28
The Essex Naturalist
(where it remained) at the original site or in the same 1 Km square. A total of
25 Essex sites were searched with success in around 50% of these. Nests were
found at all four sites in Tendring with other successes at Pitsea, North
Ockendon, Bobbingworth and Newport. Where signs could not be found, the
reason was generally the invasive effects of modern agriculture, urban
development or the loss of suitable roadside verges. However, where habitat
remains, then so do Harvest mice.
In addition to the survey, other records came from Dagenham, Barking and
Chigwell.
Of other species, a Minke whale was found stranded at Purfleet and,
unfortunately, attempts to return it to the river were unsuccessful. Since 1994,
three species of whale have been recorded, Fin, Minke and a probable
Humpback. The only other cetacean recorded was a porpoise, stranded on
Mersea in August.
Small mammal records are being collected by trapping and analysing owl
pellets. To date eleven species of terrestrial mammal and two species of bat have
been found in pellets and this technique has been particularly helpful in
obtaining records of water shrews. Records of House mouse are very uncommon
and it is not known whether this reflects a genuine scarcity, or highlights the
difficulty in finding this species.
Deer are perhaps commoner in Essex than ever before and four species have
been recorded with several records of Roe deer in the north of the county.