spotted or heard several birds, and Peter West had thigh waders and a net so he went in
a pond and found 2 kinds of animals there, which he identified.
Overall, there were 228 plant species recorded, which was a very pleasing count for
such a small area, however the figure was boosted by various 'grave escapes' near the
church and some planted species in the younger pond. The full list is available on request.
A whole sunflower seed was also seen, but not counted as a growing species.
A surprise was a patch of Stingless Nettle around the old stew-pond. This plant is not
often found, but you could brush this across your face and feel only soft hairiness, like
a feather. It has some claim to be the native Nettle, as the stinging ones were probably
brought in by the Romans. Most of us had not seen one before, but we were told they
only grow in a few very damp, nutrient-rich places. Another surprise was Sessile Oak,
uncommon in this part of England. Although one tree might have been planted, the
second one, almost as large, was probably not.
Bird species noted were: Wood Pigeon, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie,
Blackcap, Green Woodpecker, and holes in the church steeple made by assorted
Woodpeckers (see pic), who may have been after getting the bats!
Mammals noted were: 2 horses, grazing, who were a bit over-friendly!
Reptiles noted were: Adder
Amphibians noted were: immature Great Crested Newt, 'newtpoles'.
Insect species noted were: Azure Damselfly, Thick-thighed Beetle (male and female); a
few butterflies: Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large White, Essex Skipper, Comma; and a
large iridescent blue-black Hoverfly, a Bumble-bee and a large anthill containing Ants.
We noted leaves of Horse-chestnut which had many brown patches on due to larvae of
a micro-moth, Cameraria ohridella, which mine the leaves of the trees (information
from Tony Boniface, who discovered and identified the larvae in Weald Country Park,
see under that report), and soon kill them. The leaves have orange patches with yellowish
margins early in summer, which all turn a rich brown later, and holes can be seen where
the moth eventually gets out. This moth is from the Balkans, but it is spreading fast
across Europe. There is little anyone can do to prevent its spread.
A spiky red Robin's-pincushion, caused by a gall insect, was seen on one bush of Dog-
rose.
Molluscs noted were: Great Ram's-horn Snail.
We had a good day in spite of the weather forecast, and finished about 3pm, so we were
not unduly exhausted. Thank you to all who attended, including the three people from
the church who made us so very welcome, and to Ken Adams who led the botanical
aspect.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 57, September 2008
19