Wildlife and conservation review 2002
Atlantic, or better observer awareness, but perhaps most likely is that its breeding range is spreading
westwards from the far east of Siberia, into the territory of Dark-bellied Brents, which then act as
a 'carrier'species when they migrate. But birds can come either way: another Nearctic race/species
of wildfowl. Green-winged Teal was seen at Wat Tyler Country Park, and a Siberian-breeding
Yellow-browed Warbler was apparently wintering in a Southend garden. Also in Southend, the
local fishermen called for a seal cull, on the basis of alleged damage to fisheries - why are fishermen
the world over seemingly unable to take responsibility for their own mismanagement of the natural
resources?
Even in the depths of winter though, the entomologists don't stop. Anew ladybird was added to the
Essex list, the African Ladybird Cheilomenes lunata found in a Cressing kitchen, and apparently
imported in South African grapes, one of several similar records around this time. The third county
record of the pyralid moth Duponchelia fovealis was found, again a probable import, and Neil
Harvey came across the larval cases of Coleophora maritimella, a case-bearing micromoth, the
first Essex record for nearly twenty years.
There was again considerable activity on the agricultural front during February. The country was
declared FMD-free, despite a false alarm in North Yorkshire. New regulations came into force
requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment for the conversion of uncultivated or semi-
natural land to agriculture. This was a long-awaited development, too late to prevent the damage
of the past few decades, but let's hope that ongoing losses will be stemmed. In the continuing
debate on GM crops - to use or not to use - evidence came to light from Canada, where various
herbicide-tolerant crops are grown. It now seems that 'gene stacking1 has occurred: as a result of
inadequate controls and separation distances, leading to volunteers within crops of new varieties,
offspring arc produced which have a number of different herbicide-tolerant traits. 'Supcrweeds'
are now a real prospect, tolerant to a whole spectrum of agents, and which would require ever more
toxic herbicides to keep them under control.
The Government announced its intention to ban hunting with dogs (as in Scotland), and also
supplied English Nature with additional funds to buy out the main remaining peat extraction
permissions in England. This deal provided for an immediate end to extraction on Thorne Moor
(Yorkshire) and Wedholmc Flow (Cumbria), and within two years, cessation at Hatfield Moor
(Yorkshire). All three sites are to be restored for nature conservation, and hopefully this is the nail
in the coffin for commercial peat extraction in the UK. So next, Ireland...
Rather less welcome news started to trickle out that the Government was considering Cliffe Marshes
in north Kent as a site for a new international airport. A more unsuitable location can scarce be
conceived, surrounded and including SPAs and SSSIs, one which will have impacts on each and
every bit of the internationally significant Thames Estuary and adjacent sites, including here on the
Essex side.
Spring
March remained dry and warm, after a few early frosts. There was brief period of gales in mid-
month, before a stable Azores high settled in, such that there was no significant rain in Essex
between 20th March and 16th April, and temperatures rose to 18°C.The southerly airflow around
the anticyclone fed many southern birds into the UK, most notably many groups of Common
Cranes. Three of these presumably crossed through Essex airspace on the 8th, but seem to have
escaped detection until they were seen from a boat in Harwich Haven, flying over the mechanical
cranes at Felixstowe. Sand Martins were in from the first week, and Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)
21