WildSuffolk The membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Winter 2020/21
YOUR LOCAL WILDLIFE
Tooth and claw The changing fate of Suffolk’s mammals
WHAT’S IN A WORD?
How words got their wild roots
WE SCRUB UP WELL
Meet the scrubland songsters from robins to nightingales
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Welcome
Happy birthday!
PS. Your May Wild Suffolk magazine will be a special 60th Anniversary edition, with celebratory events throughout the county in June.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust Wild Suffolk is the membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org Telephone 01473 890089 Address Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, Ashbocking IP6 9JY Registered charity number 262777 Website suffolkwildlifetrust.org Facebook @suffolkwildlife Twitter @suffolkwildlife Instagram suffolkwildlifetrust Flickr.com/photos/suffolkwildlifetrust
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
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FAMILY: JOHN FERGUSON CHIFFCHAFF: ALAMY
Our nature reserves Wild places to discover this winter and spring.
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Wild thoughts Melissa Harrison on staying local and staying wild.
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Gardening for wildlife Make the most of small spaces.
16 Wild news
Local and national wildlife news.
21 Wild play at Carlton
Inspiring the next generation with our wild playscape for big kids and little adventurers.
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Mammals of Suffolk From hazel dormice to hedgehogs, water voles to polecats, find out how Suffolk’s mammals have fared over the last decade.
30 Six places to see hidden forests Celebrating small but mighty lichens.
32 Scrubbing up well
Tune in to the songsters of the scrub, from robins to chiffchaffs to nightingales.
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ALEX WITT ALAMY
Christine Luxton Chief Executive
Your wild winter The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it on your local patch.
GREY HERON: ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
2021 marks 60 years since Suffolk Wildlife Trust was founded by a group of Suffolk naturalists intent on saving Redgrave & Lopham Fen from irreparable damage through drainage. Their battle was ultimately won and in 1999 the borehole sucking water from the fen was turned off – the first time this had been done in Europe to protect a wetland. Redgrave & Lopham Fen is now a National Nature Reserve and a beacon of hope for wildlife conservation. And hope matters, now more than ever, for us all and for nature. It is source of enduring frustration that 60 years on, society still seems unable to shake off the attitude that nature is expendable. We are still investing our energy into fighting nature's corner, holding the line in the face of unrelenting pressure, when our collective efforts need to be on restoring the abundance of nature to our towns and countryside. What better moment then, to rally the energy of youth, to galvanise action for nature? I am proud and excited that one of the ways we are marking our 60th birthday is by investing in strong young voices for nature, creating a Youth Board for Suffolk Wildlife Trust, to pass on the baton of our founders to Suffolk’s next generation of naturalists and activists.
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6 ways to get involved with Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Get in touch Our Membership Manager, Nicola Martin, is happy to help with any questions about your membership on 01473 890089 or membership@suffolkwildlifetrust.org. Wild Suffolk Magazine Team Editor Lucy McRobert Designer Clare Sheehan Content editor UK Tom Hibbert Cover: Pine marten juvenile male Alamy Stock Photos
What's in a word? Horatio Clare explains how words got their wild roots.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust is one of a national network of Wildlife Trusts dedicated to safeguarding the future of wildlife for the benefit of all.
Volunteer Could you donate your
skills and time to look after wildlife? A wide range of indoor and outdoor tasks need doing. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/volunteer
Tell your friends Introduce
someone you know to the Trust and share our beautiful landscapes and wildlife. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/join
Stay in touch
Enjoy the sights and sounds of nature from across the county on our social media channels. @suffolkwildlife
Wildlife groups
Join one of our network of local groups and help make a difference to nature where you live. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wildlifegroups
Shop Our online shop and visitor
centres at Lackford and Carlton stock a wide range of nature-related items and gifts. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/shop
Leave a legacy
After a lifetime’s pleasure from nature, please help ensure its future by leaving us a gift in your Will. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/will
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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Your wild winter
T h a n k y ou
Thanks to your m embership, we are working wi th farmers to ensure that mam mals like brown hares remain part of Suffolk’s natural wo rld.
The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it in Suffolk
Farmers play a key role in protecting brown hares and providing their perfect habitat. We work with local farms across Suffolk. Visit suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ farmland-wildlife-advice
WINTER SPECTACLE
Take a ringside seat With their golden fur, long, black-tipped ears and muscular hind-legs, brown hares are symbolic of rolling farmland, arable fields, woodland edges and hedgerows. They are considered naturalised but were introduced to the UK in Roman times (or earlier). When disturbed, they can be seen bounding rapidly across the fields, reaching speeds of 45mph. In early spring, you can spot brown hares putting on their famous show of ‘boxing’. Most people assume that these feisty fighters are amorous males, competing for mates. In fact, you are likely watching a female warding off an over-enthusiastic male. Hares will stand on their hind legs and attack each other with their front paws, pulling out fur, like boxers in a ring.
Covid-19
ADOBE STOCK
SEE THEM THIS WINTER Redgrave & Lopham Fen Brown hares are seen here in large numbers across the whole nature reserve, even on the bridleway track! Carlton Marshes Scan the grasslands and along the hedgerows to see hares grazing and boxing. Lackford Lakes The wet meadows are great for brown hares, which can be seen from the footpath to Norton.
to follow We are continuing ce and to an id Government gu y. Please gl in rd respond acco and social check our website t up-to-date media for the mos r nature information on ou and reserves, centres events.
Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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YOUR WILD WINTER
SEE THIS
Find a flock of finches feeding on seed: goldfinches wearing red face paint; chaffinches are blue grey and smoky pink; or beautiful bullfinches. Fieldfares (pictured) are chunky, with a blue-grey head and bottom, chestnut back and pale, etched belly. Redwings are brown on top, streaky underneath, with obvious pale stripes on the face.
ALAMY RON MCCOMBE ALAMY
Little-bit-of-bread-no-cheese? A striking little bunting, the yellowhammer is a bright yellow bird synonymous with healthy farmland. In the winter, they will join mixed flocks of reed buntings, finches and sparrows to feed on seeds, like teasels and grasses, or even in farmyards. They will often perch atop hedgerows and bushes, singing their distinctive song. Males have a bright lemon head and chestnut back, whilst females are plainer, with a streaky brown body and a hint of yellow.
How to
SPOT A YELLOWHAMMER Look Scan mixed flocks of finches
and buntings in fields, looking for the distinctive yellow head. Listen Yellowhammers have a characteristic spring call, which sounds like they’re singing “littlebit-of-bread-and-no-cheese”. The last note is drawn out and wheezy. Explore Scan hedgerows, farmland and woodland edges when you’re out walking, as well as nature reserves.
Our farmland work is helping yellowhammers suffolkwildlifetrust.org/farmland-wildlife-advice
Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
Early bloomers Like little yellow stars shooting out of the ground rather than through the sky, the lesser celandine is a member of the buttercup family. It’s one of the first wildflowers you’ll see in the springtime, blossoming in woodlands, along hedgerows and near river banks. The flowers are glossy and yellow, with between eight and twelve individual petals splaying out. It grows very close to the ground, with shiny leaves that are shaped like the ace in cards. They’re so synonymous with late winter, that William Wordsworth captured their beauty in three poems, hailing the first signs of spring.
LESSER CELANDINE has 8-12 glossy, yellow splayed petals .
Top tips THREE
SPECIES TO SPOT
SHINY LEAVES shaped like the Ace of Spades
Snowdrop They form a carpet of little white, nodding flowers that droop down in that droplet shape.
GROWS close to the ground in woodlands, gardens and near rivers.
Winter wildflowers Climate change is bringing some NECTAR flowers (like daffodils) out earlier, A great source but traditionally you want to of nectar look for winter wildflowers in for early late February – a sure sign that pollinators. spring is on the way. Some plants really do like to blossom when it’s cold. They’re not usually the most elaborate or beautiful, but don’t discard “There is a Flower, the Lesser Celandine, them as weeds: they’re great for wildlife! The That shrinks, like many more, from cold and leaves are also high in vitamin C and have rain; been used to prevent scurvy. And, the first moment that the sun may shine, Bright as the sun himself, 'tis out again!”
Let them grow Lesser celandine is perfect for early pollinators. It can grow in gardens but is largely regarded as a weed. Before you remove it, think of the bees and other insects that will benefit from that early source of nectar. Find some blooming near you by searching in woodlands, along hedgerows or near rivers. The flowers love the damp. Snap a photo and send it to someone who might need a little bit of sunshine in their day. It was once thought that you could use lesser celandine to predict the weather, as they close their petals before rainfall.
SEE THEM THIS WINTER Combs Wood This small but botanically rich reserve has roots stretching back to the Domesday book. Newbourne Springs A small wooded valley with a spring-fed stream. Marsh, fen and adjacent heathland make this reserve perfect for flowering plants. Reydon Wood This fascinating ancient coppiced woodland is famed for flowers; visit later in the spring for a spectacular display of bluebells.
Daisy Daisies will pop up at any time of year, growing in lawns, pavement cracks and brownfield sites.
Primrose Can appear in woodlands and grasslands as early as December, with pretty, creamy-yellow flowers.
ALAMY / ADOBE STOCK
Spot one of the first signs of spring as celandine lights up the land.
In our coldest winter months, you might spot flocks of birds hanging out on hedges and trees. They’re looking for a feast of berries and fruit. They are our winter thrushes: fieldfares and redwings. Relatives of blackbirds and song thrushes, they visit our shores from northern climes searching for plentiful food. You can encourage them into your garden by growing berry-rich bushes and spearing apples to the branches of trees, especially in cold, snowy weather. You might even get lucky and see a waxwing, a rarer visitor from Scandinavia.
ADOB E STOCK
Lesser Celandine
Winter thrushes
FIELDCRAFT
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Spot clumps of mistletoe growing on trees in Ipswich. Blackcaps spread the sticky seeds on their beaks, resulting in its increased abundance!
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
SEE THEM THIS WINTER Bradfield Woods is a great spot for thrushes, with lines of unkempt hedgerows along the trails. Knettishall Heath enjoys big flocks of thrushes along the bridleway hedgerow and in the plantations.
Find yellowhammers in mixed flocks of farmland buntings and finches.
DO THIS
Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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YOUR WILD WINTER
HEAR THIS
Listen for the ‘ungh-ungh’ ‘wink-wink’ chatter of skeins of pink-footed geese, as they fly overhead in a ‘V’ formation.
SMELL THIS
From March onwards, carpets of pungent and tangy wild garlic (or ramsons) can be found in woodlands.
10 wild ideas
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DO NOT DISTURB Butterflies, like small tortoiseshells, are hibernating in dark corners. If you find one, leave it to wake up in spring.
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
Covid-19 resulted in the cancellation of most of our events last year. Where we can, we are gradually resuming our activity programme. 1 Learn a new skill Browse our programme of teen and adult learning courses. We also offer accredited Forest School and Wild Beach training.
Seven ways to enjoy nature this autumn ALAMY STOCK PHOTOS
Why should kids have all the fun? Feed your love of nature with these really wild things to do.
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BUILD A BEE HOTEL Solitary bees are important pollinators and a gardener’s friend. Putting a bee hotel in your garden is a great way to help, and winter is the perfect time to prepare for new arrivals. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/actions/ how-make-bee-hotel
ALAMY
ENJOY SWAN LAKE In winter, whooper and Bewick’s swans gather on lakes, reservoirs and in fields across East Anglia. Spot a flock in fields or at wetland nature reserves.
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ALAMY
START A WILD DIARY Starting in January, make a note of something you see, hear or do relating to wildlife every day. Can you do 365 Days Wild?
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
2 Snip and pack Cut the
stems to size and pack them in tightly. Only as you add the final few will it lock solid.
COMM ON FROG: ADOB E STOCK
8 Shop wild Support the Trust with a purchase from our online shop. Or why not give the gift of one of our vouchers? 9 Transform your local patch Create a haven for wildlife in your garden. Visit suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ gardeningadvice for ideas.
10 Wild Reads Put your feet up with one 5 Wet your whistle of our Wild Reads or join Meet like-minded people at our Wild Reads walking one of our events for 18-35 book group in Ipswich. Visit year-olds in Ipswich, followed suffolklibraries.co.uk/wildreads by a drink at a local pub.
plank into four to make a rectangular frame. Drill guide holes for screws and assemble.
We've missed running our full programme of events & activities, but have lots to look forward to. Browse our events page for the latest news suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events
3 Hang in the sunshine Add a backing board and hang on a sunny, sheltered wall.
SKETCH A NAKED TREE As deciduous trees shed their leaves, there’s a chance to artistically capture their rugged shapes and bare beauty. Create their twigs and textures using pens, pencils or charcoal on paper.
JOHN FERGUSON
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ILLUSTRATIONS: CORINNE WELCH
ADOBE STOCK
ENJOY APRICITY Love feeling the warmth of the winter sun? That’s ‘apricity’. Learn about wild words on p36.
3 Make a difference Join one of our Young Wardens sessions or adult volunteer work parties and help to care for our nature reserves while learning. 4 Wild families Book a family pond or dyke dipping, invertebrate investigation or night walk session with us and become family wildlife experts!
YOU WILL NEED Untreated wooden plank 10 cm wide l Hollow stems of different diameters (bramble, reed or bamboo) l Saw, drill, screws and secateurs l A mirror fixing
ADOBE STOCK
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N at u re cra ft
1 Make the frame Cut the
Hunt for frog or toadspawn.
7 Share your enthusiasm Volunteer with us and share your love of nature with others. Get in touch to find out about other volunteering opportunities.
2 Bring up a wild child Come along to one of our Wild Babies or Wild Tots sessions for wild play, discovery and a chance to chat to new friends.
l
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FIND FROGSPAWN Look for jellylike frogspawn or strings of toadspawn in shady ponds, ditches or slow-moving streams. Frogspawn forms clumps whilst toadspawn forms in strings. February is the best month, but in warm winters this can be earlier, and is a sign of climate change.
6 Walks, talks and more Take your pick from our 50 nature reserves and enjoy a wild day, relaxed walk or tune in to a virtual talk.
Action for Insects suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ action-insects-0
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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OUR BEST WINTER RESERVES
2019 saw our first breeding pair of marsh harri er. Your membership mak es it possible to look af ter special wild places .
in flocks – adopting a ‘safety in numbers’ approach. Ducks flood on to the various lakes, with dabblers gathering in the shallow waters. The striking shoveler is a specialised feeder; with a bold, iridescent head, it uses its flattened beak to filter tasty invertebrates from the mud at the edge of lakes and reservoirs. Teal are tiny, wigeon whistle and gadwall have glorious black bottoms.
STEVE AYLWARD
Winter is a great time to go birdwatching at Lackford Lakes
Discover Lackford Lakes
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
Winter is the time to celebrate big flocks of birds, and Lackford Lakes is the perfect place to enjoy the spectacle. In an area marked by increasing urbanisation and sitting on the edge of the dry Brecklands south of Thetford, this is an oasis of wetland, woodland, heathland and meadow. Lackford Lakes is celebrated by visitors for getting close to wildlife and enjoying stunning landscapes; yet the area is completely shaped by people. Once a disused sand and gravel quarry in the valley of the River Lark, nature is claiming back the area and wildlife is thriving on the nature reserve. If you drive along the A14, you’re probably driving over sand and gravel that first came from these quarries! At over 160ha (395 acres), you can while away a wintry morning or take an afternoon stroll amongst the reeds, enjoying the apricity against your face. There are five walks,
hydrology; an internal ditch system was engineered to allow wildlife such as water voles, dragonflies and water rails to move around the reserve safely. With the completion of the aggregate extraction, CEMEX gifted the entire site to the Trust in 2000. With the support of members, the reserve was extended in 2005, 2013 and 2017 and the large areas of dry Breck grassland are a contrast to the lakes. Winter is a great time to go birdwatching; as the weather cools and food becomes scarcer, many birds gather
some of which are accessible by wheelchair and mobility scooter; bird hides; and a café and toilets. We have been involved at Lackford Lakes since the 1980s, working with the quarry company CEMEX to maximise the site for wildlife. We worked with them to redesign the site, including the
DID YOU KNOW We first took over ADOB E STOCK
Just ten minutes from Bury St Edmunds, Lackford Lakes is a mosaic of wetlands, reeds, meadow and woodland. Take a winter wander to enjoy the birdlife on the lakes, followed by a warm drink from the café.
A frosty morning is the perfect time to experience Lackford Lakes for yourself.
Listen for the haunting 'pee-wit' call of the lapwing around the Slough.
the management of the Slough at Lackford Lakes in 1987. The site was protected largely thanks to the late Bernard Tickner MBE, who championed the wildlife of the area and helped safeguard the best areas for wildlife. We have nineteen species of dragonfly on site.
Look out into deeper water, for example the Sailing Lake, and you might see diving ducks. As well as the black-andwhite tufted duck, goldeneye cruise around. They perform a beautiful courtship in late winter, although very few will breed in the UK. Males follow females around on the water, throwing their heads back in an almost comical fashion. Listen out for lapwing around the Slough and the odd snipe might forage in front of Steggall’s Hide. If you stay until dusk, and the conditions are right, you might even be treated to a starling murmuration or a hunting barn owl, quartering the scrub by the Slough. This area is great for waders, as we control the water levels to maximise the habitat. You might also see mammals like roe deer, fox or even otter! In early spring, look out for greatcrested grebe chicks – little humbugs floating behind their mothers. The mature wet woodland is home to spring Roe deer flycatchers, treecreepers and nuthatch. As the summer progresses, the dry Breckland, grazed by sheep and rabbits, is perfect for spotting invertebrates and reptiles.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
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Lackford Lakes
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6HX. How to get there: From Bury, take the A1101 (Bury to Mildenhall) northwest for ten minutes; the reserve entrance is on your right before you reach Lackford. Opening times: Open all year. Car park open dawn to dusk. Café, shop and toilets open 10am-3.30pm in winter. Access: Fully accessible visitor centre with allocated disabled parking and toilet. The 1.5km Kingfisher Trail is negotiable by wheelchair, with ramped access to four hides. Parts accessible by mobility scooter. The Winter Hide offers easy access for all visitors. Phone for information: 01284 728706. Email: lackford.centre@suffolkwildlifetrust. org Website: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ lackfordlakes TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT Lapwing: Lapwing are also known as ‘peewits’, a nod to their haunting call. If spooked, they’ll erupt into the sky in a cloud to confuse predators. Goldeneye: Famous for their piercing yellow eyes. The males have a domed, greenish head, white cheek and flanks and dark back. Roe deer: Roe deer are one of six Goldeneye species of deer found in the UK. Look for their characteristic, inverted heart-shaped white rumps! THINGS TO DO Refuel in the visitor centre with hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, savouries and cakes (many gluten-free). Call in at Fuller’s Mill Garden, West Stow, just north of the reserve, to enjoy an enchanting walk through the collection of unusual shrubs, perennials and lilies. Visit West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, a reconstructed village and museum, surrounded by West Stow Country Park. Perfect for families.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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ALAMY STOCK PHOTO / STEVE AYLWARD
T h a n k y ou
OUR BEST WINTER RESERVES
WILD THOUGHTS
More Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves for a great winter day out LOWESTOFT
PLAN YOUR VISIT
3 3 1 BURY ST EDMUNDS STOWMARKET
ALDEBURGH
A143
HAVERHILL IPSWICH
2 FELIXSTOWE
Hen Reedbeds
Why now? Reeds make the most magical, whispering noise, known as sussuration, as the wind blows through them. On a winter’s morning, watch the mist rise and listen to the gentle murmuring, creating a peaceful, ethereal atmosphere.
Melissa Harrison
Know before you go Location: A1095 Halesworth Road, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6SH. Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk. Wildlife to spot: Bittern, bearded tit, water vole, otter, kingfisher and waders like redshank and avocet. Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ henreedbeds
The home patch
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Levington Lagoon
Know before you go Location: Bottom of Strattonhall Drift, off Church Lane, Levington, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP10 0LH. Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk. Wildlife to spot: Short-eared owl, kingfisher and various waders, plus sea lavender and sea purslane.
Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ levingtonlagoon The lowdown Many coastal towns and villages on the east coast were overcome by the power of the Great Flood of 1953. It's hard to imagine the terror of the great swell of water as it rushed inland up the Orwell, with tragic consequences for Felixstowe. Now this is one of the best places for estuarine birds on the Orwell and we care for this small-butmighty site on behalf of Suffolk Yacht Harbour Ltd.
STEVE AYLWARD
The Great Flood of 1953 has reshaped this landscape, so it is now a haven for wildlife.
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
The lowdown Hen Reedbeds is a blend of reedbeds, fens, dykes and pools, created in 1999 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We use Welsh and Konik ponies, a hardy breed of horse from Poland, to manage parts of the reserve. Look out for these industrious workers as they graze the marshes. They’re creating the perfect fenland habitat for wetland species, including reedbed specialist like bearded tits and bitterns, and in the summer, the area is buzzing with dragonflies. You might see a marsh harrier cruising atop the reeds or listen for the distinctive plop of an elusive water vole as it slides into the water. You can walk to the viewing platform at Wolsey Creek Marshes; this offers a great view over the mere, and at low tide, scan the mud behind you for waders. Info & maps for all reserves suffolkwildlifetrust.org/naturereserves
ILLUSTRATION: ROBIN MACKENZIE
Why now? At just 5ha (12 acres), Levington Lagoon punches well above its weight for wildlife value all year around. On 31st January 1953, the sea flooded up the River Orwell and burst the banks, and Levington Lagoon was created.
SARAH GROVES
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When you look back at the spring and summer of 2020, what will you remember? The challenge of homeschooling? The frustrations of domestic confinement? Fear of illness, or perhaps illness itself? Our shared period of lockdown was a long, strange time, yet for many of us it came with an unexpected silver lining: the opportunity to rediscover (or discover for the first time) the overlooked green spaces around our homes. Especially in the early weeks, when restrictions were at their strictest, all many of us saw of the outside world was during a brief walk each day. As one of the sunniest springs on record unfolded, we sought out parks, nature reserves and urban green spaces, hungry for contact with the natural world. For some time now we’ve been reading about the benefits of contact with nature to our mental and physical health, but this year it was really brought home to us, as our deepest instincts drove us to listen out for birdsong, plant windowboxes, cherish humble pavement weeds and take daily note of spring’s progress, drawing deep comfort, amid frightening changes, from one of the eternal verities. So what happens now that many of us are back at work each day, and car trips for leisure are once again allowed? Do we consign the local discoveries we made to the dustbin of memory, filing our wonder -filled walks under ‘strange things we did in lockdown’? Or can we take something crucial from the weeks we spent close to home, using
what we learned to transform the A LITTLE BIT WILD post-Covid world? It may have seemed as I’ve written before, in these pages and though the birds were elsewhere, of the importance of having a singing more loudly ‘home patch’ that we care for and during lockdown, connect to, physically, mentally and but in fact, it’s likely emotionally. Knowing where the swifts they were able to nest on your street, which oak in the lower their volume as park is always the last into leaf, why the they had far less mason bees nest on one side of a nearby noise pollution building and not the other – these to compete with. things root us in place and time, in ways This will have saved that often prove deeply beneficial both them precious energy, to the world around us, and to ourselves. and may also have If, during lockdown, you found boosted their chances of yourself seeing your local area with new reproductive success. eyes, don’t turn away from it now. Consider becoming a Friend of your nearest park, or supporting The Wildlife Trusts; look online for charities that have been doing unsung work to protect and preserve green spaces where you are. At the very least, please don’t stop visiting the Melissa places you discovered in lockdown, no matter how Harrison is tempting it is to forget them in favour of a nature writer somewhere further afield. We need and novelist, them, just as wildlife needs them: not and editor of just grand National Parks, but nearby the anthologies nature, too. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, produced in support of The Find a Trust reserve near you: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves Wildlife Trusts.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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Living on the hedge
LIVING ON THE HEDGE
Fieldfare Winter visitors from the semiarctic regions where they breed, these grey-blue thrushes will often arrive in mixed flocks along with redwings to feed on berries.
BY ANDREW JAMIESON, SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST
F
ILLUSTRATION BY BETH KNIGHT
irst light and an early winter mist lies softly on the fields. Along the track the low sun is backlighting frosted cobwebs and the frozen stalks of last summer’s hogweed. Redwings and fieldfares, as well as our resident thrushes, take flight from the hedges as I approach. I have interrupted their gorging on a bounty of berries. Sloe, haw, hip and holly are all on the menu, these thorny thickets providing a rich larder for birds that have flocked from harsher climes to spend their winter with us. Other birds take advantage of these hedges at this time of year, too. At sunset, hundreds of chattering starlings will take up their roosting stations deep within the intricate tangle of shrubs and climbers. Here they are protected from whatever the elements have in store over the long winter nights. Insects in various life stages are also holed-up. Some careful exploration and you may find dormant ladybirds tucked deep into bark crevices or the tiny eggs of the brown hairstreak butterfly lodged in the fork of a blackthorn branch. Meanwhile hidden away at ground level hedgehogs, toads, and newts are using the security of the dense vegetation for their seasonal slumber. Later in the year our hedges will become a riot of colour, movement and aromatic scents with bees and butterflies visiting the flowers of campion, bramble and honeysuckle. Long-tailed tits, wrens and yellowhammers will be busily raising their broods; shrews and voles will be feeding, sheltering and defending their territories. But all that has yet to unfold, and for now much of life lies waiting. Thousands of miles of hedgerows such as this criss-cross our country in a familiar and historical patchwork landscape. Rich in wildlife, this network of green highways links the habitats and populations of so many species, all living ‘on the hedge’.
Farming on the hedge Hedgerows are a vital part of the farming landscape, providing food and shelter to countless birds, mammals and insects. Bird food supplier and Wildlife Trust partner, Vine House Farm, provide a haven for tree sparrows and other wildlife in their hedges. Plus, with every purchase made supporting The Wildlife Trusts, the farm is helping wildlife beyond the farm gate. Find out more here: wildlifetrusts.org/vine-house-farm 14
Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
Brimstone One of a handful of UK butterflies that overwinter as adults, tucked away in ivy. They can even be seen flying on sunny days in winter. The caterpillars feed on alder buckthorn.
House sparrow
Hedgehog
Both house sparrows and tree sparrows use dense hedges for roosting spots, protection from predators and even as nest sites when favoured holes and crevices aren’t available.
Hedgehogs will often choose the base of a thick hedgerow to site their hibernaculum to sleep away the colder months. In milder winters they may be seen out and about as late as December.
Ivy This late-flowering evergreen has much to offer wildlife in autumn and winter. Autumn nectar sustains bees, juicy berries feed birds long after other fruits have been snapped up, and dense foliage provides a home for hibernating bats and insects.
Dormouse
Stoat These fierce predators are active all year round. They use hedge lines to hunt small rodents and rabbits, although when food is scarce may resort to foraging for earthworms.
Well-managed hedgerows are vital corridors for many species and none more so than the dormouse. As well as a secure hibernation site, the hedge will provide them with many of the fruits, nuts and insects in their diet.
Orange ladybird This distinctive ladybird is among the many insects that hibernate in leaf litter at the base of hedges. Other species of ladybird will be under bark or nestled within thick beds of lichen.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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WILD NEWS Highlights from Suffolk and national news from The Wildlife Trusts
103,999 ha £XXX
Together
Otters, barn owls and natterjack toads could all be impacted by the loss of SSSI habitat.
Number in this space and Acrossfactoid the UK, 103,999ha description here. Number factoid (c.257,000 acres) of land is in cared this space and description here. for as nature reserves Number factoid in this space by Wildlife Trusts. and description here.
Here are some of the ways your membership has been helping to protect local wildlife.
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ALAMY
L RAL OVE NER: WIN GE'S JUD ICE CHO
we’re stronger
golden plover
and 400+ dunlin roosted on Levington Lagoon saltmarsh.
SIZEWELL C
Sizewell C – what’s at stake? In our Autumn issue, we explained our concerns regarding the building of Sizewell C. Since then, we have submitted our response to EDF’s application to the Planning Inspectorate. We are apprehensive about the impacts of the current plans, which could lead to:
•
Significant risk to the water quality and levels within the Sizewell Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI);
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Direct loss of 10-12ha of SSSI, which contains many rare plants and invertebrates, water voles, otters, barn owls and kingfishers;
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Significant impacts on the nationally important population of barbastelle bats;
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
forthcoming Suffolk Wildlife Trust publications, sharing Suffolk’s natural beauty. Our panel of judges deliberate over photographs for the nine categories, selecting one winner and runner-up; the overall winner is chosen from these.
Thank
you!
Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin show their support We teamed up with the RSPB to create a live stream hosted by Chris and Megan, highlighting the impact Sizewell C could have on wildlife. You can watch it here bit.ly/MinsmereLive and support us by adding your voice bit.ly/AddYourVoice Sizewell
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Marine Conservation Zones protect the seas around
For the latest news on Sizewell C visit suffolkwildlifetrust.org
England, including the Orford Inshore MCZ off the Suffolk Coast!
30,000
SUFFOLK'S AONBS
Waving the flag
Photography COMPETiTiON
Get involved See the winning photographs at suffolkwildlifetrust.org/photocomp The 2021 competition will open for entries around Easter.
along the rivers Blyth, Gipping and Stour, including oak, alder and willow.
starlings murmurated this
Two new flagship species have been announced to represent Suffolk’s two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Suffolk Wildlife Trust championed the hazel dormouse to represent the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley AONB and supported the call for redshank to represent Suffolk Coast and Heaths.
autumn at Hen Reedbeds, thrilling visitors.
MY
Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Photography Competition has received hundreds of entries this year celebrating local wildlife. Images have included basking butterflies, submerged snakes and cheeky chaffinches, caterpillar close-ups, dappled ditches and silken seaweed. Unsurprisingly, gardens have featured more than ever, with entries in the ‘on your doorstep’ category reaching record numbers. It is a joy to read the stories behind each photo, detailing how each moment unfolded. This year we welcomed budding photographers aged six to 86, many entering for the first time. Some images may be used in
“We will be working closely with others
including RSPB and Friends of the Earth, as well as Natural England, Environment Agency and the local planning authority, to bring together a collective voice. We will engage with EDF to reduce the impacts wherever possible. If we are still dissatisfied, we will go to Examination and make it clear to the Planning Inspectorate that we do not think the development should proceed.” – Ben McFarland, Head of Conservation.
DAV ID CHA PMA N ALA
Picture perfect
ALAMY
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
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Up to 40% loss of the hibernation site for the natterjack toad, only found in one small pond in the area. We are calling on EDF to re-design their plans.
Swans at Brundon Mill Eastern Angles category by Michael Cant.
Hundreds of trees planted
We are hopeful that targeted work to help redshank and dormouse will bring wider benefits for wildlife across both AONBs.
Record numbers of butterflies counted at Bradfield Woods last summer, including purple emperor and silver-washed fritillary.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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UK NEWS UK HIGHLIGHTS
UK UPDATE
New ambassadors for nature Award-winning actor Alison Steadman, Bradford-based GP and TV presenter Dr Amir Khan, presenter and filmmaker Hannah Stitfall, science communicator Sophie Pavelle and Iceland managing director Richard Walker are taking up the new role of Ambassadors for The Wildlife Trusts. The nature enthusiasts will use their voices, influence and audiences to help us raise awareness of the urgent need for
UK UPDATE
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Support our campaign today to bring our wildlife back: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/30by30
You can learn more about our new ambassadors and hear their views on The Wildlife Trusts’ website: wildlifetrusts.org/ambassadors
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1 Hip hip hoor-hay!
Cumbria Wildlife Trust have recently taken ownership of Bowberhead Farm, home to internationally important flower-rich northern hay meadows – a rare habitat with only 900 hectares left in existence. In time these meadows could help create a joined-up network of restored, wildflower-rich grasslands across Cumbria and northern England. cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/ bowberhead
A pair of common cranes has bred at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s Willow Tree Fen. This is the first pair to breed in Lincolnshire in over 400 years. Cranes were driven to extinction in the UK in the sixteenth century, but a small number returned in 1978 and eventually started breeding. The population has slowly grown and spread, with 56 pairs attempting to nest in the UK in 2019. lincstrust.org.uk/willow-tree-fen
Some examples of projects gearing up to help bring back 30%:
n Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is hoping to restore natural processes and healthy ecosystems on a huge scale in their Wild Peak project, bringing back more wildlife and wild places.
n Suffolk Wildlife Trust is part of a collaboration called the Suffolk Ponds Group. We’re bringing together conservation, farming and educational organisations and individuals to reverse the decline of farmland ponds in Suffolk and ensure that ponds form a key part of a Nature Recovery Network for the county. Get involved by supporting our Water for Wildlife campaign.
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2 Crane comeback
THE CHANGES WE NEED
n Lancashire Wildlife Trust is helping to combat climate change at the first ever UK carbon farm, which is locking up carbon and bringing back wildlife habitat as the peatlands are restored at Winmarleigh.
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3 Duke’s reprieve
Safer areas at sea In 2019 an independent panel was tasked by the Government to review whether Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) could be introduced to English waters. Over 3,000 Wildlife Trust supporters responded to the panel’s consultation, backing our call for HPMA introduction. HPMAs would offer the strictest possible
protections for the marine environment, giving nature the best chance of recovery. By removing all pressure, from fishing to construction, our shallow seas, shores and diverse seabeds can become healthier, more productive and full of life once more. wtru.st/help-our-seas
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust purchased Deacon Hill, Winchester’s only remaining stronghold for the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly. This is a crucial piece of land in a network of sites around Winchester that are managed by the Trust with wildlife in mind. hiwwt.org.uk/deaconhill
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
COMMON CRANE: ALAMY
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “We’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal – to raise £30 million and kickstart the process of securing at least 30% of land and sea in nature’s recovery by 2030. We will buy land to expand and join up our nature reserves; we’ll work with others to show how to bring wildlife back to their land, and we’re calling for nature’s recovery through a new package of policy measures including big new ideas like Wildbelt.” Wildlife Trusts are fundraising to tackle, on a scale not seen before in the UK, the joint climate and ecological emergency. Restored habitats will capture carbon, helping to tackle climate change, and bring people the health benefits associated with contact with the natural world. There are amazing projects right on your doorstep that need support to take flight. Craig added: “The next ten years must be a time of renewal, of rewilding our lives, of green recovery. We all need nature more than ever and when we succeed in reaching 30 by 30 we’ll have wilder landscapes that store carbon and provide on-your-doorstep nature for people too. Everyone can support and help us to succeed.”
ALISON STEADMAN © CLEARWATER PHOTOGRAPHY, SPINY STARFISH © LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION
A
s we struggled through the worst pandemic in living memory, the importance of nature in our lives became clearer than ever. Science shows that humanity’s basic needs – from food to happiness – can all be met with a healthy natural environment, where wildlife surrounds us. But sadly, nature is not all around us, at least not in the abundance it should be. Many of our most treasured species like hedgehogs, bats and basking sharks are all at risk, as well as many of the insects that pollinate our food crops. Loss of wild places and the breaking up of those that remain into small fragments has had a disastrous effect. Only 10% of land is protected in the UK and much of this is in poor condition. While some areas of the seabed are officially protected, harmful activities such as bottom trawling are only banned in a handful of locations. All is not lost, as we know how to turn things round: we need to see nature’s recovery happening across at least 30% of our land and seas by 2030. This would enable our wild places to connect and allow wildlife to move around and thrive. The Wildlife Trusts are fighting to make this a reality through our new 30 by 30 campaign, and we recently called for a new landscape designation for England called “Wildbelt” that would put land in to recovery for nature and help us reach 30%.
Starlings may seem like a common species, but they are declining fast.
ALAMY
Wildlife Trusts launch biggest ever appeal to kickstart nature’s recovery by 2030
nature’s recovery, and encourage more people to take action. Speaking about her new role, Alison Steadman said, “I’m extremely proud of all the work the Wildlife Trusts do with the local communities in which they work, but have come to see that collectively, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their work is important, from big picture landscape restoration, to encouraging and supporting people like you and I to do our bit for wildlife, whether it’s in our garden, or campaigning on issues close to our heart.”
Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK
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Wild play
We bet you didn’t know... When murmurating, each starling keeps tabs on its seven closest neighbours in the flock. The ebb and flow of the whole mass changes rapidly as behaviours are quickly passed from bird to bird.
Working with weevils
at Carlton Marshes
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YOUTH FORUM
60 years young To mark Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s 60th anniversary year, we're creating a new Youth Board to give a voice to the county’s young naturalists and activists. You need to be aged 11-24, live (or study) in Suffolk and be passionate about nature. We will help develop your skills. Christine Luxton, CEO of Suffolk Wildlife Trust said “As well as commemorating our history and the thousands of people who have made Suffolk Wildlife Trust the force for nature it is today, we are marking the occasion by creating a springboard to the
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th
BIRT
HDA Y!
future. Our Youth Board will give the next generation the opportunity to shape the next decade for Suffolk’s nature, and help them rise to the challenge, scale and urgency of our climate and biodiversity emergencies.”
Thank you
Get involved We are keen to hear from young people who might be interested in taking part. Find out more by emailing Lucy: ipswich.learning@ suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Pauline Atkinson Geoffrey Crabb Trevor Hickman Frank Huxley Phyllis Lovick
LEGACIES
We are grateful to the families of the following friends of the Trust who have recently remembered us in their Will or through an In memoriam donation. Hugh Newman Anne Seward Gordon Simpkin Anthony Venison Mary Webster
JOHN FERGUSON
60 HAP
Suffolk Wildlife Trust has recently recruited some unusual volunteers to help with a very specific job: controlling the Azolla filiculoides, or water fern, that threatens the ponds and dykes at Castle Marshes. Our new ally is the Azolla weevil, which was introduced in June 2020. The Azolla weevil feeds exclusively on water fern, so doesn’t pose a threat to other species. They have been successfully used at sites across the Broads and the rest of the UK, reducing the need for damaging chemical or mechanical control methods. Water fern is a non-native invasive plant, which spreads quickly and stifles waterways, threatening the species that live there. Castle Marshes is hugely important for water soldier, frogbit and bladderwort, as well as rare invertebrates like the fen raft spider, Norfolk hawker and little whirlpool ramshorn snail. The weevils had already made a difference by September, the red blanket of water fern replaced by the green of native duck weed.
HAWK HONEY
JOHN FERGUSON
ISTOCK
From little explorers to big adventurers, our new visitor centre at Carlton Marshes is perfect for all the family. Let Sara Holman and Steve Aylward take you on a guided tour.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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WILD PLAY
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Step out into nature Most importantly, you can now step out of the centre straight into nature. A 30-metre walkway takes you down onto the marsh, connecting to miles of trails. There is a path out through the wild playscape and beyond, too, perfect for budding explorers.
A walkway takes you down onto the marsh, connecting to miles of trails A 2015 YouGov poll of parents and children commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts reported that over the past 40 years children have become increasingly separated from nature, with just one in ten playing in wild places. We wanted our wild playscape to give children, parents and carers the chance to make play and nature part of their everyday lives. Reconnect with nature Wild play provides opportunities for children (and adults) to reconnect with the natural world and to engage in playful outdoor experiences with each other. Children have the time, space and freedom to explore wild places, make
discoveries, take risks, create, build, get muddy and to experience nature at first hand. Sited on the dry valley side of the new visitor centre, the wild playscape is close enough to the centre for parents and carers to relax with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake at one of the outdoor tables, while watching their children play safely. Constructed from sustainable green oak and sweet chestnut, the rustic play structures retain the organic and warped features of the timber and sit unobtrusively in the landscape, feeling part of the natural setting. Children who play here experience nature using all their senses.
COFFEE & CAKE! Carlton Marshes Visitor Centre provides everything you might need from a cup of good coffee and a slice of cake, to a nest box to take home and help the birds in your garden. The toilets include an adult changing space, an essential facility for disabled adults and children, plus outside picnic benches.
Exploration and discovery The wild playscape is fully accessible to a range of ages and abilities, providing opportunities for child-led exploration, discovery and open-ended play… Run, jump, slide and roll down the landscaped mounds and slopes Crawl, play hide and seek or enjoy a story in the tunnels Scramble, climb, leap and balance on stilt posts, stepping logs and log climbs. Notched posts provide access to raised structures, horizontal scramble nets, balance beams and a v-shaped rope bridge (made from sustainable hemp), which all spark adventure and challenge, and promote risk-taking. We want to foster opportunities for imaginative play. Our wild playscape might be a pirate ship, a flying saucer or a desert island one day, and a castle, a mountain, a cave and a bear hunt the next. There’s space for the whole family to explore, run free and build dens too. We can’t wait to welcome you.
• • •
Research has repeatedly shown that children thrive in natural environments.
JOHN FERGUSON
The wild playscape opening at Easter, provides a safe, fun and exciting area for families to explore.
PHOTOS BY JOHN FERGUSON
JOHN FERGUSON
or the past 30 years, Suffolk Wildlife Trust has welcomed groups and schools to Carlton Marshes. The old building provided a practical base for kids and adults to visit the nature reserve and learn about wildlife, but it felt somewhat disconnected from the wildness of the reserve, sandwiched between the car park and the residential buildings behind. What we needed was a visitor centre that offered an immersive experience, putting our visitors right in the heart of nature. We are proud to say that our new centre fits the bill perfectly. Perched on the edge of the floodplain with a deck that literally overhangs the marsh, huge panoramic windows in the café will leave you feeling as if you are sitting in the reserve itself, fully connected to the landscape. The building provides a wonderful mix of indoor and covered outdoor spaces, whatever the weather. You can enjoy a close-up wildlife experience, too. Two large screens bring to life the hidden world of nesting birds, with cameras located in nest boxes for barn owl, kestrel and even hobby! Two more cameras show the comings and goings of a woodland bird-feeding station and a compost heap – home to an array of invertebrates and maybe the occasional grass snake.
FARMING FOR WILDLIFE
Find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/carlton Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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Tooth and claw The publication of The Red List for Britain’s Mammals in July 2020 concluded that around one quarter of Native British Mammals are at risk of extinction. Targeted conservation work in Suffolk is helping some of the most vulnerable species. CHINESE WATER DEER: ALAMY
BY SIMONE BULLION
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Chinese water deer are expanding their range across East Anglia. They are one of four non-native deer species found in the UK.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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Numbers of rabbits have fallen recently due to disease outbreaks.
MIDDLE: Hazel dormouse populations are decreasing across the UK. BELOW: Our
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based on the Red List criteria and goes back to 1500, so all 47 native mammals that have lived in Britain since then are considered. This also includes the wolf, which became extinct in the 17th century.
Ratty’s return? In the 1990s, national surveys revealed that water voles were declining rapidly, changes in land use and bankside habitat management fragmenting their populations. Furthermore, introduced
Around a quarter of Britain’s native mammals are either extinct or at risk of extinction The reasons for the declines are complex and vary between species. For some, habitat loss, fragmentation and a decline in habitat quality play a significant role. For others, the introduction of a non-native mammal has caused increased predation, competition or enhanced disease transmission. A few have not yet recovered from extensive historical persecution. The story in Suffolk In the last twenty years, Suffolk Wildlife Trust has focused on three mammals, using an evidence-based approach to inform our conservation action: water vole, hazel dormouse and hedgehog.
American mink were spreading across Britain, releases from fur farms contributing to their establishment from the 1950s. In America, mink prey upon muskrats, which are very similar to water voles. This makes mink very good at catching water voles in the water, and female mink can fit down water vole burrows. Consequently, the effect of predation on isolated water vole colonies has contributed to widespread extinction. In the 1990s, the Environment Agency commissioned the Wildlife Trusts for Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex to undertake water vole surveys across the region. In Suffolk, water vole occupancy was
WATER VOLE, DORMOUSE, PINE MARTEN: ALAMY
O
ver the last half century, human activities have led to huge changes in our mammal assemblage in the UK. Two species are Critically Endangered, Scottish wildcat and greater mouse-eared bat; and four are Endangered, including water vole. Five species are listed as Vulnerable to Extinction, including hazel dormouse, hedgehog and barbastelle bat; and a further five are ‘Near Threatened’, harvest mouse among them. Around a quarter of Britain’s native mammals are either extinct, functionally extinct or at risk of extinction. These stark figures are based on extensive research brought together by the Mammal Society who published The Red List for British Mammals in July 2020. As the name suggests, the review is
NATUREPL.COM
Water voles are one of Suffolk Wildlife Trust's conservation priorities.
Farmland Adviser and Conservation Advisers have been talking with landowners about improving bankside habitat for water voles.
A pine marten was found washed up on Felixstowe beach in May 2020, but its origins are unknown as they have not lived in Suffolk for over 100 years.
calculated at 46%, a promising starting point for our work. Since then, over the last 20 years, we have been advising landowners on improving bankside habitat through projects such as ‘Water for Wildlife’ and through targeted restoration on the River Blyth. Since 2003, working with landowners, over 3,500 mink have been removed. In 2018, Suffolk Wildlife Trust surveys, commissioned by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, surprisingly found that water voles were still found across 46% of sites. Water voles still have a stronghold in Suffolk, but we are only
just holding the line. Worryingly, evidence of mink was recorded at 16% of sites, so coordinated control of this predator is essential if we are going to retain our water voles and see them thriving once more. Helping hazel dormice In the UK, hazel dormice have been affected by historical losses of woodland and a decline in woodland management, leading to poorer quality habitat. Decades of hedgerow loss resulted in fragmentation of populations, making them vulnerable to local extinctions. By
the mid-1980s, dormice were extinct in six counties, with a further three counties more recently. Thankfully, they were still found in Suffolk and neighbouring Essex. Across England and Wales, a network of 400 sites (15 in Suffolk) monitors dormouse populations using specially designed nest boxes. These long-term monitoring schemes are essential for identifying population trends and in 2017, detailed analysis by Exeter University revealed that dormice populations had declined by a startling 72% between 1993 and 2014. Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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BACK FROM THE BRINK
SUFFOLK'S MAMMALS
JOHN FERGUSON
In efforts to reverse the declines locally, alongside national monitoring programmes we have undertaken site-specific dormouse surveys over the last 20 years, using this evidence to provide management advice to woodland owners. We have commenced an extensive programme of hedgerow planting to help improve connectivity between populations, and there have been two dormouse reintroductions into the county. The numbers of dormice at both reintroduction sites are doing very well and have helped make the wider
Polecats: once all but extinct in the UK, but now a more common sight, including in Suffolk.
The return of the polecat to Suffolk is a real cause for celebration population more robust. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done to improve habitat and connectivity across the dormouse’s range in Suffolk. A prickly problem Hedgehogs are also in trouble. As recently as ten years ago, there were surprisingly few records of hedgehogs in the county, so Suffolk Wildlife Trust ran a campaign encouraging people to report their sightings. Unlike many mammals, hedgehogs are easy (and slow enough!) to identify. From just 100 records in the previous decade, we received an astonishing 8,000 records in two years. Hedgehogs were still present in Suffolk in good numbers and we wanted to ensure it stayed that way. With support from Heritage Lottery Fund and British Hedgehog
Badgers are the UK’s largest land predator. BELOW: During the three year
Lottery Funded project, our Hedgehog Officer encouraged people to become Hedgehog Champions.
Preservation Society, we undertook to make Ipswich the ‘most Hedgehog Friendly Town in the UK’. In urban areas, problems for hedgehogs include overmanaged greenspace, tidy gardening, impermeable fencing and car collisions. Over the last three years, we have worked with local communities to appoint Hedgehog Champions; with land managers to influence how open spaces were being managed; and with planners to bring about a significant increase in hedgehog holes in new-build garden fences. We encouraged people to undertake their own surveys by loaning out footprint tunnels and camera traps, too. We hope to expand on the success of this project in the next year in new areas of Suffolk. Promising for polecats Finally, a species once on the brink of extinction in England has now returned to Suffolk. Due to historical persecution, polecats experienced a significant decline across Britain and by the early 20th century had become restricted to Wales and the Welsh borders. A subsequent
slow expansion from the 1950s was aided by limited legal protection and steadily increasing numbers of their rabbit prey, after their population crash due to myxomatosis. When The Mammals of Suffolk was published in 2009, there was just a single record of polecat – from west Suffolk in 2006. Their return after a hundred-year absence has sparked interest for
SPECIES PHOTOS: ALAMY
ALAMY
TOBY HOULTON ALAMY
Increasing Badger Polecat Chinese water deer Holding steady Brown hare Water vole Otter Declines Dormouse All bat species Hedgehog Rabbit
The Red List for British Mammals, July 2020 The formal review of mammal status was commissioned by Britain’s statutory Nature Conservation Organisations and delivered by the Mammal Society. The report is accepted by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
recording them, and we now have 130 records from across the county. There appears to be a higher density in the south, suggesting that colonisation is from that direction. The genetics of Suffolk’s polecats are somewhat intermixed with domesticated polecat ferrets; however, they are all showing wild polecat behaviours. Their return to our county is a real cause for celebration. Publications like The Red List for British Mammals starkly show how once common and widespread species can experience dramatic declines, such as the loss of red squirrel from Suffolk and most of England and Wales. You can help ensure the future of our mammals in Suffolk by reporting your sightings. Whether you’ve seen a stoat or a molehill,
a water vole or a fox, effective conservation of Suffolk’s mammals relies heavily on knowing where they are and how numbers and ranges are changing over time. Your membership helps us to carry out targeted conservation work for our most vulnerable species, so hopefully in the future, we will see further recoveries. Get involved Log your sightings of mammals and their tracks and signs at Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service’s Biological Recording Online suffolkbis.org.uk/SuffolkBRO
Simone Bullion is Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Manager and is also the county’s Mammal Recorder.
Brown hares, along with rabbits, are naturalised in the UK. Their populations are thought to be stable in Suffolk.
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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6 places to see Hidden forests
1 3 2
See the spectacle
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for yourself
cross the UK, hidden forests of lichen are waiting to be discovered. They thrive in almost any environment with enough light, from the rocky mosaics of dry stone walls to the gnarled bark of ancient woodlands. Lichens are fascinating things – not one organism, but a symbiotic coupling of one or more fungus species and an alga or cyanobacterium (or occasionally both). They live in harmony, the fungus providing structure and the other organism making food through photosynthesis. They’re often overlooked, but closer inspection reveals a world in miniature, with lichens growing in sprawling shapes like the trunks, branches and leaves of the forests in which many of them grow. It seems as if no two lichens are alike, each a work of chaotic art, from moss-green cups to rust-coloured mats. With a searching eye and an open mind, lichens can brighten any walk in the wild.
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1 Ballachuan Hazelwood, Scottish Wildlife Trust One of Scotland’s most ancient woodlands, where the hazels and rocks are dripping with lichens and mosses. It’s home to over 372 different lichens, including Norwegian specklebelly, octopus suckers and elf-ears lichens. Where: Near Oban, PA34 4RJ. 2 Roundton Hill, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Once the site of an Iron Age hillfort, this impressive landscape supports almost 200 species of lichen. Look for them on the shady underhangs of volcanic rock outcrops. Where: Church Stoke, SY15 6EL. 3 Eycott Hill, Cumbria Wildlife Trust Admire the collage of lichens along the dry stone walls, or scour the rocky outcrops to find those orange, leafy lichens that grow best on a bird’s favourite perch as they thrive on the extra nitrates from droppings of meadow pipits and wheaters. Where: Penrith, CA11 0XD 4 Captain’s Wood, Suffolk Wildlife Trust Step back hundreds of years into a habitat of ancient woodland. Veteran trees and slowly rotting heartwood support several species of fungi, invertebrates and lichens. Where: Sudbourne, IP12 2BE.
WITCHES’ WHISKERS LICHEN © ADRIAN DAVIES/NATURE PL.COM
5 Knettishall Heath, Suffolk Wildlife Trust Knettishall Heath is a diverse mosaic of habitats with woodland, riverside meadows and heathland. Take a slow stroll to notice the brilliant colours of a variety of lichens and ferns. Where: Thetford, IP22 2TQ. 6 Isles of Scilly, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust One of the best places for lichens in the UK. The granite cairns of Peninnis Head offer a good selection, with a backdrop of spectacular sea views. The islands are also home to rare species like gilt-edged lichen.
Usnea florida, a beard-lichen also known as witches’ whiskers, is a declining species found mainly on trees in Wales and south-west England.
Did you discover any lichen?
We’d love to know how your search went. Please tweet us your best photos of the lichens that take your liking! @suffolkwildlife
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PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE
The
sound of music Take a walk through the scrub as our Head of Conservation explores his local Suffolk patch through birdsong. BY BEN MCFARLAND
E
gra, grah’ can reach an almost deafening crescendo. As my walk takes me into the depths of winter, I see robins, the classic gardener’s companion. They replicate their ancestors, which would follow wild boar rooting through the undergrowth; these modern descendants follow the spade of my early rising neighbour. Robins will sing all year and I pick out their winter territories by their call, a piercing ‘tic, tic, tic’. Last year, one particularly gregarious fellow would greet me like a sentinel each day, perched on a gate post, flicking its wings at me in the cold morning air. Small and mighty During the colder months, I encounter marauding bands of long-tailed tits, restlessly flitting through the crack willow and alder, picking up the abundant insects found in the wilder
PETER ATKINSON ALAMY
very morning, I walk my dogs along footpaths near my home and one of my delights is the juxtaposition with the changes of the season: my feet tread the same path daily, but it’s always a different walk. We live on a latitude which brings profound fluctuations in the natural world throughout the year. Whilst many of us mourn the passing of the summer and the onset of the cold, dark and damp mornings, my walks would be boring if I lived somewhere without seasons. Strolling the same route every day allows me to focus on the small changes; the subtle differences over time, which too often go unnoticed or unappreciated. I’ve grown to love my local rookery, perched precariously high up in poplars. They are sociable birds (hence the saying, ‘if you see a crow in a crowd, it’s a rook!’) and on a still morning, their ‘gra,
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PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE
LISTEN OUT FOR THE FIRST SONGS WREN: ALAMY, BLACKBIRD: ALAMY
Nightingales are sadly declining. Scrub is a vital habitat for their survival.
ALL YEAR ROUND Robins, wrens, woodpigeons.
Long-tailed tits are also known as bumbarrels, mumruffins and long-tailed pies!
Wrens are the UK's most abundant breeding bird.
FEBRUARY Rooks, jackdaws, chiffchaffs, skylarks.
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MARCH Dunnocks, song thrushes, great tits. faster than the cuckoo. My walk, like many who live busy lives, can be repetitive. But it isn’t boring, thanks to the changing diversity of wildlife I encounter. The different habitats I walk through, the wilder places I explore, enable nature to survive through the winter and into the summer.
DID YOU KNOW There’s a strong
correlation between relative eye size and the species which are heard first! Often robins, blackbirds and song thrushes sing earliest, whilst blackcaps, chiffchaffs and willow warblers start up later in the day.
During the colder months, I encounter marauding bands of long-tailed tits flitting through the crack willow and alder
DO IT YOURSELF The dawn chorus is the best time to capture the richness and breadth of your local birds in full voice. Aim for first light. Robins, dunnock and song thrush are amongst the earliest starters, usually with a noticeable increase in song early in March. As spring develops blackbirds, with one of our most beautiful songs, increasingly join in. The chorus reaches a peak around Mid-May.
Ben McFarland is Head of Conservation for Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is a passionate birder.
Scrubbin’ up well You will often hear and see more birds in messy bramble thickets and dense scrub, like hawthorn and blackthorn. In fact, good sized areas of scrub often hold greater numbers of birds than woodland. In localities rich in wildlife, there can be lots of ‘messy’ habitat, bordering wood and farmland or wetland. At Suffolk Wildlife Trust, we are working hard to create messiness across many of our reserves and restore messiness in the countryside. We work with farmers who care about wildlife, giving them advice to enhance patches of wildness. In 2020, at our Black Bourn Valley reserve, we recorded four male purring turtle doves, a fantastic barometer of how we are doing to create a more natural landscape. Get the app Why not download the BirdNET birdsong ID app.
ROBIN, CHIFFCHAFF, SONG THRUSH, BLACKCAP, TURTLE DOVE: ALAMY
A world waking up I move through the scrub belt edging along the marshes, ditches lined with reed, fields grazed with cattle. Winter turns to spring and I begin to hear chiffchaff, which has a UK population well over a million breeding pairs. It can be hard to tell them apart from similar species; they have the classic warbler eye stripe, but it’s the onomatopoeic song that gives them away. When I hear a chiffchaff, it puts a spring in my step, especially when mixed with the beautiful serenade of the blackbird. There is a spot where they always seem to sing together, in duet. As my walk circles back, I pass back through the woodland edge and with the weather getting warmer, I often hear another warbler: the blackcap, owner of a beautiful, chattering song. Sometimes,
when the trees are in full leaf, I hear the song thrush, an incredible vocalist, each bird having a huge variety of tunes to show off. Early in the summer, I might hear a cuckoo calling from afar, drifting like a gentle mist, across the still marshes. Like the chiffchaff, it has an onomatopoeic name. Unlike the chiffchaff, this migrant is declining rapidly, and I wonder how many younger people have even heard a cuckoo? Perhaps twice a year (but sadly last year not at all) I hear a turtle dove; a luxuriant purring from deep in the scrub. The male seems to stay a week or so. Once common, it is now rare in many parts of the country and totally absent in others. Suffolk is still somewhat of a stronghold, but this is a relative term. Another migrant, it is suffering due to climate change, shooting on migration and the loss of messy, scrub habitat. It is declining ALAMY
edges between field and marsh. Their calls are restless, like the bird itself, ‘sri, sri, sri’, often with twenty or more calling at once. There’s one spot where a fallen willow is now overgrown with thick bramble. When I walk past, I hear hard ‘teck, teck’ noises, a tell-tale sign of the diminutive wren, owner of the best (and most appropriate) scientific name: Troglodytes troglodytes. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate just how important these rough, scrubby, messy areas are for wildlife, especially during winter.
APRIL Blackbirds, chaffinches, blackcaps.
MAY Nightingales, turtle doves. Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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WHAT'S IN A NAME
What's in a name?
R
ecently a family passed my house, which overlooks a meadow near Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. ‘Look!’ said the mother, ‘A peacock!’. ‘It’s a pheasant mum,’ her teenaged daughter replied. ‘It’s a peacock,’ repeated the mother, looking hard at the cock pheasant. It was a joyful exchange to witness. Is this not how we all begin with nature, with anything – naming and misnaming, feeling our way towards understanding? There must have been a great deal of new naming of nature, recently. On a visit to Scotland, our seven-year-old named what might well have been a buzzard a golden eagle. He still confuses carrion crows and jackdaws, but like many of us this year, he is making a start, delighted with collective nouns for the unkindness of ravens we see occasionally, the exaltations of larks on our moors and the murder of crows that patrol the valley.
Words have the power to change the way we view the world. Author Horatio Clare explores the connection between language and nature.
Thanks to the generosity of members and supporters we have offered a copy of The Lost Words published by Hamish Hamilton to every primary school in Suffolk.
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Wild Suffolk | Winter 20/21
ILLUSTRATION BY JACKIE MORRIS FROM THE LOST WORDS
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris brought wild words to life for children, including this illustrated charm of goldfinches.
Finding solace in nature For months now, teenagers, students and family groups have been appearing in the local woods and fields, absorbing their calm, beauty and perspective. Nature has been vital to us, this hard and awful year; there seems real hope that the change we have been praying for is afoot: with any luck, renewed relationships with nature and language are being born. Sales of field guides are up, according to Emma Corfield-Walters who runs Bookish in Crickhowell. Emma has been running a mail-order service throughout the pandemic: ‘I’m selling a lot of foraging and identification books, so people are taking this time to learn,’ she says. The depth and richness of all there is to learn will strike the readers of these books the way those of us who love fauna and flora were struck when our passions began. The multitudes of dialects and the varieties of ancient languages of which modern English is comprised speak of an extraordinary
cultural and historical relationship between the inhabitants of our isles and the glittering diversity of species they have been home to – and will, with luck, support again. Lost Words The precise nature of that relationship is found in our vernacular and demotic terms for animals and birds: humour, close observation, accuracy and a poetic sense of the country characterise these terms, a cornucopia of words for everything from moles to herons. It makes sense that the creatures we see most often have the most names. The humble woodlouse is a peabug or a nutbug in Liverpool, a ticktock in Bedfordshire, a flump in Southampton, a parson pig on the Isle of Man, a sow-pig in Norfolk and a billybutton in Yorkshire. Shakespearean England is alive in our local names for species, with the great dukedoms and earldoms of Cornwall, Norfolk, and Yorkshire reliably providing their own takes on the world. When Hamlet announces he knows a hawk from a handsaw he is using East Anglian dialect: a handsaw or harnser is a grey heron on the Broads. If the traditional English summer involves standing heron -still at a window watching water falling from the sky, the national thesaurus has every kind covered, from mizzle in Devon, to picking in Wales, smirr in Scotland (fine, drifting rain), letty in Somerset (the kind of rain that is a let or hindrance to working outside); the heavier stuff is plothering in the Midlands and the northeast, stoating in Scotland (rain so hard it bounces off the ground) and ‘raining forks ’tiyunsdown’ards’ in Lincolnshire: raining pitchforks. Many of these terms have fallen out of general use; they form a corps of specialised knowledge, retained in the vocabularies of older people, and in little-read books. There have been efforts to collect and revive them, Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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Wildlife featured regularly in Shakespeare’s works, from hawks and herons to the ‘Tu-whit; Tu-who’ of tawny owls.
WORDS FROM THE MARSH
language is an organic, natural force. Apart from the revival of Welsh, the result of huge effort and investment, there are few examples of any tongue or dialect being brought back to prosperity from impoverishment.
30% of 8-11 year-olds cannot identify a magpie, but most can spot a Dalek In 2017, Robert Macfarlane and the artist Jackie Morris had a mighty success with The Lost Words, a book of poems and pictures featuring wrens, bluebells, kingfishers and acorns, designed to reverse a disconnection between children and nature which came to light with the removal of these words from the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Although the passionate response to the book proves that parents and children still mind about these things, the territory which the book describes, with its collection of formerly numerous birds and common trees, reflects a terrifying
n T he Welsh name for the jay is sgrech y coed, which broadly translates as ‘screecher of the woods’. A fitting name for this forest-dwelling cousin of the crow, so often heard before it’s seen. 38
decline in wild species, and a concomitant retreat in human interest and understanding of them. What chance does ammil have, if, as one recent survey found, 30 percent of eight to eleven year-olds cannot identify a magpie, but 90 percent of them can spot a Dalek? A chance to reconnect Instead of the miracle it would have taken to fix our disconnection from nature, there came the terrible affliction of coronavirus. But the effect may be the same. As traffic decreased, towns and cities fell silent and millions of us worked from home, we began to repair relationships with place, the local and with time that have been broken for decades. I thought I knew this valley in Yorkshire, but it took lockdown for me to really see it. Day by day, I watched the wrens nesting, the kestrel hunting, and that peacock-pheasant. He established his territory, then crowed and thrummed, broadcasting its potential, drawing in two hen pheasants, one of which then laid eggs, from which hatched chicks, over which the father crooned in a most beguiling manner until the day when
n I n Scots, the mountain hare has been known by many names including whiddie baudrons, fuddie, maukin, cuttie, and lang lugs – a reference to its large ears.
n In Suffolk, billywitch is the local name for cockchafer and bishy barnabee is an East Anglian name for ladybird, both of which were recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
A recent survey has revealed at least 250 names for the woodlouse.
CHRIS LAWRENCE
notably by Robert Macfarlane in Landmarks, which assembled a trove of glossaries of dialect words for landscapes and nature. It delights in terms like ‘zwer’, an Exmoor word describing ‘the whizzing noise made by a covey of partridges as they break suddenly from cover’, and ‘summer geese’ (steam rising in sunlight from a wet Yorkshire moor). Reading it, I resolved to remember and use the lovely Devonian word ‘ammil’ – the fiery light produced by sun on hoar frost. To have a new name for a thing is to have sharper and brighter eyes, to have your internal and external worlds enriched (Macfarlane himself loves ‘smeuse’, a word for a gap in a hedge made by the repeated passage of small animals). Try as one might, though, without a community of people who also need and use these words, they remain idiosyncratic and obscure, and the objects and effects to which they refer remain marginal or unconsidered. We can still teach them to each other and our children – who could not love the Yorkshire ‘mowdiwarp’ for a mole? – but
they took their first flights, like large drunk bees. Intrigued, I looked the bird up. ‘Pheasant’ comes from the Greek ‘phasianos’, meaning a bird from the land of the river Phasis, which is in present-day Armenia. Well I never! Instead of my diary’s usual harried and time-hurrying checklist of events and journeys, commutes and re-schedulings, this year has been charted by the appearance of the first red admiral butterfly, the return of the swallows, the dive and drifts of flocks of swifts, the herons’ daily journeys up and down the beck, the appearance of the bats and the evensong of tawny owls.
A 'handsaw' or 'harnser' is a grey heron on the Broads.
Return and grow Human time, which was post-industrial time, dictated by the clock and fought over by apps and notifications, seems to have slipped sideways towards something much more natural, seasonal and slower. In response, the internet has flooded with the thoughts and observations of people noticing birds and animals, remarking on the dawn chorus, and taking action. We cannot hothouse a return of the terms and languages we once had for nature, but as we relearn how deeply we need the natural world, our words and phrases for it will return and grow anew. Peacock-pheasant for cock pheasant seems a fine place to start, at least in Hebden Bridge. Delve into a Wild Read and join us for our virtual nature writing book club – a partnership between Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Wildlife Trust. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wild-reads
This is a project at Carlton Marshes, including wild writing and storytelling workshops for children, young people and adults.
CELEBRATE WORDS!
We are collecting, recording and celebrating Suffolk and Broadland’s unique words for wildlife and landscapes, from ‘fizmer’ (the hiss of wind through reeds) to ‘feetings’ (the tracks left by animals in snow). Staff, volunteers and members of the local community have contributed words, and you can add yours!
SHARE YOUR WILD WORDS WITH US
Whether it is a local name for a species, a word for a rain shower or an icicle, email carlton.learning@ suffolkwildlifetrust.org or enter them in the book of Words from the Marsh, available at the new visitor centre.
feetings
bishy barnabee
billywitch
n I n Northern Ireland you might hear a yellowhammer referred to as a yella yorlin, a meadow pipit called a moss-cheeper, a cranefly known as a grannyneedle or a black ant as a pishmire.
Horatio Clare’s award-winning books include Running for the Hills, Down to the Sea in Ships and Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot.
ALAMY / GUY EDWARDS
WILD WORDS Our language is full of magical words for wildlife, like ‘ammil’ for the fiery light of sun on hoar frost.
fizmer
3 YEAR PROJECT FUNDED BY
Wild Suffolk | Winter 2020/21
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A legacy for
Suffolk's wildlife better future for wildlife. Legacy gifts make this possible. Indeed, they have been instrumental in every nature reserve purchase in recent years. A gift in your Will to Suffolk Wildlife Trust will be kept separate from the Trust’s day to day finances to be used for projects that have a direct and lasting impact on the county’s wildlife.
Thank you
LAPWING: ADOBE STOCK PHOTO
T
he extraordinary generosity of Trust members and friends who remembered Suffolk Wildlife Trust in their Will has protected some of the county’s most inspiring natural places, for people to cherish for generations to come. Buying or enlarging our nature reserves is one of the most powerful ways in which we secure a
suffolkwildlifetrust.org