Southend-on-Sea RSPB Group - Danbury Common Field trip Sunday 5th May 2002

Two commons are fragments of the medieval manors of St Clere and Herons, and together they remain the second largest area of common land in Essex after Epping Forest. The natural character of the land, combined with its exploitation by commoners for heather, grazing and woodcutting, has led to the development of a number of interesting wildlife habitats.

Danbury Common, the Backwarden part of which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, has an open character with expanses of heath invaded by bracken, broom, gorse, scrub and woodland of oak, birch and coppice hornbeam. Recent clearance of the the encroaching scrub is helping to re-establish more of the former heathland habitat with its associated wildlife of heather, bedstraw, milkwort, tormentil and common lizard, adder, butterflies and moths.

Access to Danbury, and Lingwood Commons
Open access; footpaths and bridleways; station at Chelmsford.

Location
214 acres (86 ha) either side of the A414, 5 miles east of Chelmsford, Essex. Grid reference 167:TL782044 and 784054.

Species Seen

Danbury Common (National Trust)

5 Nightingale (Heard Only)

2 Carrion Crow

1 Pied Wagtail

6 Linnet (3 Male, 3 Female)

3 House Sparrow (2 Male, 1 Female)

1 Starling

1 Magpie

Collared Dove

1 Wood Pigeon

2 Dunnock

1 Jay

2 Willow Warbler

1 Whitethroat

2 Chiffchaff

1 Swallow

Skylark

1 Robin

2 Long-tailed Tit

3 Blackbird (3 Male's)

Song Thrush

Jackdaw

Rook

1 Great Tit

2 Bullfinch (1 Male, 1 Female)

1 Chaffinch (Male)

1 Blue Tit

Greenfinch

The Backwarden EWT Reserve

1 Blackbird (Female)

1 Carrion Crow

2 Stock Dove

2 Nightingale (Heard Only)

2 Mallard (1 Male, 1 Female)

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

1 Chiffchaff (Heard Only)