SUSTAINABILITY

AROUND THE REGIONS
8
Essex
MDP Wethersfield
Essex Bird Watching Society work party at Wethersfield © Ros Gourgey
‘Surveillance drones’
patrol at Wethersfield!
‘Tree bees’ Bombus hypnorum, a new
species of bumblebee to the UK,
unexpectedly chose some blue tit boxes
as desirable residences around our HQ
site. Once they take over a nest box, the
female worker bees forage for pollen,
while the male bees, or drones, hover
around the nest keeping guard, justifying
their name ‘surveillance drones’!
Turtle Dove project update
Wethersfield is a participating site in an
exciting RSPB and Essex Birdwatching
Society (EBwS) project to encourage,
the nationally declining, turtle doves
Streptopelia tur tur. Volunteer work
parties, led by Sam Lee (RSPB) and
Gerry Johnson (EBwS), worked hard to
remove rank vegetation and rake
shingle, before sowing a special arable
seed mix including fumitory Fumaria
offcinalis, now scarce in a region of
intensive arable monoculture.
Germination in spring 2015 was not
great, but we see this as a long-term
project. Let us hope the turtle doves
appreciate our efforts and we hear
their gentle purring in future.
Our great crested newts
benefit all wildlife
A Defence Infrastructure Organisation
project to remove a redundant
underground fuel facility has benefitted
wildlife. Surveys showed great crested
newts were present so the new pond,
part of the action plan approved by
Natural England, had to be constructed
before work could begin and is now
a welcome drinking facility for all our
wildlife in this very dry part of England.
Dr Ken Adams, BSBI botanical recorder
for Essex, discovered two colonies of
Adder’s-tongue ferns Ophioglossum
vulgatum which we protected during
construction. Unfortunately replanting
the pond was omitted from the
project, but we have had welcome
donations of native aquatic plants from
friends and colleagues. Dragonflies
and damselflies were soon spotted
patrolling the new pond.
Breeding bird survey
Our breeding bird sur vey resumed
in 2015, with our volunteer BTO
licensed ringer, Ken Venus and
trainee, Josh Staf ford, with over
190 0 birds ringed. 2015 sightings
star ted well in early March with
f lock s of approximately 10 00
migrant golden plover Pluvalis
apricaria, on their way nor th. Swif ts,
Apus apus, finally returned to nest in
boxes erec ted on the gym five years
ago. EBwS have donated t wo
splendid owl boxes. Currently the
barn owl is roosting alongside the
box; not quite what we planned, but
nature is always unpredic table.
Grassland maintenance
Areas of long grass, with mown paths
to allow our police, army staf f and
site residents to wander among the
beautiful grasses, has been one of
our goals but proved surprisingly
controversial. Concerns about
allergies, snakes and rubbish meant
that the original designated area had
to be mown. However, we found an
alternative and it was gratif ying to
see families enjoying the but ter f lies
and orchids, and youngsters skipping
along the cur v y paths. Thank s to ISS
staf f, Mar tin and Tony, who helped us
achieve this manageable landscape,
which allows nature and site
residents to co -exist.
Finally, thank you to David King, who
retires this year as Head of
Establishment for his commitment and
support to our conservation work,
especially our Diamond Jubilee Wood.
Ros Gourgey
Sustainability Adviser
MDP HQ Wethersfield
Sanctuary 44 • 2015 81