330
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Great Crested Present during the autumn and winter months in
Grebe small parties.
Little Grebe Occurs during the late summer in small parties
of not more than six birds.
Water Rail Has been observed in several suitable habitats
on marshland adjoining the shore line. Has bred.
Moorhen Common on adjacent marshland. Very seldom
occurs on the tide line.
Coot This bird was at one time very numerous on the
Stour but the numbers appear to have decreased
in recent years.
Wood Pigeon Common. Frequent visitor to beaches and shore.
Turtle Dove Visit the shore on occasions in search of grit.
Partridge Frequently "put up" along the sea walls. Usually
dust bathing.
Red-legged To be found most years on adjacent farmland.
Partridge
Pheasant Uncommon visitor to shore. Usually early morn-
ing near suitable woodland.
Skippers Island Papers*
(3) LICHENS OF SKIPPERS ISLAND
By K. L. Alvin, Ph.D.
The coastal marshlands and saltings of Essex are famous.
Besides being one of the outstanding geographical features of the
county, they provide habitats for many characteristic plants and
animals and have received much attention from naturalists and
ecologists.
Skippers Island, a small tract of land in Hamford Water
entirely separated from the mainland by tidal creeks, provides
an excellent sample of Essex marshland country, and has the
advantage from a naturalist's point of view of having been left
virtually undisturbed for nearly half a century. Although owing
to rupture of the sea-walls, much of the island is now flooded
at every high tide, a total area of some 40 acres stands above
the extreme high water mark of spring tides and is therefore
never inundated. This dry land is represented chiefly by the two
areas at the southern end, the more westerly of which has become
known as Heron Island, and the more easterly as Holme Island.
*Previous Papers:
(1) Coles, J. W. (1959). Free-living Nematodes. Essex Nat., 30:
204-207.
(2) Nisbet, R. H. (1960). Marine Biology. Essex Nat., 30:
247-253.