farmed countryside or may be a result of observer bias. The clear majority of records
received this year were from gardens.
The species of flower at which Bombylius major was observed feeding varied considerably.
The long proboscis allows for many types of flower to be utilised, a significant advantage
in a species whose adult stage emerges at the very beginning of spring.
As an exercise in record col lection, it has proved interesting. The website was not very
productive, being used as much as a public service for species identification over the
whole of the country as it was to submit records in the target area. It has, though, served
to attract records from people who would not normally submit them. All of the
correspondents from out of county were encouraged to contact their local natural history
museum, county recorder or field club. It is hoped that there will be a cumulative effect
with more records received in coming years. However, a more targeted approach,
contacting the people that are already out looking at invertebrates, i.e. members of the
Field Club, would appear to be more rewarding.
I will continue to welcome records of Bombylius major, and any other of the larger
Brachycera, either through the website or directly. All records will be passed to the
county recorder.
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to: Peter Harvey for adding the recording form to the EFC website and for
inserting the flyer at short notice; Del Smith, County Recorder for Diptera, for making
past records available; and all those who submitted records, by any means.
Acorn crop in Chelmsford area
Chris Romer 10 Poplar Close, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 9NB
I have hardly seen an acorn this year around Chelmsford & Little Baddow. Visits to the
Suffolk coast showed a small crop. I have seen a good crop in Kent & Sussex and heard
reports on the radio of normal to abundant production in the New and Wyre Forests so
how wide is the area of failure? Does anyone know why it happens?
I am warden of a small patch of Danbury Ridge and, in a normal year, several of the
dormouse nest boxes are stuffed with acorns. We assume that this is done by Woodmice
or yellow-necks. This year I have found one box 14 full with hornbeam keys and another
containing a drift of what I think are birch seeds.
It will be interesting to see the consequences of this crop failure on squirrels, jays, mice
and any other creatures that rely on acorns.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 46, January 2005 13