the meeting leaders) still having jobs. We need to tap this enthusiasm for meetings
from amongst the (presumably) retired/unemployed members, but leaders will
probably need to come from within their ranks. There is an awful lot of important
recording work that can be done by us all and without the need to be an "expert"
in your chosen field(s) of interest. The Club will try and address this issue in the
coming years.
11. Would half-day meetings interest you?
89% of you said "yes", no doubt to help fit visits into your busy lives. Some
visits would lend themselves to short trips but where a long car trip is needed to
get to the site, a half-day event would not be feasible. However, remember that
even if the event lasts all day you should not feel obliged to stay all day (unless
you are on one of Ken Adams' River Lee boat trips, in which case getting out half
way may not be advisable!). Let the leader know if you will be leaving early, or
they might think they have lost you!
I hope you find these results interesting and even reassuring if they make you realise
that you are not alone, if you have never been on a trip. Go on! Try one this year - you
might even enjoy it! The Council of the Club will be trying to take on board some of the
more fundamental lessons from this study so I hope we can offer an ever more diverse
selection of interesting site meetings for our members - and where would the club be
without you?
If you strongly disagree with these apparent trends, but did not respond to the original
questionnaire, then do write to me with your views and I'll assess the responses anew. If
you are interested in leading or attending mid-week day-time walks or site meetings
then again, get in touch with me. If there are clusters of like-minded members then we
could get you in touch with each other to start recording as a team!
Now is the time to record the Tawny Mining Bee
Peter Harvey 32 Lodge Lane, Grays, Essex RM16 2YP
The beautiful Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva is a spring and early summer bee that is
an important pollinator of fruit trees in gardens. It is a solitary bee that nests in holes in
the ground, sometimes in lawns.
The orange brown thorax and abdomen combined with black hairs on the the face, legs
and sides make the female easily recognisable (see plate 1 in Newsletter 37 - January
2002). If you see this bee please send me the details or submit your record via the Essex
Field Club website at www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/form_andrenafulva.htm. I am especially
interested in what flowers the bee visits and whether you find evidence of nesting.
18
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 41, May 2003