WILDLIFE REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Introduction
Chris Gibson
The purpose of this section of the new-
look Essex Naturalist is to draw together
as many relevant wildlife and geological
reports as possible for the year under
review - in this case 1998. Reports from
the Field Club Recorders have long been
a feature of The Essex Naturalist, and
this will continue to be the case:
Recorder's reports will form the bulk of
this section. My thanks to all who have
submitted reports for 1998, and I hope
that the new format will encourage others
to do likewise in the future.
However, it is not always appropriate to
consider reports in isolation. As field
naturalists, we are interested in the full
range of taxonomic groups. their
interaction with general phenomena such
as weather, and their relationship to
wider conservation issues. So it is my
intention to provide a general review of
wildlife events and conservation news to
help set the context in which the more
detailed reports can be placed. Inevitably
this will result in some repetition of
information, but I hope this will not
detract from its value.
Given that this format was devised only
at the end of the year, it is perhaps not
surprising that the 1998 overview is not
as comprehensive as I would have liked.
My memory is as fallible as anyone's,
and I apologise for any oversights or
omissions. I have therefore this year
drawn heavily on other published
sources, such as the excellent wildlife
and weather reports in British Wildlife.
It must be recognised that The Essex
Naturalist does not play a key role in
reporting and analysing sightings of one
taxonomic group, the birds. That role is
performed admirably by the multi-award-
winning Essex Bird Report and other
publications of the Essex Birdwatching
Society. It would not, however, make
sense to exclude birds from consideration
in this overview of the year. But any
reference to birds must be taken as
provisional and subject to ratification by
the appropriate records committee. The
definitive reporting forum for the birds of
Essex remains, quite rightly, the Essex
Bird Report.
Looking back as early editions of The
Essex Naturalist from the 19th Century, it
has always struck me how valuable the
short notes arc: they give a flavour of the
times, and contribute snippets of
information which may enter the wider
sphere of common knowledge. I would
like to resurrect this by encouraging the
submission of short items of interest
which may otherwise elude publication.
They may be details of a new species for
the county, or for part of the county; brief
notes on the wildlife of a newly-
discovered site; observations on
behaviour or ecology of a species; or
simply an item of wildlife or geological
interest which the observer feels deserves
a wider audience. So I would encourage
anyone - members or non-members - to
put pen to paper for posterity.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)