White Admiral 105

Suffolk Naturalists ’ Society

Suffolk Naturalists’ Society The

Newsletter 105 - Autumn 2020

Welcome to this Autumn issue of the White Admiral Newsletter, squeezed full of as much content as I could fit in from what has been sent to me over the Summer months. I am writing this editorial just after the announcement of the second national lockdown and I am yet again feeling a bit anxious of what lays ahead, a sentiment that I imagine is being felt by many.

Thank you to all those who responded with their lockdown stories and observations, I have tried to include as many as I could and I would really like to hear and publish more of these stories. It is great to hear what people have been up to and the experiences they have been having so please continue to send them in. I would really like to get another issue of White Admiral out during the winter months so please take a note of the copy deadline (1st of December) and please get in contact via the email address below.

As you are aware we have been unable to host our normal twice yearly Members ’ evenings and on top of that our AGM (usually part of the Spring Members ’ evening) had to be postponed. Now that we know more about the restrictions we are living under, we have decided to host our Autumn Members’ evening remotely via Zoom. This will be on the 25th of November at 7pm and the meeting details/ joining link can be found on the final page of this issue. We plan to have the usual recorder updates with a longer talk planned from entomologist Ross Piper. It should be a good evening and it would be great for as many of you to join us, albeit over an internet connection rather than face-to-face.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and hope that you are all staying well.

Hornet Moths

Trevor Goodfellow

At home in Thurston we have a row of 11 Lombardy poplars. I once noticed they had 10mm holes at their bases. It came to light in 2012, that these were the exit holes of the Hornet moth (Sesia apiformis) larvae, when I saw an adult resting on the tree trunk at about waist height, a few feet above a pupal case in a hole (see images above ).

I subsequently checked the trees annually for signs of their presence and discovered that they show every two years and hatch within 2-3 days in late June to early July. They then mate, lay their eggs, and disperse within a day or two. Reference books suggest they spend 2-3 years at larval stage

feeding under the bark of Poplars. Our trees are starting to suffer the effects of this, some showing rot or fungus.

Previously I had only seen one or a mating pair, this year (2020), I found hatched pupa cases but no adults at first and I thought I would have to wait another two years to see them. Then a few days later, I found two mating pairs and a singleton. I only hope that they will be able to migrate to other trees when our Poplars are no longer suitable for them.

On the Hunt for Glow Worms Fletcher Telling

During the past few years I’ve been eager to see and photograph the glimmering light of a glow worm. Last year I joined a Suffolk Wildlife Trust walk advertised as a chance to spot glow worms and nightjars. Disappointingly, glow worms were not seen but we were enthralled on hearing the mechanical churring of the elusive nightjar, a fascinating nocturnal bird with wonderful camouflage.

As the season for seeing the bioluminescent light of a glow worm came to an end in 2019 I was determined to be successful in 2020. As March arrived and lockdown was implemented it gave me much more time to spend in the natural environment as most of

you probably found too. Exploring my local woods in Bentley, to my surprise I came across a female glow worm crawling along the ground. I documented it and made sure that I would return in July to search for any ‘neon’ lights among the grass. July arrived and as my first visit to the local woods was unsuccessful my Dad and I decided to continue to Pipers Vale (Ipswich), a known local stronghold for this species. Finally, there she was, high up on some tall grass the female glow advertising her presence to winged males that patrol the area. I was very surprised to see a few males already around her. I thought that the urban lighting from nearby buildings might hinder the males ’ ability to spot the females. Recent studies have suggested that some females produce a brighter glow. Males try to choose females with the brightest glow but when urban lighting is nearby it is thought that males may not be able to determine the brighter glow from these females as efficiently. Although males are locating females, ‘brighter glow’ genes are not being passed on to offspring as frequently thus influencing glow worm evolution. Another concern is the effect of a warming climate on glow worm larvae: the larvae feed on slugs and snails

Male and female glow worms successfully find each other and mate at Pipers Vale

which decrease in numbers in increasingly hot and dry summers. With fewer prey there is a greater risk of larval desiccation and death.

Later in the month I decided to return to my local woods one more time. I had no luck on the footpaths and therefore went off the beaten track into some long grass, I turned off my torch and there they were, not one but four glowing females. I believe that this sighting is a first for this area. Research often states that glow worms are most common along footpaths but I believe this to be false. Of course, sightings are going to be more common where people have right of access but I am sure that there

Beware Bear ’ s Breeches Hawk Honey

My Wife and I had the great fortune to move into the Suffolk countryside nearly 6 years ago and when our first Spring/Summer arrived, we looked forward to seeing what plants were going to spring forth from the ground that were left to us by the previous owners. There wasn’t too much out of the ordinary, the garden being mainly boring turf with the odd small flowerbed dotted about. Out of one of these flowerbeds began growing an unusual (for me anyway) spikey plant that I eventually found out was called

are other strongholds waiting to be discovered in areas with no public access such as the one I found. However, please make sure that you have permission from the landowner before you venture onto land in private ownership. Finally, I leave you with hope that further searching in areas as yet unexplored will give rise to new sightings of this species.

Happy hunting for next year and remember to record your sightings and send them to Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service:

martin.sanford@suffolk.gov.uk

Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus spinosus). It was tall with strange looking purple flowers and I thought no more about it until

strolling around the garden one day after work and seeing something inside the flower. On closer inspection, it was a dead Garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum). I then found another dead bee and a live bee that was struggling to get out. I aided the bees escape and it looked rather bedraggled as if it had been struggling for some time.

Needless to say, I was horrified. Many of you who know me know I love my bees and wasps and this is the last thing I wanted for them. I eventually found 4 dead bees trapped in the flowers. I cut the flower spike off and although I never removed the plant completely, I never allowed the flower spike to grow again. Unfortunately, I never documented what had happened and this year I decided to let it grow unfettered just so that I could see if the same thing happened again and document the process. The plant has been in flower for a few weeks now and I have been checking regularly with no casualties to report.

However, today I found a Common Carder Bumblebee ( B. pascuorum) stuck within a flower. I lifted the top petal of the flower which acts like a hood over the top of the anthers and the bee immediately crawled out of the side of the plant and then rested on top, not even attempting to move. At the same time, a large newly emerged queen B. hortorum popped in and out of the flower with no effort whatsoever. So, how can this plant affect one bee and not the other?

The plant itself is a non-native and comes from warmer climates in the Mediterranean and Asia where it is visited by much larger and stronger

bees such as Carpenter bees (Xylocopa sp) that can push past the stiff woody filaments that hold the anthers of the plant. However, our worker bees, that are enticed by the nectar, are smaller and although they can push past the anthers their back legs get caught and held up by the filaments preventing the bee from manoeuvring backwards and thus becomes trapped.

Lockdown in Ipswich

Richard Attenborrow

As I write this, we’re still in lockdown, although there have been some relaxations. As we don’t have a car or bikes and still aren’t allowed on public transport, everything we’ve seen between mid-March and the end of June has been within walking distance of the centre of Ipswich, where we live, and mostly within the Borough boundary. It has been fascinating what’s been about to be seen and even though I’m still a bit envious of the exotic species coming through on Suffolk BINS (www.freewebs.com/ suffolkbirding/), it’s been an education in many ways. I’ve been much more aware of animal behaviour and also looking for invertebrates much more carefully. I thought it might be interesting to share some of these observations with you. I ’ve set them out month by month, but otherwise in no particular order.

I shared my findings to various groups on social media and many had reported they had found dead bumblebees within the flowers and some had no problems. So, if you have this plant in your garden, beware, it may not be such a great plant for our much-troubled bees.

March:

This was a time of full lockdown, so permitted walks were less than an hour in duration. Because of this Christchurch Park got several visits which produced Mandarins in varying numbers, Tawny Owl (Mabel/Matilda?) and a very obliging Treecreeper on the 27th. Over the garden we had a recognisable Common Buzzard with missing primaries, which displayed and hunted several times. Very exciting for us as we’ve never had a “local” bird before, only flyovers. We also had a fine pale fox walk across the school field and a large bat species (probably Noctule) and a Pipistrelle, both of which did flypasts during the 8 o’clock applause for the NHS. Early bees were Buff-tailed Bumble Bee and Common Carder Bee. Buff-tailed is our default bee, so that wasn’t at all surprising.

April:

Our policy of going for walks at 6am to avoid other people gave us some real highlights. The first was a real surprise: A Great Grey Shrike on Valley Road, which gave good views before flying into a private garden. In the same area, we were delighted to hear and see a Nightingale in scrub at the back of the Broom Hill swimming pool, having just seen our first Lesser Whitethroat of the year. Another early morning walk to the dock was just as surprising. We met a man who was working on a boat, who told us to look out for a Grey Seal, which we soon saw, but, even better, as we walked past the Steamboat Tavern, Jean saw an Otter which performed nicely. Certainly, the first one we ’ve seen so near to the Town centre. A further early morning delight was a fine male Sparrowhawk sitting on a wall opposite The Greyhound. Insect highlights in the garden were our first ever Large Red Damselfly and several Bee Flies. Holly Blues were in evidence the whole month and Buff-tailed Bumble Bees were joined by Redtailed, White-tailed and Tree. The month in the garden was brought to a close with a flyover Peregrine.

May:

The start of the month was raptor time for us. The local Buzzards continued to display and hunt, up to three birds at a time. The local

Sparrowhawks were much in evidence and, on the 2nd, a real local highlight in the form of a Hobby. Bird of the month was a large flyover, but not a raptor. It turned out to be a Common Crane: a cause of much excitement in the Attenborrow household. It came on the 4th, the same day as the first (and only) Swallow, which zoomed away as if glad to get away from us. Indeed, we never see Hirundines. Meanwhile, the Broom Hill Nightingale was still enlivening our early morning walks in the early part of the month. As a treat, we decided to go further afield than usual and walk round Bourne Park reedbed and area around Bobbit’s Lane on the 15th. This proved to be a timely decision. Even before we entered the reedbed we saw and heard a Cuckoo. This was a great treat for me as I can ’ t usually hear them (but I can hear Goldcrest, now why is that?). By the time we ’d heard Cetti’s Warbler and seen Garden Warbler we saw a pair of Kingfishers and a pair of Grey Wagtails. The Kingfishers and Wagtails may both have had young as the Kingfishers kept disappearing into a hole and the Grey Wagtails gave out loud and angry alarm calls as we walked along the path. Meanwhile in the garden, the Magpies which had nested two doors down, exhibited an interesting piece of behaviour. I was sat in the garden when I noticed one of the pair fly in with a piece of dry

bread which it dunked in our birdbath and then took away. Now that ’s quite an intelligent thing to do, but it then put a piece in and left it for five minutes before fetching it. It was presumably deliberate, because, when a Wood Pigeon approached the bread, the Magpie chased it off immediately. It went through the same process at least five times with more bread. Late in the month, one of several visits to the Old Cemetery produced Roseringed Parakeet. We saw this one, but beware! A few days later we heard one in Christchurch Park, only to look into the tree and see a Jackdaw doing a perfect imitation. Probably more exciting for us than the real thing. The last interesting walk of the month was along the River Gipping, where we saw and heard at least ten Whitethroats in a short stretch as well as an unusually obliging Reed Warbler, an expectedly obliging Reed Bunting, Lesser Whitethroat and a pair of Mute Swans with eight cygnets. It was quite warm, so we had our first dragonflies in numbers. Banded Demoiselles, Common Emerald Damselfly and Red-eyed on the lily pads. We have also had some interesting invertebrates in the garden, including Common Zebra Spider and a handsome green spider Nigma Walckenoeri. May ended with two foxes seen on my early morning run through the Millennium Cemetery. It’s certainly true about urban foxes as all

four of the animals I ’ve seen have been completely unconcerned by me (not a threat and not enough meat on me to make a good meal).

June:

On the 2nd we walked over to Bourne Park again, this time to meet David Walsh and have a tour of his patch. We arrived at our rendez-vous point of Bourne Bridge a little before David and while leaning on the bridge we were amazed to see a very large dog Otter in the water. He was quite surprised to see us as well, submerged, surfaced a few feet away, looked at us for a minute and disappeared only to run like the clappers along the path and into the channel by the reed bed. David managed to see it just as it was swimming away, so a great sighting for all three of us. Then an expertly guided tour produced Sedge and Cetti’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Broad-bodied Chaser, 4 Spot Chaser, Emperor and Hairy Dragonfly as well as Small Copper and Common Blue butterflies. Mid-month, we managed to complete our tour of the large parks in the town with a visit to Holywells. Another pair of Kingfishers, Little Egret and three Emperor Dragonflies here. As the month went on and got hotter, the supply of interesting birds dried up a bit with the only highlight a Garden Warbler singing in the open at the Millennium cemetery, which was to produce four

or five Purple Hairstreaks later in the month. However, there ’s always something to look at and, for the first time I’ve noticed Field and Forest Cuckoo Bees and Rose Chafer in the garden and two very welcome female Stag Beetles on the 22nd and 26th. So, what conclusions can be drawn from “the little bit (two inches wide)

of ivory” on which we’ve worked to paraphrase Jane Austen? There ’s certainly a lot to look at and for even in a seemingly unsympathetic urban environment in Ipswich. To find it you have to keep looking up, keep listening and investigate beneath your feet and you’ll uncover wonders galore.

One Week in Lockdown

Richard Stewart

The combination of good weather and a garden run as a relatively tidy wildlife haven has meant that our period in lockdown on the edge of Ipswich has allowed us to observe our garden wildlife with even more than the usual detail. This is just a week’s example, starting a few days after we returned from a fortunately planned holiday.

19th March: At breakfast Marie spots a rare visit from a great spotted woodpecker, searching the fissured bark of our silver birch at the bottom of the garden. The binoculars aren’t close to hand so we couldn’t see if it was male or female. Later a female sparrowhawk darts across, with no success. The male is a rarer visitor and being smaller can chase birds in and out of cover. One used to bathe in our deepest water tray, ending up looking like a punk rocker and always with eyes towards our kitchen window and

back door, from where perceived danger would come.

20th: Two magpies are frequenting our water bowls for drinking and washing. Once again, they appear to be nesting nearby, but not actually in our garden.

21st: Marie finds our first comma of the year, feeding on Arabis and glory of the snow, its colours faded after the long hibernation and with some damage to its top left wing. Later we see it flat out on the ground, in full sunshine.

22nd: I take the excess weed out of our small pond, leaving it for several days on the edge, so anything living can get back into the water. Often it is a newt but today I find just one water snail. The first water skater of the year is on the pond and one woodpigeon is in courting mood, neck down and tail up like a fan. The potential mate is unimpressed and flies off.

23rd: Two commas are spiralling, and our resident robin now has a mate, both keeping close to me as I start to prune our main Buddleia. Any titbits will be fed to her as part of their bonding. The first bee fly is seen and, after considerable effort over many days, a dunnock has mastered the art of feeding from the wire cage holding our suet balls. Robin, blackbird and four species of tits have already used it.

24th: I finish pruning the Buddleia and the later flowering Buddleja × weyeriana species, watching the comma feeding on a white hyacinth. As I work, I am aware of a robin singing, the distant yaffling call of a green woodpecker, the social calls of passing jackdaws and tinkling calls of goldfinches, often perched high up on television aerials. If a robin gets close, I can hear its very quiet subsong, as if talking to itself. For once a wren comes out of cover onto the lawn and two magpies are digging up moss

The Suffolk Dragon

Caroline Markham

from the shadier part of our lawn, presumably to line their nest.

25th: The garden butterfly total rises with a male brimstone and a quick glimpse of a small or green-veined white, then a peacock flying up with the comma and then nectaring on Aubretia. Its wings lack the ‘velvet sheen’ of newly emerged summer broods but the polished colours are still bright, and I can see no damage. Clusters of peacocks in hibernation can make a hissing noise together with synchronised flashing of their large eye spots, which often deters predators. There is a ballet of gnats in both our front and back gardens and a goldfinch is on the fence close to our main Buddleia, tearing off the finer twigs, something not noticed before and presumably for its nest.

This is just one week of observations, with nothing spectacular but an important element in keeping our sanity during self-isolation.

The Suffolk Dragon, the name of GeoSuffolk’s new leaflet about the geology of our coast, is a reminder that everything we love about our coast – the multi-coloured cliffs, the ever-changing beaches, the fossils and stones we pick up along the shoreline – are the gift of the sea. Those beautiful summer days we spend picnicking and beachcombing, when we are on the ‘tail of the dragon’, would not be possible without

‘dragon’s head’ days such as that pictured at Corton. Storm waves are the drivers of change along this active geologic zone.

The leaflet has been written for all who visit the coast, so there is no need for previous geologic knowledge. Encompassing the coast from Corton to Bawdsey, its suggestions of localities to visit include built environment, e.g. Lowestoft’s eastern shore, Bawdsey’s Pulhamite cliffs and interesting beach-finds, e.g. moorlog at Kessingland, Coralline Crag on Thorpeness beach (pictured). There is information on the geology of the cliffs and the formation of the beaches, including our Suffolk ‘nesses ’. This leaflet was conceived during 2019, its intention to give visitors to the Suffolk coast an introduction to its geology and to provide insights into sustainable coastline management. It became an excellent project for Covid-

19 times, with a wealth of suggestions for outdoor interest and directing visitors to many lesser-known places. GeoSuffolk’s text and photos were finalised and sent to the designer (Ark Design in Sudbury) during lockdown. Working from home, they completed the leaflet by the start of June, and it went to the printers just as they opened after lockdown. By the end of July GeoSuffolk had sent packs of leaflets to libraries along the coast and had given some to Ipswich Museum and Mansion and the TiC in Felixstowe. It is on our website at https:// geosuffolk.co.uk/index.php/archive/ geosuffolk-leaflets.

We would like to thank the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB Community and Conservation Fund for their grant for The Suffolk Dragon.

The Sea at Corton (left) - Coralline Crag on Thorpeness beach (right)

The Autumn Members ’ Evening 20th November 2019 Report by Gen Broad

The Wonder of Butterflies, Patrick Barkham

We were delighted to welcome Patrick Barkham (natural history writer for The Guardian and author of The Butterfly Isles, Badgerlands and Coastlines) as our guest speaker for the Autumn Members’ Evening 2019. He held us entranced with his enthusiasm and knowledge of Britain’s butterflies from the early Brimstones ‘bursting from the hedge’ to a Chequered Skipper reintroduction from a relict population in Scotland returned to its medieval range in Rockingham Forest, Northamptonshire. Patrick told us of his fond childhood memories of the rarely seen Comma, happily now thriving and relatively common, and his trips to the Norfolk coast with his father, hunting for various butterfly species. He recommended that we all ‘loiter with intent’ to better understand the holistic experience that nature can give us. Patrick told us the tale of his friend Matthew Oates (nature adviser for the National Trust) who coordinates the colour band on his hat with the colour of the butterfly he’s searching for. (It wasn’t clear whether this helps to remind Matthew of the

colours, draws in the butterfly, or whether it’s just a fun thing to do.)

Patrick described the Painted Lady’s long-distance migrations from the UK to the deserts of North Africa, the Middle East and central Asia in August or September; the increase in Purple Emperors in Suffolk and Norfolk; and how he has successfully spotted the Wood White in light rain and the

Painted lady butterfly - Ben Heather

Comma butterfly at Shottisham Creek Suffolk - Paul Kitchener

Brown Argus in heavy downpours, indicating that butterflies are not as fragile as they might appear.

Patrick emphasised the importance of our gardens for butterflies as they cover such a large extent of Britain, greater than that of all the National Nature Reserves put together. With a decline of 69% in urban butterflies (45% in the countryside), gardens can be a life-saver for them. He recommended that we plant grasses for Skippers, nettles for the Vanessid butterflies (Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Red Admiral and Painted Lady), ivy for

Holly Blues, oak for Purple Hairstreaks and Wych elm for the White-letter Hairstreak. “And finally”, Patrick said, “In the winter, please do check your cold dark sheds for hibernating butterflies”.

A Study of Mistletoe, Anne Kell

Anne has been intrigued by the increasing occurrence of mistletoe and developed her own study to investigate the phenomenon. Working within a radius of 20 km of Ipswich, she measured the amount of mistletoe infestation by checking 486 trees in parkland and alongside rural roads. Anne found this wasn’t as easy as it sounds since, from a bicycle, Witches Broom and rooks ’ nests can quite easily be mis-identified as masses of mistletoe.

She discovered that mistletoe grows in clusters, for example at Ipswich Hospital on Heath Road, and that it is most often found on introduced trees, such as fruit trees and ornamentals in man-made habitats. Frequent hosts are poplar, lime, apple, hawthorn, Acer and Salix.

Historically, there have been few mistletoe records, but these have increased over the past 30 years. One theory as to why this should be is that Mistle thrushes and Blackcaps are now over-wintering due to warmer winters. In addition, Waxwings (which are winter visitors) have been seen to descend in large flocks into the

Anne Kell recording mistletoe plants in a lime tree, Ickworth Park

grounds of Ipswich Hospital. All of these bird species feast on the berries and then wipe their bills on branches, thus spreading the mistletoe seeds.

Swifts Appeal, Edward Jackson

Edward Jackson asked members to consider recording their sightings of swifts. The UK has lost more than half of its swift population since 1994, according to the British Trust for Ornithology’s Breeding Bird survey, and the

survey on the SBIS website” (www.suffolkbis.org.uk/swift).

Edward told us that these records reach the District and Borough planning departments and that, as a result, planners often now make integrated swift bricks a condition of planning consent.

species is now considered by the IUCN to be ‘Endangered’. Thanks to this conservation status, and because the species is such an important feature of the Suffolk landscape, it was confirmed as a Priority species in the county some years ago. Edward said “All records are really important, please send them to the Suffolk Swift

Rare Stoneworts in Suffolk, Juliet Hawkins

Juliet explained that very few people identify stoneworts (Charophytes) or submit records. There are only 570 records in total, so the group is probably under-recorded, although these are distinctive plants and therefore, would probably be noticed by people surveying for Great Crested Newts.

Slimy Fruited Stonewort Nitella capillaris female

Excitingly, Juliet had found the Slimy Fruited Stonewort Nitella capillaris in two restored ponds. Previously thought to be extinct, it was last found in 1959. Incredibly, the oogonia (the female part of the stonewort containing oospheres or female gametes) can survive in ponds for 100 years before fruiting. During the same survey, Juliet had also recorded Tassel Stonewort Tolypella intricata, which is a Priority species and classified as ‘Endangered’.

Juliet asked members to check ponds for stoneworts and, if they think they have found any, to please contact Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service . (website: www.suffolkbis.org.uk ).

90 Years of Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, Joan Hardingham

Joan reminded us that SNS was founded in 1929 by Claude Morley and so we are celebrating our 90th year in 2019. Mrs Francis Rivis was a gardener with an interest in conservation and the clematis ‘Frances Rivis’ was grown by her from seeds collected in 1900 in Tibet. She generously left Rose Hill wood in Farnham to SNS in her will in 1956. The sale of the wood has given SNS substantial funds to support natural history studies in the county. The Society is immensely grateful to Mrs Rivis for her exceptional contribution to the study of natural history in Suffolk.

A huge ‘Thank You’ to Patrick for sharing his memories and stories of a life spent studying butterflies and to SNS members Ann, Edward, Juliet and Joan for sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge during a packed and fascinating Members ’ Evening.

Orchards as habitats for stag beetles and other saproxylic organisms

Colin Hawes

Saproxylic organisms are those of any species that depend, during some part of its life cycle, upon wounded or decaying woody material from living, weakened or dead trees (Stokland, Siitonen & Jonsson 2012); among insects these range widely from flies and

moths to beetles, wasps, bees and ants.

Two orchards in Bentley (Dodnash Fruit Farm and Uplands) have provided evidence that stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) populations thrive in these habitats. Pitfall and aerial traps

captured adults at these sites over a period of four years (2002-2005), while dusk-time observations gave sightings of males. Although mating was not observed, larvae were revealed when dead apple trees were uprooted and removed by the landowners. Woody, decaying roots provide a valuable food source for stag beetle larvae.

Sometimes a dead tree trunk would be found split open, possibly due to the weight of its branches. One such split apple trunk found at Dodnash Fruit Farm revealed a population of lesser stag beetle adults, their larvae and cocoons (Dorcus parallelipipedus).

Lesser stag beetle populations are adapted to living and feeding on the less moist wood above ground level.

Dead apple tree Dodnash Orchard (photo Colin Hawes)

Male stag beetle on the same dead tree (photo Niall Benvie)

Review: A new website for Suffolk Moths

Edward Jackson

I suspect many Suffolk moth-ers were disappointed to discover last year that the Suffolk Moths website was no longer online. Created in 2004 by our then County Moth Recorder (CMR) Tony Prichard, the descriptions, images and distribution maps of the moths found in Suffolk - and a useful ‘What’s flying tonight?’ summary of species likely to be found on any particular date - made the website a really valuable resource for both new and experienced moth enthusiasts. Unfortunately, although most of the important datasets remained intact, technical issues with what had become an outdated platform meant it wasn’t possible to resurrect the website in its original form. It was obviously the right time and the opportunity to create a replacement using a modern platform. Aware that the Norfolk Moths website, created and managed by Jim Wheeler, already included all the features and more that might be needed on this side of the county boundary, our new CMR Neil Sherman and several other recorders came up with the idea of asking Jim if he was willing to clone his magnum opus into a new version for Suffolk Moths. With the costs of the technical work covered by grants from Suffolk Naturalists ’ Society and the

Suffolk branch of Butterfly Conservation, the new portal was launched in time for the 2020 moth season – and it certainly lives up to expectations. Opening up www.suffolkmoths.co.uk the style and format of the home page, with information panels set out in three columns, mirrors the Norfolk original and act as tasters for the multiple pages that link away from it. In the left hand column, an image of a feature species (it changes with each visit you make) sits above a scroll bar of latest images submitted by local recorders and a note welcoming you to the website. The right-hand column shows notable recent records of scarce and rare Suffolk species above a rolling list of the most recent submissions, with the caveat that these are yet to be verified. The central column has a direct link to the all-important Online Recorder (more on this below) above an events calendar, which is not much used at the moment for obvious reasons. However, it’s there for better times when day and evening moth meetings offered by the Suffolk Moth Group, Butterfly Conservation and others can once again be advertised to allcomers.

Also highlighted is the opportunity for Golden Cinnabar Membership, which

in effect offers the equivalent of in - app purchases. Although viewing is free around most of the website, Golden Cinnabar members pay a small annual fee that gives access to more datasuch as detailed species lists and distribution maps - and in doing so helps support the costs of maintaining the website. I’d encourage anyone with more than a passing interest in moths to join up and pay the £20 membership fee.

I’ve already found this extremely worthwhile, since one of the useful add-ons relates to the species distribution maps. On the open access pages, maps for individual species are shown quite small and have two colours of dots: one for most recent records up to 1999 and the other for

post 2000. Rather than the 10 x 10 km squares supported by the old website, these dots locate records within 2 x 2 km squares (tetrads) and this gives a whole new level of detail for visualising the distribution of records across the county. However, Golden Cinnabars can also click on the map to enlarge it and see that the timescale for latest records is expanded to include pre-2000, 2000-2009, 20102019 and 2020 +, with different colours for each period. This makes it possible in broad terms to track the expansion or contraction of species distributions over time, based on the datasets that were thankfully saved and transferred from the old website.

Above the three home page columns are two header bars. The first has 10

tabs, each with drop down menus for: Home, Macros, Micros, Finder, Recorder, News, Arrivals (including Flying Tonight?), Info, Options and Login. Between them, these tabs and menus access all the other features of this stunningly comprehensive site. The second bar underneath has just two rapid access links: to moth families and to individual moth species, which can be listed in either alphabetical or numerical order and then using common or scientific names. To switch between the larger moths (macros) and smaller moths (micros), you simply hit the appropriate tab in the bar above.

Numerical order refers to systems for arranging moth species into families and genera. Both the earlier Bradley and Fletcher [B&F] order (which lists all the families and species in a simple sequence) and the more recent Agassiz, Beavan and Heckford [ABH] order (a more intuitive binomial system that allocates a first number between 1 and 73 to a family and a second number to a species) are used on the site, though preference is given to the latter as the now accepted modern system. For example, in ABH, 72.026 = Garden Tiger, where 72 is the family Erebidae and 026 is the 26th species out of 88

Erebids recorded in the UK when the system was devised.

If you’re visiting the site for the first time, it’s well worth taking time to explore all the panels and tabs so you understand the full potential of what ’s on offer. However, in my opinion the most important new feature for Suffolk mothing and natural history in general is the Online Recorder facility. This allows you to use the correct format so that your records, once verified, are ready for importing into the Suffolk Moths database.

Click on the Online Recorder link and after going through a simple initial Sign Up routine to create a username and login password, you can add your personal moth records by date, site and method used. Type in the first few letters of either the common or scientific species name and a drop down lists all the possibilities for you to select. You can identify the species simply as present or, if like me you are an inveterate counter, the number recorded. There is also a field for

adding comments if appropriate, although as you click onto the next species you need to remember to erase this comment from the box, otherwise it automatically repeats – a tip that comes from hard won experience!

As species data are entered in the fields on the left side of the Recorder page, they immediately appear in a cumulative list on the right hand side, which you can check to ensure what you have entered is correct. If a record requires an image or other information, for example because it’s scarce, rare or a possible confusion species, this is flagged up on the summary list with a red warning triangle. From this list you can also add an image to help confirm an ID (or just because it’s a great image!) and also edit or delete a record. The final column of the summary list displays an orange dot as you enter the data, which turns to blue once this batch of records has been checked and accepted by the CMR. You can view up to the last 200 records you have entered on the summary list.

Note that the verification of records is a gradual process undertaken by Neil at monthly intervals. During the peak summer months, the volume of data coming in means that at times the sorting of records can take longer, especially if conditions are right for large catches of moths!

Submitting records generally used to be a task for the long dark winter nights and often entailed hours of transferring data from notebooks to a huge spreadsheet to be forwarded to the CMR. All change now! The Online Recorder allows you to enter your records as soon as you ’ve identified and counted your catch – which means I’m currently completely up to date for 2020. Brilliant! I also know that all my verified records will eventually find their way to the National Moth Recording Scheme, the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service database and from there to the National Biodiversity Network database. Although I ’ve yet to work out the details, I understand that in principle it’s possible to ask for a download file of all the data submitted in a year so I can have a permanent digital record that summarises the lists in my field notebook.

Many Suffolk moth-ers will already be familiar with the website, as it ’s been gathering records apace. At time of writing, for 2020 there are over 37,000 verified records of 937 species, from 141 recorders at 525 sites. In 2019 records came in from 181 recorders, so there may be some out there still looking forward to doing their data entry on those winter nights!

However, Neil tells me that if you prefer not to enter records using the Online Recorder then he is still happy

for your data to be submitted via spreadsheets at the end of the year. It’s important only to use the ideal record template on the ‘Example Spreadsheet’. This can be found and downloaded via the Online Recorder log in page as one of the ‘ other formats’.

I think you ’ll realise that overall, I ’m very impressed with the new Suffolk Moths website and the work that has gone in to make it the amazing resource it is. A big thank you to the sponsors and to all of you behind the scenes – your time and energies are much appreciated.

It’s also worth highlighting the Facebook Group Recording Moths in Suffolk, which is administered by members of the same team behind the website. As well as generally providing news and views of moths flying at the moment (and sometimes larvae and leaf mines), it’s the preferred forum for checking moths you are unsure about. So if you have any identification queries, post a good image to Recording Moths in Suffolk stating

where and when it was found. There are lots of experienced people on the Group who can identify or confirm sightings and support Neil - especially at peak times.

This and other social media sites are now actively complementing the website and helping to verify data before submission. However, please note that records won ’t be harvested from the Suffolk Facebook Group page or other similar sites and therefore still need to be submitted via the correct channels, so please do this if you post sightings using social media.

My final overall opinion? Combining the comprehensive resources of the website with the immediacy of the Facebook Group, Suffolk moth recording now has the systems in place to identify and monitor critical changes in our moth fauna, especially the gains and losses increasingly related to this rapidly changing climate.

(With thanks to Neil Sherman and Matthew Deans for their helpful comments on the draft).

Dead Pine Marten on Felixstowe Beach : May 2020

Simone Bullion - Mammal Recorder

In early May 2020, I received several reports of a dead Pine Marten Martes martes washed up towards the Felixstowe Ferry end of Felixstowe Beach. The photographs of the bedraggled, but apparently recently dead animal confirmed this was indeed the case. This species was last

Unfortunately, due to the difficulties of Covid-19 lockdown, its body was not recovered the day it was reported and despite several locals walking that way the next day, it had been taken away by the tide. Had I been able to collect it, I would have arranged for a DNA sample to be taken to try to ascertain where it had come from as there are several possibilities. In the UK, Pine Martens are found primarily in Scotland, with a scattered population in Northern Ireland and a small established population in mid-Wales following a reintroduction programme. They remain largely absent from England except for occasional records. Whilst

south including Shropshire and Hampshire are likely to be due to covert releases. They are also found across the Republic of Ireland and much of continental Europe.

All of the native populations do have a specific genetic signature, so it is possible that we might have been able to determine its country of origin. There is also a chance that it had hitched a ride on a boat from the continent, but of course we will now never know the answer. Should there be any further sightings then please do report them immediately.

simone.bullion@suffolkwildifetrust.org

Photo taken by A Wright

Dragonflies and Damselflies on the Round Pond in Christchurch Park, Ipswich

Richard Stewart

In July 2018 my wife Anne-Marie and I found five species of Odonata on a pond that attracts little wildlife compared to the nearby Wilderness Pond. We recorded large red and azure damselflies, smaller numbers of the red eyed damselfly, a female common darter and both male and female Emperor dragonflies, our largest species. The female ’s body was almost bent double during egg laying. A sixth species, the willow emerald damselfly, has also been recorded here. Unfortunately the blanket weed that seemed to have attracted them was removed the next year, either because its presence was deemed an eyesore by park staff and passers- by or because its proliferation might clog up the recently installed water fountain. However, larger dragonflies usually spend two years as a nymph and smaller dragonflies and damselflies a

year, so in June 2020 we were not too surprised to discover good numbers damselflies, a few red eyed and single Emperor and black tailed skimmer. A common newt was unexpected but welcome. However, these survivors, some paired, had no weed for egg laying and although we could see some Canadian pondweed well below the surface it was too deep for their purposes. About a month later we were delighted to see some clumps of this weed had reached the surface and we noted both azure and red eyed damselflies pairing, though no actual egg laying was observed. There was no sign of the blanket weed so hopefully the remaining Canadian pondweed will be left to attract future generations, at a location just a few hundred yards from the centre of Ipswich.

National Bat Monitoring Programme

Dennis and Anne Kell

As we write this, we have just completed our second walk along the River Stour near Flatford. We follow a set path, planned some years ago, and make 10 stops over a one kilometre

route starting after dusk. At each stop, we listen with the aid of a tuneable “Bat Detector” for the echolocation calls of Daubenton’s Bats Myotis daubentonii.

The calls alone are not entirely diagnostic, so further evidence is gathered by selective use of a torch, watching the water, looking for bats catching invertebrates at the very surface. A timed period of four minutes is spent at each spot and the number of passes made by Daubenton’s bats is recorded before moving on to the next spot 100m downstream.

This year we recorded 14 bat passes on our first walk, all at one spot. On our second walk, we recorded 28 passes spread over five spots.

This annual survey takes place in August each year and is just one part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) organised by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT). We have been recording at this site since 2014. The National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) was set up in 1996 to collect robust national data on British bat species that was lacking for most of the 20th century. It is an annual series of bat surveys, four of which are long-term, undertaken by around a thousand volunteers, that allow BCT to monitor changes in British bat populations. The data collected are used by the Government and conservation organisations to monitor the health of our environment, inform policy and improve the conservation of bats.

At present, sufficient data are collected by the NBMP to produce

population trends for 11 of Great Britain’s 17 breeding bat species. Of these species, all are considered to have been stable or to have increased since the baseline year of monitoring in 1999. (JNCC, 2019)

However, these encouraging results reflect relatively recent changes in bat populations (since 1999). It is generally believed that during the early 20th century there were declines in bat populations. Possible drivers of the historical declines include agricultural intensification, loss of roosting and foraging habitat, persecution, pesticides and biocides including the use of toxic timber treatment chemicals within roosts, water quality, declines in insects, unsympathetic development, land-use change and climate change. (JNCC, 2019)

Volunteers can take part with varying degrees of experience. The Roost Count simply involves counting bats as they emerge from their daytime roost at dusk. The Field and Waterways Surveys require some simple training and the use of a tuneable Bat Detector. The Hibernation Survey is for more experienced bat workers who hold an appropriate class survey license.

Recording sites across the UK, represented by the distribution of recorders, are shown on the map. (JNCC, 2019)

Table 1: NBMP Long-term Surveys

Being lucky enough to share our house with bats at different times during the year, we had been counting them as they emerged from their roost, so were already up and running to join the Roost Count Survey with data going back to 2008.

We first became involved in NBMP Field and Waterways surveys in 2012, having attended training courses organised by the Suffolk Bat Group (SBG) over two evenings. Our instructor very clearly explained how the surveys operated, how to plan the routes and then what to listen for on a bat detector. We then went out try out our new skills around Lackford Lakes. Training is also available online from BCT and equipment can be loaned if necessary. Other volunteers from Suffolk Bat Group are often happy to take out someone wishing to learn more about the surveys.

Being licensed bat workers, we have also been very fortunate to be able to join members of the Suffolk Bat Group on hibernation surveys during the winter. These are fast, thorough, but delicate operations and it is a privilege

to be able to help monitor our Suffolk bats at this special time and leave them undisturbed.

Over the years, all bat surveys have been both enjoyable and informative. Being immersed in the lives of wildlife at dusk is a magical experience at times. Badgers, Glow Worms, Barn Owls and other encounters are a lovely bonus. Conversations with curious villagers are always interesting. There is an inevitable sense of anticipation as we set off to see what we will record and whether results have changed from previous years.

In subsequent issues of “White Admiral ” we hope to share a little more detail about our surveys and our results compared to national data.

In the meantime, if you are interested in taking part or wish to find out more have a look at the Suffolk Bat Group: https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ suffolkbatgroup and Bat Conservation Trust NBMP: https://www.bats.org.uk/ our-work/national-bat-monitoringprogramme

Reference:

JNCC Bat Conservation Trust National Bat Monitoring Programme Annual Report 2019

https://cdn.bats.org.uk/pdf/Our%20Work/National - Bat - Monitoring - Programme -

Annual - Report - 2019.pdf?mtime=20200514130739&focal=none

The Reverend Henry Harpur Crewe (1828 - 1883):

A Victorian entomologist with Suffolk connections

Patrick Armstrong

The nineteenth century was the heyday of the parson-naturalist, and modern science is indebted to these men in many ways. Suffolk seems to have been particularly well-endowed with examples of this genre [vide, eg The White Admiral , 99, pp 30-34; 103, pp 17-20; 104, pp 18-20].

The Revd. Henry Harpur Crewe (sometimes Harpur-Crewe) was a member of an ancient landed and aristocratic family: Sir Henry, the first Baronet Harpur of Calke Abbey, was born in about 1585. The family adopted the Crewe suffix in 1808. Some members of the lineage were quite extraordinary eccentrics.

Aristocratic connections were not unusual amongst the nineteenth century clergy, and there was also something of a tradition that in some families most of the male children became Anglican priests, and the female married into parsonages, so Henry (Junior) was entirely typical in that he was the son of the Revd Henry Robert Crewe, Rector of the parish of Breadsall, close to the family seat of Calne Abbey, Derbyshire, and the nephew of Sir Gerorge Harpur Crewe, 8th Baronet. Many of his early natural history observations were made in the

neighbourhood of the village of Breadsall.

Henry, Junior, was born 30 September 1830, took his degree at Cambridge (Trinity College) in 1851 (MA 1855), and became Rector of Drayton Beachamp, Buckinghamshire, in 1860.

However, for a time in the late 1850s he appears to have been based at the small parish of Drinkstone, near Woolpit, about 10km due east of Bury St Edwards. He seems to have collected quite extensively in Suffolk: he described, while living in Suffolk, having beaten the larvae of Acronyncta [sic, now Acronicta] aceris ‘from maple and oak and seen it beaten from birch’, although he acknowledged that the commonest food-plant was sycamore. He was particularly interested in the appearance and the food-plants of the larvae of moths, especially pug-moths: in a most detailed description of the larvae of Eupilhecia subnota [now apparently E. simpliciata or plain pug], he noted that ‘it feeds on the seeds and flowers of Atriplex [saltbush or orache] and Chenopodium [goosefoot] in August and September. It seems to prefer the banks of tidal rivers. I have taken it in profusion on the banks of

the Orwell and Stour near Ipswich ’. It was his aspiration to illustrate all the larvae of the entire genus – many dozens of species.

Henry published his first entomological article at nineteen, and many pieces in the Entomologist ’s Monthly Magazine, the Zoologist and the Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer followed. Many parson-naturalists were noted polymaths, and Henry Harpur Crewe was no exception. He was a competent botanist, and his records found their way into several county floras, and something of an ornithologist. He travelled quite extensively in Europe, as well as to many part of the British Isles. He was also a noted horticulturalist: he cultivated Cocuses – the Botanical Magazine describing his collection as ‘the richest in Europe’. He also grew wallflowers, and a strain was named after him – he is said to ‘rediscovered’ this plant ( Erysimum Cheiri ‘Harpur Crewe’). He was very friendly with the botanist Joseph Whittaker, who had botanised in Australia, and they cooperated on several projects.

Henry Harpur Crewe was in many ways the archetypical Victorian parsonnaturalist, comfortably off, with influential connections, linked firmly to the countryside – he is said to have liked a good day ’s shooting. Like many country parsons of his day, he stayed in one parish for almost the whole of

his ministry: he died at Drayton Beachamp on 7 September 1883.

Despite the breadth of his interests, his main enthusiasm was for the larvae of a few genera of moths. This type of specialism is also not untypical of the Victorian parson-naturalist genre. There were Victorian clergymennaturalists who were specialists in ferns, in fungi, in mosses and in tiny mites and spiders; they were those who attempted to know all there was to know about freshwater fish, and about sea-weeds. Henry Harpur Crewe, in specializing in the larvae of a particular group of moths (many of which he collected in Suffolk), was entirely typical.

These men were true pioneers: they collected, certainly, but they wrote myriads of detailed scientific papers and identification guides. They did the groundwork for many biological groups. After 1859, some accepted Darwinist doctrines, some did not. But they all experienced a joy and a sense of wonder in nature. In specializing in the recording and documenting of some possibly quite obscure group of living things, they were, perhaps, attempting to ensure that of the Creator’s great bounty, nothing must be lost.

The Dancing Demoiselles of Flatford

Rasik Bhadresa

My membership at our local gym was suspended on the Friday before lockdown day, Monday 23 March. I had to decide quickly about what I should do to stay fit. Walking had always played on my mind and I thought, being an early riser, it would be a good start if I could manage three to four miles each morning. On that Monday morning at 7am, I was ready and rearing to go. The quietness from the lack of traffic rather accentuated the sounds of nature. I felt good after every walk and started to try different routes, all directly from home, gladly this was possible in the ‘villagey’ East Bergholt without having to worry about social distancing, especially at that time in the morning. Boosted by lovely weather, greenery and nature bursting forth, within a week I was feeling more confident about doing longer distances which included a wider range of terrain. Slowly, it dawned on me that I had preferences and walks to Flatford and along the River Stour began to play a bigger role. Mostly, the morning sun was bright and warm (sometimes too warm) and on only a few occasions, I have had to rely on weatherproofing. On 12 April, I heard my first male cuckoo. In another week, I was sure

there were three, one male near the river around Fen Bridge and the other two, male and female (with the unusual bubbly chuckle) in a wood a mile beyond Willy Lott’s House. Lots of twittering in amongst the trees, laughing calls of green woodpeckers, melodious singing of ascending larks, raucous cries of magpies and rooks, flowers unfolding, swifts screeching overhead, meadow browns dancing, swans and geese nurturing their young, swallows scheming the water, Friesians chewing the cud, have become regular delights. Also, I came across (however, at a very safe social distance) local people I never knew even existed, especially dog owners. So, friendships have been forged and to start with, a lot of Covid talk, but soon reverting to ‘this and the other’.

By 10 July, I had reached a milestone and completed 1000 miles. I remembered the words of Lao Tzu – a journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. How right he was! It was in mid-June that I witnessed the first of the delightful flowers of the flowering-rush (Butomus umbellatus) unfurling on the side of the mill pond (of The Haywain fame) at Flatford. Cupshaped with three of each of pale pink petals and smaller sepals surrounding

the central dark pink stamens and carpels, they made for a magnificent cluster on a stiff upright stem (picture 1). On subsequent days, the numbers of these attractive clusters just increased making for a magnificent spread near the culvert which conducted gentle water from the other side of the ‘old’ mill building. And it was on one of these days that I saw something, quite accidentally, leaping into the air on my left. There was no mistaking the metallic blue body and the dark blue bands on the wide wings as they fluttered in full sunlight. It was the flying handsome male of the Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). As I watched, it swung from left to right and then left again, as if not completely at random. This aerial dance which could easily have been a cross between rumba and swing, was truly mesmerising. The demoiselle descended amongst the tall leaves of the Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) and conveniently landed on a bent-over leaf. I managed to take a picture or two (see picture 2) but it was soon off again and ‘dancing’. As I watched, my eyes were caught by a green and golden metallic body with translucent, green-veined wide wings, just below where the other one had landed. And, of course, this was the female but while the male was flying above, the female was practising a kind of ‘Pilates’ move (see

inset, picture 3). I saw it doing this at least half a dozen times. It was not long before it dawned on me that perhaps they were simply playing ‘the mating game’. I eagerly waited, but the male simply settled down again and all was ‘Quiet on the Western Front’! I lingered for a good 15 minutes but they were probably done for that morning, now instead playing ‘the waiting game’. So, I whispered, ‘Viel Glück in der Zukunft! ’ as I departed.

One thing that Covid-19 situation has done for me is to instil the idea of a daily walk. Besides being a health boost, it has given me a tremendous amount of pleasure. So, a much needed tonic in these unusual times.

Main image: 1 - Flowers of the flowering - rush ( Butomus umbellatus )

Bottom Left: 2 - Male of the Banded Demoiselle ( Calopteryx splendens )

Bottom Right: 3 - Female Banded Demoiselle ( Calopteryx splendens )

Gasteroid (Stomach) Fungi

Neil Mahler

Fungi which develop their spores in an enclosed structure are generally referred to as Gasteroid fungi which most people would immediately think of as Puffballs, but they cover a wide range of shapes and sizes from Lycoperdon gigantea (Giant Puffball) down to tiny Birds Nest fungi, and Battarrea phalloides (Sandy Stiltball) down to Tulostoma species (Stalk Puffballs). There are also the colourful (and smelly) Stinkhorn type fungi, Basket and Cage fungi.

Putting them in their Orders they are:

Sclerodermatales: Scleroderma, Pisolithus, Astreaus

Tulostomatales: Tulostoma, Queletia, Battarrea

Nidulariales: Cyathus, Nidularia, Mycocalia, Sphaerobolus

Lycoperdales: Geastrum, Myriostoma, Calvatia, Vascellum, Bovistella, Handkea, Bovista, Lycoperdon, Mycenastrum

Phallales: Phallus, Mutinus, Clathrus, Lysurus, Aseroe, Ilyodictyon

Three old specimens of Battarrea

Two records worth mentioning have come in recently.

Rosie Blake first got in touch with me when she came across a group of struggling Battarrea phalloides (Sandy Stiltballs) at Upper Baylham in a roadside hedge. Rosie next found another site - where 3 specimens were growing inside the remains of a very old hollow stump across the other side of a field in a small copse well away from a road. It is well known that Battarrea can grow in the hollow of tree stumps, but this is the first known occurrence for Suffolk. The tree, possibly an Elm, had blown over many years ago and it is not known how long they could have been growing here for, un-noticed. Last year, Rosie contacted me again with yet another record - this time a single specimen down by the railway crossing in Mill lane. Three separate sites in one village must be a record, but Rosie wasn’t done yet… early in July, Rosie was walking down the road to the B1113 where Baylham garage is situated and she spotted 2 old specimens which had survived recent verge cutting 2 weeks previously. When I was finally able to examine this site 2 weeks ago I was able to find another 4 specimens that had been totally flattened by the hedge cutting machinery so we have to wonder how many fruiting bodies were growing there before the verge was cut?

Anyway, 4 separate sites in 1 village, what can one say except very welldone Rosie!

Next, the strange story of Mycenastrum corium (yes, I’d never heard of this either!). This is a large type of Puffball, closely related to Bovista and is reasonably common in central and eastern Europe and thought to be slowly heading west after reports from Denmark and Norway. In 2008 there was a first record in the UK from Scotland where it still occurs sporadically at the same site. Then last April 6, I received an email asking for help in the identification of a strange looking earthstar with what looked like 2 ‘sporesacs’ that had inadvertently become dislodged from what was an earthstar.

I was not aware of the Scottish find at the time, so I had to place an image of the fungus on Internet forums where a Dutch mycologist (and later Jonathan Revett) recognised it straight away. It turns out the conjoined ‘spore sacs’ were not spore sacs at all, but were young, freshly emerged M. corium that had grown up just a short distance away from an older fully open fruiting body.

Unfortunately, the exact location is not known (somewhere from the Sizewell Belts) - so, if you are a regular walker across the Sizewell Belts, please keep your eyes skinned for a

large star shaped (only after all the spores have been shed) brown fungus. The only other fungus it could be

Lockdown Images

Rasik Bhadresa & Allan King

mistaken for is the Mosaic Puffball (Lycoperdon utriforme), again, after it has shed all its spores.

Images from Rasik Bhadresa taken on walks from East Bergholt to Flatford.

From top left (clockwise): A family of mute swans; Wild dog rose; A wren singing away with gay abandon; A comma

Images from Allan King all taken in his garden in Ipswich, IP4.

From top left (clockwise): Forest Shield Bug Pentatoma rufipes ; St Mark ’ s Fly - Bibio marci ; Buff Ermine; Pisaura mirabilis - Nursery Web Spider; BeeWolf - Philanthus triangulum

Suffolk County Butterfly Recorder

- Post Vacancy -

The post of County Butterfly Recorder will become available at the end of 2020 when the present Recorder, Bill Stone, retires from the role. The post is a Suffolk Naturalists ’ Society position, and anyone wishing to receive further details of the role should contact:

Martin Sanford, Chair, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society martin.sanford@suffolk.gov.uk or Peter Maddison, Chair, Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation prmaddison@yahoo.co.uk 01473 736607.

The Recorder’s role is to encourage accurate recording of butterflies in Suffolk, to verify and keep county butterfly records and to produce an annual butterfly report for publication in the Suffolk Naturalists ’ Society Transactions and the Suffolk Branch of BC Argus. In order to promote butterfly recording the Recorder has to be able to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, wildlife groups, individuals, and an enthusiastic group of butterfly recorders (approximately 70 individuals) within the county. Sharing the duties of this role could also be considered.

SNS AGM and Autumn Members ’ Evening

Nov. 25th at 7 p.m - Zoom Meeting

Time: Nov 25, 2020 07:00 PM

You can join the Zoom meeting with the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82767596359?

pwd=N2JDck9GSTh0WkxoLzJsQUxZdnRHZz09

Or by inputting the following details into the Zoom application:

Meeting ID: 827 6759 6359

Passcode: 946842

Contributions to White Admiral

Deadline for copy for Winter issue is: 1st Dec

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.

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 Bird Group (SBG).

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, plus the County bird report, Suffolk Birds (compiled by SBG). 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.

Subscriptions to SNS: Individual membership £15; Family/Household membership £17; Student membership £10; Corporate membership £17. Members receive the three publications above.

Joint subscriptions to SNS and SBG: Individual membership £30; Family/Household membership £35; Student membership £18. Joint members receive, in addition to the above, the SBG 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.

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