Wildlife and conservation review 2003
Stone Curlew at Walthamstow Marsh was rather out of place, as indeed was a group of 14 Common
Cranes which flew over Leigh (perhaps the whole Norfolk resident population out for a hip) and a
Hawfinch at Howlands Marsh. Dartford Warblers were at both Colne Point and Two Tree Island,
and in a good autumn for migrant waders, up to 23 Curlew Sandpipers were at Abberton and more
than 40 Spotted Redshanks at Fingringhoe Wick. Abberton Reservoir also hosted a Ferruginous
Duck and, somewhat less welcome, up to 632 Ruddy Ducks. Their time will surely come, as the
Central Science Laboratory, on behalf of Defra, was finalising the plans for its culling programme.
On the coastal marshes, Twite were again scarce, with a maximum flock of 20 at East Mersea, but
Short-eared Owl numbers were rather better than in recent winters, up to 10 being present around
the Blackwater alone.
While with the birds, Essex got a new claim to fame. The Caspian Gull, variously classed as a full
species or the eastern subspecies of the Yellow-legged Gull (itself sometimes treated as a subspecies
of Herring Gull), was formally added to the British Liston the basis of one seen at Mucking on 4th
September 1995. Although now considered to be a regular visitor to Britain, its path to acceptance
has been very convoluted, involving much discussion of racial separation, intergradation and genetic
mixing. The last word on this taxonomic unit is far from being written.
Agriculture was also much in the news. The results of the Government's farm-scale evaluation of
GM crops were published. While the quality of the science was universally praised, the actual
results were a mixed bag. In two of the three crops studies (oil-seed rape and sugarbeet), biodiversity
suffered in the GM crops as compared with conventional; however, GM maize showed positive
results. It should of course be noted that any maize is among the worst crops for wildlife, and that
the study has been criticised for its inclusion of a herbicide (Atrazine), the use of which is about to
be banned. On the same day, Monsanto (one of the key proponents of GM technology)
'coincidentally' announced it was pulling out of much of its UK and European operation, citing a
'normal part of business restructuring'.....!
Research was also published into the effects of annual flailing of hedgerow shrubs, which showed
that the berry yield from uncut hedges is some fifty times that of those subject to annual flailing.
The implication of this for wildlife, not least the birds and Dormice which eat those berries, is
clear, and will hopefully contribute to the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.
Winter
Whilst at times it was possible to cling on to the memory of summer when temperatures rose to
19°C early in November, most of the time it was mild and changeable, with a series of depressions
bringing heavy rain, especially around the 20lh, when more than 5cm fell, bringing a return of
localised flooding.
Despite a number of remarkably mild nights, it was too late for much in the way of exciting moths
in the traps, apart from a single Red-headed Chestnut in my Dovercourt garden trap on the 8th.
This was new to Essex, and coincided with the arrival of at least two others, in Sussex and Somerset.
A late foray into Hatfield Forest resulted in a good fungus list, including the uncommon brackets
Rigidoporus ulmariae (despite its name, on poplar) and both Ganoderma lucidum and G
resinaceum.
On the coast, the post-mortem on a dead Harbour Porpoise in Hamford Water revealed a very
high and debilitating parasite load, while a Leach's Petrel off Southend and a scattering of Pomarine
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