Wildlife and Conservation Review of 2000
But one of the outstanding avian events of the year, indeed for many years, unfolded around 20"'
September. A storm over the Low Countries brought strong easterlies to the UK, and with them a
completely unprecedented influx of Honey Buzzards diverted from the southward migration.
Essex got more than its fair share, with an estimated 500-plus passing through our skies over the
next couple of weeks, including several small flocks. The supporting cast was equally impressive:
20 Common Buzzards, 12 Ospreys, 50 Marsh and two Montagu's Harriers, and lots of Hobbies.
It was a period of considerable ornithological dynamism, with the 22nd/23rd seeing also a huge, rapid
and early influx of Brent Geese and Wigeon to the northern coastal area in particular. And not just
birds - on the subsequent south-easterlies, a significant moth influx included several Convolvulus
Hawk-moths and very large numbers of Rush Veneers.
The news during September was dominated by the fuel blockades, headed by farmers and hauliers,
protesting at high rates of fuel tax (except of course to farmers...). The country was brought to a
halt. But where were the environmental voices? Extolling the virtues of high taxation as a mechanism
for curbing emissions and thus saving the planet from global warming may not have been popular,
but it should have been said. Such 'niceties' are all too easily forgotten in the quest for more for less,
as exemplified later by the US refusal to even try and meet the emission reduction targets agreed at
Kyoto. The backlash against saving the world begins here...
October opened with a second Pacific Golden Plover for the year, this time at Holland Haven, a
rather late Red-backed Shrike in the Lee Valley, and a Radde's Warbler at Fairlop, potentially a
first for the London area. Honey Buzzards continued to trickle over, and a Laughing Gull was at
East Tilbury. A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling in Colchester coincided with a small influx of
eastern warblers - Pallas's, Yellow-browed and Barred - on the coast.
Then over the 29"1 and 30th, the worst storm since 1987 hit southern England. Trees were blown
down, with consequent disruption, but our worst problem was the water: 5cm of rain overnight
simply renewed the flooding. Floodplains were seen to be functioning as such, or not, according to
the degree of abuse they have suffered over the past century and a strong groundswell of opinion
started to develop which felt that now is the time to prevent further and even remove existing
degradation of these vital components of a healthy countryside. The high winds blew many seabirds
around, with 26 Storm and four Leach's Petrels off Canvey, and both species pushed inland to
Hanningfield Reservoir.
Hard on the heels of Shellhaven, then came another port proposal, this time in north Essex. Hutchison
Ports, owners of Felixstowe Port and more recently Harwich International Port, announced their
purchase of Bathside Bay, between Parkeston and Harwich. Their hope is to develop a container
port facility on the site. Although not protected as part of the Stour Estuary SSSI or SPA, Bathside
Bay is still 65 hectares of mud which water birds do use in considerable numbers. And so begins
another story of 'jobs v. birds', as it rapidly came to be seen by the media and public. With the two
Essex schemes, and others around the country at Felixstowe and Southampton Water in particular,
there is an increasing need for strategic guidance about development of this sector. Unfortunately,
when the eagerly-awaited Ports Strategy came from the Department of the Environment, Transport
and the Regions, it provided no such thing, seemingly keen to allow market forces to operate in lieu
of strategic sustainable development.
One important publication in October was the Plantlife report Where have all the flowers gone? by
Peter Marren. This compared modem and historic county floras, giving an estimate of extinction
rates of higher plants. Essex was shown to have lost 68 species between Gibson in 1862 and Jermyn
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 18 (2001)
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