White Admiral Newsletter 96
Spring 2017
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society
Contents Editorial
Ben Heather
Spring Members’ Evening & AGM & What’s on? Black Poplar Clone Bank & Nursery
1 2
Danny Thorrington
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Martin Hancock
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Caroline Markham
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Tom Langton
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Rasik Bhadresa
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Megan Gimber
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John Baker
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Joan Hardingham
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Adrian Chalkley
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A lucky escape
Jerry Bowdrey
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Bank Vole - Caught in the Act
Pete Etheridge
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The Voyage of the Queen Bee
Tim Gardiner
25
Gen Broad
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Neil Mahler
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Ben Heather
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Then came Mustela nivalis
A New Website for GeoSuffolk Buzzard Alert? The Many Faces of the Harlequin Suffolk’s wood pasture and parkland Mustelid Predation of Breeding Toads News from our Treasurer Water Flea Recording in Suffolk
SNS Autumn Members’ Evening 2016 Almost a First for the UK
Review: The Butterflies in Christchurch Park More What’s on?
32 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: Dartford Warbler by Gary Richardson
Suffolk The
Naturalists’ Society
Newsletter 96 - Spring 2017 Welcome to the Spring issue of the White Admiral newsletter. Thank you to all those who have actively contributed to making this, once again, a very full edition. This issue covers a multitude of topics including reports on a new survey of wood pasture and parkland by the PTES, an update on water flea recording and how to get involved, the establishment of a new Native Black Poplar clone bank plus the next chapter in our series of Mustelid reports by Martin Hancock. With mammals in mind, we can now confirm that the topic of the next SNS conference will be focusing on this species group. The SNS will team up with the Suffolk Mammal Group to organise and host the next conference which will be, once again, held at Wherstead Park on the 24th February 2018. Please save the date now! The following two White Admiral newsletters will begin to release more details about the conference including details of planned speakers and how to book a place. In the closer future, please can I draw your attention to the Spring Members’ Evening & AGM which will be held at Cedars Hotel, Stowmarket on 12th April (see page 2). It would be great to see many of you there for an informal evening of natural history updates. Such is the demand for space in the White Admiral, I must apologise to those people whose articles I could not fit in this issue - they will be first in the queue for the next edition but please keep the content coming! Editor: Ben Heather Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH ben.heather@suffolk.gov.uk White Admiral 96
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Spring Members’ Evening & AGM 12th April 2017 | 7pm for 7:30pm Start Cedars Hotel, Needham Road, Stowmarket IP14 2AJ Agenda: • Apologies for absence • Minutes of the 87th Annual General Meeting • Chairman’s Report – Martin Sanford • Treasurer’s Report – SNS Council • Secretary’s Report – Gen Broad • Any Other Business Following the conclusion of formal business and refreshments there will be a series of short presentations on natural history by members and projects funded by SNS including Theo Tamblyn’s study of Pea Mussels at Great Glemham. If you have anything you would like to show please bring a PowerPoint or photos (jpgs) on a memory stick with you on the night.
Drinks available from the pay bar on arrival and half-time refreshment break provided (tea and coffee). What’s on? Hedgehog Awareness Week: 30th April – 6th May. A national campaign run by British Hedgehog Preservation Society in which Suffolk Wildlife Trust will be running a series of local events across Ipswich to promote hedgehog action! Check our website for details http://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/whats on, or get in touch with Ipswich Hedgehog Officer Ali North at hedgehogs@suffolkwildlifetrust.org .
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SWT Wild Learning Courses in April & May: • Sunday 23rd April - Spring Birdsong for Beginners at Bradfield Woods. £25. • Saturday 29th April - Basic Hedgehog Care at Redgrave & Lopham Fen. £25. • Sunday 30th April - Spring Birds, early migrants at Lackford Lakes. £20 / £17 concessions. • Saturday 6th May - ID of Whales, dolphins & seabirds around the UK coast at Carlton Marshes. £50 / £45 for Trust members & volunteers. • Saturday 6th May - Intermediate hedgehog care at Redgrave & Lopham Fen. £25. • Sunday 28th May - Spring Birds, late migrants at Lackford Lakes. £20 / £17 concessions. For more information and booking visit: http://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wildlearning National Trust Events: • 19th April and 3rd May, 6:30am – 7:45am. Early Morning Birdsong at Dunwich Heath. A one hour guided walk listening to the magical early morning birdsong over Dunwich Heath followed by a hearty breakfast in the Coastguard Cottages Tearooms. £10pp, Booking essential 01728 648501. • 26th April, 24th May, 12th July and 6th September, 10:30am – 12:30pm. A walk with the Ranger at Dunwich Heath. A two hour guided walk with the Ranger exploring the fascinating wildlife of Dunwich Heath. £8pp, Booking essential - 01728 648501. • 14th June and 5th July, 9pm – 10:30pm. Nightjar Walk at Dunwich Heath. Join the Ranger to search for the elusive and mysterious Nightjar at Dunwich Heath. Learn more about these strange birds as they churr from trees and fly low across the heath, hunting for moths and other insects. £10pp, Booking essential- 01728 648501 • 25th July, 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th August, 10am – 4pm. WBC Bird Ringing at Coastguard Cottages, Dunwich Heath. Free White Admiral 96
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Black Poplar Clone Bank & Nursery
A few years ago the Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project decided to set up a native Black Poplar clone bank and nursery to combat further decline and almost extinction of this special tree with the plan to repopulate the River Stour. Unfortunately, the nursery came under attack from a marshland disease and the constant barrage of the local rabbit population - urgent action needed to be taken. Last year a new site was identified in Alphamstone (Essex), kindly provided by local landowner John McGlashan, to enable the Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project and its dedicated volunteers to reestablish a Black Poplar clone bank & nursery.
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So why is the native black poplar so important? The native Black Poplar was once a common sight along our floodplain woodlands that covered the river valleys. It was grown for its special properties including; •
The gentle curve of the tree made it ideal for cruck framed buildings,
•
It is fire resistant and was widely used as floor boards,
•
It is a spongy shock absorber, ideal for carts and wagons.
Many of the remaining native Black Poplars date back from the middle of the 19th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries new strains and hybrids were introduced from abroad and the native Black Poplar ceased to be planted.
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Today there are thought to be less than 8,000 mature native Black Poplars remaining, many of which are coming to the end of their lives, so we need to act fast. Native Black Poplars occur as separate male and female trees. The female produces masses of fluffy white seed which can be a nuisance. Consequently, they were rarely planted and today there may be fewer than 800 left in Britain. Many of the surviving trees in East Anglia have been identified and their owners are being encouraged to look after them. We have taken 83 cuttings from trees locally and planted these in a special collection, known as a ‘clone bank’, where we continue to care for them. These will provide a source of new trees long after the parent trees have died. I am very pleased to report that we achieved a 62% success rate and these trees will have new cuttings taken this February and be nurtured in our fenced nursery.
Hopefully the future is looking a little brighter and the regeneration and planting of native Black Poplars will soon be exercised, as we hope to have new tree saplings ready to plant in two years’ time. Planting will focus on locations where they traditionally occurred, maintaining and enhancing the special qualities of the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley.
Danny Thorrington Volunteer Officer
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AONB
Then came Mustela nivalis (the Weasel) Following the stoat encounter I wrote about in the Autumn 2016 issue of White Admiral, I was more than pleased to see that the next visitor was a weasel. The weasel is the smallest member
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of the Mustelid family and also Britain’s smallest carnivore. In fact, it is the smallest carnivorous mammal in the world. They have sharp eyesight and excellent hearing.
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The weasel is relatively easy to distinguish from the stoat; it is much smaller and significantly, does not have a black tip on its tail. The weasel weighs in at some 170 grams with an average length of around 20 cm (excluding the tail of around 6 cm). Weasels exhibit sexual dimorphism with females some 50% smaller than males.
No Black Tip to the Tail
There is also a difference in the frontal white/dark fur marking - on a stoat, the line between the white and dark brown fur is pretty straight and defined, on the weasel it is much more irregular and wavy. There is little competition for food between stoats and weasels. The stoat can tackle larger prey than the weasel, which mainly feeds on small rodents and has earned itself the nickname of ‘tunnel hunter’. Its slender, flexible body is well suited to hunting underground. Mice and voles make up 60-80% of their diet, however, they also eat rats, frogs and birds. It is said that when ratting their courage is greater than that of the stoat. Their main predators are cats, owls, foxes and birds of prey.
Irregular White/Brown Fur Marking
Weasels can be found in a wide range of habitats, providing food is available. Each weasel has its own territory of between 5 to 8 hectares and can travel up to 2 km in a single night in search of food. Their 6
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range will include several dens, which are visited at differing intervals. Males and females live in different territories. They are active by day and night throughout the year and need to eat around a quarter to a third of their body weight every day to survive. They are solitary and prefer to hunt under cover. With a relatively high surface area to body weight ratio, and a thin layer of body fat, the weasel easily loses body heat, hence why they need to eat so much and are nearly always hunting fresh prey. They are a highly active predator. Weasels do not have permanent homes and tend to use the tunnel or burrow of one of the animals they have eaten.
Moving in Undulating Bounds
Weasels breed between April and August. This is the only time males and females associate and tolerate each other. There can be up to 2
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litters per year of 4 to 6 kits. The gestation period is around 5 weeks. The young of the first litter grow very fast. They are weaned at 4 weeks and are able to hunt and kill at 5 to 8 weeks. As part of their survival strategy, young weasels, born early in the year, are capable of breeding themselves during their first summer, unlike other British carnivores, which do not breed until their second year. This reproduction strategy is probably due to their short life span (2 to 3 years in the wild). This also means of course that they can rapidly respond to population explosions in prey such as voles by increasing their numbers. Another fine example of mustelid fecundity. Unlike stoats, weasels have no delayed implantation. The weasel moves across the ground in a series of undulating bounds and is also a good climber. They rarely seem to keep still – a bit of a challenge to photograph! The weasel is considered vermin in some quarters, but is skilled at catching rodents. Its fate is primarily determined by its ability to feed itself sufficiently, especially during the winter months. Local populatio ns can ex perience extinctions, but weasels are proficient at re-colonizing when conditions improve. 7
The weasel is not rare, and is afforded no legal protection. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as an animal that is of ‘Least Concern’ of becoming extinct in its natural environment in the near future. It is that last comment, which to me, means we should not become too complacent. The loss of habitat due to urbanisation and intensive agriculture, with the associated habitat fragmentation, does not help an animal with such large home ranges. On the other hand, climate change with its attendant warmer winters might help mitigate this to some extent. In any event, it is another reason why we need to protect, enhance and expand our natural habitats. Many weasels are also killed on the roads. Incidental poisoning with rodenticides is also an issue, but in terms of conflict with the farming community, weasels are nowhere near as capable of snatching chickens, eggs and game birds as stoats are. That said, weasels are persecuted by humans, particularly
Further images can be found at www.hancockwildlifephotography.co.uk
where pheasant and partridges are reared in the open. The weasel, with its sharply pointed snout and triangular head, small rounded ears and black eyes is altogether a most beautiful and fascinating mustelid. A marvellous piece of evolutionary engineering.
Martin Hancock - Chair, Suffolk Mammal Group.
References: The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats. Ecology, Behaviour and Management. Second Edition. Carolyn M. King and Roger A Powell. Oxford University Press, ISBN 13 978-0-19530056-7 Stoats & Weasels, Polecats & Martens. Paddy Sleeman. Whittet Books. ISBN 0-905483-75-8 Stoats and Weasels, Robbie McDonald and Stephen Harris. The Mammal Society. ISBN 0906282-61-6
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A New Website for GeoSuffolk Launched in January, our new website www.geosuffolk.co.uk, is a phone-friendly entry to the special geology of Suffolk. There are old favourites such as the Suffolk Geo Coast, with access to site-based information from GeoSuffolk’s 2010 handbook, Earth Heritage Suffolk. Our Gazetteer has also been incorporated with the majority of sites having public access or viewable from public footpaths. New pages by popular demand are Breckland and the Pliocene Forest and there are also Gallery and Archive pages. The Gallery so far has a small
population of Bob Markham’s early photographs – watch this space. The Archive is full of GeoSuffolk publications plus a page for the old Ipswich Geology Group Bulletins (only the first one on it so far!) and also the SNS stack of geology articles from their Transactions. Thank you to Emma Kerridge of WPK Systems Ltd. of Hadleigh for designing and hosting the web site and GeoSuffolk’s Chris Chapman and Bob Markham for helping me to populate the pages.
Caroline Markham
Buzzard Alert? Just a few observations over the winter period, all within three days in late December 2016. The first was a dead Buzzard next to the road near our reserve, Dews Ponds SSSI. This is the second fatality, a buzzard with thick bird netting tangling its feet was found drowned in one of our ponds a year or so ago – perhaps a symptom of how common they have become since their arrival. Just a few hundred metres away from our boundary, it was a surprising location in that it is a very open White Admiral 96
straight road with a short hedge on one side and not a place you would think of being dangerous to buzzards, even if feeding on a dead rabbit on the road – after a week we were too late finding it to check for that. It was also too badly decomposed and run over to study. However, a few hundred metres along in the same direction is a narrow steep dip in the road with overgrown hedges either side, like a tunnel, and at the bottom of this, where it is dark, you drive slowly and then the road opens up into a 9
Left: Drowned Casualty
well-lit country lane again. Here, a day before, we nearly clipped a different buzzard standing right on the edge of the road, not obviously near a road kill. We could not see what it was doing but it shot up next to the side of the car, a very near miss at 20 mph. Late the same day we were checking badger setts along the A12 and on a railway bridge we watched a train pass underneath, flushing a buzzard standing on the track, it went up vertically and only just missed the train by a short feather. It may be coincidence but we
Right: RTA Casualty
wondered if there are any other observations of buzzards like this – they seem not too good at reacting to danger. You do see owls, sparrowhawks and kestrels killed and stunned by vehicles, but it seems that buzzards might be equally vulnerable perhaps in winter when scavenging or hunting and in poorer condition? Birds are killed by trains, especially high speed trains, and I wonder if there are any train drivers who might have observations or others regarding buzzards and roads.
Tom Langton
The Many Faces of the Harlequin It was on Monday 17th October that we went to The Crown in Stoke-by-Nayland for lunch (much recommended if you live nearby) to celebrate an anniversary. It was a bright, sunny and warm, somewhat uncharacteristic for the time of the year, day as we 10
entered. The light was just as intense as we opened the door to leave, well satiated. I noticed something had flown into my hair. I shook my head and out flew, right in front of me and down onto the tarmac, a largish ladybird with many spots! I managed to take a
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close-up shot just before it flew off. I had come across it before – it was the seriously insidious Harlequin Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). A native of eastern Asia, the harlequin was introduced as a biological agent into many European countries and North America. It invaded Britain in the summer of 2004. Found amongst imported European vegetables and flowers, it was just as likely to have flown across the channel. This most invasive ladybird on Earth, now widespread in Britain, its range extending rapidly north and west, is also now present in Ireland and Scotland (and yes, as far north as the Shetland Isles). It has the potential to endanger the other 46 species of ladybird resident in Britain, a recent survey indicating that seven natives already appear to have been affected. A survey is continuing to monitor its impact. The fastest of invading species, this voracious beast will feed quite comfortably on native ladybirds. The name Harlequin for ‘agile trickster, witty and sophisticated’ is quite apt.
Top: The Harlequin Ladybird with its constant companion Bottom: The Harlequin Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (this picture is a composite of six specimens)
Seeing how nice the weather was, we thought we would walk up towards the tall-towered church. But our walk was soon interrupted as on the white-washed walls of the terraced cottages, bathed in the White Admiral 96
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sun, were lots of crawling ladybirds – an invasion, one might say. Some resembled the ones I had seen, but most didn’t. I started to snap away. Some heads were similar, showing a large M-shaped mark but it was the pattern on the wing cases (elytra) that showed much variability in number (up to 19), size and co lour of sp o ts, background colour (different shades of orange and red) with some quite black with no more than 4 spots (see photos). They were all about the same size (7-8 mm) but what gave the game away was their mannerism. They all moved in a certain way. We were somewhat baffled, but were they actually all variants of the same species? On reaching home, I rushed off to the computer, soon
realising that my hunch may have been correct and that they were all, in most probability, the Harlequin! But I had to get confirmation. I emailed all the images to Professor Helen Roy (co-author of Ladybirds, Pelagic Publishing 2013) and in a couple of days I had this reply: “Dear Rasik,
Thank you so much for getting in contact. I can confirm that these are all harlequin ladybirds and will add the record to our database. Many, many thanks, Helen” I was quick to e-mail the record to S B I S ( S u f f o l k B io d i v e r s i t y Information service). Nature has a way of yielding, out of the blue, exclusive memorable encounters.
Rasik Bhadresa
Suffolk’s wood pasture and parkland A call to action from People’s Trust for Endangered Species Characterised by big old trees growing in open pasture-land, wood pasture is an important habitat that is positively teeming with life. Historically, wood pasture hasn’t always been regarded as a distinct habitat, instead mistaken for degraded woodland, but really it is
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a separate habitat entirely, often derived from medieval hunting forests and old wooded commons. This means they have different features to other wooded habitats; the plant and fungi assemblages that thrive within are often different, and even the trees themselves have different structures.
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Wood pasture trees Trees grown in open conditions like wood pasture or parkland tend to have a much broader shape than their woodland grown peers. They have large limbs growing from low down the trunk and can often be as wide as they are tall. These trees can grow old and enormous and the breadth of micro-habitats they provide is impressive. In this
situation sunlight can warm the trunks and the soils surrounding the trees, a condition favored by many deadwood beetles, which are among the most threatened species groups in the UK. This isn’t even to mention the old pollard trees, common on wood pasture sites and too fantastic for wildlife to do justice to in this article.
Veteran Trees
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veteran tree hugging whilst testing the survey in Richmond Park
Veteran trees are well known for their value to wildlife, and wood pasture and parkland sites can be rich with them. Trees in these sites often reach a greater age than in woodland sites as they don’t suffer the same competition for light as their crowns retrench. In fact, three of the most celebrated sites for ancient tree density in England are all wood pasture or parkland sites, as mentioned in the last White admiral article on veteran trees. This means the veteran and ancient stages of these magnificent trees can last a lot longer, so providing a more consistent wealth of dead and decaying wood for bryophytes, saproxylic communities and hole nesting creatures, as well as the predators of the aforementioned. 13
Moccas Park SSSI Credit Peter Wakely -Natural England
What this really boils down to, is the idea that the value of wood pasture and parkland is not simply the value of these big old veteran trees, but it is enriched by the matrix they grow in. Species do not exist in isolation and some of those living in a veteran tree will require other habitats for different stages of their life. It is the decaying dead wood that the larvae of dead wood insects require, but the adults often depend on other features of the wood pasture habitat. Meadow flowers in the pasture act as a nectar and pollen source for some of these in their adult form, others predate the insects that flowers or dung in the sward attract.
Continuity Ancient wood pasture and parkland sites have been providing this incredibly rich habitat, often for hundreds of years, offering exactly the continuity that specialised, rare, low dispersing species require. If a site breaks this continuity for any reason and loses its deadwood species, it becomes
difficult to recolonise the same diversity of fauna that is lost. In Britain, there are concentrated pockets of these of rare deadwooddependent communities living in historic parkland and open wood pasture where the continuity of their habitat has remained unbroken.
Lack of knowledge Despite all this, wood pasture and parkland has been historically overlooked and understudied as a habitat. A provisional record of wood pasture and parkland sites 14
exists, created by Natural England using mainly historical maps and aerial photography, but we don’t know whether all these wood pasture sites remain intact and White Admiral 96
Confusion whilst map reading whilst surveying Richmond Park
what condition they are in. Many sites are undoubtedly still whole and being sensitively managed, but
others may have been fragmented, neglected, infilled or destroyed. We at PTES plan to find out.
A walk in the park! PTES have devised a simple survey technique to assess the condition of wood pastures. This year we’re trialing wood pasture surveying in Suffolk so we’re asking volunteers to visit wood pastures to test the survey and help us refine it until it’s suitable for volunteers to use all over the country. The survey itself is very simple to conduct, but we are also offering training for those that would feel they would benefit from White Admiral 96
it, or just find it interesting! The survey is really a structured walk around these beautiful areas which can be done specifically, or as part of a day out with family and friends. If you would like to help by surveying sites near you, or own some wood pasture that you would like to survey, please contact megan.gimber@ptes.org.
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Mustelid Predation of Breeding Toads Bufo bufo
Male common toad with hind limbs removed from skin
In spring 2016 I visited two ponds to investigate amphibian mortalities. The first was in Burkes Wood, Melton where reports of dead frogs had been relayed to the local council with concern that the pond may be polluted. When I visited the pond (25 February) it was clear that the dead ‘frogs’ were in fact toads. There was no reason to suspect pollution as the cause of death; the water was clear, there were submerged aquatic plants growing and there was no apparent pollution source nearby. Moreover, there were also live toads present. There were eight amplectant (clasping) pairs and plenty of calling (toads bred earlier than usual at sites I visited in 2016, presumably responding to the mild winter, although common frog 16
breeding was as normal). There were also about twenty dead toads around the pond margins, in the water. Almost all of these had the hind legs removed from their skins and, in many, injuries extended to the rear of the abdomen. Elsewhere toad predation of this nature has been carried out by otters (e.g. Slater, 2002). The Burkes Wood pond is about 500m from the nearest major waterway (the river Deben) but to reach it would require crossing a B road and the built-up area bordering it. It did not seem likely otter habitat. A colleague in Herefordshire, Nigel Hand, had seen similar toad predation apparently carried out by polecats. The Vincent Wildlife Trust informed me of polecat records sufficiently close to Melton White Admiral 96
to make this species a candidate for predator here, too. A third mustelid that feeds in, or near, water is the American mink, but it is not known whether it preys on toads in this manner. No droppings or other field signs were seen to confirm which species had been feeding on the toads.
The second location was a carp pond on a farm in Sibton where the owner wanted to know what was killing toads that breed there annually. A site visit (2 April) revealed dead toads around the edges of the pond, mostly in the water. The toad remains ranged from animals with only the hind legs removed to empty skins. Again the location seemed unlikely otter habitat, being on farm land approximately 2.25 km from the nearest major waterway (the river Yox). Nevertheless, spraint found on a fishing platform indicated that otter was the predator most likely to be responsible in this case.
Observations of toad carcasses in Wales (Slater, 2002) suggest that otters learned how to skin toads rather than just take hind legs. The mixture of prey handling strategies at the Sibton pond could indicate a single animal still on the learning curve, or several animals with mixed abilities, such as a female and cubs. At both the Melton and Sibton ponds the remains of toads suggested mustelid predation – otter at one site and an undetermined species at the other. Neither site was near to a major waterway but otters in Scotland have travelled 3.5 km overland to prey on amphibians (Weber, 1990). Both otter and polecat appear to be expanding their ranges (e.g. Hancock, 2016). As they do so, especially in the case of the otter, foraging in amphibian breeding ponds may become more commonplace.
John Baker
Acknowledgements: I am grateful to Lizzie Croose of the Vincent Wildlife Trust for information on polecat range in Suffolk and to Johnny Birks, Nigel Hand and Vadim Sidorovich for information on mustelid predation. Rosie Norton assisted with field work. References: Hancock, M. (2016). The return of the polecat Mustela putorius to Suffolk. White Admiral 94, 15-19. Slater, F. (2002). Progressive skinning of toads (Bufo bufo) by the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 19(1), 25-29. Weber, J.-M. (1990). Seasonal exploitation of amphibians by otters (Lutra lutra) in north-east Scotland. Journal of Zoology, London 220(4), 641-651. White Admiral 96
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News from our Treasurer When I received Ben’s request for copy for White Admiral I didn’t think I would have much to contribute from far away Northern Uganda. I am here for a year with my husband, Nick who has a posting with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) on an agricultural project. Until… I noticed a spotted flycatcher sitting in our lemon tree patiently waiting, as they do, for a passing fly to acrobatically swoop upon. Here was my link. This small 17gm bird had made the same amazing journey (perhaps from Suffolk) as I had, except I took a huge ‘Dreamliner’ plane. The flycatcher is not getting a good reception here, or perhaps a rather warmer welcome than it would like. It is the time of ‘the burning’. The sky is grey with smoke, ash rains down from the sky and there seem to be more birds in Gulu town. In the dry season farmers burn off old crops, any new land they want to cultivate and grazing areas to encourage fresh grass for cattle. This has many advantages: •
easier tilling: they use a panga (slasher) and a hoe, sometimes an ox plough, for most farm operations,
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temporary fertility,
•
getting rid of the snakes and
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ticks plus anything escaping from the inferno risks being caught and eaten.
Left: Burning the land
However, this can’t benefit wildlife and explains its general absence, except for black kites, marabou storks and pied crows (all scavengers). Ok, this is the traditional method, but the problem is there are now an awful lot of farmers. The population has sky-rocketed - see the population clock at http:// www.countrymeters.info/en and 50% are under 15. The farmland area is 146,000 sq km for 41 million people, only 0.35 hectares per person (UK manages with 0.1ha but farms more efficiently). With the population growing by 1.3 million per annum and most involved in agriculture, mainly White Admiral 96
subsistence farming, this is being squeezed. So, in Uganda, it is literally people or wildlife. Not much hope of landscape-scale conservation here though their
Right: Spotted Flycatcher
wonderful National Parks, which cover 13% of the country, are large and uninhabited (unlike ours). The money from tourism helps to protect these but most goes to the gorilla reserves in the west of the country (over $600 per visitor) leaving other areas underfunded and vulnerable to traditional hunting (we call it poaching).
Travelling with some Ugandans recently, I asked about the lack of road-kill, except the odd goat, (explaining the carnage on UK roads of rabbits, pheasants and deer) and they said wild animals are commonly eaten. Did they have a favourite? “Hippo – very soft (i.e. tender) meat,” came the reply. “How do you catch hippo?”… “snares”. Most NGOs (non-governmental organisations/charities) are humanitarian, dealing with health – particularly new-born and maternal and HIV, or wealth creation. I have found little being done on the ground in family planning, climate-smart farming or biodiversity though here are plenty of fine words. I do wonder what we are doing to help in the developed world. We seem to be fiddlefaddling about with our rather insignificant worries, while Rome quietly burns.
Joan Hardingham
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.
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Water Flea Recording in Suffolk … Can You Help? Water Fleas are unfortunately one of the least well known taxa of British wildlife. It is true that Cladocera are tiny and require more work in order to identify than most other creatures so we have far too few records of them. All levels of the aquatic ecosystem are important however and those towards the base of the food web are fundamental to the success of all those riverflies, water beetles and fish etc... in providing a healthy and biodiverse aquatic community. To paraphrase Buglife, “we need to conserve even the smallest things that run the aquatic world”. But how can we conserve anything if we have little idea of its rarity or distribution? A look at the life history of Cladocera only increases their fascination and importance for they are nature’s incredible survivors. Almost all you will usually find in a pond will be females which parthenogenetically continue to produce more females, when conditions are right. So a small early spring population quickly becomes a large population by feeding on the late spring algal bloom, caused itself by sunlit, lengthening days. This growing population provides food for overwintering invertebrate larvae 20
and fish fry as they mature. Then later in the year environmental stressors such as falling water levels, seasonal changes or increasing predation causes those females to spontaneously produce males and gamogenetic females which mate. After mating these new females produce resting eggs called ephippia instead of live offspring. The ephippia will wait until conditions are right before hatching and in the meantime they may float or sink. Those that float can be transported by animals or even blown by the wind into new waterbodies, which is why they can be found in shallow puddles on a farm track for example. Ephippia that sink can be buried in the bottom mud of a water body, waiting their chance to hatch. And they can wait a long, long time! Ephippia have been successfully hatched from a sediment core taken from an American lake bed which were carbon dated at 700 years old! Resurrection ecology is the wonderful term coined for studying the evolution and adaptation shown by these tiny resurrected crustaceans! Studies of the water fleas hatched after 700 years clearly showed evolutionary changes had occurred corresponding to White Admiral 96
the introduction of artificial fertilisers in the late 1800s in surrounding farmlands as the phosphates washed into the lake. This is the maximum survival time we know of for Ephippia but simply clearing bottom silt when restoring a pond will expose previous generations of resting egg s and re inv igo r ate the Cladocera population. A process which has gone on for a long, long time. So when you take your dog for a walk and he jumps into a pond it’s quite possible that he may collect ephippia on his fur, possibly depositing them in the puddle he drinks from on the homeward route. As well as furry mammals, ducks and other waterfowl collect and disperse ephippia both on their feathers and in their gut. It has been shown that avian gut acids have little effect on the viability of these resting eggs. This alone may not justify my description of Cladocera as incredible survivors but consider the case of woolly mammoths frozen in the permafrost of Siberia. Professor Alexey Kotov attended such a fossil mammoth exhumation and combed hundreds of ephippia out of its woolly hair. Dissecting the mid gut revealed even more ephippia, which were identifiable to families still present in Siberia today. So, White Admiral 96
Pleuroxus denticulatus
Ephippia
Sida cystallina
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like your pet dog or like ducks, water fleas used woolly mammoths as a vector for dispersal, for Cladocera are truly of ancient lineage! Fossil cladoceran parts, such as Head Shields and Carapace parts show that modern cladoceran lineages were well established by the upper Jurassic and, although fossil evidence has yet to be found, their ancestors probably arose in the lower Jurassic, the Triassic or even before. In other words, they co -existed with the dinosaurs, many of which have recently been shown to be feathered. Is it too far-fetched to surmise therefore that the tiny, unimportant water flea was dispersed by dinosaurs? Then surviving the mass extinction which wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago they just carried on hitchhiking on the mammals and birds which then evolved to fill the ecological void left behind. As this process continued the humble water flea carried on driving the aquatic ecosystem as it too evolved and adapted to the changes caused by human interaction. Cladocera are key primary consumers whose evolution is crucial to the understanding of the Mesozoic Lacustrine Revolution that helped to shape the aquatic ecosystems of today. 22
They are also no less important in the u n de r standing of the changes which will be wrought by global warming in the rest of this century. About 5 years ago I formed the Cladocera Interest Group to stimulate interest in them and encourage recording and so far, in Suffolk I have recorded 51 species out of the 92 species on the British list. But covering the county is impossible for one person, can you help? Early Spring is a usually a good time to see large numbers of water fleas in the clear waters of garden or natural ponds though they will be around all year. Collecting is not difficult, they don’t swim fast enough to escape, and in place of an expensive plankton net an old plastic tea strainer usually has a fine enough mesh to catch them. I would be White Admiral 96
very happy to identify any specimens sent to me, just scrape them from the tea strainer into a small tube with a plastic spoon or one of those wooden stirrers you get with your morning coffee. It is best to put some alcohol in the tube to preserve them, a drop of cheap vodka or anything similar will do fine. But the Post Office deliver quite quickly and even sending a few water fleas in plain pond water should get to me quickly enough so that I can add the alcohol on arrival. I have also had a request from Prof. Alexey Kotov, mentioned above, for samples of British water fleas to aid with the genetic studies his team are undertaking at the Russian
Academy of Science. So your Suffolk samples may well find their way to be analysed in Moscow. Please also send the location of your pond, either an OS reference or the post code, the pond name if you know it, your own name and an email address so that I can let you know what you have found. If we get enough samples sent in hopefully I can publish the results in the Winter or Spring 2018 edition of White Admiral but I’m afraid I cannot return any samples or tubes.
Adrian Chalkley - County Recorder Freshwater Invertebrates aquatics@sns.org.uk
Send your water fleas to: Cladocera, 37 Brookhall Road, Boxford, Suffolk CO10 5HS
A lucky escape On the afternoon of October 8th 2016 I noticed a small passerine flying towards the shore near Sizewell power station. As it neared the beach, two black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) began to harass it, the bird took evasive action, but was rapidly losing height and dropped onto the surface of the water with wings outstretched. Whether my proximity deterred
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them, or they just lost interest, the gulls flew off and I looked on as the luckless bird was carried back and forth on the heavy swell. Miraculously, it managed to keep afloat and after a minute or two made a concerted effort to take off again from the water’s surface and successfully fly ashore! It landed again quickly under a clump of grass on the upper beach, where I
was able to see that it was a robin (Erithacus rubecula). Following strong easterly winds earlier in the week, there had apparently been an influx of robins at Minsmere and I wondered whether this bird had just arrived from the Continent too. It certainly had a lucky escape!
Jerry Bowdrey
Bank Vole - Caught in the Act During last summer Kathy and I would often position our chairs near the flower border when having a break. Near us would be a large phlox full of pink flowers. After a while we noticed that some of the blooms were missing - the stems sheared off near the top. This went on for some time with increasing stem felling. We guessed who the culprit would be, which was verified one day when we saw a flower head shaking, then fall, to reveal a bank vole retreating down the stem. Several missing flower heads later, I was lucky to capture the culprit at the base of the phlox gobbling up the petals.
Pete Etheridge
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New children’s book: ‘The Voyage of the Queen Bee’ Tim Gardiner’s first illustrated children’s book ‘The Voyage of the Queen Bee’ was published by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in November 2016. This is the first in a series of children’s books which tells the story of Blossom the bumblebee and her quest to save the nest after the local Hay Rattle flowers have been cut down. The exciting journey takes her far away from home on the good ship, the Queen Bee, with Captain Cricket and his first mate Phas. Will they survive their encounters with the Crab King, Salt Marsh Sirens and the Sun Ants? The books in the Insect Adventures Series are designed to appeal to children of ages 5-8 who are able to read alone or they can be read by parents. The stories are split into easy to read chapters and introduce children to the lives of insects and how they adapt and survive in the wild. The book has a Suffolk focus and features the Stour Estuary (marked up as the Spartina Sea), Egret Estuary (Orwell Estuary) and features Pin Mill and Old Knobbley in Mistley. The book is fully illustrated and costs £5.99 plus £1.50 UK p&p. To order (by Paypal) please visit Tim’s Insect Adventures Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TimsInsectAdventures/ or it can be bought by emailing the author timgardiner134@btinternet.com Methods of payment using this method include cheque, online bank transfer or Paypal.
Water fleas, polecats, jellyfish and mining bees SNS Autumn Members’ Evening 2016 Around 40 people attended a lively Members’ Evening on 10th November 2016 at the Cedars Hotel in Stowmarket. There was something for everyone with White Admiral 96
updates on aquatic invertebrates, bees, wasps and mammals; a first sighting of barrel jellyfish in Suffolk; exciting new ‘Recording Bursaries’; and a community 25
participation nature day in east Suffolk. These short talks were followed by an unusual “Who? What? Where? When?” quiz devised by Martin Sanford which had people thinking, muttering and scratching their heads! The winning team was…. see below. Adrian Chalkley (Aquatic Invertebrates County Recorder) showed us some of the aquatic invertebrate Bioblitz highlights of 2016. These included Carchesium, a ciliate, colonial, contractile, colonial protozoan about 100 μm (one tenth of a mm) in length and Cristatella mucedo, found at Flatford Mill, a colonial, gelatinous bryozoan looking collectively to the naked eye ‘fuzzy’ and caterpillar-like. Amongst other exciting finds, Adrian recorded Paraleptophlebia submarginata (Turkey Brown mayfly) at Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve; Nemurella picteti, a stonefly, at Orwell County Park; and the water flea Daphnia
Barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo found on Sizewell Beach Jan 2016. Jerry Bowdrey
Gen Broad (Marine County Recorder) described the first records in Suffolk of the gigantic Barrel Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo. Two specimens found in January 2016 by Jerry Bowdrey on Sizewell Beach, were, at 10 cm across, considerably smaller than the full grown 35 kg adults seen usually in the south and west of the UK. Earlier in January, a fisherman from Aldeburgh had pulled up a larger specimen in his nets 2 miles offshore.
longispina.
Paraleptophlebia submarginata Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve Bioblitz. Adrian Chalkley
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basis. Edward had fun, learnt a lot and intends to continue contributing micro moth records to SBIS, the county’s Local Environmental Records Centre.
Dormo use Monitoring in Bradfield Woods Simone Bullion
Simone Bullion (Mammal County Recorder) gave us a fascinating update on mammal records and projects in 2016. These included the work of Suffolk Mammal Group with trail camera records of polecats; water shrews; Barbastelle bats across the county; the extensive and active work of the Essex and Suffolk Dormouse Group; and the exciting appointment of Ipswich’s dedicated Hedgehog Officer, Ali North. Edward Jackson successfully applied for a Recording Bursary at Flatford Mill Field Study Centre, funded jointly by SNS and Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS). He related how the micro moths course led by Dave Grundy had rekindled his enthusiasm for this difficult group. The bursary pays for the entire course if a defined number of records are submitted to SBIS within 3 months. The aim is to encourage people over 25 years old to identify and record species on a regular White Admiral 96
Peter Vincent (Diptera County Recorder) is keen to encourage the residents, and particularly the children, in his local parish, Middleton, to get involved in observing and recording the nature
Liquorice Piercer by Oliver Wadsworth, Butterfly Conservation.
of the parish. He told us how, working with Joan Hardingham, he had set up ‘Midwatch’ - a day in June packed with nature activities. The day started with an early bird walk, then the moth trap was
Midwatch community nature day in Middleton, East Suffolk
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Both used under Flickr Creative Commons licence Left: Nomad a lathburiana. Wildlife in a Dorset Garden
checked, children did river dipping, spotted flying insects and dissected owl pellets. The day was rounded up by ‘What did we find?’ Adrian Knowles (Aculeate Hymenoptera County Recorder) gave us the Hymenopteran News for 2016. His talk featured Andrena florea (Bryony Mining Bee) and Andrena cineraria (Ashy Mining Bee), the latter recorded from Ipswich Golf Club by Neil Sherman; Nomada lathburiana, a cuckoo bee associated with A. cineraria, recorded from
Right: Andrena cineraria Photo: Nigel Jones
Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve Bioblitz in May; Sapyga quinquepunctata, a solitary cuckoo wasp associated with bees of the genus Osmia, recorded from an Ipswich garden in May; and Chrysura radians, a widespread, but rare species of cuckoo wasp, associated with wood-nesting species of Osmia, recorded from Purdis Heath and East Bergholt.
Gen Broad
A big thank you to Martin Sanford, Adrian Chalkley, Edward Jackson, Adrian Knowles, Peter Vincent, Simone Bullion and Gen Broad for sharing your expertise and making the evening so interesting and inspiring. The closely fought quiz was won by Edward Jackson and Adrian Knowles.
Almost a First for the UK I wonder how many people, with only a general knowledge of the natural history, seeing an unusual, but very photogenic group of fungi, 28
would go to the trouble of recording all the important characteristics of that fungus so that it could be used for future reference? White Admiral 96
Such an incident happened back in November 2004 when Robert Garrod, strolling through Hollywells Park, Ipswich, came across a nice composure of fungi growing from a pile of Sycamore woodchips. As far as Robert was concerned it made a nice photo and although he probably would have liked to know the name of the species it was not that important. However, even if Robert did intend to discover what the species was, his books at home, the local library or anywhere else in the UK would not have been able to help him. Roll on 12 years and Robert, by now, is much more knowledgeable and can name far more species. When going through his old photographs he came across this previous photograph and it suddenly dawned upon him that he now knew what the fungi were -
Agrocybe rivulosa. More importantly, Robert could not have failed to learn that this species was new to science back in 2003, when it was first described to the scientific community in the Netherlands, where it was first discovered. Looking at the date when he took the photo, Robert must have begun to suspect this could be the earliest record for Suffolk and he may even had seen an earlier article I wrote in White
Admiral Newsletter 71. White Admiral 96
And so it was that in December 2016, Robert sent me an email with 2 photographs asking when was the first record for Suffolk of A. rivulosa. When I read that this was a retrospective record and then noted the date it was claimed to have been taken, I began to get very suspicious, in fact I even thought the photograph was mine! Both were taken from ground level so as to show the underside and the large floppy ring - except Robert’s photo was of better quality. Many questions came into my head such as why would a person with presumably no deep seated interest in fungi take such a perfect, detailed photo of something he couldn’t have known the name of at the time? Normally, your average person would take a photo from a standing position, showing just the surface of the cap and expect an instant identification, but this photo showed the dull brown colour of the gills, the big stem ring, and even the wrinkled cap surface - everything needed for a firm ID. Was this Robert’s exceptional attention to detail or was it too good to be true and was simply taken after the fungus became more widely known, when appearing in the first field guide books in 2007 or later? 29
Ag roc ybe rivulosa by Robert Garrod
The answer would surely be in the EXIF information which should be available with every modern digital photo - but my computer was unable to access this so I stealthily obtained details from another source - the results came back that the photo was indeed taken on the date claimed (November 9th 2004). I could now contact Robert and confirm not only is his find the first record for Suffolk (by miles) but is also the second record for the entire UK (First being October 26th 2004). Even more interesting is the fact that nobody else in the entire UK saw or recorded this fungus again until April 2006 which coincided with its appearance in a specialist publication for members of the
British Mycological Society. Now for something I’m sure all readers will be on the look-out for…the very seldom seen Colbalt Crust fungus (Terana coerulea). This strikingly blue resupinate fungus was growing on the underside of a dead Ash branch when I was walking around Lound Lakes on New Year’s Day just a few metres inside the Suffolk border at TM999514. Note to anybody finding this or any similar fungus…please replace it exactly as you found it, in this case with the fungus on the underside of the branch facing down. This way it will continue to produce more spores.
Neil Mahler
Colbalt Crust fungus
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Book Review: The Butterflies in Christchurch Park Published at the end of 2016, this attractive and well written book by Richard Stewart, Suffolk Butterfly Recorder from 1994 to 2002, is the perfect butterfly guide to Christchurch Park, Ipswich. I have had the pleasure of working very close to Christchurch Park for the last 7 years and have spent many lunchtimes exploring the wonderful selection of habitats and seeing the butterflies these areas support. With this book, I now have the perfect companion to learn more about what I have already discovered and am yet to find in the Park. The book starts with a general introduction followed by a summary and description of the habitats that can be found within the Park. This section is accompanied by a very useful map which uses numbered locations to relate to the text that follows. This makes the book very accessible to both those with and without a previous understanding of the park.
The main body of text within the book is the comprehensive guide to the species of butterfly found in the park. This chapter, which is taxonomically subdivided by species, gives details on identification, life cycle, recorded history and habitat requirements for species that have been recorded at least once in the park between 2003 and 2016. The book goes further and features chapters on the future, butterfly predators and how to create a butterfly friendly garden. It also includes useful species and flight period summaries. The latter is accompanied by a useful diagram charting earliest & latest sightings for both the Park and Suffolk as a whole. The text is easy to read and the inclusion of Liz Cutting’s excellent photography brilliantly compliments the species accounts. The book even finishes by demonstrating Richard’s talent for poetry with a Haiku describing the four seasons of butterflies within the park. The book, edited and typeset by Martin Sanford, joins a series of books published and supported by the Friends of Christchurch Park, with proceeds going towards the improvement of park facilities and butterfly friendly planting. The book is available from the Reg Driver Visitor Centre, Christchurch Park, Ipswich for £7.50.
Review by Ben Heather White Admiral 96
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More What’s on? Bioblitz Events - Dates for your diary • 10th - 11th June - Kiln Meadow Bioblitz - Ipswich Wildlife Group • 27th - 4th June - RSPB Minsmere 70th Anniversary Bioblitz • 30th June - 1st July - Lukeswood Bioblitz - ‘Elmswild’ info@elmswild.org.uk More info to be posted on the website.
Butterfly Conservation Events: • Sunday 30th April - Butterfly Walk - Early Butterflies in Ramparts Field (Suitable for novices). Meet: Ramparts Field car park, close to West Stow Country Park. Time: 10:30 to 12:30 approx. Fieldwork & Photography. Contact: Rob Parker on 01284 705476. • Sunday 7th May - Butterfly Walk - Spring Butterflies in King’s Forest (suitable for novices). Meet: “FC King’s Picnic Place” on the B1106. Assemble by the Information Board in the grassy area. Time: 10.00 am to 13:00 pm approx. Bring packed lunch. Contact: Rob Parker on 01284 705476 • Saturday 14th May - Butterfly Walk - Butterflies, bluebells and general species. Tiger Hill LNR, Bures St Mary, CO8 5BW and Arger Fen. Time: 10.30am; Bring lunch; Afternoon visit to SWT Arger Fen. Contact: Peter Maddison 01473 736607. • Saturday 20th May - Moth Morning - Going through the previous night's moth catch. Followed by a walk to look for caterpillars. Where: Milden Hall, Milden, near Lavenham. Time: 10.00 am to 12.00. Contact: Tony Prichard 07871478631. • Week commencing 22nd May - Dingy Skipper Surveys. Kings Forest and Suffolk Brecklands. Please register interest/ availability. Contact: Bill Stone 07906 888603.
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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/ pages/bursary.shtml.
Suffolk Biological Recording Bursary. See a list of the supported FSC courses supported here: http://www.sns.org.uk/pages/bursary -f.shtml
Suffolk The
Naturalists’ Society w w w. s n s . o r g . u k
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