WILDLIFE REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Wildlife & conservation review of 2002
CHRIS GIBSON
1 Dove House Cottage, Oakley Road, Dovercourt, Essex CO12 5DR
Email: gibson@dovehc.Jreeserve.co.uk
Introduction
I know you should never begin with an apology, but I shall make an exception in this case: sorry
that this year's review is not as comprehensive or analytical as usual. There are two main reasons
for this. Firstly, I spent a substantial part of 2002 cultivating my personal biodiversity in the form
of Varicella zoster, the Shingles Virus. And secondly. I have simply been too busy, inundated with
work arising from the desire of others to squeeze a little bit more money out of our beleaguered
county. I hope the final section of this review will give a flavour of the pressures faced by the
wildlife and countryside of Essex, and help excuse the quality and quantity of this review.
As always, I am indebted to the many observers whose records form the bulk of this report, and to
the regular publications from which items have been taken. I would like to stress again that any bird
records given here are not a definitive record: for 'the word' on birds, see the Essex Bird Report
published annually by the Essex Birdwatching Society.
Winter
The New Year dawned under the influence of a deep freeze, which had persisted from Christmas
Day - indeed, in some parts of Essex, 2002 began with temperatures as low as -ll°C. But within a
couple of days this had subsided, soon enough to avoid significant impacts upon our wildlife (apart
from a few drift line casualties, which at Dovercourt included Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Auk, and
blue-phase Fulmar) and things returned to the pattern of most of the winter so far - exceptionally
mild. January proved ultimately to be the mildest since 1993, with average temperatures some
1.8°C above the long-term average, although the month closed with stormy conditions and local
flooding.
The mild conditions were reflected in a number of Red Admiral sightings, mainly around sheltered
coastal areas and towns. It was assumed that these were overwinterers taking advantage of the
warmth, rather than new immigrants; the same was likely to be true of a Silver Y at Tolleshunt
D'Arcy on 13th, as it was of the typically local-bred small, dark form. The first lepidopteran record
of the year came actually on the 1st, with Epiphyas postvittana at Frinton. This micromoth is now
being found with us on the wing in every month of the year since its colonisation of the county over
the past decade.
On the bird front, mid-month saw the Mucking Avocet flock exceeding a thousand for the first
time, and up to four Bitterns were wintering in the Lee Valley. Bitterns were also reported at both
Abberton (two) and Hanningfield Reservoirs. Twite seemed to be more numerous around the coastal
marshes than in recent winters, with flocks of 100 at Langenhoe, 25 at Tollesbury and 36 at Old
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)
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