WHITE ADMIRAL Newsletter 77
Autumn 2010
SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY
CONTENTS GUEST EDITORIAL PEPPERPOT FOUND AGAIN IN SUFFOLK A WEED GETS REVENGE A HERBALIST’S VIEW OF BURDOCK AQUARIUS PALUDUM, A NEW COUNTY RECORD FOR SUFFOLK RESULTS OF SNS DRAWING COMPETITION THE BOUNTY OF BENHALL WADD HITCHING A LIFT: STAG BEETLES AS CARRIERS OF MITES NOTES FROM WESTLETON POEM Alone I Stand SNIPPETS MORE FROM THE GARNER/NATURALIST’ GAZETTE QUIZ FOR YOUNG NATURALISTS LETTERS Antlion in St Osyth PROJECT FUNDING AVAILABLE FROM THE SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY
Jeff Martin Neil Mahler Geoff Heathcote Caroline Wheeler Adrian Chalkley
1 3 4 5 6
Joan Hardingham Rasik Bhadresa Colin Hawes
9 11 16
Michael Kirby Rasik Bhadresa Editor David R. Nash
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Michael Kirby Gen Broad
Cover photograph: Aquarius paludum, by Adrian Chalkley 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
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SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY David Walker Ancient House Lower Street, Stutton Suffolk IP9 2SQ Quercus121@aol.com AUTUMN 2010 GUEST EDITORIAL Whither The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society? It was several years ago, when I was the Society’s secretary, that I looked around the table at a Council meeting on a particularly challenging evening and wondered ‘who is going to replace the likes of us (Stan Dumican, Chairman, Howard Mendel, Treasurer, and myself)?’ This rather arrogant and conceited thought was meant unintentionally, but the view behind it did concern me for several years during the very late 1990s, but especially so during the mid to late 2000s. Indeed, following the recent editorial regarding the Society’s status, I became distinctly pessimistic about its future. However, during a friendly discussion with one of our Council members, I was gently informed that I had a distinctly gloomy and unrealistic view regarding the Society’s future. Recent developments have strongly suggested that my dismal view was unjustified, and that the SNS does appear to have a bright future. Geoff Heathcote’s appreciation of Howard Mendel in White Admiral No 75 was right in my view, for Howard taught many naturalists, aspiring and experienced, that if we (the Society that is) were to achieve credibility in Suffolk’s world of natural history, we had to get our facts right, and our professionalism spot on, even though most of us were amateurs. However, all things come to pass, and if a body such as the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society is to survive, then it has to have new blood. Nobody is indispensable. Their loss may be mourned at the time, but in a strong organization new leaders will emerge. I recently attended a Council meeting for the first time in over ten years. Yes, it was a different committee from the one that I saw at that Council meeting some years ago. Perhaps in terms of overall experience the present Council appears to be more youthful but in terms of enthusiasm and dedication, it now transpires that it is a Council thirsting to make its mark on Suffolk’s natural history, and that is something that perhaps the Society has, in recent years, somewhat lost. Indeed, I believe that the Society will achieve greater things than it has done in the past, if it is given the support by its membership. Our role is not in acquiring and/or managing wildlife reserves, although I have always felt that we should not distance ourselves from assisting in that role if White Admiral No 77
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requested. Neither should we be a front-line wildlife campaigning society, although we have always added our appropriate support to a species that has appeared to be in trouble. The Society’s aims are clearly set out in its Constitution, the main one being to record Suffolk’s natural history and the subsequent publication of those records. The atlases that we produced a few years ago were significant milestones with regard to the conservation of Suffolk’s wildlife. Indeed I am delighted to see that SNS has supported the most important wildlife publication ever, perhaps, to have been produced in the County, Martin Sanford’s ‘Flora of Suffolk’, and we should be proud to be associated with it. But where do we go next? What next must we do to highlight the plight of our diminishing wildlife? We were once referred to as ‘Nature’s Watchdogs’, and as the Society’s chairman I remarked that if this was our role, then the Recorders were our terriers. They are what the Society is all about, encouraging the recording of Suffolk’s natural history amongst the members, and encouraging them to feed their records in to the Suffolk Biological Records Centre, where they may be stored and then sourced in efforts to protect our wildlife. In years past the SBRC has produced a long line of distribution maps for many publications. Indeed, the Society was one of the early local bodies to recognise that putting dots on maps was vital in the fight to conserve our diminishing wildlife. In my view we must continue that course. However, we cannot do that without a vibrant membership. Therefore, I do hope that the membership will support our Society long into the future. Just as importantly I hope that it will support our Council. This has a difficult but exciting task ahead, and that is to re-invigorate a proud natural history society, one that not only has a great history, but also one that I believe has an even greater future. Jeff Martin Rivis Vice-President The views expressed above are my own, and not necessarily those of the Society.
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PEPPERPOT FOUND AGAIN IN SUFFOLK Myriostoma coliforme, the Pepperpot Earthstar, was first collected from Norfolk in 1794 and the last record was when four fruiting bodies were brought to the home of C. B. Plowright by a Philip Higben in Kings Lynn on 25th September 1880 from a location at nearby Hillington. When Plowright looked at the site some three weeks later, he found further old specimens. Between these dates other sites were located in Suffolk and a few other counties. By 1995 it was considered to be extinct on mainland Britain although a few specimens had been found in the early 1990s on Jersey. In 2005 it was discovered growing in a predominantly Oak wood in the grounds of a very large Hall “not too far from Ipswich�. Naturally the owner does not want the location to become public. On Jersey, it is known to grow with Battarrea phalloides, the Sandy Stiltball and also two other Earthstars Geastrum fornicatum, the Arched Earthstar and G. pectinatum, the Beaked Earthstar. Last July 30th, a new site was found for B. phalloides in the Waveney Valley, Suffolk. Further investigation revealed in total 25 fruiting bodies of Myriostoma coliforme, plus an astonishing 44 Geastrum fornicatum. Consequently I urge anybody who is familiar with B. phalloides-protected verges in their area to have a thorough search of the site as it is possible that other rare species of earthstars could be lurking in the vegetation. I already know that at the Marlesford A14 site, Geastrum fornicatum grows with the B. phalloides, and just up the hill outside of the marker posts, I recently found three Geastrum striatum.
Photo: Neil Mahler
Neil Mahler
A distinctive feature of Myriostoma coliforme are the columns that support the puffball-like spore container. Additional photo of newly emerged specimen on p. 8 White Admiral No 77
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A WEED GETS REVENGE
I have worked with some very poisonous agricultural chemicals and thought nothing of handling Death Cap and other poisonous fungi, and I never expected to be poisoned by a self-sown weed in my own garden. This was a spurge, of the genus Euphorbia (apparently named after Euphorbus, doctor to the King of Mauretania) a group of some 2,000 species, mainly sub-tropical or from warm temperate regions. It was probably caper spurge (E. igthyris L.), but I am no expert on these plants. Simpson’s Flora of Suffolk calls it “an established alien” from S. Europe, usually an escape from gardens. This specimen grew in the gravel by my compost bin and reached at least 180 cm tall, with many small, pale green-yellow ‘flowers’. The base of the main stem was about 4cm in diameter. The ‘flowers’ are most unusual and give the impression that they have given up growing half way. A technical description of the Euphorbia ‘flower’ is a botany student’s nightmare, and I quote from Kenneth Beckett’s Concise Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants: “What appears to be an individual flower is a cyathium: a tiny cup-shaped whorl of fused bracts containing several male flowers reduced to one stamen each and a single female reduced to a three-lobed ovary. The tips of the cyathical bracts may bear crescent-shaped, nectar-bearing glands, or petal-like structures. In many species the cyathia are arranged in dichasial cymes, the stalks of which are known as rays and grouped into umbel-like clusters (pseudumbels) at the stem tips. At the bases of the cyathia are pairs of bracts known as raylet leaves, and at the base of each pseudumbel a ring of large bracts, sometimes coloured, called pseudumbel leaves. The fruit are three-lobed capsules that explode when ripe, and the leaves are carried alternately.” I hope you find this explanation helpful! I kept my spurge plant as a curiosity, until it blew down, and then put it in the compost bin. To do this I cut it up into lengths of 50 cm or so, using secateurs. I got a little of the sticky, milky white sap on one hand and, knowing the plant was poisonous, then washed thoroughly. It can cause blistering. However, after an hour or so my nose and eyes ran continuously, my eyes became very painful and I could not stand bright light. Eventually I could not keep my eyes open for more than a few seconds. I took pain killer, an antihistamine for good measure, and was able to sleep after about 12 hours. I had recovered by morning. I assume that I had breathed in the oils from the cut plant. Culpepper’s Herbal 4
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tells us that “… oil of the plant snuffed up the nose purges the head of phlegm”. It certainly did for me. But, “… taken inwardly, it frets the entrails and scorchies the whole body”. All Euphorbias are poisonous. This spurge plant certainly got revenge on me for cutting it down, and it does show that many of us do not consider the poisonous nature of some of our garden plants seriously enough. Geoff Heathcote
A HERBALIST’S VIEW OF BURDOCK Burdock - Arctium lappa It is at this time of year (October/November) that the roots of the burdock plant should be unearthed for medicinal use. Extracts of the root are used principally for skin conditions such as dry eczema and psoriasis. Taken internally these extracts are believed to aid skin conditions by ‘cleansing the blood’. Burdock root is a bitter herb which may also aid the digestive process. Externally, it may be used as a compress or poultice to speed up the healing of wounds and ulcers. It has been found to contain various glycosides, the polysaccharide inulin and an antimicrobial substance. Extracts of burdock and dandelion roots were combined to make the popular ‘Dandelion and Burdock’ drink. Does anyone have a recipe for this? Caroline Wheeler
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AQUARIUS PALUDUM, A NEW COUNTY RECORD FOR SUFFOLK FURTHER SIGHTINGS NEEDED! Aquarius paludum is a skater, one of those true bugs that live on the surface of ponds, lakes and streams. They live up to their name by using their middle legs to row and the other four legs to skate across the surface film looking for prey. There are 10 species on the British list which can be divided into two groups - smaller (7 species) and larger (3 species). Most people know them as pond skaters though this common name is more often applied to the smaller species, of which we have six recorded from the county. Often the larger species are referred to as River Skaters; these are commonly seen in large aggregations on even fast flowing waters. Such an aggregation is referred to as a flotilla. However, no species from this group of larger skaters had been recorded from Suffolk until the 5th August 2010 when I found a large flotilla of some 30-plus skaters on a lake on the Mill River. It was instantly obvious from the large size of the individuals that these were none of the usual species recorded in the county. A closer look confirmed them as A. paludum which has a current threat status of Nationally Scarce (Notable B). I have subsequently searched in vain further along the Mill River for more specimens though many more individuals were spread widely across the lake. It seems unlikely that this is an isolated colony and I would ask any reader passing by any water body, still or flowing, to keep their eyes open for this species. It is quite easy to separate from the more common species. The vast majority of pond skaters you will see in the county will have a body 10 mm or less in length. Aquarius paludum is around 15 mm long. The final detail to look for is at the rear end of the body. A. paludum has two pointed processes which extend to, or just past, the end of the abdomen as can be seen from the photographs on p.7 and on the front cover. All of the pond skaters common in Suffolk have very short processes, if indeed any can be seen at all. These processes can be seen with the naked eye or with binoculars if you cannot get close enough and have no net. If you see any unusual skaters, anywhere in Suffolk, that are larger than normal with long tail processes I would very much appreciate an email to the county recording scheme: aquatics@sns.org.uk Adrian Chalkley County Recorder, Freshwater Invertebrates
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Aquarius paludum has a body of about 15mm, half as long again as most pond skaters
Photo: Neil Sherman
View of the underside of the abdomen showing the two pointed tail processes, a diagnostic feature of A. paludum
Photo: Adrian Chalkley White Admiral No 77
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Photo: Neil Mahler Photo: Neil Mahler
Newly emerged specimen of the Sandy Stiltball found on a roadside verge in association with the Pepperpot
The Pepperpot fungus, thought to be extinct on the U.K. mainland until rediscovered in 2005, has been found again in Suffolk. 8
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RESULTS OF SNS “INSECTS AND MORE…” DRAWING COMPETITION On Wednesday 6th October Colin Hawes and Martin Sanford helped me judge the drawing competition. I thank them for assisting with this difficult task. We have been running the competition, which was originally inspired by the Royal Entomological Society’s National Insect Week, since 2005. It seemed a good opportunity to encourage youngsters to look closely at insects and this has now expanded to all invertebrates. There is, I suppose, scope for extending it to other groups. We received 112 entries spread fairly evenly across ages ranging from 6 to 14 years. The rules stipulate that it must be evident that the drawing is from observation of the creature itself, with details of where it was found, what it was doing etc. However, this year a disappointing high number of entries had obviously been copied from books. This was evident because several pictures and their captions were identical or, worse, depicted a creature which was several thousand miles away from home! Some spoiled their efforts by submitting an entry and then not indicating what it was or where they had observed it. The rules for the next competition need to be much clearer on these points. Only two photographs were submitted, one was of a lizard. We will be holding a prize-giving at the museum on Saturday December 11th at 10.30 a.m. To award the prizes we have booked Kate Jackson of Mini-Monsters who will be bringing some big bugs along. In addition to the cash prizes we offer to the winners we also have been donated some splendid prizes: books by Mark Rappley, The Bugman, and by Opal (Open Air Laboratory) which has provided some research packs. The winners were: Mini-beast observer (under 11) 1st. Moth - Oscar Pulsford, 8 years, Brandeston Hall School 2nd. Cockchafer - Sam Hiskey 8 years, Bucklesham C.P. School 3rd. Great water-boatman - Fred Dellow, Brandeston Hall School Highly Commended : Dragonfly - Felix Jones, 6, years Barrow CEVC Primary School; Joshua Narayan, 7 years , Barrow CEVC Primary School Illustrator (11 and over) Joint winners: it was very difficult to decide between three entries so we decided to award them equal status. Great water-boatman - Ben Pratt, 13 years, Needham Market Middle School True damselfly - Georgina Suffling, 13 years, Needham Market Middle School Great water-boatman - Hannah Anthony, 13 years, Needham Market Middle School
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Highly commended were: Mayfly nymph - Emma Sharpe, 11 years, Elmsett Primary School Woodlouse - Louisa Ernesti, 12 years, Thomas Mills High School Photographer (one qualifying entry only) 2nd. Unnamed moth (the Vapourer) - Diego Giovanni Pinto Torres, 13 years, Holywells High School Joan Hardingham
SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY AUTUMN MEMBERS’ EVENING Wednesday 17th November 7.30 pm The Holiday Inn, Ipswich Talks by members Quiz Poetry with Richard Stewart Books on sale - special offers Bring a friend
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THE BOUNTY OF BENHALL WADD It was in May of 2009 that we first came across Benhall Wadd. We simply had no inkling of its existence until that lovely sunny day in spring. We were on the way to Saxmundham on a little-used country route from Snape when we noticed a big sign on a little lane on the left ‘Asparagus for sale – 1 mile’ just before the T-junction on the B1121 in Sternfield. Asparagus (for someone who loves it) worked like a magnet, pulling the car onto the narrow Sandy Lane. At the end of the lane, there in front of us was a ford and across it a foot bridge quite high up. I just hoped there wasn’t going to be a torrent of flood waters. But we proceeded with childlike excitement gingerly through the ford. Trees on the left, buttercup meadows on the right. Soon afterwards, we saw a house set back from the road on the right and sure enough, at a table was a person with bundles of asparagus. While we parked, I looked over to my left and was amazed by the spectacle! A quite stunning show of marsh marigolds. What was this place? On getting our asparagus and parking further along, we decided to investigate. As we walked back, we came across a little footpath on the eastern side of this wonderful wet meadow. Just near the entrance was one of those ‘nature’ signs (in dark green and the customary Times New Roman). It said ‘Benhall Wadd’. The short textual introduction was illustrated with drawings of a nuthatch, moschatel, ragged robin and king cup. So what was this place? Benhall Wadd, an area around 1.5 ha, is mostly a wet meadow with a wide alder carr running along the stream in the middle and a board walk on the very boggy eastern side of the carr – just as well, because it would have been impossible to walk on this part otherwise. Carr is an old word for boggy ground, and that it certainly was. We were to find out that the word ‘wadd’ was actually Old English for ford which would have been the ‘ford’ of the Fromus (tributary of the Alde) we had crossed earlier. What makes Benhall Wadd so special is that it has remained uncultivated and is therefore a great place for all sorts of wildlife - a local biodiverse reserve. ‘Look out for marsh marigold, moschatel and ragged robin, especially in spring when they are in flower,’ the signboard implored. And it lived up to its promise. On that first visit, we saw in abundance marsh marigold, large-flowered bittercress and yellow flag, and a forest of red campion. The area had a very special feel. On the day of our visit, it was serenely quiet and one sensed one was treading in the footprints of history. It is not often that one is grabbed so completely. On a subsequent visit a few weeks later, we were greeted by ragged robin in almost every direction. Interspersed amongst them were rushes flowering, the occasional early marsh orchid and flowering spikes of marsh horsetail. One corner was shrouded in meadow sweet, its blissful scent hanging in the air, its dainty flowers covered in tiny pollen beetles. A few flowers of marsh marigold still hung on but they were replaced by exquisite reddish purple clusters of umbelliferous seed pods. Suddenly we noticed, caught in the sun, a number of shimmering green-blue shapes with flamboyant red spots and hockey-stick antennae ascending the stalks of White Admiral No 77
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ragged robin and rush. These belonged to no other than the beautiful and newlyhatched day-flying six-spot burnet, Zygaena filipendulae. This made our day complete. Benhall Wadd was living up to its reputation in more ways than one. It was quite obvious that someone was painstakingly looking after it, managing it to wonderful effect. And sure enough, on a visit in spring of this year, we encountered a minibus. The occupants now out, looked as though they had come to do some conservation work, so we stopped to talk. They told us they were going to be coppicing the roadside alders. These young men, we later found out, were a work party organised by the Ipswich Probation Service as part of the Community Payback Scheme. On this beautiful morning, while we sauntered along the boardwalk, we noticed a nice spread of town hall clocks. Above, in the tall alder canopy, rooks danced, cawing ‘this is our rookery’. The king cups were all around and here and there, cuckoo flowers. In the drier parts of the western side were nodding cowslips. I e-mailed the Parish Council and had a brilliant response from one Katie CarrTansley, a voluntary warden for many years. She managed to fill lots of missing gaps. She told me the area is managed by the Benhall and Sternfield Parish Council under Higher Level Stewardship agreement. Each summer, the drier part of the wadd is cut by a local farmer and the hay bales taken away. For the wet peaty part, they have a contractor who uses a ‘reciprocating blade’ which could only be described as “hard work”. The cuttings are raked-up into compost heaps, good homes for grass snakes! Over the years, they have also had major work done, like pollarding of the willows, removal of laurel and poplars and planting of a hedge. The excellent board walk and the foot bridge over the little stream to link the two parts of the ‘wadd’ were kindly constructed by Otley College students in 2000. Katie’s parting shot was “Did you see a White Admiral?” (No, not yet!) And “I would be happy to give you a guided walk!” Now how could an offer like this be turned down? I wish you all to discover this magical spot along your travels. In the meantime, I am glad to leave you with the resonating words ‘We hope you enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Benhall Wadd’ from the little notice by the entrance. Rasik Bhadresa
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In Benhall Wadd “a few weeks later, we were greeted by ragged robin in almost every direction�
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More of the delights found in Benhall Wadd Clockwise from top left: Meadowsweet, Six-spot Burnet, Moschatel, Cuckoo flower Photos by Rasik Bhadresa
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Horsetail, Early Marsh Orchid, Marsh Marigold, The Wadd Rookery
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HITCHING A LIFT: STAG BEETLES AS CARRIERS OF MITES
Photo: Maria Fremlin Male Stag beetle carrying two phoretic mites, shown by the arrow.
In the 1996 Colchester “Search for Stag Beetles� survey, two instances were reported of mites attached to stag beetles (Lucanus cervus). However, it was not possible to determine whether these were ectoparasites, or species which simply use other animals for transport (phoretic species) (Bowdrey, 1997). Mites attached to stag beetles have also been noted in Suffolk (Hawes, pers. obs.) but no attempts have been made to identify these minute arachnids. That is, until this year when Maria Fremlin sent me specimens collected from two stag beetles captured in TL 9824 on the 13th July 2010. Viewed under the microscope, the specimens were clearly seen to be mites but as a more specific identification could not be made, they were despatched to The Natural History Museum for the expert opinion of Dr Anne Baker. The following in bold type is her report. 16
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Order Mesostigmata Suborder Uropodina Phoretic deutonymphs (there is no comprehensive key to the deutonymph fauna). Uropodine mites have a worldwide distribution and are common in the UK. They mainly inhabit accumulations of decomposing organic matter. These can be both permanent, e.g. forest soils, and temporary, e.g. dung, compost, tidal debris, stored food products and nests of birds and mammals. Most species are thought to be saprophagous (feed on decaying organic matter), but some are known to be fungivorous (fungal-feeders) or predators of nematodes and small arthropods. The life cycle comprises the egg, six-legged larva, and eight-legged protonymph, deutonymph and adult (male and female). Most species disperse from temporary habitats via a phoretic deutonymph, i.e. one that uses other animals for transport. Beetles are common carriers and the deutonymphs attach themselves by means of a stalk produced from their anus (the anal pedicel). This is composed of a strand of glandular secretion that hardens on contact with air. The mite deutonymphs (final nymphal stage or instar) observed on stag beetles by the author were all attached to the thin, flexible membrane at the joint between the head and pronotum or the joints at the upper end of each femur. Photograph p. 16. Coincidentally, shortly after I had completed this article, I opened my newly arrived copy of Antenna to discover an article entitled ‘Phoresy: hitch hiking in tiers’, which describes the capture of an odd looking fly that on examination was seen to be not one insect but three. The fly was host to some pseudoscorpion hitchhikers, which in turn were playing host to hitchhiking mites. The article goes on to explain that many arthropods exhibit phoresy, and that pseudoscorpions have been seen to form phoretic associations with many different arthropod hosts. I thank Maria Fremlin for the specimens and the photograph, Beulah Garner of the Identification & Advisory Service, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, The Natural History Museum, London, and Dr Anne Baker, Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London. Reference Bowdrey, J. (1997). The stag beetle Lucanus cervus L. (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Results of the 1996 Colchester “Search for Stag Beetles” survey. The Essex Naturalist 1997: 79-88. Colin Hawes White Admiral No 77
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NOTES FROM WESTLETON A cooked up hypothesis? This has been a vintage year for fungi, both for number and appearance. Amongst the Russulas colours have ranged from amethyst to tan to white, with interesting patterns on the caps of some, each species in its appointed station in the garden. Elsewhere, fine species of parasols and carefully camouflaged boletes lurk amongst the fallen oak leaves. The only disappointment has been the absence of fly agaric, which appeared for the first time beneath a birch tree planted about 15 years ago; but I gather that there are spectacular displays on Westleton Common. The star of the show, however, has been the Prince, Agaricus augustus a truly majestic mushroom. A delicately patterned cap about 25 cm in diameter is set above a perfectly, proportioned stem. The emerging mushroom is square and dignified. 250g of button mushroom would look silly. Rated ‘edible and delicious’, local connoisseurs offered to put them to a taste test. The first effort was abandoned after the pan gradually became a mass of squirming maggots: another enthusiast, the fungus gnat had beaten them to it. The vigour of the Prince was such that another specimen soon appeared. This, selected in its prime, made possible the verdict: the taste is good, but not quite as good as the Parasol. Why has 2010 been such a spectacular year? A clue came while leafing through the despised cookery feature in The Times, suggesting (I think) that a period of cold might encourage cultivated mushrooms to fruit. Later, I realised that there might some useful information even in a cookery article but a careful search of the recycling bin yielded nothing. In wild plants and cultivated cereals and grasses, the seasonal flowering time and vigour are affected by day length and low temperature. Just as there is strong seasonality in plants so there is in the fungi. In most seasons stinkhorns are usually among the earliest; while the winter fungus or velvet stem, with its bright orangeyellow slippery cup appears much later. What are the clues which affect flowering time and vigour? Perhaps the cold winter may have been a factor and The Cook knew something after all. The last act? It is not often that something completely new and unknown stops you in your tracks. No matter how spectacular a water spider, part of the excitement is dulled by endless exposure. In our fear ridden society, few children are allowed to mess about near water where the first sight of a caddis fly larva is a memory which may last even after seeing the most remarkable plants and animals. So it was with Collybia cookie. Apart from the satisfaction of learning more about the fascinating process of wood decomposition, the grace and beauty of this little fungus which I had never seen or heard about left me in a state of exhilaration for days. A full account with some photographs will appear in British Wildlife. Michael Kirby 18
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ALONE I STAND Sturdy in a gale Stalwart in the snow Faithfully I stand alone Resolutely in the scorching sun Unwaveringly in a downpour Freely I offer shelter Under the bark Under the leaves In-between my roots Resilient in adversity Steadfast in happy times Liberally I provide food Buds Leaves Flowers And fruit Reliable with deep roots Stout with a big girth Calmly I watch As the seasons go by Earthlings articulate There stands The mighty oak.
Rasik Bhadresa
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SNIPPETS •
Postponed or curtailed? To the relief of the majority of East Anglian livestock farmers Natural England announced in June that it was withdrawing its financial support for the project to re-introduce the White-tailed Eagle to the Suffolk coastland. The project was a joint venture with the RSPB and would have cost NE £600,000 over five years. Only 24% of children visit a green space once a week (c.f. the 53% that their parents did), so thereby are at risk of suffering from ‘nature deficit disorder’. (It’s tied up with Mycobacterium vaccae, a soil bacterium that stimulates neuron growth. Read Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder for more detail, or do a Wikipedia search). Numbers of farmland birds fell to a record low level in 2009. The RSPB says it is most concerned about threatened species including lapwing (down 12%), corn buntings (↓ 7%) and grey partridge (↓ 23%). The RSPB said there is some success in reversing declines on land with subsidy from the higher level stewardship scheme but that is only 1% of farmland. The Silver-washed Fritillary, which became extinct in ♂ Suffolk soon after the war, was recorded again in July this year at eight different locations in Suffolk. Rob Parker of Butterfly Conservation said: “Because it has also invaded Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, we are optimistic that some of them will find suitable woods in which to breed.” After a late start 2010 turned out to be a good year for dragonflies. Following records of more than 100 Willow Emerald Damselflies along the River Deben near Campsea Ashe in 2009, sightings there in July this year suggest local breeding of this new species to Suffolk. Scarce Chasers are beginning to belie their name too: they were abundant on the River Stour in June and July. Richard Fisk is receiving praise from the bryological fraternity for his bryophyte section in A Flora of Suffolk in which his tetrad maps ‘demonstrate remarkably thorough coverage of the two Suffolk vice-counties’ - all done without resource to a previous flora as there wasn’t one. Professor Sir John Lawton’s review of nature conservation, commissioned by the last government, states that “we need a step-change in our approach to wildlife conservation, from trying to hang on to what we have, to one of largescale habitat restoration underpinned by the re-establishment of ecological processes…” The report concludes that the present system of protected areas “does not comprise a coherent and resilient ecological network even today, let alone one that is capable of coping with the challenge of climate change and other pressures”. There seems little chance of his recommendations being implemented. What a pity that 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, coincided with the beginning of a new era of austerity. Everyone should read the report: Making Space for Nature.
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Going Fast! Copies of A Flora of Suffolk are selling fast with over 870 of the 1200 print run already gone. If you haven’t already got it, you are advised to get your order in quick before it sells out. The book is quite heavy (550 pages weighing over 2kg!) and, if you are able to collect it direct from Martin Sanford at the High Street Museum in Ipswich, you can save postage and buy it for £35. It will also be available for this price at the Member’s Evening on 17th November. This attractive A4 hardback is illustrated in colour throughout and would make an ideal Christmas gift. The opening chapters covering Breckland Pansy, Viola tricolor curtisii climate, soils, landscape history, habitats etc. give it a broad appeal beyond just wild flower enthusiasts. Indeed, Peter Lawson’s review in the last White Admiral says ‘Every Suffolk naturalist should have a copy – it is worth every penny’. For further details, copies of reviews and feedback from satisfied customers see the Flora web page http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sbrc/Flora.htm A Flora of Suffolk. M. N. Sanford & R. J. Fisk. Pp. 552. Published by D. K. & M. N. Sanford, Ipswich. 2010. Hardback. ISBN 978-0-9564584-0-7. Price (including p&p): £40.00. Please send cheques payable to ‘Suffolk Flora Fund’ to: 78 Murray Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 9AQ
Discounted price for Christmas! The Mammals of Suffolk by Simone Bullion provides a comprehensive, illustrated account of the status and history of mammals in Suffolk. It would make a wonderful Christmas present for wildlife enthusiasts. This lovely book, normal price £20, is available to SNS members at a discounted price of £12 until the end of January 2011. Published jointly by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, all proceeds go to those two organisations. Copies can be purchased at the Members’ Evening on November 17th or from Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH telephone 01473 213479. If buying by post there is a charge of £3.50 for postage and packaging. White Admiral No 77 21
Grand Designs? Photo taken in Church Lane Bentley by Colin Hawes
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White Admiral No 77
MORE FROM THE GARNER/NATURALIST’ GAZETTE It was gratifying to find a number of members commenting positively about my piece in the last newsletter about the above-named Victorian publication. Accordingly, there is reproduced here a letter from the correspondence pages ( Jan1892) requesting that The Garner become a weekly rather than monthly journal as well as the “Notices” page from inside the back cover with its instructions for correspondents and contributors, postal prices, advertising charges etc. The letter is extremely informative. It indicates that the journal was probably aimed at what might be termed the lower middle class of that time – literate people such as low-paid clerical workers, shopkeepers and teachers. We find our naturalist correspondent not having had “any spare time for a week or fortnight” because he “has been shut up in a stuffy office early and late”. Suddenly he finds himself with a spare evening and the question is asked “Who can expect such a one, without any impetus from outside to start zealously on the study of nature?” The Garner is seen as the impetus to stimulate his interest in the outside world and to let him recognise himself as “one of a community of fellow students [rather than] a solitary individual fighting for the cause of a few mice and blackbeetles which the whole world is trying to exterminate”. (The “blackbeetle” referred to is the Cellar or Churchyard Beetle, Blaps mucronata Latreille which was considered a common pest at that time in cellars, outhouses etc. but which is now increasingly uncommon in this country as a result of extermination efforts and our improved, sanitized, living conditions). Our correspondent laments that the journal appears only monthly, so after it has appeared natural history disappears from his life until the next issue. Why can’t there be a weekly issue at a cost of one old penny to maintain his interest? The “Notices” page needs less comment and is largely self-explanatory. It is interesting to see that the correspondent must write on one side of the paper only and is plainly not expected to have access to a typewriter even though the first commercial typewriter had been put into production in America in the early 1870s with an initial proposed use for the typing up of letters etc. from dictation. It only gradually became a “general” tool for business offices and professional writers. Our founder, Claude Morley probably acquired his early in the 20th century, using it for correspondence and for labels in his insect cabinets such as “NOT GOT” for species he did not possess. He seems to have never changed it and the late Alasdair Aston told me how to recognise the typing from it because of the way particular typebars sometimes locked together resulting in the regular mistyping of particular letters. Finally, attention must be drawn to the fact that subscribers appeared to exist across the world and not just within the British Empire reflecting, perhaps, the popularity of a natural history journal which was readable, enjoyable and understandable by its target audience. David Ridley Nash
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Plate 1: One of the correspondence pages from “The Garner� 24
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Plate 2: The notices page inside the back cover of “The Garner� White Admiral No 77
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QUIZ FOR YOUNG NATURALISTS - WINTER SEED HEADS In many areas of nature-watching recognising some wildlife - particularly fast moving animals such as butterflies and birds - can be down to knowing its ‘Jizz’. This is the essence of the creature and has generally been applied to birds but can equally well be learned for butterflies, deer or any other animal and even plants. Make a list of the Jizz features for the wildlife you see and you can use these for quick recognition in the future. Recognising Jizz comes with practice and here are some very static subjects to practice on. Below are the seed heads of some common plants which can be found in winter. See if you can guess what they are, look out for them on your next trip outside. Answers below.
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1 Red campion, 2 Rosebay Willowherb, 3 Great Reedmace, 4 Yarrow, 5 Great Bindweed, 6 Common Dock 26
White Admiral No 77
LETTERS, NOTES AND QUERIES Ant-lion in St Osyth The discovery of an ant-lion imago on a washing line in St Osyth (2010 Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation Vol. 122, Pt. 4, p.143) raises interesting questions about the migration of ant-lions from established populations. The discovery was made some four years before publication and it seems unlikely that larval pits have remained undetected during this period. For example, in conversation, people had mentioned that they had seen pits before ant-lions were ‘discovered’ at the Minsmere reserve, but did not know what they were until photographs appeared in various journals. Similarly finding an ant-lion imago at St Osyth would stimulate searches that would have revealed their presence, although they do crop up in unexpected places, for example gardens in Westleton have thriving populations including one which has endured disturbance during building operation. The most likely explanation for its appearance on the washing line is that it was wind blown from one of the well documented sites in Suffolk. It would be interesting to have weather data, particularly for wind speed and direction at the time. A quick trawl of the Met Office web site failed to provide the necessary detail to make an analysis, but local observations might be available. The identity has been expertly checked so there seemed no need for further preservation and verification, but a note of the prevailing weather would be valuable in the event of further finds. Michael Kirby
Contributions to White Admiral Deadlines for copy are 1st February (spring edition), 1st June (summer edition) and 1st October (autumn edition). The opinions expressed in White Admiral are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society. White Admiral No 77
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PROJECT FUNDING AVAILABLE FROM THE SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, founded in 1929 by Claude Morley, pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology. Today the Society’s members provide many of the biological records held by Suffolk Biological Records Centre. These records provide an invaluable source of biological information used by local authority planning departments, ecological consultancies, land developers, researchers, conservation agencies and others. There are county ‘recorders’ for the major groups of organisms such as ants, bees and wasps, butterflies, moths, birds and mammals as well as the major plant phyla. Recorders work on a voluntary basis, surveying sites out of a personal interest and generously sharing their records for the benefit of the wider community. Suffolk Naturalists’ Society supports naturalists who wish to study aspects of Suffolk’s flora and fauna by offering bursaries. The funding can be used, for example, to buy equipment, pay for travel expenses to survey sites or pay the expenses of publishing a report. There are five types of bursary available, each of which offers up to £500 annually: Name of award
Study/topic area
Morley
Invertebrates other than butterflies and moths.
Chipperfield
Butterflies and moths
Cranbrook
Mammals or birds
Rivis
Flora
Simpson
Flora
What to do if you would like to apply for project support: Write to the Hon. Secretary with an outline of the proposed project showing the question being asked, methodology, expected outcomes, projected timeframe and an outline of how the bursary will be spent. The project should be largely original. A report should be provided within 12 months of receipt of a bursary and should be in a form suitable for publication in one of the Society’s journals - Suffolk Natural History, Suffolk Birds or White Admiral. The SNS is always prepared to discuss giving financial assistance to larger or group projects that fall outside the remit of a bursary but still meet with the objectives of the society. Initial contact can be made with any of the officials of the society who will be pleased to advise how best to progress suitable proposals. Hon. Secretary, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH. Tel: 01473 213479, email: gen.broad@suffolk.gov.uk 28
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SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY BURSARIES The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers five bursaries, of up to £500 each, annually. Morley Bursary - usually awarded for studies involving insects (or other invertebrates) other than butterflies and moths. Chipperfield Bursary - usually awarded for studies involving butterflies or moths. Cranbrook Bursary - usually awarded for studies involving mammals or birds. Rivis Bursary - usually awarded for studies into the County’s flora. Simpson Bursary - in memory of Francis Simpson; this will be for a botanical study where possible. Any member wishing to apply for a bursary should write, with details of their proposed project, to the Honorary Secretary. As applications are normally considered at the Council meeting in May of each year, proposals should be with the Hon. Sec. by 30th April. Applications made at other times will be considered but, even if considered worthy of an award, may not be successful if all the bursaries for the current year have already been taken. The following two conditions apply to the awards: 1. 2.
Projects should include a large element of original work and applications must include a breakdown of how the bursary will be spent. 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.
THE SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY
FOUNDED IN 1929 by Claude Morley (1874 -1951), The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology, to promote a wider interest in natural history. Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still one of the Society’s primary objects, and members’ observations are fed to a network of specialist recorders for possible publication before being deposited in the Suffolk Biological Records Centre, which is based in Ipswich Museum. Suffolk Natural History, a review of the County’s wildlife, and Suffolk Birds, the County bird report, are two high quality annual publications issued free to members. The Society also publishes a newsletter, White Admiral, and organises two members’ evenings a year plus a conference every two years . Subscriptions: Individual members £15.00; Family membership £17.00; Corporate membership £17.00. Joint membership with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group: Individual members £26.00; Family membership £30.00. As defined by the Constitution of this Society its objects 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 433550 The Society’s website is at www.sns.org.uk