White Admiral Newsletter 92
Autumn 2015
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society
Contents Editorial
Ben Heather
What’s on?
1 2
Using iRecord: A Verifier’s Point of View
Adrian Chalkley
3
Stuart Warrington, Alison Joseph, Richard Gilbert & Lloyd James
6
Realising the Potential of the River Stour at Great and Little Bradley
Alex Moore da Luz
8
Evolution of a Breckland Landscape by Richard West
Caroline Markham
12
Gi Grieco
13
Juliet Hawkins
15
Richard Stewart
19
Sue Hooton
21
Anne and Dennis Kell
22
Trevor Goodfellow
24
C. J. B. Hitch & K. CarrTansley
28
Alan Cornish
28
SNS Members Holiday Offer
Greenwings
29
Ganoderma australe or Ganoderma adspersum?
Neil Mahler
30
The Dunwich Heath Bioblitz 27 and 28th May 2015
Wildlife at home and work Fungi twitching in November The Tawny Owls in Christchurch Park Arthur Rivett – winner of Pete Guest Award 2015 The Wild Flower Society Winter Months Hunt My Year 2015 Gonocerus acuteangulatus , aka the Box Bug A letter to the editor
ISSN 0959-8537 Published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3QH Registered Charity No. 206084 © Suffolk Naturalists’ Society
Cover Photo: Red Deer Stag - Margaret Holland www.flickr.com/photos/67065881@N00/
Suffolk The
Naturalists’ Society
Newsletter 92 - Autumn 2015 Welcome to this bumper Autumn issue of the White Admiral newsletter and thank you to all those who contributed to making this such a full edition. I have had to keep several pieces aside due to space limitations and these will be first in the queue for the Spring newsletter in the new year. The main thing I would like to draw your attention to in this editorial is our conference in early 2016. As revealed in the last issue, it will be called “Freshwater Revival” and will focus on the world of freshwater conservation over the last 25 years. We are now able to confirm that we have a full line up of speakers and talks in place including:
Dr Naomi Ewald (Freshwater Habitats Trust) - The Flagship Ponds Project, PondNet and Clean Water for Wildlife
Dr Carl Sayer (University College London) - Norfolk Ghost Ponds Project
Darren Tansley (Essex Water for Wildlife Project) - Aquatic mammals
Dr Trevor Bond (Environment Agency) - River Restoration schemes within Suffolk
Dr Alan Walker (CEFAS) - European eels: the science and the mystery
Dr David Bilton Conservation
(Plymouth
University)
-
Water
Beetles
in
Plus, new this year, we will have some quick-fire talks between the main presentations. Please see the advert over the page and remember to buy your ticket soon, to avoid disappointment. Editor: Ben Heather Suffolk Biological Records Centre, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH ben.heather@suffolk.gov.uk White Admiral 92
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For more information and to book your place visit www.sns.org.uk/pages/conference.shtml Autumn Members Evening Thurs 19th Nov | 7:30pm Cedars Hotel, Needham Road, Stowmarket IP14 2AJ Talks by Ben Heather on ‘The Year of the Bioblitz’ and Samantha Lee on ‘Operation Turtle Dove’. Plus recorder updates and the return of the popular autumn quiz! Drinks will be available from the bar plus complimentary tea/coffee break at half-time. There will also be a range of books, journals and collecting materials donated to the society by the late David Nash which will be free to a good home.
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Using iRecord: A Verifier’s Point of View It’s been a busy summer for Bioblitzes, which seem more popular than ever. Being at a Bioblitz watching people poring over wildlife guides, often with advice from an expert, underlines how important these events are for public engagement with natural history and for improving identification skills. This year however, I’ve been looking at them in a slightly different light since becoming a verifier on iRecord. Whilst my points below apply to the freshwater invertebrates I verify, I hear similar concerns from many other iRecord verifiers. These points also apply to all records, whether from BioBlitzes or not. If I can get to a Bioblitz then verifying iRecord data is pretty easy since I know both who was there and what went on, but where I can’t attend, verifying records can be more problematical. This is usually due to lack of detail supplied by whoever inputs the record. Often a shortage of computers or WiFi difficulties mean that one or two people will input data from lists supplied by those who actually observed the animal or plant. This degree of separation can make precise details even more elusive. White Admiral 92
One problem I often have in verifying a record is when I do not know the person making it. An example may help here. I was presented with a record of a pond leech, Helobdella stagnalis from a site I had never been to, recorded by a person I had never heard of. The record said ‘certain’. Now H. stagnalis is one of the commonest leeches in freshwater so it was tempting to just verify it as correct which sets the record on its path to the National Biodiversity Network database. But having spent 30 odd years checking the smallest morphological details to ensure accuracy in my own database, I queried the record. This meant explaining that leeches can’t be identified by comparison with a picture in a general field guide, asking which book or key was used and, as this was a leech, asking how many eyes it had and in what pattern they were arranged. As it turned out, the record came from a Scottish ecological consultant who was happy to tell me she had used the Freshwater Biological Association key by Mann, had noted the two eyes set in front of a ‘callous scute’ or surface mark. So no problems, record accepted and now I both know her name and that she has access to the right 3
Before we leave leeches by the way, I have one amateur naturalist from the south coast who sends in lots of leech records. He started off by naming the key and, even more important, attaching photos. I now know the four or five species he is familiar with and I don’t need the photos or details until he comes across a new (to him) species. Verifier & recorder have built up a relationship, the ideal situation. So far, I’ve been using the word key, but realise that many naturalists are far more likely to carry a general natural history guide with them, especially at a BioBlitz. Often such a guide will have one or two pictures of typical members of a family, but no information about the number of species nor details of morphological differences between those species. When I first became an iRecord verifier, I found I was the only one in Britain who did water fleas. Thus I found a backlog of records from BioBlitzes. Many of these were records of a waterflea called 4
Asellus Diagram
sort of keys. If it was not obvious to an ecological consultant to add the key and identification features noted then I probably shouldn’t complain when the general public on BioBlitzes omit these details. And yet those sort of details are exactly what I and many of my fellow verifiers are looking for.
Megafenestra aurita. This is very rare and has only ever been recorded 8 times. However, the rare M. aurita is identical to the common Scapholeberis mucronata to look at with a hand lens. Obviously there is a guide out there with a drawing of only the rare species. To distinguish them needs skill and a compound micro sco pe a t abo u t 4 00x magnification with phase contrast lighting. With no reply to queries about details I ended up rejecting all records even though there existed the possibility of an important record of a rare species. Whilst at the Flatford Mill BioBlitz in August, a couple of the aquatic species I recorded underline the importance of checking identification with a key. The water slater or hog louse is a common invertebrate in most waterbodies. There
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Crangonyx pseudogracilis
are two species which can usually be told apart by the pattern on the head (see diagram). Based on the pattern, the Flatford specimen appeared to be Asellus meridianus. However, at home I checked out the genitalia under a microscope, which clearly showed it to be an Asellus aquaticus with incomplete pigmentation. In terms of iRecord a note added to the record saying that the record was made from a general guide based on the head pattern would ensure I only marked the record as Plausible. A note to say which key was used and that male or female genitalia were observed under the microscope would allow me to verify it as correct. The other Flatford species alluded to above is the freshwater shrimp shown in the photograph. Now on first look this, most people and most guides, would call it Gammarus and in all probability White Admiral 92
Gammarus
pulex , the most common species. However, life is just not that easy and, although Gammarus pulex is both common and the most well-known, there are in fact 5 British species needing a key and microscope to separate. In this case a quick look under the microscope revealed the Flatford Mill Pool specimen to have been none of those, instead it was Crangonyx pseudogracilis, a North American Amphipod unwittingly brought into the country by man and now common. So to sum up, iRecord and similarly SuffolkBRO (in Suffolk) are good systems doing a great deal to stimulate public interest in recording and in identification. Having taken the time to input their records, naturalists obviously want them to be used. As records need to be accepted by a specialist verifier to be used, by helping the verifier you are helping yourself.
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So please consider the following: 1. Read the small print on your nature guide, if it mentions more than one similar species consider carefully before you tick the ‘Confident’ box on your identification. 2. Put in a note saying which book, guide or key you used to arrive at your identification.
3. If possible, also note the key features that convince you that your identification is correct. 4. And of course, a photo is worth a thousand words. Adrian Chalkley Freshwater Invertebrate Recorder aquatics@sns.org.uk
The Dunwich Heath Bioblitz 27 and 28th May 2015 The National Trust has been celebrating 50 years of its ‘Neptune Coastal Campaign’ throughout 2015. This campaign has enabled the Trust to buy 574 miles of glorious coastline, securing these special places for all to enjoy, and it now looks after 775 miles of coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Docwra’s Ditch
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As part of these celebrations, the Trust has organised 25 coastal bioblitzes, including four in East Anglia, at Dunwich Heath, Blakeney, Brancaster and Copt Hall Marshes. Dunwich Heath is a very appropriate place to celebrate Neptune, since all three land acquisitions there have been partfunded through this campaign, from the main heath in 1968, to Mount Pleasant Farm in 2002 (now in restoration from arable farmland to acid grassland and heathland) and finally a lovely 15 hectare heathland parcel in 2015. The Dunwich Heath Bioblitz was very well supported by members of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society and special thanks to Martin Sanford and Ben Heather of the Suffolk Biological Records Centre for entering the data into their online system. We have 1098 records of 669 different species for White Admiral 92
Dunwich cliffs
the 24 hour Bioblitz, of which the vascular plants made up the largest proportion with 24% (161 species). We hope that there will be a few more records to come in when the specimens collected for identification have been checked. There were, as expected, several records of the Dunwich specialities such as adder, Dartford warbler, woodlark, nightingale, green tiger beetle (Cicindela campestris) and ant lion ( Euroleon nostras ). Docwra’s Ditch, between Dunwich and Minsmere, showed plenty of signs of water voles, plus saucer bug (Ilyocoris cimicoides), water stick-insect ( Ranatra linearis ), water spider (Argyroneta aquatica) and smooth newt, often netted from amongst the abundant Marsh St John’s-wort (Hypericum elodes), along with 20 species of water beetles. Amongst the more unusual discoveries was a colony of white sedge (Carex curta) found by
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Arthur Copping in the south-west, boggy corner of the Heath, only the third Suffolk site. In the same site were bog pondweed (Potamogeton polygonifolius), pill sedge (Carex pilulifera ), Sphagnum fallax,
Sphagnum fimbriatum, Sphagnum palustre and Sphagnum squarrosum. The beach and cliff areas were a good place to be on the morning of the 28th, as they were in the sun and out of the chilly wind. On the upper beach and shingle, and cliff base, were good stands of sea kale, yellowhorned poppy, sea beet, slender thistle and some thrift. Thank you to everyone who came to Dunwich Heath to record the special wildlife. We also had over 200 visitors coming to see what was going on at the Heath Barn and the pond-dipping sessions were especially popular. Stuart Warrington, Alison Joseph, Richard Gilbert and Lloyd James (National Trust, Dunwich Heath). 7
Realising the Potential of the River Stour at Great and Little Bradley The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project (DVSVP) is delighted to announce that river restoration works have taken place this Autumn on the River Stour at Great and Little Bradley. Dr. Trevor Bond, a Geomorphology Technical Specialist from the Environment Agency, designed the river restoration enhancements and oversaw their implementation with the help of colleagues. Attention was focussed on this stretch of the River Stour mainly due to species-poor levels of freshwater flora and fauna recorded here, along with the absence of key in-stream habitats. It is hoped that river restoration schemes such as this one will help to improve the ecological condition of the River Stour by removing the pond-like habitats that occur throughout much of this area and replacing them with typical headwater habitats. One of the largest drivers for habitat enhancement along the River Stour is the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Where watercourses are
failing to achieve their expected ecological condition, it is the responsibility of the relevant countries to get their rivers to “good” status/potential. The upper River Stour is one such waterbody whose WFD status is not currently good. It is hoped that the installation of various large woodydebris features will greatly enhance a significantly degraded watercourse by creating habitat and moderating natural fluvial processes, which will contribute to improving the status of the river. This stretch of the River Stour was identified as an area where significant ecological improvements could be made due to the river’s variation in depth, width, flow velocity, tree cover, in-stream structure, marginal habitat and bed substrate availability. Unfortunately, prior to the restoration enhancements, the ecological value of this stretch was limited due to poor water quality caused by agricultural run-off and barriers to longitudinal connectivity.
A Degraded Stretch of the River Stour The first section that runs from downstream of the confluence of the River Stour and the Kirtling 8
Brook to the Bradley Road Bridge, is approximately 700m in length. The river is heavily vertically White Admiral 92
EA at work in the River (left). A log jam (right).
incised which prevents the establishment of significant marginal vegetation. Even within the channel where features have formed, semi-aquatic and riparian plants have barely colonised due to the nature of the substrate, which is characterised by gravels and sands that are both transient and contain little organic matter for roots to exploit. Also, trees only occur sporadically in this section and they provide little cover and there is no physical interaction between the trees and the river. In section two, there are a series of weirs that cause stagnant flows
between April and September. As a consequence of the slow flow there is a lack of submerged and emergent macrophytes, with little flow diversity during normal flows. These conditions are favourable for the build-up of algae. There is no large woody-debris within this part of the channel as well (despite the relative abundance of riparian trees). Downstream of the weir the river is visibly denuded and characterised by a lack of water and near static flows. In section three, there are also areas of relatively stagnant water.
Woody Debris Solutions! In order to improve the unfavourable conditions described, a variety of woody debris features were installed by the Environment Agency’s Field Team in October 2015 under the guidance of the EA’s Fisheries, Biodiversity and Geomorphology team.
Log Jams - Constructed of
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wood that spans the entirety of the channel, when possible, they consist of a single piece of large wood, cut to the dimensions of the channel. The log jams will perform a number of vital functions including forcing fine sediment to fall out of suspension and accumulate 9
straight. Due to the lack of instream refuges in certain locations, it was necessary to use complex flow deflectors that are bushy and have more than one limb. All woody material installed had to be securely held in place to ensure they are not mobilised during periods of high flow. This was done using wooden stakes that were driven vertically into the river bed and affixed to the large woody-debris using timber screws. 
Locations of river enhancement works
upstream of the structure, thereby reducing its entrainment downstream. It is also hoped that water falling over the log-jam will generate a small scour pool from which gravel is excavated and transported downstream to create further features. The log -jams will also oxygenate the water and provide refuge for organisms. 
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Flow Deflectors - Numerous flow deflectors were installed in order to accentuate sinuosity in areas that are exhibiting meander initiation and encouraging bed scour in reaches that are comparatively
Tree Planting - Trees will also be planted in areas of riparian habitat where their absence was contributing to the relatively poor ecological condition of the river. The tree planting will serve the dual purpose of moderating river bank e ro sio n (the ro o t structure provides protection) and ensuring that large woody debris finds its way into the river channel. Native species including alder, willow, oak, hawthorn, dogwood and spindle will be planted.
It is hoped that the restoration work carried out on this stretch of the River Stour will act as a starting point from which a more comprehensive and all-encompassing vision for the upper Stour valley could be realised. Outside of this habitat creation project it is hoped White Admiral 92
that a long term strategy can be adopted for the gradual removal of the weirs. These structures act as a barrier to fish migration along
w ith re ducing longitudinal connectivity for other organisms and sediment.
Let’s Not Forget Little Bradley! Further downstream, in Little Bradley, similar restoration works have taken place that have markedly improved the in-stream habitats of the River Stour. The installation of woody brash mattresses (pictured right), have significantly improved the habitat diversity within the river. The brash mattresses provide shelter for fish and invertebrates from predators and high flows. Log deflectors were also installed to increase flow diversity, which in turn creates different speeds of water creating contrasting habitats for different creatures to live in.
The Stour at Little Bradley
Increasing localised flow speeds can clean the gravel substrate and provide important spawning habitat for fish.
Should you require any further details on the river restoration schemes please contact the new River Stour Project Officer, Alex Moore da Luz on alex.mooredaluz@suffolk.gov.uk or 01394 445224.
“A Field Guide in Colour to Beetles” by K.W. Harde, 1984. This book was one of many natural history books owned by my late husband Keith Morris, a member of SNS, who sadly died in 2009. As this book is highly valued, I would like to make it available in return for a donation to A Rocha UK, the environmental charity in which I am involved and since February this year owns the 12 acre nature reserve Foxearth Stour Meadows on the Suffolk/Essex border. The donation will go towards managing the reserve primarily for dragonflies, which Keith was passionate about, but of course all wildlife will benefit. Contact Maureen Morris by email at maureen@arisaig.net White Admiral 92
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Evolution of a Breckland Landscape by Richard West The Breckland of Suffolk and Norfolk exhibits a variety of ground features of periglacial origin formed subsequent to the great Anglian ice sheet which covered East Anglia about 450,000 years ago. Permafrost, prevalent during post-Anglian cold phases, and ground water in the Chalk underlying much of the area were significant in the development of these relict landforms. This new book by Professor Richard West contains an analysis of periglacial landscape features – dry valleys, patterned ground and ground ice hollows, in the area around Beachamwell, Norfolk. Furthermore, Professor West’s investiga-
tion of sand and gravel deposits here provides invaluable information on the evolution of the landscape in this later stage of the Pleistocene of East Anglia. The diagrams are most revealing and include detailed maps of patterned ground plus geological sections of the gravel pits. 40 pages of excellent illustrations accompany the text - many taken from the air, but also photographs from Professor West’s extensive walking survey. This holistic approach to landscape studies is refreshing, stimulating and, as Professor West admits, possibly incautious, but will inspire those of us who are interested in this area of the Suffolk/Norfolk borderlands to further investigation and study. Caroline Markham
Evolution of a Breckland Landscape: chalkland under a cold climate in the area of Beachamwell Norfolk by Richard West is published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society supported by GeoSuffolk and the Geological Society of Norfolk. Available from SNS at Ipswich Museum (£10) or from www.sns.org.uk/pages/books.shtml
Contributions to White Admiral Deadlines for copy are: 1st Feb (Spring issue), 1st June (Summer issue) and 1st Oct (Autumn issue) The opinions expressed in White Admiral are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society. 12
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Wildlife at home and work
Chrysura radians
I regularly check the wildlife in my garden but in recent years I have begun to study it in more detail, particularly from when I participated in the Garden Bioblitz surveys. The idea of the Garden Bioblitz was to record as much wildlife in your garden over a twenty-four hour period and submit results online. This deeper interest has expanded to when I am out and about including around my workplace. One area that I’ve become interested in is hoverflies and Hymenoptera. I was familiar with some of the more common species but the more I looked in the garden, and elsewhere, the more I came across further species. I don’t keep a specific list but the number of species of hoverflies I’ve encountered in the garden has risen and I have now recorded a White Admiral 92
number of solitary bees and wasps. Some of these were probably always present but it’s only just now that I’ve actively looked for, taken note of and tried to identify them. Similarly at work on a lunchtime walk I’ll be checking areas and one of the highlights occurred more by accident. I was going to lunch with some colleagues and showed them a Bee-wolf, Philanthus triangulum, colony right by a path. This colony has grown over the last couple of years and, while watching, we first saw a couple of sand-digger wasps Cerceris arenaria, then unexpectedly a ruby-tailed wasp species, most likely Hedychrum niemelai. I managed to obtain a few photos and we drew a large crowd of other colleagues and other workers from the site, all interested in what we were looking 13
Gonocerus acuteangulatus (left). Astata boops (right)
at, especially admiring the colourful ruby-tailed wasp. In the garden I will often have the camera to hand in case I find something, finding it is useful to obtain photos for later identification, and on one such as occasion I spotted a ruby-tailed wasp land on the wooden garden table. I managed to get a number of photos, looked online for identification and finding it to be Chrysura radians submitted the details on the online recording web site iRecord. Subsequently the identification has been verified. Further research has found the only recent Suffolk record of C. radians was in 2002 (Knowles, 2003). I’d seen many photos in books and online of ruby-tailed wasps but never in the field and had always wanted to see one, so to see first one at work then another species in the garden has been a bit of a highlight.
Another fascinating species I’ve found in the garden this year has been Astata boops, a solitary wasp that hunts shieldbug nymphs. One landed on the ground and struggled to take off, it climbed some grass stems to gain some height, still carrying it prey beneath its body, and flew a short distance, landed again before eventually flying off. Other interesting insect records over the last year from the garden include bug species that have recently colonized the county, Rhyparochromus vulgaris and Box Bug, Gonocerus acuteangulatus. It has definitely been the case that the more you look the more there is to find and then identify, so hopefully I’ll be able to find further interesting species in my garden and at work in the future. Gi Grieco
Reference: Knowles, A. (2003). Aculeate Hymenopteran Recorders’ Report for 2002. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc., 39: 63-65. 14
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Fungi twitching in November Autumn 2014 was an amazing year for fungi but I thought it better to keep the delights of our local patch around Milden until autumn time in 2015 so that it is timely for anyone interested to potter around their own patch front lawns or further afield into ancient woodland - while it’s fresh in their mind! In November 2014, I recorded around 100 species
around the parish (including the tip of Little Waldingfield too) in a variety of habitats that included ancient and young woodland, species-rich County Wildlife Site hay meadow (not very good for fungi), tightly mown grass, the vegetable patch and even arable fields. Here’s just a sample from a couple of these habitats.
Woodland Amanitas in November In an area of less than 1000m2 in our neighbour’s adjacent ancient woodland, part of the SSSI Milden Thicks in Little Waldingfield, in one morning in early November 2014, I was able to identify over 34 different species of mainly macrofungi (i.e. the relatively big ones). Within the bright coloured brittlegills, funnelcaps, fibre caps, milkcaps, bonnets and jelly fungi, I recorded four different species of spectacular, slightly sinister, but incredibly glamorous fungi from the genus Amanita: the snakeskin grisette (Amanita ceciliae), the panthercap (A. pantherina), the death cap (A. phalloides) and the blusher (A. rubescens). All were growing in the soil amongst the leaf litter of mixed broadleaves, notably oak, hornbeam, ash, hazel and silver birch. White Admiral 92
Despite years of enthusiastically searching for fungi and struggling to identify the various species with an armoury of expensive books, I have never knowingly found so many Amanitas in one small patch, so it was with huge excitement that I set about identifying them. Armed with Geoffrey Kibby’s relatively cheap (cheap at c. £17 for the many years it must have taken to put together) colour A4 guide The Genus Amanita in Great Britain (2012) it was quite straightforward to go through the keys which focus on features such as cap colour, stem and volva (and not microscopic identification of spores), and this enabled me to confidently identify them to species level. The photos of most of the species are essential back up to the species accounts. Geoffrey Kibby has published sev15
Amanita ceciliae - Snakeskin grisette
Amanita pantherin
Amanita phalloides - Death cap
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Hygrocybe psittacina
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na - Panthercap
var psittacina - Parrot waxcap
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Agaricus urinascens
Laccaria amethystina - Amethyst deceiver
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eral of these similar keys to British species of Boletes, Lactarius, Agaricus and Tricholomas and whilst some do involve spore identification and chemical tests, for anyone seriously attempting to identify these fungi genera to species, they do help immensely and take one a whole new step forward from the plethora of fungi guides that describe thousands of fungi with a small description and one tiny image.
Our young 10-25 yr old plots of woodland in November actually yielded some different species to the ancient woodland that appear to enjoy the slightly lighter and grassier conditions with soils that haven’t had centuries of accumulated leaf litter – milkcaps, club and pipe fungi, poison pie fungi (Hebeloma sp), knightcaps and blewitts.
Cricket pitches and front lawns Equally rewarding as a trek to my nearest ancient woodland, is a potter in November around some tightly-mown grass. Suffolk isn’t quite as good as the damp West Country when it comes to waxcaps, the Hygrocybe, but amazingly in 2014 I found no fewer than three waxcap species on Milden cricket pitch (the 22 yard central pitch is the best bit) the golden wax cap ( Hygrocybe chlorophana ), the parrot wax cap (H. psittacina var psittacina), and the snowy wax cap (H. virginea). Add two more species - the slimy wax cap (H. irrigata) and the pale meadow waxcap (H. pratensis var pallida) as well as those already mentioned, that were all found on our front, rather mossy lawn on 8 November - and that’s quite a haul of waxcaps for Milden. Sadly, the really good 18
waxcap guide by David Boertmann (The Genus Hygrocybe) is out of print in English so unless your Danish is excellent, you have to rely on a very good but brief Quick Waxcap Key (no pictures) which you can download from the internet for free. The closely-mown lawn swards also tend to be good for deceivers (Laccaria sp), bonnets (Mycena sp), lawn funnel (Clitocybe rivulosa) shaggy parasols (Chlorophyllum rhacodes), and various Agaricus species which non-mycologists lump together as ‘you know, those edible proper mushrooms’, which, of course, the yellow stainer that grows on our lawn is definitely not for some, or the sometimes huge, un-appetising urine-smelling macro mushroom Agaricus urinascens that I find on the White Admiral 92
cricket pitch. In addition, depending on what trees are growing close by, some other species turn up that have mycorrhyzal associations with trees, such as red-cracking boletes (Xerocomellus sp) with oaks, and some milkcaps such as coconutsmelling milkcap ( Lactarius glyciosmus) with birch.
to be tightly mown to yield lots of incredible fungi, but I find October and November the best months to get out and find them. And when it comes to identifying, it’s best to start off taking home one or two samples rather than an entire basket that deprives insects of a meal and that you never get around to identifying!
Woodland doesn’t need to be ancient and grassland doesn’t need
Juliet Hawkins
The Tawny Owls in Christchurch Park In his book ‘Portrait Of An Owl’ Reg Snook credits me with the first sighting of a resident tawny owl in Christchurch Park ‘about 8am on Monday 22nd September 2008’. I was the first to report it but dogwalkers saw it the day before and then alerted my wife Marie and myself as we passed by. Thus started a remarkable story that reached the national newspapers. Most people, including dedicated naturalists, hear but seldom see tawny owls, because of their largely crepuscular and nocturnal habits. The one in this park is highly visible in daylight hours, near the top of an oak on the path from the Westerfield road gate down into Ipswich (the oak itself is on the right, about fifteen yards from the path and easily found by looking for the flattened earth). Here thousands, probably tens of White Admiral 92
thousands, have stood to watch it for more than seven years. Photographic evidence suggests it is the same one and in 2014, just travelling from our house into Ipswich and back, we saw it 102 times. It is mainly absent from the beginning to the end of spring, which is the breeding season, and perhaps the most memorable photo, of the owl surrounded by vegetation covered in hoar frost, was taken by Bill Baston. However, local photographer Paul Sherman, who has recently published an illustrated book about the four seasons in the park, has made the most detailed photographic study, with diligent searching producing a family portrait of the two adults and three fluffy young. Reg remarks in his book that tawny owls are monogamous. 19
Mabel by Anne-Marie Stewart
The owl is called Mabel, as a result of a young girl winning a ‘name the owl’ competition in a local paper. Its hole is close to the top of an oak and once I remarked to someone nearby that it wasn’t there, only to be handed his binoculars as the top of its head was just visible at the bottom of the hole. This hole is probably the breeding place and extends deeply down the tree. It also has another purpose. Owls are, in daylight hours, vulnerable to mobbing by other birds so usually seek out deep cover like ivy clumps. This one is more vulnerable, especially from noisy resident jays, so once it has had enough it simply retires to the hidden depths of its hole. That 20
probably explains its considerable tolerance to ‘big events’ in the park (one noisy and illuminated ‘fun machine’ was just a measured fifteen yards away). Dissection of nearby owl pellets has revealed a diet of young rat, house mouse and wood mouse, to which can be added young birds. The park’s varied habitats offer plenty of prey, as do the large mature gardens nearby. We hear hunting owls from our house which is about five hundred yards from the park and the Spinney is nearby, linking Westerfield road and Tuddenham road - a relatively undisturbed green corridor. The owl’s presence often leads to conversation between strangers and my favourite sight was of a family watching it, with one adult slowly lifting a young girl, clutching pink plastic binoculars, to a height and angle where she could see it. Until recently my sightings have always been of the owl in its tree, sometimes scratching and preening, often in early morning facing the eastern sun, with feathers fluffed out. However, on 15th August 2015, as I returned from butterfly watching on the North Downs, I was at the right place and at the right time, 7.39 White Admiral 92
pm to be exact. It flew just ahead of me from the tree, across the path and into deep foliage on the other side. Reg Snook notes that captive owls have lived for over twenty years so there is still time to see it. It is a
very rare opportunity to see such a visible manifestation of a wild and usually secretive bird, just a few hundred yards from the centre of Ipswich. Richard Stewart
Arthur Rivett – winner of Pete Guest Award 2015 Last October, Arthur clocked up more than 30 years of dedication to bat conservation - a massive achievement which continues to inspire newcomers to get involved. He is a founder member of Suffolk Bat Group and he helped set it up back in 1984, serving as its first Chairman for the next 12 years. However, the wider SNS community may not know of his involvement in the discussions that led to the establishment of the n a t i o n a l b a t c h a r it y , B a t Conservation Trust, when he was the Eastern Region Representative with Bat Groups of Britain. Thirty years later, Arthur is still on the Suffolk Bat Group committee, is active as a volunteer roost visitor as well as being the Group’s Trainer and supports anyone keen to train as a roost visitor or wanting experience for a survey licence. He has embraced the technology of bat detectors & computer sound analysis and after White Admiral 92
Arthur Rivett
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group surveys, writes up all the reports so that landowners get the best advice for managing their trees and woodlands for bats. He also masterminds the hibernation checks across the county and his experience in dealing with lots of batty situations over the years is like a library for others to borrow from. To mark more than 30 years of dedication to bat conservation, Suffolk Bat Group nominated Arthur for this year’s Pete Guest Award. This award is presented annually by Bat Conservation Trust to individuals who have made an outstanding practical contribution to bat conservation. The award is presented in memory of Pete Guest, who was an inspirational figure in bat conservation for more than 20 years. The criteria for the award includes: dedication, innovation,
enthusiasm and inspiration in making a difference, both to bats and to people, and helping make Bat Conservation Trust’s vision become a reality. There were 12 nominees this year and nominations were circulated around bat groups and others for people to vote. I’m delighted that Arthur got the highest number of votes cast this year so is the proud recipient of the Pete Guest Award for 2015! Bat Conservation Trust Vice-Chairman David Gibbons kindly collected this award on Arthur’s behalf at the National Bat Conference in September – we’re pleased that his efforts have been recognised and thank everyone who voted for him. Sue Hooton Chairperson, Suffolk Bat Group w w w . s uf fo l kw i ld l i fe t ru s t . o r g / suffolkbatgroup
The Wild Flower Society Winter Months Hunt The Wi ld Flo w e r So c ie ty , established in 1886, is a national society created specifically for amateur botanists and lovers of wild flowers. The Society organises meetings across the country throughout the year in places of botanical interest so that members can learn more about our native flora. Some of these meetings are 22
of a ‘come and find’ nature and others are walks led by someone with an intimate knowledge of the local flora. There is always something of interest whatever your level of expertise and there is usually someone on hand to help with identification and the mastering of botanical keys.
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The aims of the Society are:
to promote a greater knowledge of field botany among the general public and in particular among young people;
to advance education in matters relating to the conservation of wild flowers and of the countryside;
to promote the conservation of the British flora.
Members are encouraged to keep an annual diary of their finds and to submit records to their local recorder. For a bit of fun there have traditionally been a number of other challenges throughout the year. Historically, the recording year ran from March 1st to October 31st, so to see the New Year in, the Society asked members to record anything they found in flower during the first week of the season and to round off the year, anything they found in flower during the last week. These records have been maintained since 1921 and now form an invaluable database, especially when looking at changes
due to climate change. In addition, members were also set the challenge of noting down how many different species they found in flower (or with spores in the case of ferns) in December, January and February – the Winter Months Hunt. We have been involved in the Winter Months Hunt for the last four years and it is amazing how many different species are still in flower during these bleak winter months. Searching for them adds interest to our winter walks around Suffolk. The table below shows the number of species we have seen in those four years.
Number of different plant species found in flower in each of the winter months from 2011 to 2015: Year 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15
December
January
February
133 97 109 93
115 58 111 67
61 51 92 59
The vast majority of these plants have been seen in Suffolk, but the numbers do include one or two White Admiral 92
Total number of different species 160 135 177 136
species seen in our adjacent counties of Norfolk and Essex. The variation in numbers largely 23
reflects the nature and severity of the winter in any particular year, with greater numbers being found in milder winters and early frosts or snow reducing the numbers able to survive in others. Many of the plants found in flower in December are hanging on from the previous summer, while those in flower in February are heralding in a new spring and include the traditional early flowers such as Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) and Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). 14 plant species were found in every month in all four years. These were Daisy (Bellis perennis), Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursapastoris ), Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), White and Red dead-nettles (Lamium album and Lamium purpureum), Winter heliotrope (Petasites fragrans), Annual meadow grass ( Poa annua ), Groundsel ( Senecio vulgaris), Chickweed ( Stellaria media), Dandilion ( Taraxacum agg.), Scentless mayweed
( Tripleurospermum inodorum ), Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Common field speedwell (Veronica persica) and Sweet violet (Viola odorata). In addition, four further species were found in every month bar one in all four years. These were Hart’stongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium ), Annual nettle (Urtica urens), Greater periwinkle (Vinca major) and Field pansy (Viola arvensis). So what will you be doing on your winter walks this year? Why not rise to the challenge and see just how many different species you can find still in flower. You may be very pleasantly surprised at how much colour there is still in the countryside at this time of the year. If you want to find out more about the Wild Flower Society go to www.thewildflowersociety.com , where there are details of membership and our events. Anne and Dennis Kell
My Year 2015 by Trevor Goodfellow At home in April, I found a male orange tip butterfly (see left) without the black spots on the upper forewing (ab. antiquincunx Bryk). As this was the first of the year for me, I didn’t immediately realise how unusual this was. 24
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My main mission this year was to see a swallowtail butterfly. After failing last year I returned to Strumpshaw Fen at the start of June when there was the best chance of seeing and photographing one. Upon my arrival I saw several cameras aimed at the flower border in front of the reception, a cloud covered the sun, ideal as the swallowtails rested wings Swallowtail open. Then the sun came out and ‘whoosh’, well ok not quite but the flowers came to life with peacock, red admiral, whites and up to five swallowtails at any one time. I was thrilled that I could take some photos straight off the bat and then take a relaxing walk for the rest of the day. At a usual rate only two percent of photos taken were worth keeping, I at least had a few of lovely shots. My walk proved pleasant although frustrating as I found difficulty in getting any photos of a Norfolk hawker and the occasional scarce hawker.
At the end of June I was tipped off that marbled whites were showing at Devil’s Dyke near Newmarket, so off I went and yet again, within 50 yards of the start of the footpath, I spotted one. After a suspected sighting of a small blue, I carried on walking and bumped into a fellow wildlife photographer who explained that dark green fritillaries were also showing further along the path. It was also interesting to hear that lizard and other orchids were in that direction. (Left) Marbled White
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I found the place he described and sure enough, there were several marbled whites and a couple of dark green fritillaries. I couldn’t believe my luck and as I returned to my car I reflected on my good fortune. (Left) Dark Green Fritillary
In July, I went along to SWT Bonny Wood with a Butterfly Conservation group organised day to spot purple emperors. I really didn’t imagine that I was actually going to see one for the first time, but we counted four or five that day along with white admiral and silver washed fritillary.
Purple Emperor
In mid July, I returned to Devil’s Dyke to look for chalkhill blues, and wow I timed that right; I counted one hundred and fifty males in the first two hundred yards! A scorching day which unfortunately I had to cut short due to my work commitments. I would have liked to stay and help the Cambridgeshire branch of Butterfly Conservation group with their survey; they arrived just as I was leaving. Male Chalkhill Blue
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As purple emperor photo opportunities were challenging at the Bonny Wood walk, I returned a few days later to try again. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turning (through a gate – a false memory) and got lost. I walked for a couple of hours before getting back on track but my pain was rewarded by spotting a valezina form of a female silverwashed fritillary. I then visited Theberton Wood to try and improve my photo record of the purple emperor but the weather was not kind that day and blanked. To round it all off I went to Pakenham Wood to catch sighting of the silverwashed fritillaries before they finish. I counted nine plus two tatty white admirals. Several fritillaries were mating that day.
(Above) Valezina form of Silver-washed Fritillary
Later that day at home, I spotted two purple hairstreaks and a white admiral in the garden for the first (and probably last) time. Also, a red kite visited me for a four day photo session! Realising that I was pushing my luck to find, and, get a good photo of white letter hairstreak, I chilled out and looked back on having met some lovely like minded people and had an all together very enjoyable and fruitful summer as far as chasing butterflies goes.
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Red Kite
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Gonocerus acuteangulatus, aka the Box Bug
While recording the lichens at Stanny House Farm, to build up a picture of what is present there, I and a colleague, Katie CarrTansley, walked the site and in passing, noted several insects on flowering Umbelliferae at field edges. Whilst stopping back at home for a cup of tea, we spotted this insect again which we trapped and photographed, before releasing it. The pics were sent to Nigel Cuming, who was able to identify it as an early nymphal stage of the Box Bug and a good Suffolk record (Nigel Cuming, pers comm.). Notes extracted from the computer, as I am not an entomologist are as follows:- Gonocerus acuteangulatus belongs to the Family
Coreidae
and the adult is a relatively large reddish brown insect called a squashbug. It varies from a commoner type, Coreus marginatus, as it has a narrower abdomen and “more pointed lateral extremities of the pronotum”. The nymphs, see my pics, have green abdomens. When first described it was very rare and only known from Box Hill near Dorking, Surrey where it was found feeding on box, hence the name. Today it has extended its range to be common in southeast Britain and also its range of food plants, which now include hawthorn, blackthorn, yew and plum. C. J. B. Hitch & K. Carr-Tansley
Photos: (Left to right) topside of nymph [for scale: the width of the card is 0.5mm], Au naturell a la Crataegus monogyna leaf & underside of nymph. See page 14 for adult photo.
A letter to the editor I read with interest Richard Stewart’s article regarding Late 28
Red Admirals in the Spring edition of White Admiral. White Admiral 92
I am happy to inform that on more than four occasions over the past 18 years I have found hibernating Red Admiral Butterflies in a disused coal bunker in our Reydon garden.
frequent occurrence but last winter (February) when I opened the lid to the bunker there were three hibernating Red Admirals present, I will certainly be checking again late this winter.
I have not looked every year so I cannot comment if this is a
Alan Cornish
SNS Members Holiday Offer Greenwings Wildlife Holidays would like to invite SNS members on a specially discounted tour of Tzoumerka, Peristeri and Arachthos Gorge National Park, in northwest Greece (Epirus region). The holiday will run between 2nd – 9th July 2016. Enjoy a week of wildlife watching and surveying in one of the lesser visited corners of Greece. The scenery of the Tzoumerka National Park is stunning and there is a great diversity of habitat to explore. It is also an under recorded area, in fact for many taxa it is virtually unrecorded, so there are opportunities to make new discoveries. Michael de Courcy Williams, a naturalist living in northeast Greece, will lead the group with the assistance of the National Parks staff. We hope to build on valuable survey work done during 2014 & 2015 by Greenwings, European Interests Group of White Admiral 92
Butterfly Conservation (EIG) & Greek butterfly expert Lazaros Pamperis. Over 100 butterfly species have been recorded so far, several of which had not previously been known in the area. In 2016 we will focus largely on butterflies and moths again, however we are keen to record as much of the areas flora and fauna as possible, so if you have skills that could help we’d be delighted to have you join our group. To encourage SNS members to participate we’re offering a special price of just £850 per person (a saving of about 23% off the normal price). This includes all your accommodation, food, ground transport, services of the guides and a printed & bound report of the trip. Not included are flights, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks and items of a personal nature. During the week we’ll stay at two different locations. Firstly, we’ll start in Metsovo, a picturesque 29
mountainous town sitting at 1,200m in the Pindus Mountains. We’ll spend 3 nights there before relocating further south to the charming stone village of Syrrako, in the heart of the National Park. We’ll stay there for the remainder of the week. All accommodation is
good quality with private facilities and serving traditional Greek food. To find out more please contact us on 01473 436096 or email us at enquiries@greenwings.co. Our w e b s i te c a n b e fo u n d a t www.greenwings.co
About Greenwings Greenwings was founded by Matt Berry & Julian Dowding. Matt has worked in nature conservation for over 17 years, trying to protect, promote and enhance the natural world in Suffolk. His latest project is the design and implementation of an ecological network for Ipswich. Similarly Julian has been involved in conservation as a volunteer for various organisations during the past 20 years and is currently warden for Purdis Heath SSSI in Ipswich and secretary for the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation. They both believe that one of the best ways to protect the natural world is by inspiring people to care for it and that a good way to inspire people is by showing them the wonders that the natural world has to offer and letting them experience it for themselves. In other words, helping people to observe & conserve wildlife - and so Greenwings was born!
Ganoderma australe or Ganoderma adspersum? Readers may remember a scarce Caucasian Elm (Zelkova carpinifolia) suffering severe storm damage during heavy rain at Worlingworth near Beccles May 5th at 3am in the morning. This 30
was quite a local landmark and several very large branches split away and fell onto nearby houses, but local newspaper reports quoted the tree’s owners (SCC) as saying heavy winds were not to blame. White Admiral 92
This left me wondering if the cause could be fungal related so I looked up on a database to see what fungi have been reported as occurring with Caucasian Elm. There were only 4 species recorded - 2 macro fungi (Basidiomycetes) and 2 micro fungi (Ascomycetes) so I decided to take a look to see what I could find and hopefully add a new species to the list. Naturally, things were in a bit of a mess with the road closed for safety reasons, but I introduced myself and obtained permission to look at the tree whilst the tree surgeons were having their tea break. Externally, things looked fine with no obvious signs of disease, but looking at the exposed heartwood where large branches had split away showed the tell-tale signs of serious white rot suggesting an attack by Armillaria spp., Pleurotus spp. or the more usual Ganoderma bracket species. It would be most unlikely for an annual species to be showing fruiting bodies in May, but the perennial brackets of certain Ganoderma spp. would still be present, but I could see none. I collected samples of this white rot and sent it off to Dr Anne Edwards at the John Innes Centre in Norwich for DNA analysis. Anne had previously told me she would White Admiral 92
be interested in looking at this material. Meanwhile, I returned to the tree a few days later when most of the fallen branches had been cut up and removed and using a few remaining logs (which were quickly being removed for firewood by neighbouring houses) I managed to climb up into the tree and see the true extent of the decay damage which was entirely internal. Inside the hollow I could clearly see several fungal brackets looking very much like Ganoderma australe, so I removed one to take it home to see if I could find spores present so that I could confirm which species it was because G. applanatum is very similar but has slightly smaller spores. Obtaining in-situ spores from a very hard and woody bracket fungus is quite difficult as you need to soften the material in KOH (Potassium hydroxide) to separate the cell structure to release the spores - if any. Luckily, I found 4 spores which measured 9-10 Âľm long strongly suggesting this was G .australe as I suspected. I sent off these findings and the bracket to Anne at the JIC to help her narrow down the decay causer. However, when I received a reply several weeks later, I was a little mystified because the DNA results or more correctly, the “ribosomal 31
ITS sequence” of the white rot and bracket detailed it to be 100% identical to Ganoderma adspersum - the old name of G. australe. Not being a trained scientist, I began to wonder if Anne had made the common mistake of getting her ‘A’s
mixed up and meant to write G. applanatum, so I queried this and it turns out you have to keep to the name as submitted to the DNA database by the original provider.
Loads of Rain! xanthoderma) and maybe 50 Hare’s Foot Inkcaps (Coprinopsis lagopus) in the woodchips of the woodland path on the Moreton Hall estate in Bury recently. Neil Mahler
Hare’s Foot Inkcaps - young and old
As I write it is presently teaming down with rain, the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned, and this brought out a wonderful display of roughly 500 Yellow Stainer mushrooms ( Agaricus
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Suffolk Naturalists’ Society Bursaries The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers six bursaries, of up to £500 each, annually. Larger projects may be eligible for grants of over £500 – please contact SNS for further information. Activities eligible for funding include: travel and subsistence for field work, visits to scientific institutions, scientific equipment, identification guide books or other items relevant to the study. Morley Bursary - Studies involving insects (or other invertebrates) other than butterflies and moths. Chipperfield Bursary - Studies involving butterflies or moths. Cranbrook Bursary - Studies involving mammals or birds. Rivis Bursary - Studies of the county's flora. Simpson Bursary - In memory of Francis Simpson. The bursary will be awarded for a botanical study where possible. Nash Bursary - Studies involving beetles. Applications should be set in the context of a research question i.e. a clear statement of what the problem is and how the applicant plans to tackle it. Criteria:
1. Projects should include a large element of original work and further knowledge of Suffolk’s flora, fauna or geology.
2. A written account of the project is required within 12 months of receipt of a bursary. This should be in a form suitable for publication in one of the Society's journals: Suffolk Natural History, Suffolk Birds or White Admiral.
3. Suffolk Naturalists' Society should be acknowledged in all publicity associated with the project and in any publications emanating from the project. Applications may be made at any time. Please apply to SNS for an application form or visit our website for more details www.sns.org.uk/
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Suffolk
Naturalists’ Society w w w. s n s . o r g . u k
Willow Emerald by Trevor Goodfellow
The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, founded in 1929 by Claude Morley (1874 -1951), pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology. It is the seed bed from which have grown other important wildlife organisations in Suffolk, such as Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group (SOG). Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still the Society’s primary objective. Members’ observations go to specialist recorders and then on to the Suffolk Biological Records Centre at Ipswich Museum to provide a basis for detailed distribution maps and subsequent analysis with benefits to environmental protection. Funds held by the Society allow it to offer substantial grants for wildlife studies. Annually, SNS publishes its transactions Suffolk Natural History, containing studies on the County’s wildlife, and the County bird report, Suffolk Birds (compiled by SOG). The newsletter White Admiral, with comment and observations, appears three times a year. SNS organises two members’ evenings a year and a conference every two years. Field meetings are held throughout the year often in conjunction with other specialist organisations. Subscriptions: Individual members £15.00; Family membership £17.00; Student Membership £10.00; Corporate membership £17.00. Members receive the three publications above. Joint membership with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group: Individual members £30.00; Family membership £35.00. Joint members receive, in addition to the above, the SOG newsletter The Harrier. As defined by the Constitution of this Society its objectives shall be: 2.1 To study and record the fauna, flora and geology of the County 2.2 To publish a Transactions and Proceedings and a Bird Report. These shall be free to members except those whose annual subscriptions are in arrears contact: 2.3 To liaise with other natural history societies and conservation bodies in the County 2.4 To promote interest in natural history and the activities of the Society. For more details about the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society contact: Hon. Secretary, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH. Telephone 01473 400251 enquiry@sns.org.uk