Wildlife

We know that between them both plots have a wealth of wildlife. More importantly some are specifically protected in law.

Painting by a neighbour

Protected Species

We know that some species are living in one or both of the two sides of this site. Specifically:

  • Badgers,
  • Bats,
  • Nesting Birds

Badgers

Badgers are protected and so are the setts (burrows) they live in. Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, in England and Wales it is an offence to:

Badgers in the woodland
  • Wilfully kill, injure or take a badger (or attempt to do so)
  • Cruelly ill-treat a badger
  • Dig for a badger
  • Intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a badger sett, or obstruct access to it
  • Cause a dog to enter a badger sett
  • Disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett

(Source: RSPCA)

Residents have identified a number of active setts on the land and reported them to the Essex Badger Protection Group. Law requires that each active sett entrance must be protected from any development impact for 20 metres, that is over 1,250 sq.m. per sett!

Contact the Essex Police Wildlife Officer if you become aware of setts being disturbed.

Bats

UK Law fully protects all bat species, their breeding sites and resting places.

One of our members has previously identified a number of bat species in the vicinity of the sites with a strong suspicion that they are nesting on those sites. The species he has seen include:

  • Natterer’s,
  • Noctule, and
  • Pipistrelle.

Nesting Birds

All wild bird species, their eggs and nests are protected by law. You must always try to avoid harming birds or to use measures which do not kill or injure them before considering taking harmful action.

More birds than ever are also now considered Red List (i.e. critically endangered), we have seen at least one Red List species, Greenfinch, on bird feeders locally and in the picture below taken in the wooded area – these breed in Woodland and Hedgerows.

“Song Thrush, Blackbird, Jay, Crow, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Collard Dove, Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Greenfinch (Red listed species), Chaffinch, Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch”

— Clive – pictures taken from behind his garden

Great Crested Newts

Seen on occasion in local garden ponds, do these come from the wooded land? Law protects Great Crested Newts, their eggs, breeding sites and resting places.

Other Species

There are undoubtedly numerous other species on the site that are not subject to specific protected status but are still there and depending on these sites for their survival. This list includes foxes; if you are local and see wildlife we haven’t covered here please let us know via the Facebook Group,

“Brown Rat, Wood mouse, Grey Squirrel, Fox, Badger, Muntjac Deer (up to 3), plus bats and other small mammals”

— Clive – pictures taken from behind his garden

If you have further insights on this issue please share on the Facebook Group

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