Web Design and Author Richard Kirton
Copyright © 2007 Wakering and District Natural History Society. All rights reserved
MILLERS FARM
Welcome to the Wakering & District Natural History Website. We hope that you will come here often to see what goes on in and around our area. We regularly monitor rainfall and keep records of wildflowers and birds.
Sensory Garden
Monday 27th February 2012 - The AGM - the opportunity to appoint your committee members. The existing committee have expressed their willingness to continue in their posts, but should you wish to propose other members, please feel free to do so. After the AGM we invite members to bring along some of their nature photographs in digital format and preferably on a memory stick. You are not asked to make a formal presentation, we would just like to see your photographs.
A Hornet Robberfly (Asilus crabroniformis) was spotted by Jacquie Butler on the sea wall at Oxenham on 17/09/2011. This is our largest and most powerful predatory fly, a truly magnificent beast and it is the first record for 62 years from this area and is a significant and most exciting find. Roger Payne of Southend museum has a specimen from Barling caught on the 10th October 1949 and the only recent records for Essex are around the Tilbury and Dagenham area on dry grassland grazed by horses and rabbits. Its life cycle is still something of a mystery as eggs are laid on dry dung and no one seems to know what the young larvae eat, but it seems the larger larvae may prey on the larvae of dung beetles.
David Gonning does it again. He is overall winner with his splendid 'Waxwing' [Birds] and picked up 2 other winning places in the 'Habitat' and 'Water' categories. Other winners were Richard Kirton with his 'Red Poppy' [Flora] and 'Millipede' [Other Fauna] and Alan Leeks with his 'Badger' [Mammals].
Wednesday 7th March 2012 - Pat Wortley, South Essex Chairman warmly invites to all members to come along between 19.30 & 22.00 to Avenue Baptist Church, Milton Road, Westcliff, SS0 7JX. Light refreshments will be provided.
WAXWING
By David Gonning
Winning Photograph in Birds Category and also voted ‘Overall Winner’
RECENT SIGHTINGS
Sep 2011 Skylark - Landfill Site
Sep 2011 Green Woodpecker - Landfill Site
Sep 2011 Hornet Robberfly - Sea Wall at Oxenham
Grazing Project
Photographic Competition 2011
Millers Pond is a privately owned pond that juts out onto Common land. It was adopted by the Society in 1980 and has been completely restored in the ensuing years......
MILLERS FARM
Millers Pond is a privately owned pond that juts out onto Common land. It was adopted by the Society in 1980 and has been completely restored in the ensuing years.
The initial clearance was done over a period of four years and a small island was constructed in the middle for nesting or resting birds and alongside it is the "Hide" (the black shed). The hide was converted from an old chicken shed, it has the flaps at the front, a full length bench seat inside with a carpeted floor (sheer luxury) our photography minded members sometimes use it to capture the image of a Kingfisher sitting on the post.
The three Black Poplar trees that are on the promontory were planted in memory of one of our members, Michael Hooke who was crushed by a tractor and killed while working in the local Brickfield, there is a plaque there with his details on it. This is a favourite corner for local cub and school groups to do their dipping and for people to just sit and watch and relax. Damsel and Dragonflies abound, 12 species in all.
The pond supports Newts, Sticklebacks, Water Stick Insects and various Beetles including the Great Silver Beetle as well as plenty of Grass Snakes. Some of the most notable birds that have visited the pond are 7 Bearded Tits, a pair of nesting Little Grebes (unsuccessful), various Green Sandpipers and Water Rails along with all the more usual ones. The latest Damselfly (Red-eyed) was spotted by a birder sitting on a Lily leaf (not the birder). Next year there will have to be a concerted effort to photograph one. The Scarce Emerald has also bred here. Even though the pond has been known to dry up completely, some years it soon fills up again and the pond life returns.