48 Wildlife and Conservation Review of 1999
prosecute, but only after EA had taken immediate action to rectify the damage, so far as possible,
and to tighten up its internal communications and consultation so the same cannot happen again.
Winter
A dry November, mild initially though cooler later, gave way to a more changeable December.
Squally rain and high winds featured in the last month of the year, although it was still surprisingly
sunny. Once again, winter hardly seemed to have arrived - there were a few light frosts and scattered
sprinklings of snow, but no sign of real winter weather.
As always, this was reflected in generally low numbers of winter birds, and once again Hen Harriers
and Short-eared Owls were in short supply, away from their Old Hall and Rainham strongholds.
Late reports of summer visitors - Yellow Wagtail on 14th November, Willow Warbler at Hanningfield
on 20th December, and three Common Sandpipers at Rainham throughout - certainly fitted this
pattern. Yet another Dartford Warbler appeared, at Foulness, and a Black Brant visited Aveley
from Kent. Other Nearctic birds included another Ring-billed Gull (Creekmouth), a Blue-winged
Teal at Hanningfield, the returning Canvasback back at Abberton, and the ever-present Forster's
Tern, still around Tollesbury.
Two mini-invasions further north just impinged on Essex, with a scatter of Waxwing records and a
single report of White-tailed Eagle, following a fishing boat off Harwich. The latter, presumably
the Suffolk bird, was one of at least three which adopted the English east coast as their winter
quarters.
The Rainham Marsh saga appeared to be nearing some conclusion in November, with the agreement
of the Ministry of Defence to sell their Aveley and Wennington landholdings to the RSPB. This
major purchase, aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Nature, amongst others, should
help turn the tide for most of the Inner Thames Marshes, from development threats and encroachment
and neglect to positive conservation management. All that now remains is to persuade Havering
Council to treat their part of the site likewise, and the important populations of Water Vole, Reed
Bunting, Stonechat etc will be safeguarded for posterity.
Two events occurred towards the end of the year which serve to remind us of the uneasy juxtaposition
of development and wildlife. Firstly, the imminent closure of Bradwell Nuclear Power Station
was announced: whilst the shut down of the reactors and removal of nuclear fuel reduces the risk of
catastrophe, the site itself will remain unsafe for a considerable number of years. It will thus be out
of bounds, and may well develop into a de facia nature reserve. But what of the cessation of warm-
water discharges into the Blackwater Estuary? This will undoubtedly affect the ecology, but it can be
seen as restoring it to a more sustainable system. And then, just before Christmas, a Korean Airlines
jumbo jet fell out of the skies onto Hatfield Forest. It appears that no great harm was done to the
site, but what about the next time such an event occurs'.'
On the positive side, November saw the launch of the Essex Invertebrate Group, along the lines of
the successful Essex Moth Group. Their aim is to encourage co-operation and communication between
active invertebratologists, to target survey work and provide training. One cannot help but feel this
is exactly the sort of group that Geoff Pyman, a founding father of Essex conservation, would have
approved of; sadly, Geoff died on 21st November, leaving a legacy of inspiration to all of us who are
interested in the wildlife and conservation of Essex.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)