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A FURTHER NOTE ON HORNETS IN ESSEX
1 have been interested in the comments about Hornets in Essex in the last two
Newsletters. I first saw Hornets in the early 1980's, in Hylands Park, at the North East
end. It was in October during sunny weather and they were active around young trees.
Bark was being removed but not taken away (from Ash trees). Perhaps at that time of year
the sap is sweet.
No they don't attack you if you are quiet. 1 had one sitting in my hand! And 1 took a
photograph!
1 saw Hornets again on the visit to Marks Hall Woods in July 1992. The colony was in a
new tree stump. I have a photograph.
Concerning other wildlife, I am at a loss to understand why no comment has been made
about the large loss of wildlife which occurred in the thunderstorms which took place in
Essex in the middle of last September. In the daily paper it was mentioned that rafts of
dead birds were found! A later count was 3000 dead birds found on Foulness and the
Crouch, also a dead cow and sheep. Hailstones were blamed.
A. M. Bunker
BOOK REVIEW: Lepidoptera of north east Essex by B. Goodey and J. Firmin,
published by Colchester Natural History Society, 1992 @ £4.95.
This book runs to 109 pages tidily bound in paperback and is a very comprehensive list
for such a local group to produce. It is very encouraging in these times of financial
constraint to find that such a venture is supported by Colchester Borough Council.
It begins sensibly with a map of the area, rather unnaturally defined by 10Km grid
squares, but that is no fault for which this publication is responsible. There is a foreword
by A. M. Emmet, Introduction and historical notes which describe the notable
lepidopterists who have worked the area. There are further introductory chapters on
Wildlife & Conservation, The changing status of some species, The Bradwell light traps,
and the two species added to the British list from the area: Coleophora fuscicornis Zell.
and Gortyna borelii Pierr. each by their first captors. The lOKm squares comprising the
area are briefly described with a census of species for each, but the total census for the
area I did not find. The text is interspersed with eight pages of line drawings depicting
selected species from the list, the scale varies within each such page but the wingspan of
each is given in the legend; the artist is not identified but (s)he had nothing to be ashamed
of!
Then follows the main section, the systematic list: Bradley & Fletcher's Log Book
numbers are given, but the checklist followed is not stated. It appears to be the sequence
of names used in A. M. Emmett's The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera with
English names added for macrolepidoptera. Symbols are added to describe the frequency,
and in most cases the distribution is given by means of a list of l0Km grid squares from
which it is recorded.