Species surveys

Record your observations and help us

Biological records provide information on the location, species and date of the observation. A species record consists of a minimum of:

• WHO made the observation? (the Recorder) and WHO identified the observation (the Determiner, often the same person as the recorder)
• WHAT species was recorded? (the Taxon)
• WHERE was the species recorded? (the Site - a place name and grid reference or postcode)
• WHEN was the observation made? (the date, preferably the day date)

It is also useful to have information on numbers, sex (male or female), stage (adult or not), structural and broad habitat, etc.

The County Recorders and the Essex Field Club are always involved in the survey of sites and species in Essex (see for example our meetings) and maintain county records as an ongoing process. However sometimes particular efforts are targeted towards certain groups of plants, animals or sites, and here all Field Club members, other naturalists and members of the public can help.

Many species of plant and animal are difficult to identify to species-level with certainty without considerable experience and/or microscopical examination, but we have been trying out data entry via the internet with a some species which are especially characteristic or easily recognisable. YOU CAN HELP!  Since you can upload pictures to support your record we need you to register and then be logged-on to do this.

Help with the Tawny Owl Survey

MOST OF YEAR

• Robin
• Brown Hare
• Rabbit
• Grey Squirrel
• Hedgehog records
• Slow-worm survey
• new garden bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
• Daddy long legs spider Pholcus phalangioides
• False widow spider Steatoda bipunctata, a scaffold web spider
• False widow spider Steatoda nobilis, a scaffold web spider
• Garden centre spider Uloborus plumipes
• Harlequin Ladybird
• some common ladybirds
• Honey Bee
• Rose chafer survey, Cetonia aurata larvae can be found all the year round
• Woodlouse Spider Dysdera crocata
• Spitting Spider Scytodes thoracica
• Stag beetle larvae survey Lucanus cervus
• Bees wasps and ants survey
• Veteran Tree Group

SPRING

• Dark-edged Bee Fly - have you seen this fly?
• Spring Flower Bee - have you seen this bee?
• Cuckoo bee Melecta albifrons
• Tawny mining bee in gardens
• Frog survey - send in your records
• Phenological network 

SPRING/SUMMER

• Harpocera thoracica, bug of the seaon
• Lily beetle in a garden near you?
• Rosemary Beetle - have you seen this beetle?
• Green Tiger Beetle
• A froghopper survey
• rose chafer survey, Cetonia aurata imagos are out mostly from April till August
• Swollen-thighed Beetle
• Crab spider Misumena vatia
• Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus
• Stag Beetle survey
• Scarlet Malachite Beetle
• Glow-worm survey
• Essex dragonfly survey

LATE SUMMER

• Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi
• Garden Spider Araneus diadematus
• A cribellate spider Nigma walckenaeri
• Southern Green Shieldbug
• Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi

Invasive Species

Add your own survey as a registered user and member of the Field Club you can add your own survey by adding a page for your survey species, and then using the markup given to link to the page for submitting records.