138 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Mr. Charles E. Pratt, of 48 Woodberry Way, Chingford, E.4.
Mrs. Mortimer Wolf, of Ash Green, Baldwins Hill, Loughton.
and thanks were accorded to Mrs. A. Jeppson for arranging and leading a
most enjoyable excursion.
Visit to Skippers Island (1011th Meeting)
FRIDAY, 30 AUGUST to MONDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER, 1957
This was the first meeting for many years to extend over a weekend.
Thirty-one members and their friends met to explore the island, its saltings
and creeks; some to stay one or more days and nights, but most to pay a
visit by day. The weather was on the whole kind, although there were a few
showers.
Skippers Island lies in the Walton backwaters and forms part of the
parish of Kirby-le-Soken. Its area comprises some 160 acres, of which about
40 are above high water Springs, the remainder being saltings. The serious
flooding in February, 1953 had little or no effect; such was not the case on
the neighbouring mainland where the sea wall was breached in several places,
and crops ruined. The sea walls on the island were breached years ago; the
low-lying land reverted to saltings; the sea has done its worst. The island
has not been under plough since 1914. It was grazed during the last war
but has not since been farmed and is not permanently occupied.
The object of the meet was to acquaint members with the general
topography and no special investigation was undertaken; rather was it hoped
that from this reconnaissance a general ecological survey would in due
course be made.
The most noteworthy work was done by Mr. Bernard Ward. During
Saturday and Sunday he identified 77 species of plants. He writes as follows :
"Had it been possible to survey the plants of the area earlier in the
season it is possible that a great many more species would have been included.
The maritime grasses in particular would have yielded a considerable number
of additional species. In September it was too late to identify many of them
with certainty.
"The Salicornias are recorded as the aggregate only. As no preparation
had been made for collecting and dealing with this genus no definite naming
was attempted.
"As in the past the island has been farming land the absence of
any Crucifers and Trifoliums is rather striking. Members of both families
would still have been evident at the time of the visit and were in flower in
the adjacent farms on the mainland. Is the absence of clovers caused by the
possible absence of bees on the island? Similarly the absence of other weeds
usually associated with arable land is notable. For example, no specimens of
either Lamium album or L. purpureum were seen.
"The Elm trees were noted but no attempt to identify them was made as
conditions were not suitable for taking representative specimens. The identi-
fications of the Rosa and Rubus species are tentative and subject to confirma-
tion when earlier specimens can be taken. It will be interesting to see if,
following the influx of visitors to the island, other plants appear which can be
attributed to seeds brought by them.