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MORE REPORTS OF HORNETS IN ESSEX
There has been further correspondence to Del Smith concerning recent records of Hornets
in Essex.
Our president Jeremy Ison reports a specimen from Bocking, Braintree, found in a
neighbour's garage that had become trapped in ajar containing paraffin.
David Scott recalls seeing odd specimens around Little Leighs over the last five years and
reports the following sightings at their address at Little Leighs:
1990 - odd ones seen in garden and flying towards a small wood nearby.
1991 - a nest in garage roof- several see working, strong colony.
1992 - 5 seen during season around garden and garage.
MONSTER FROM THE GARDEN DEEP
(reported in the Evening Echo, 18th June 1993)
A huge American bullfrog, much bigger than our average frog, is on the loose in a pond
at Southend. Naturalists suspect it was sold from a garden centre after being imported as a
monster tadpole. The alien amphibian caused ripples when it showed up in the Perkins
back garden in Sycamore Grove.
The frog was enormous, about seven inches long, and just as big across. At first Mrs
Sandra Perkins thought it was an inflatable toy but when it jumped back into the pool, it
made a virtual tidal wave. She was half-prepared for the experience because she had
recently seen a TV report on large foreign frogs living wild in the UK.
But where had this one come from? Behind their garden is an alley, but all it leads to is an
old folks home. A spokesman at London's Natural History Museum said that the
American bullfrog's giant tadpoles were occasionally on sale at garden centres. If they
were put into a private pond, they would eventually grow up to become adult frogs. He
pointed out that they were big enough to eat our ordinary common frog, and it would be
much better if people did not import them.
Mr Tony Gent of English Nature, the Government's conservation body, said that it was
not against the law to sell them, but it is probably illegal to release them into the wild. If
one turns up in your pond it's best to give it to someone interested enough to keep it in
captivity.
One in an indoor tank is as good a way as any to find out why the species is named
bullfrog. Its deep, groaning call - br-wum, br-wum, br-wum - goes on and on to the
distraction of the keeper's family.
Mr Gent would be interested to hear of any bullfrog discovered where it shouldn't be. Call
him at English Nature on 0733 318300, but don't expect him to take it off your hands.