As one of the 'original' members of Mr. Telfer's pan-listing league table (it wasn't called that back then), it has been warming to see such an avid uptake of the concept, with over 100 naturalists willing to share their numbers with others. The most warming aspect of this has been the realisation that quite a few of them are relative youngsters - the study of inverts, lichens and more obscure groups than these seems to be in safe (young) hands. But with this influx of 'newbies' comes a personal reckoning - that of sliding down the league table. I left the top 10 fairly early on and found my relegation from the top 20 a bit hard to take. I may be waving goodbye to the top 30 sooner that I think.

Of course this numbers game is all a bit of fun. Of a more serious nature was my realisation that some of my early recording could have been highly suspect. I have been birding since 1974 so imagined that all orders would have brilliant field guides and any identification would be a simple matter - how wrong can you be! I'm happy with my plant, moth, butterfly and dragonfly lists - all sqeaky clean. But can I say the same for my fungi? Or inverts? What about my attempts at lichen? Hmmm...

My reaction to this has been to stop trying to put a name to everything. I've amassed quite a library to try and help me along the way (recent purchases being the Soldierfly book and Slug guide) but they have stayed on the shelf. I am also wary of becoming a pan-listing tourist - somebody who tags along on organised field trips and writes down a list of names to later go through and 'tick'. If that's your bag, then fine, but I have done exactly that and found the whole process to be unfulfilling. Yes, that is the way to learn, but in a large group it is difficult to get the tuition needed. A small group is preferable, with an expert willing to patiently explain, to show and to share. To try and go it alone (as I have done) will need strict discipline to keep your recording accurate. My fungi blitz a couple of autumns ago was great fun, I saw some distinctive species, but I had no idea that so many were only identifiable with the need of spore prints and various lab-like procedures.

I have retreated back into my comfort zone but will not (cannot) ignore all of the other wonders around me. I will try and put a name to things that i feel comfortable in making an attempt on. There is always something that comes along and gets my enthusiasm - I was given a field guide to anenomes and corals this Christmas and I can feel a trip or two to the coast coming up...