Southend's Local Biodiversity Action Plan Annual Report for 2005 Prepared by the Leisure, Culture and Amenity Services Department of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Annual Report for 2005 - Contents Section Page 1. Southend's Local Biodiversity Action Plan 3 2. Meeting the Local Biodiversity Action Plan in 2005 4 2.1 Habitat Action Plans - Aquatic 4 2.2 Habitat Action Plans - Terrestrial 7 2.3 Habitat Action Plans - Urban 11 2.4 Species Action Plans - Birds 14 2.5 Species Action Plans - Invertebrates 16 2.6 Species Action Plans - Mammals 18 2.7 Species Action Plans - Other Vertebrates 20 2.8 Species Action Plans - Plants and Trees 22 3. Other Biodiversity Actions during 2005 23 3.1 Conservation Working Parties in 2005 23 3.2 Walks and other Events in 2005 24 3.3 Educational Activities 26 3.4 Other items of note in 2005 27 4. Biodiversity data recorded during 2005 28 4.1 Biodiversity data recorded on specific sites 28 4.1.1 Bird Report 2005 28 4.1.2 Breeding Bird Survey at Priory Park 2005 30 4.1.3 Bund Bird Report 2005 33 4.1.4 Butterfly Census 2005 34 4.1.5 Butterfly Records 2001 - 2005 39 4.1.6 Butterfly Recording at Belfairs Nature Reserve 42 4.1.7 Other biodiversity notes for 2005 43 4.1.8 Plant Records 2005 44 4.1.9 Shoeburyness Old Ranges SSSI – Plant Survey 2005 46 4.1.10 Shoeburyness Old Ranges SSSI – Survey 2005 49 4.1.11 Southend Foreshore Local Nature Reserve - Bird Count 2004 50 4.2 Biodiversity data recorded about specific species 51 4.2.1 Dormouse Project - Monitoring Results 2005 51 4.2.2 Essex Wildlife Trust Garden Survey Results for 2004 59 4.2.3 First Summer Migrants Report 2005 64 4.2.4 Heath fritillary Butterfly in Hadleigh Great Wood 2005 65 4.2.5 Heath fritillary Daily Count for 2005 66 4.2.6 Heath fritillary in Dodds Grove Glade 2005 70 4.2.7 Little Egret Count 2005 71 4.2.8 Selected Winter Migration Reports 2005 72 4.3 Other unusual data recorded during 2005 73 5. Contact details 75 Cover photographs: Bee Orchid, Two Tree Island Nature Reserve, Mark Bridges – Essex Wildlife Trust Voluntary Warden. Viviparous Lizard, Belfairs Park, Jon Cranfield - Essex Amphibian & Reptile Group. 2 Section 1 Southend's Local Biodiversity Action Plan Southend Borough Council's Local Biodiversity Action Plan has been produced as a result of an international agreement, called the Convention of Biological Diversity, which the UK Government signed at the 'Earth Summit' held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The UK Government has prepared national plans for over 400 species and 40 habitats, but has recognised that for national plans to be successful they need to be adopted by those local communities that live side by side with the biodiversity. Local Authorities have been encouraged to prepare 'Local' Biodiversity Action Plans in partnership with local communities. These plans can also identify species and habitats unique to, or important to those individual communities. Southend's Local Biodiversity Action Plan was begun in 2002 and after considerable effort from the Leisure, Culture and Amenity Services Department and its partners, who consisted of local and regional wildlife groups and organisation’s, the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Southend- on-Sea was launched on 11th July 2003. The Local Biodiversity Action Plan consists of individual action plans for eighteen habitats (plus one habitat statement) and fourteen species. During 2003 a number of copies of the Action Plan were printed and distributed to our local partners and provided to library branches, Southend Central Museum and Leigh-on-Sea Town Council. The Local Biodiversity Action Plan has also been placed on Southend Borough Council's web site, where it can be viewed at: www.southend.gov.uk/content.asp?section=343&content=1786 The Local Biodiversity Action Plan is an on-going process that consists of a number of key objectives. Under each of the objectives are a number of targets, many of which are open-ended and can be considered as 'on-going'. A small number of targets have specific dates that indicate the target date for completing that action. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council cannot hope to deliver all of the objectives within the Action Plan on its own and it cannot just be the responsibility of the local authority. Everyone has a role to play, either as an individual or in partnership with others, to help to meet biodiversity objectives and make a real difference locally. This Annual Report highlights the actions of Southend Borough Council and its partners during 2005. Biodiversity activities and any biodiversity data collected in 2005 are also included. Contact details for both Southend Borough Council and our partners can be found in Section 5. Previous Reports for 2003 & 2004 can be found on Southend Borough Councils web site. Paul Terry Environmental Officer What is Biodiversity? Biological diversity, or biodiversity as it is commonly known, is the collective term given to the huge variety of life that exists today. Not only does it include all species of plants and animals, but also their genetic variation and the complex ecosystems in which they live. It is not just rare or threatened species either: it encompasses the entire natural world including the plants and animals familiar to us in places where we live or work. 3 Section 2 Meeting the Local Biodiversity Action Plan in 2005 The following list identifies those objectives and targets that were met during 2005. 2.1 Habitat Action Plans - Aquatic Brackish Lagoons Objective 8.1 Protection of this habitat Target 8.1.3 Consider the creation of new coastal lagoons when appropriate opportunities arise Action: In agreement with Southend Borough Council a new 2.4 hectare (5.9 acre) lake was created by GladeDale Homes Ltd in the summer of 2005 as part of the flood defence works related to the development on Shoebury Barracks and Gunners Park. Whilst primarily a flood defence measure the newly created area is slightly saline and will become an important habitat in its own right. Please note that this is also mentioned in the Ponds and Lakes Action Plan and the Reedbed and Marsh Action Plan Intertidal Mudflat and Sandflat Communities Objective 8.2 Monitor this habitat Target 8.2.1 Encourage the monitoring of the mudflats at Southend-on-Sea Target 8.2.2 Encourage the recording of biodiversity found in or depending on the mudflats at Southend-on-Sea, passing all data to the Local Biological Records Centre and any national database that may be established. Action: Unfortunately Chris Tyas from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was unable to undertake the annual bird count on Southend Foreshore Local Nature Reserve during January 2005. For information we have reproduced the last count in 2004 [see 4.1.11, page 50]. Objective 8.3 Raise Awareness. Target 8.3.2 Publicise the progress made in delivering this Action Plan in an Annual Local Biodiversity Action Plan Report. Target 8.3.4 Encourage a greater understanding of the biodiversity found or dependant on the mudflats at Southend-on-Sea. Target 8.3.8 Investigate the potential for updating and producing a new Southend-on-Sea Foreshore leaflet. Action: Progress publicised in previous Annual Reports for 2003 & 2004. Roger Payne from the Southend Museum Service led a marine life guided walk on the foreshore at Shoebury East beach for South Essex Natural History Society on 7th July 2005. Local naturalist Jim Bishop led a walk on Shoebury beach on 7th August 2005 that looked at plants and insects left above the strand line on the beach for the South Essex Natural History Society. An Annual Brent Goose Watch took part on Two Tree Island on the 16th October 2005, organised by the Southend & Rochford Local Group of Essex Wildlife Trust with the support of the South East Essex RSPB Local Group, it attracted 40+ attendees. The regional RSPB, supported by the South East Essex Local Group of the RSPB, had a 'Brent Goose Watch' on Victoria Wharf, Leigh-on-Sea, between 1st & 16th October 2005 [1,500+ attendees]. The regional RSPB, supported by the South East Essex Local Group of the RSPB, had a 'Black-tailed Godwits Watch’ on Two Tree Island between 1st & 11th September 2005 [200+ attendees]. Three additional Foreshore Local Nature Reserve interpretation boards – providing information on birds using the foreshore and its marine life - were installed along the seafront in March/April 2005. The Southend Foreshore Local Nature Reserve leaflet was reprinted with modifications in 2004 through a grant from the Cory Environmental Trust in Southend-on-Sea. Ponds and Lakes Objective 8.2 Improvement of this habitat in Southend-on-Sea 4 Target 8.2.3 Restore local ponds and lakes to a more favourable conservation status where these bodies have had their conservation status degraded. Action: Southend and Rochford Local Group of Essex Wildlife Trust organised a working party to clear debris and reeds from the centre of a channel on Two Tree Island Nature Reserve on 11th September & 13th November 2005 to allow sufficient water depth to encourage water voles. In September 2005 contractors working for Southend Borough Council renovated part of the pond at Maplin Way Open Space, using a £4,950 grant secured from the Cory Environmental Trust in Southend-on-Sea. The pond has a population of scarce emerald damselfly (Lestes dryas), a nationally rare invertebrate that is only found on around seven sites in Essex. In Southend, it has been recorded at Two Tree Island, Shoebury Barracks and the pond at Maplin Way.