
Mammals: 59
Small Phyla: 26
Herps: 14
Fish: 5
Chromista: 4
Total: 880

So a little behind you, Alex, and quite a different mix. Makes me realise I must put some effort into Fish Watching, although bizarrely (and annoyingly), I have no records at all of any of the fish I saw when I learnt to scuba-dive in Zanzibar!!

...and now need to find some guides to the flora and fauna of Spain for my holiday....!!

 

[Mysticete]

Besides birds, I list reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. I doubt I will expand much beyond that. Keeping track of every insect or fern I see on the trail would just lead to madness. It's already hard enough to keep your eyes on the trail to see a snake or lizard and the the surrounding brush to watch for birds.

 

[Tiraya]

Besides birds, I list reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. I doubt I will expand much beyond that. Keeping track of every insect or fern I see on the trail would just lead to madness. It's already hard enough to keep your eyes on the trail to see a snake or lizard and the the surrounding brush to watch for birds.

You get used to it eventually. I've still been able to keep track of birds as well as I have before. But it helps to know these species as soon as possible, I can walk at a very steady pace and see whether the plants beside are new or not without stopping while at the same time checking for insects on them. You get used to the "disturbance" of shapes and colours and I end up finding some tiny ant on a grass blade near my feet while nearly running...

 

[Nutcracker]

I've only got Frying Pan and Sauce Pan on my pan list.

 

[Mysticete]

indeed you get used to it, but I always feel you are trading in skill at one activity to follow others. I know my life list for herps would be way way better if I was singularly focused on them, rather than more interested in birds.

I still keep a herp list, but I am aware that I am probably walking right by potential lifers without spotting them, or not putting in the search time at the right time of day and year to add to my list, or developing the social networks to help me find tougher species.

 

[lazza]

So while I've been counting up my species lists, I realise I have very few tree species listed, as I guess I don't know how you can distinguish between what is wild and what isn't. The forests in Northumberland are mostly managed forests, so I guess are not truly wild and cannot be listed. Any thoughts?

 

[Nutcracker]

So while I've been counting up my species lists, I realise I have very few tree species listed, as I guess I don't know how you can distinguish between what is wild and what isn't. The forests in Northumberland are mostly managed forests, so I guess are not truly wild and cannot be listed. Any thoughts?

Virtually all managed, planted forests, hardly any natural woodland at all. But you can count self-sown naturalised trees; it's easy to find e.g. Sitka Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Western Redcedar, etc., as self-sown young plants. I've totted up well over a dozen different conifers naturalised in Northumbs, including some quite unusual ones like Monkey-puzzle (frequent in Kyloe Woods).

 

[Mars4096]

886 and counting

I am at 866 taxa myself, and my mix is different with less birds. I live in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I have included the latest find in each category, if found this year. I have quite a few photos to identify and I am currently working on the moths. I maintain a website about the field guides that are useful for Ontario, Canada so I now well what field guides I need.

Birds 243 (Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, my first mega, good enough for OFO)
Dragonflies 88 (Extra-striped Snaketail, nearly sliced it in half with my net, ugh!)
Butterflies 61 (Banded Hairstreak)
Moths 53 (Arched Hooktip)
Other Bugs 90 (Helophilus hybridus, a hoverfly)
Mammals 29 (Short-tailed Weasel)
Herps 18
Fish 3 (Pumpkinseed, ID'ed from photos)
Plants (including Ferns) 246 (Fringed Loosestrife)
Lichens 36
Mushrooms 10
Mosses 4 (Common Haircap Moss)
Other 2