Editorial

By Harry Green

First, apologies for this number being later than I had hoped. Mainly due to my computer breaking, followed by the trauma of setting up a new one, followed by a virus assault! Many thanks to friends for their help and rescue operations.

There is, of course (!) a lot of good stuff in this number of Worcestershire Record! All articles and notes are useful and interesting. One is the second part of Peter Stewart's summary of the results from the long-running study of the gulls which winter in the county. Thousands of gulls have been caught for ringing and release at refuse tips over the last 20 years and the results will probably continue to surprise the non-ornithologists amongst you! Thanks also to him for setting out the article as his maps are too much for my computer system.

Bert Reid's article on seaside plants along the Evesham bypass adds another interesting development in the history of halophytic plants in Worcestershire. The presence of seaside plants around Droitwich, especially in the days of salt manufacture, has been studied for 150 years or so, but the modern invaders depend on road transport!

This issue contains a lot on invertebrates which is not surprising as activity in this field is developing rapidly after many years of neglect.

John Day's article on Worcestershire Natural Areas in No 10 aroused a lot of interest and it is likely to develop as a very useful tool for understanding Worcestershire's biodiversity, in conservation planning, and in biological recording. I am hoping that the next issue (No 12) will contain an article based on his talk at the 2000 Annual meeting concerning extinction rates in Worcestershire plants.