Is wilding farmland the silver bullet for Suffolk's landscapes? farmlandWilderBREAKINGTHESURFACE The estuary fish found in Suffolk DOGGY DILEMMA A look at dog walking on our nature reserves WILDER SUFFOLK
James Lovelock’s Gaia was one of the influential books of my student days. During his 103 years, he witnessed the living, interconnected planet that he wrote about beginning to change. We are living through turbulent times, record temperatures, wildfires, floods, drought, war in Ukraine, soaring living costs. Gaia is in distress.
Suffolk
Telephone 01473 890089
Wild Suffolk Magazine Team
Editor Lucy McRobert
Designer Clare Sheehan
By the time your Wild Suffolk magazine slides through your letterbox we will have a new Prime Minister and a new Cabinet. They will arrive at a critical moment to deliver net zero by 2050, halt the decline in nature by 2030, and tackle air and river pollution.Yetatthe very moment nature and climate should be at the top of our national political agenda we are at grave risk of slipping into a damaging narrative of ‘nature or economic wellbeing’, ‘nature or food production’. As a farming county, we know that it is not a choice between food and wildlife. We need both – and there can be no food security without nature.
Content editor UK Tom Hibbert
Address Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, Ashbocking IP6 9JY
Cover: Great spotted woodpecker Philip Jones, Alamy
NPL.COMBRAMBLINGS: 2 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Instagram @suffolkwildlifetrust
Suffolk Wildlife Trust Get in touch
22
We need to ensure memories of this scorching summer and the realities of living and farming with no rain and searing heat are slow to fade. They are a wake-up call to the cost to society and to our economy of not tackling the nature and climate crisis head on, immediately. We cannot live without nature and Gaia needs us to act now.
Wild Suffolk is the membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust teamwilder@suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Our Membership Manager, Nicola Martin, is happy to help with any questions about your membership on 01473 890089 or membership@suffolkwildlifetrust.org.
Twitter @suffolkwildlife
Facebook @suffolkwildlife
Christine Luxton Chief Executive
Suffolk Wildlife Trust is one of a national network of Wildlife Trusts dedicated to safeguarding the future of wildlife for the benefit of all.
Wildlife Trust
Website suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Registered charity number 262777
Welcome Mother nature
Discover courses, activities, badger watches, birthday parties, walks and talks, all designed to bring you and your family closer to nature. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events
14 Enchanting species
This Halloween, find species spookier than ghosts and ghouls.
22 Wilder farmland
Special wild places to discover this autumn.
Business for wildlife
21 Bird flu in Suffolk
36 Shifting seas
13 Wild thoughts
How areas of Suffolk's farmland can be given back to wildlife.
Shop for nature This Christmas, help wildlife and spoil your friends by giving eco-friendly presents or membership. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/shop
28 Breaking the surface
Contents
Eventswildlifetrust.org/business-wildlifesuffolk
Wildersuffolkwildlifetrust.org/volunteerschools
28 32 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 3
Wild your land Be inspired by our Farm Wildlife Advisers who can give expert advice on making your land or farm great for nature.
Volunteer Donating your skills, time and knowledge to wildlife can leave you feeling happier, healthier and more connected to local nature.
36
Dave Goulson on averting the insect apocalypse.
landscapessuffolkwildlifetrust.org/wilder-
Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our nature reserves or work with us to improve your school grounds for nature and children. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/schools
4 Your wild autumn
6 ways to get involved with Suffolk Wildlife Trust
32 Doggy dilemma
16 Wild news
10 Our nature reserves
MUSTARDALEXANDERCUTTLEFISH:
Find out more about the illness devastating wild bird populations.
Bex Lynam explores the effects of the climate crisis on our underwater wildlife.
Meet the fish species living beneath the surface of Suffolk’s estuaries.
Bring wildlife into your business and place of work with volunteering, away days and investment in wildlife.
CAMPBELLLAURIEEEL:WITHOTTERISTOCK;FAMILY:
The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it nearby.
What’s happening for Suffolk’s wildlife and around the UK.
We look at the impacts of dogs on nature reserves, and how dog owners can help wildlife.
From ancient woodlands to wetlands to heaths, our nature reserves provide roosts and foraging grounds for several species of bats.
SEE THEM THIS AUTUMN
Captain’s Wood is home to veteran oak trees that provide both roosts and foraging sites for different bat species.
Bradfield Woods is a spectacular ancient woodland. The mixture of coppice, dead wood and mature trees makes perfect bat habitat.
The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it in Suffolk. Your wild autumn
Autumn evenings are alive with activity as nocturnal creatures awaken for a night of feasting and foraging. Silently, secretly, bats take centre stage, tumbling from their roosts before darting into the darkness. There are 17 species of bat that breed in the UK, 13 of which have been recorded in Suffolk. Most widespread are the tiny pipistrelles, common and soprano, which zigzag through the air, hoovering up around 3,000 insects every night. In contrast, noctule bats appear like giants as they patrol the skyscape in firm, straight lines. It can be hard to identify bats, so watch for their behaviour, flight pattern and size. Even better, using a bat detector will help you recognise them through echolocation, whilst a guided walk or event can offer expert help. Exploring different habitats, like town parks, vast wetlands or ancient woodlands will produce different species, too, including the water-loving Daubenton’s or the woodland-haunting barbastelle.
Redgrave & Lopham Fen has open waterways, woodland edges and grassland, making it ideal for foraging bats.
4 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Step outside for bats
AUTUMNReserveSPECTACLEinfo&maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves
ALAMYBAT:LONG-EAREDBROWN Discovermore Learn how you can supportbats in your community bygetting in touch with our team. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/team-wilder Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 5
Wander with a wood mouse
YOUR WILD AUTUMN
Explore Autumn is a busy time for wood mice as they build up their food stores, so watch the ground near hedgerows carefully for activity.
A secretive mammal that many of us take for granted, the wood mouse is a species of rodent we are all familiar with, but barely ever see. Largely nocturnal, wood mice have sandy brown fur with a pale underside, protruding black eyes, large ears and long, thin tail. They can be undoubtedly described as ‘cute’. They largely inhabit woodlands and hedgerows but are adaptable to urban areas like parks and gardens too, occupying underground burrows that include nest chambers and food stores. In autumn, they will cache food for the winter ahead.
Look for nibbled nuts, like acorns, conkers, beech-mast and hazelnuts. Wood mice leave tooth marks on the surface that may be circular or ragged in shape.
How to SPOT A WOOD MOUSE
Spot a ‘smeuse’ in a hedgerow or leading away into long grass. These are holes created by small rodents as they scurry back and forth.
FIELDCRAFT
ALAMYTUNNICLIFFEALANMOUSE:WOOD We can help make your garden, land, farms or community space great for wildlife. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/team-wilder starlingsSwirling Murmurations can be unpredictable, so check our social media channels for updates and pick a calm evening to visit. 6 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Find a fallen harvest of seeds scattered beneath the boughs.
Tasty but sour damsons can still be picked in late summer and early autumn. Watch out – they’re tart enough to make you suck your cheeks in! SPOTLIGHT
Combs Wood has ancient origins. Ash and hornbeams predominate, the latter producing small nuts held in a leafy bract with three lobes, and papery, green-winged samaras.
Seasonal seeds
In ash trees, the seeds hang in bunches known as keys. They are around 5cm long and turn from green to brown when ripe.
TASTE THIS
Ash
Explore an autumnal woodland to find a fairy (or pixie) ring. These magical circles of fungi start small but grow in diameter as they get older.
Wild cherry
One of the first tree seeds that you’ll notice are the dangling catkins of the silver birch. Silver birch is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers (the catkins) are found on the same tree. After pollination, the female catkins thicken and darken, before the tiny ‘samaras’ are released. Samaras are single seeds that have wings, much like the familiar and larger helicopter seeds of the ash and elm, which spiral through the air.
Other tree seeds have hard or spiky outer shells, like acorns from oak, conkers from horse chestnuts and beech nuts – or masts. In a broader sense, many species of tree can
STOCKADOBEOUT:CUT BEECH-MAST:ALAMY TREEAUTUMNSEEDS A favourite food of BEECH-MASTNUT dark brown, 1.8cm, flat triangular.and BEECH-MASTCASE prickly,shell,brownfourlobes. LEAVES hairy edges, often stay on tree in winter. TREE 40m tall with crown.domed Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 7
Bunch of keys
Hard nuts to crack
Arger Fen is one of the few ancient woodlands in Suffolk with wild cherry trees, as well as oak, ash, field maple, holly, superb large alder and hazel stools.
Alder
Top tips THREE SPECIES TO SPOT
Autumn tree seeds ALAMY ALAMY Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves
SEE THIS
Bradfield Woods has been under continuous coppice management since 1252. Ash, English oak and hazel support a variety of mammals, including hazel dormice.
Conspicuous winged fruits or 'keys' that hang in bunches. They turn brown in autumn.
LOOK FOR THEM THIS AUTUMN
have ‘mast years’ where they produce a bumper crop. For beech nuts, the seeds themselves are referred to as beech-masts. They are cased in prickly brown shells and the nuts are dark brown, largish, flat and triangular. Despite the huge numbers you may see on the ground, very few will go on to germinate and grow; tree seeds are a favourite food for jays, woodpeckers, squirrels, mice and other rodent.
Tree seeds show a striking variation in size, colour, shape and structure. Some, like wych elm, drop their seeds in the early summer. The holly produces seeds in winter, with red berries symbolising Christmas. Many disperse their seeds in the autumn, relying on the winter frosts to crack open their outer casing and anyseedstree,cup-shapedsamarasmasts,Fromthatgermination,encourageandit’snowweseethelargestvariation.conkerstocatkins,keystoberriestocones,acorns,oreventhefleshyredarilsoftheyewexaminingfallentreewillbringawarenesstoautumnwalk.
SPECIES
Flowers develop into spherical, hairless, deep-red cherries on long stalks. Birds and mammals love the fruits.
Female catkins become woody and appear as small, cone-like fruits. They release tiny samaras (winged seeds).
5 UNLEASH YOUR INNER ARTIST
Head to one of our reedbed nature reserves to enjoy the sound of susurration. This onomatopoeic word describes the sound of wind rustling through the reeds.
fallen oak leaf and noticed that it is covered in tiny bumps or growths? These are spangle galls. The galls first appear in spring when the spangled gall wasp lays their eggs, and the larvae emerge during the summer, leaving the bumps behind.
Tawny owls are vocal in the autumn. After dark, listen for the ‘ke-wick’ call of the female; if you’re lucky, you’ll hear the male placeor‘hoo-hoo’.answerWoodlandsparksareagoodtolisten.
8 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Autumn has a unique seasonal scent, an earthy mixture of damp soil, fallen leaves, fragrant trees and the musty scent of mushrooms.
1 BE HAUNTED BY AN OWL
PHOTOSTOCKALAMY
4 GO ON A BIG WILD WALK
Get close to nature with some top tips for nature lovers of any age to enjoy.
Book or find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events
Seven ways to enjoy nature this autumn
SMELL THIS
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
HALLBENOWL:TAWNY
WHARRIERRUTH
ADOBESTOCK
From 24 Oct-30 Oct, help The Wildlife Trusts tackle the nature and climate emergency by challenging yourself to a Big Wild Walk.
HEAR THIS
Find out more and register your interest bigwildwalkwildlifetrusts.org/
3 LEARN A WILD WORD: SUSURRATION
Starting on 9 Jan 2023 10am-3pm, study botanical illustration at Carlton Marshes with botanical artist and illustrator, Ruth Wharrier. One day per week over three terms.
Take a moment to enjoy the sound of the breeze stirring the golden leaves in the autumn trees. There’s even a wild word for this: psithurism.
FERGUSONJOHN YOUR WILD AUTUMN
Build a nest box during National Nest Box Week at locations around the county.
2 Place your dish of dog food (or use hedgehog food) in the middle of the tray.
activityNature
1 Fill your baking tray with damp sand and smooth out with a ruler.
8 Elves on the Heath 11 & 18 Dec Knettishall10.30am-2.30pmHeath
9 Nest box building 11-17 VariousFeblocations
3 Leave the trap overnight in a quiet spot in the garden. Check in the morning for footprints left by curious visitors.
Learn basketry techniques and make a handled willow basket. Adults only.
wildlife-live-webinarssuffolkwildlifetrust.org/
6
l Water
Check out some of our top events happening this autumn. More details and more events online.
ILLUSTRATIONS: WELCHCORINNE
7 Festive Redgrave3decorationswillowDec9.30am-1pm&Lopham Fen
2 Basket weaving course 23 Oct Bradfield10am-4pmWoods
l Meaty dog food in a low-sided dish
Join a Wildlife Live webinar led by a local expert and discover wildlife from the comfort of your own home. Learn about sensational slugs, planting for pollinators and wader identification.
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 9
See what creatures are exploring your garden when you’re not looking, using a homemade animal footprint trap made from household and garden items.
1 Level 1 Award in Forest School Principles 19-20 Oct Foxburrow9.30am-4.30pmFarm
5 Christmas Craft Fair 6 Nov Redgrave10.30am-3.30pm&LophamFen
l Old baking tray
ALAMYPYENIGEL
Join Steve Aylward for an illustrated talk on Suffolk’s butterflies.
7 MAKE AN ANIMAL FOOTPRINT TRAP
l Long ruler
Make a festive willow decoration to take home, with local expert, Jane Kelly.
Browse our events page for the latest listings suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events
YOU WILL NEED
Explore Knettishall Heath and find out what the mischievous elves have been up to.
WATCH A WILD WEBINAR
A two-day accredited course to learn about the Forest School ethos.
Find out more activity-sheetswildlifewatch.org.uk/
3 Halloween on the Heath after Dark 28 & 29 Oct 5.30-8pm Knettishall Heath Follow our spooky family trail and discover the Heath after dark.
10 wild events
6 Butterflies of SWT Southwold10reservesNov7.30pmArts Centre
10 Weird and wonderful wildlife in Ipswich 22 Feb 7.30pm Museum Street Methodist Church, Ipswich IP1 2EF.
4 Discover Suffolk Wildlife Trust 5 Nov from 11am Carlton Marshes Explore the Marshes with wildlife guides.
l Fine grain sand
ISTOCK
Start your Christmas shopping early at our annual craft fair.
Bonny Wood may take some finding, but it is worth every minute of exploration. Not only is it a tranquil example of a fine ancient woodland, but the walk across the fields to get there will take you through some of Suffolk’s loveliest countryside. From Barking Village Hall, turn left and walk about 200m along the grass verge towards a public footpath that takes you past Overhall Farm on your right. The route isn’t well signposted, but from the barn in the field to the right, you should be able to spot some wooden steps 100m away. The path is bordered by old hedges, laden with wild fruits and berries. The birds make the most of the juicy and tempting haws, hips and blackberries on offer. As autumn progresses, flocks of winter thrushes will arrive to gorge themselves, with the chack-chack of fieldfares and the whistle of redwings
Tawny owl
creating a winter chorus. Turn left over a small wooden bridge and follow the track that hugs the edge of Bonny Wood all the way to the reserve entrance.
Discover Bonny Wood
Hidden in plain sight, Bonny Wood is one of a cluster of woodlandsancientinthe heart of Suffolk, collectively known as Barking Woods. This gem of a woodland is tucked well away from the main road, a 15-minute walk across rolling farmland, lined with hedgerows.lush
10 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
The Barking Woods are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with Suffolk Wildlife Trust managing around a third of Bonny Wood, around 19ha (48 acres). The rides follow a circular path through the ancient atmosphere, allowing people to explore. A high canopy of mature oaks towers above you, with ash, hazel, field maple and sallow sheltering beneath. Whilst difficult to spot, the area is a popular haunt for tawny owls. Deer, including roe, fallow and muntjac, wander the rides, whilst badgers and foxes are regulars. Look for their
TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT
Panthercap
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 11
Location: Barking Road, near Barking Tye, Needham Market IP6 8HP.
Visit The Food Museum, formerly the Museum of East Anglian Life, in Stowmarket, which captures the agricultural history of East Anglia. Walk the High Street of Needham , designated a conservation area full of Grade II listed buildings. Continue your woodland exploration at Combs Wood nature reserve, a 15-minute drive away towards Stowmarket. An ancient woodland with history stretching back to the Domesday book, the canopy is leafy almost year-round.
from firewood to hop poles, hurdles and thatching spars.
Roe deer: A slender, mediumsized deer, with short antlers and no tail. It is mostly brown, with a pale buff patch around its rump.
Badger
1
Access: The circular trail around the reserve is often wet and muddy and is unsuitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Phone for information: 01473 890089. Email: teamwilder@suffolkwildlifetrust.org Website: bonnywoodsuffolkwildlifetrust.org/
Tawny owl: At dusk, listen for the ‘ke-wick’ call of the female and the ‘woo-woo’ return call of the male. These woodland owls are highly camouflaged.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
Opening times: Open all year, dawn to dusk.
Thank you
what3words location: flick.than.opponent. How to get there: Situated halfway between Stowmarket and Ipswich, south west of the A14. From Needham Market, follow the B1078 south west to Barking, where free parking is available in the Village Hall. Follow the public footpaths to Bonny Wood.
Deer, including roe, fallow and muntjac, wander the rides, whilst badgers and foxes are regulars.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
ALAMYDEER:ROE&BADGERSTOCK;ADOBEOWL:TAWNY deerRoe
PLAN YOUR VISIT Bonny Wood
DID YOU KNOW Coppicing in Bonny Wood has provided good habitat for hazel dormice, which appear to move through the area and into the neighbouring Priestley Wood (owned by the Woodland Trust), via hedgerows. They have even been found during surveys high up in the canopy in boxes designed for barbastelle bats!
Bonny Wood is an excellent example of ancient Suffolk woodland, thriving year-round with wildlife.
OUR BEST AUTUMN RESERVES
tracksCoppiceunderfoot.management has heavily influenced Bonny Wood’s ecological and historical value, which stretches back to 1251. Records show that the wood was coppiced on a seven-to-eight-year rotation from 1356, with Elizabeth I purchasing Bonny Wood in 1561 (James I sold it on in 1611). The wood, which eventually passed to the Ashburnham Estate, has been harvested for everything
Panthercap: This striking yet poisonous mushroom is not overly common but can be seen along the rides. The cap is darkish red-brown and covered in thick white scales or ‘warts’.
Your membership allowsus to manage ancientwoodlands, like Bonny Wood,for wildlife, whilst givingpeople the chance toexplore them too.
STCOKADOBE
AYLWARDSTEVE
Suffolk Wildlife Trust acquired the land in 1987 and reinstated coppicing on a 25-year rotation, benefitting woodland species. In spring, this means that you can admire wildflowers, including displays of orchids and violets, herb-paris and sweet woodruff, which in turn attract an array of butterflies, including silver-washed fritillary and purple hairstreak. In autumn, the woodland puts on an excellent display of fungi, including the fascinating (if very poisonous) death cap and panthercap, which grow along the edges of the rides where vegetation has been cut back. Allow a couple of hours at least to meander through the fields and woodland, making the most of the atmosphereautumn and fiery colours.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Know before you go
Snape Marshes
For a site of only 30ha (75 acres), there is a huge range of habitat – from beautiful veteran oaks to dry heathland edge and reed-filled marshes criss-crossed with freshwater dykes. These create a network of open water and reedy edges perfect for otters. The adjoining estuary attracts wildfowl and waders on migration, so look for avocets and snipe foraging in the mud. If everything suddenly takes flight in alarm, a bird of prey might be near; look for the v-shaped wings of the marsh harrier drifting by, a sparrowhawk whipping through or the ghostly shape of a pale barn owl, gliding silently over the landscape.
AldeburghLowesto
More Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves for a great autumn day out
3
Trimley Marshes
what3words location: painting.sheds. channel.
Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ snapemarshes
reservesNature reservesLarger Larger reserves with refreshments & toilets
Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk. Wildlife to spot: Barn owl, kingfisher, avocet, marsh harrier, snipe, otter.
Info & maps for all reserves
reservessuffolkwildlifetrust.org/natureOUR BEST AUTUMN RESERVES AYLWARDSTEVE AYLWARDSTEVE
Trimley Marshes Snape Marshes
The combination of fantastic habitat and Trimley's coastal location makes it a hotspot for rarer species during the spring and autumn migrations, and the reedbeds are home to wintering bittern and water rail.
3 2 1 2
Know before you go
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Nestled on the north bank of the River Alde, Snape Marshes attracts large numbers of waders, which feed on the gloopy estuary mud. Look for kingfishers whizzing past in the flash of blue, or barn owls haunting the marshes.
Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ trimleymarshes
Location: Snape IP17 1SE.
The lowdown
Felixstowe Eye Newmarket Ixworth StowmarketNeedhamMarket Mildenhall Halesworth Southwold Bury EdmundsSt DissWoodbridge SUFFOLK COAST & HEATHS AONB DEDHAMAONBVALE BRECKSTHE SaxmundhamNATIONALBROADSPARK A146
In the autumn the muddy margins around the shallow lagoons and islands make excellent feeding grounds for migrating waders such as common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper and greenshank, as well as waterbirds including wigeon, teal and brent goose.
Open: Open at all times, volunteers open the centre most Wednesdays and weekends.
Location: Trimley St. Mary IP11 0UD. what3words location: collect.period. yesterday.
A134 A11 A1065 A134 A143 A14 A14 A14 A140 A12 A12 Ipswich Lavenham HadleighSudbury Haverhill
12 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Wigeon, teal, brent geese, redshank and black-tailed godwit are among some of the species you might see at Trimley Marshes, especially as they erupt in a cacophony of noise, disturbed by a peregrine whizzing through or the unmistakable sight of the marsh harrier ghosting over reedbeds.
Wildlife to spot: Common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, greenshank, wigeon, teal.
Why now?
The lowdown
Why now?
Dave Goulson is a professor of biology at the University of Sussex, one of the UK’s leading insect experts, and an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts. He champions insects in his latest book, Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse.
Since I was a child I have been obsessed with insects; they are amazing, often beautiful, and with fascinating, peculiar lives. I grew up in the countryside, and spent my childhood roaming the lanes and meadows in search of caterpillars, butterflies, grasshoppers and beetles. My bedroom filled with jam jars, cages and tanks housing all manner of small beasts. I eventually came to learn that the world would not function without these tiny creatures. They pollinate; control pests; recycle all sorts of organic material from dung to corpses, tree trunks and leaves; they keep the soil healthy; disperse seeds; and provide food for many larger creatures such as birds, bats, lizards, amphibians and fish.
If you have no garden, you might consider joining national and local campaigns to fill our urban greenspaces with wildflowers, or to have your town or village declared pesticide-free. Imagine every garden, park, cemetery, roundabout and road verge filled with swathes of wildflowers. We could create a national network of wildlife-rich habitat from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
but as I explain in my book Silent Earth, we can all get involved in reversing insect declines. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, take some simple steps to invite insects and other wildlife in; it is astonishing how much life a small garden can support.
@dave.goulson
This may all seem terribly depressing, but do not despair. We may feel helpless in the face of many global environmental issues,
Get more tips on how to help insects at: for-insectswildlifetrusts.org/action-
wtru.st/energy-food
Dave Goulson
Of course we should not forget our farmland, which covers 70% of the UK. It is my view that the move towards ever-more intensive, pesticide-soaked monoculture farming is unsustainable; it has done terrible damage to our wildlife and soils, pollutes streams and rivers, and contributes a lot to greenhouse gas emissions. You can reduce your own impact and support more sustainable farming practices by buying and eating local, seasonal, organic produce, buying loose fruit and veg, and reducing your meat consumption. Better still, grow what food you can in your garden or an allotment.Lovethem or loathe them, we all need insects. We have to learn to live in harmony with nature, seeing ourselves as part of it, not trying to rule and control it with an iron fist. Our survival depends upon it, as does that of the glorious array of life with which we share our planet.
Silent AvertingEarth:theinsect apocalypse
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 13
COOPERDAWNILLUSTRATION: WILD THOUGHTS
It should thus be of profound concern to all of us that insects appear to be undergoing massive declines. As a child, I vividly remember my parents having to stop the car on long summer journeys to scrub clear the windscreen, which quickly became crusted with splatted insects as we drove along. Today, our windscreens are disturbingly clean.The causes of insect declines are many: habitat loss to intensive farming, housing and other developments; the ever-growing blizzard of pesticides used by farmers and gardeners; climate change; light pollution; impacts of invasive species and more. Our tidy, pesticide-infused world is largely hostile to insect life.
As we live through a time of great uncertainty, food security is an important issue. But it’s vital we consider nature in any plans. Industrial agriculture has destroyed wildlife on a grand scale. Further intensification will be a huge blow for nature and climate, but also jeopardise long-term food Learnsecurity.more:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Devil’s
14 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Barnowl 6 SPECIES
Wolf spiders are expert hunters which track, chase and leap upon their prey – much like actual wolves, but much smaller. They don’t make webs, but cast a silk strand into the air to form a ‘parachute’, which allows them to float on the wind.
This smelly, strange looking fungus has eye-catching red tentacles that splay out like a starfish. It even smells like rotting flesh which attracts insects. They are rare, but can be found amongst leaf litter under trees.
spiderWolf
Beautiful and beguiling, the ghostly barn owl haunts grasslands, wetlands and farmland in search of a tasty snack – a small rodent or bird for instance. They attack from above on silent wings, and can turn their heads 270°. TO BE BY THIS AUTUMN fungusfinger ENCHANTED
Death’s-headhawk-moth Witch'sbroom
Meet the parasitic wasp that protects itself from predators by turning a ladybird into a "bodyguard". The female wasp injects an egg into the ladybird, the larva munches on its host's internal tissues before breaking out through the abdomen.
Fungi erupt out of the ground in an array of shapes, sizes and smells, like stinkhorn
ladybird‘Zombie’ Search for events wildlifetrusts.org/events ALAMY/STOCKADBEPHOTOS: Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 15
Wildlife Trusts across the UK run guided walks and events around Halloween to see autumn wildlife up close.
As the nights draw in and the weather turns wild, as pumpkins ripen and Halloween lurks just around the corner, autumn is the perfect time to learn about and even look for some of our spookiest, most spectacular wildlife. Some of our most unusual species have evolved quirky traits to survive in a competitive world, bewitching and befuddling humans for centuries.
crossbones pattern on their thorax, this large moth emits a squeak when alarmed, made by expelling air through its proboscis. The species is nocturnal, and the caterpillars even eat deadly nightshade.
Be spellbound this autumn
Looking like a dense tangled bird’s nest, witches’ brooms are a growth that results in bunches of stem, leaf or root material growing from one point on a tree. They are caused by microorganisms, usually a fungus, virus or bacteria, and are a type of gall.
pungent scent of rotting meat. It’s the time when house spiders appear in the corners of our bedrooms. The males are looking for mates to breed with; after repeated copulation, he will die and be devoured by his partner. Bats gather in autumn roosts in caves, ancient woodlands and older buildings, like churches, emerging at dusk to feast for the night. Of course, none of these species are dangerous, or even scary. This is evolution at work, a touch freaky, but fascinating.
WILD
NEWS
Taking 60,000 voices to No 10
Megan, 17, from Suffolk Wildlife Trust's
£XXX
YOUTH BOARD
In June 2022, two members of our Youth Board, Charlie and Megan, took the voices of over 60,000 Wildlife Trust supporters to Downing Street, to demand a better future for wildlife. Our Suffolk ambassadors were joined by nine young people from across the UK and Wildlife Trust Ambassador Dr Mya-Rose Craig in delivering the petition. The Wildlife Trusts invited responses to the recent public consultation on the Environment Act targets. Over 60,000 people backed The Wildlife Trusts’ view that the target is far too low.
spoonbill34
Highlights from Suffolk and national news from The Wildlife Trusts
16 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Youth Board member Megan pictured left and Mya-Rose Craig, Birdgirl second left with other young ambasadors from Wildlife Trusts across the UK.
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Youth Board, says, "In my area of Suffolk, the destruction of habitats and loss of endangered species continue to increase. However, the nature crisis does not only threaten one region of the UK, but the entire country. This is why I’m proud to represent the voices of everyone concerned about the future of our natural environment and hope the Government will take action now to recover biodiversity, before it becomes too late."
Hazlewood Marshes continues to be one of the most important estuary sites in the county, with a count of 34 spoonbill last year.
WOODCHRIS
Find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news
WOODCHRIS
wintering snipe recorded last year at Black Bourn Valley’s wilder river valley.
raised this year through appeals to safeguard space for nature at Rowley Grove and Market Weston Fen.
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fledged from Dingle Marshes in July 2022, thanks to protective fencing to minimise disturbance.
NEWA
Together we’re stronger
C suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news WILDER LANDSCAPES Summer lovin’ UPDATE Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 17
We are reviewing the reasons for the decision. Wilder Suffolk reserve Sizewell
Huge apologies for the late arrival of A Wilder Suffolk, our updated reserve book. We now have printed copies and, we hope you agree, the book is looking beautiful and is full of inspiring wildlife stories. You can pick up your printed copy at: Carlton Marshes, Lackford Lakes or Brooke House or call our membership team on 01473 890089 to have a copy posted to you.
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the first time, and pochard are continuing to breed successfully at Trimley Marshes again this year, with two broods seen by July. Routine ditch management and mink control have led to a ten-year record for water vole numbers at Darsham Marshes.
ALAMYPHOTOGRAPHYARVICOLOR
What's happening on our reserves? suffolkwildlifetrust.org/blog
We are delighted to announce a successful breeding season across a range of species on Suffolk Wildlife Trust's nature reserves this year. At Hen Reedbeds, we’ve seen two fledged bittern, four fledged marsh harrier, our highest number of Cetti’s warbler and a reserve first record of green-winged orchid. Arger Fen has hosted breeding raven for
Thank you! champion
nature and help us achieve our vision of a Wilder Suffolk.
NEWS 27,000 members 44 InvestorsWildlifein signed up asmembers.business
Suffolk Wildlife Trust is very disappointed to learn that the Government has approved plans for Sizewell C. Ben McFarland, Head of Conservation says, "We've worked for over a decade to stand up for nature on this precious stretch of coast. During the consultation period, we've made some significant improvements for wildlife, but we maintain that this is not a suitable location. It's far too important for wildlife and we're hugely disappointed."
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65£600+k
overDisappointmentSizewellC
Here are some of the ways your membership is helping to protect local wildlife.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust will work with local communities in nature-deprived areas of Ipswich to support people in developing the skills and confidence to take action for nature and climate where they live, learn, work and play. This may include establishing wild habitats and green corridors or rewilding school grounds.
Nextdoor Nature will help wildlife flourish in Ipswich
Read more success stories at: wildlifetrusts.org/nextdoor-nature
Research shows that 85% of people in nature-deprived areas say more natural spaces would improve their quality of life. The importance of this was reinforced by the pandemic, which demonstrated how vital it is to have access to nature in your local area. Nexdoor Nature will bring a wild touch to the places that need it most, improving
President of The Wildlife Trusts, says: “We humans are key to solving the climate crisis and restoring our natural heritage. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but Nextdoor Nature is working to set that right, putting local communities at the heart of helping our wild places to recover, and making sure that no matter where we live, we can be part of this crucial endeavour.”
UK NEWS
Nextdoor Nature will provide solutions to two of the most important issues that The Wildlife Trusts are working to address: the urgent need to create more space for nature, with a goal to restore 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030; and the need to make nature a part of everyone’s daily life. We know that spending time in nature can bring huge benefits to our health and wellbeing, but we don’t all have the same level of access to green or wild spaces.
the lives of people from some of the most disadvantaged areas across the UK. This could include establishing wild habitats and green corridors in areas of economic and nature deprivation, rewilding school grounds, or naturalising highly urbanised or unused areas. Most importantly, through Nextdoor Nature, it will be local communities that decide on what happens and drive the change in theirTheneighbourhood.initiativewillbring huge benefits for nature, too. One of the big problems facing our wildlife is fragmentation –wild places are isolated and disconnected, preventing plants and animals from moving freely across the landscape. By creating green corridors and wild patches in urbanised areas, we can reconnect our wild networks, creating pit-stops for pollinators, buffets for birds and bats, and highways for hedgehogs.LizBonnin,
The UK is one of the most naturedepleted countries in the world. Research shows 85% of people in nature-deprived areas say more natural spaces would improve their quality of life. Having access to local natural spaces is more important than ever post-pandemic, too.
Aground-breaking new Wildlife Trusts initiative is bringing communities together to rewild their neighbourhoods. Nextdoor Nature will give people the skills, tools, and opportunity to take action for nature in the places where they live and work. The initiative was made possible by a £5 million investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to leave a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Nextdoor Nature will enable people to make this happen and take steps to tackle the nature and climate crisis.
LLOYD-EDWARDSBRONI UK UPDATE 18 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
wtru.st/st-albans-nest
the UK, regardless of the subjects they study.Wewant to see children given opportunities to spend at least an hour a day learning outside, and for nature and climate education to be embedded across all subjects and at all levels.
Swift with a full
foodpouchthroatoftofeeditsyoung. Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 19
1 2 3 TRUSTWILDLIFECORNWALLLUCK,LUCY©CUTTLEFISHPINKUPTON;NICK©SWIFT
Raptor real estate
Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are thewildlifehelpingacrossUK
about our high-flying birds. This year, the focus is on swifts, swallows and martins – summer visitors that have suffered some serious declines. Plummeting insect populations and loss of nesting sites
Find out more at wildaboutgardens.org.uk
Full marks for new school subject
Hope for hazel dormice
wtru.st/dormice-hope
A rare pink cuttlefish was found on a Cornish beach, following late winter storms. This small species is more commonly seen in the Mediterranean, with only sporadic records from southern Britain. The discovery was made by Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers and recorded in the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. wtru.st/pink-cuttlefish
Surrey Wildlife Trust has trained more than 100 volunteers to help hedgerows flourish across Surrey’s North Downs, giving hope to the iconic hazel dormice. Even small gaps in a hedgerow can be a barrier to dormice, isolating populations. The new volunteer task force is surveying, laying and planting hedgerows to help dormice populations expand.
UK UPDATE NEWS UK HIGHLIGHTS
Scuttled cuttle
by nurturing insect-friendly gardens and adding nest boxes to homes.
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A pair of peregrine falcons have nested for the first time on St Albans Cathedral, thanks to a nesting tray provided by the Wilder St Albans project – a collaboration between Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and St Albans City and District Council. The St Albans pair is one of only five pairs breeding in Hertfordshire.
ISTOCK
Read our full response to the new
This April, the UK Government announced the introduction of a new GCSE in natural history. From 2025, secondary school students in England will have the opportunity to study the natural world, developing an in-depth knowledge of wildlife and wider ecosystems, as well as real-life experience of nature. The GCSE will teach transferable skills in observation, identification, classification and data gathering, and how to apply this knowledge to real world issues. The announcement follows years of campaigning to make nature part of the curriculum, led by naturalist and writer MaryProvidingColwell.young people with the knowledge to protect the planet is essential for the future of the natural world, as is inspiring a connection to nature. The new natural history GCSE is a great first step, but this journey needs to start sooner and involve all pupils in
help bring joy and remind all of us what’s important, whilst also helping inspire real change in the conservation and environmental sector.”
Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s 2022 photo competition is still open to entrants up until January 2nd 2023. First place for the overall winner will receive a £200 cash prize. This year, the competition has eight different categories, including several for under 18s. The competition is free to enter, as we hope to encourage more people to pause, appreciate and capture the wonder and beauty of the natural world with either their camera or phone.
dissolving
COOPERPAULA ALAMYTITS:BLUE PHOTO COMPETITION We
Warm welcome at Knettishall Heath
Olive MonicaJeanJenniferRichardRalphBennettBoyce'Gus'GovettJohnsonJointLilley Thank you LEGACIES Toads Winner: Plants, fungi, reptiles & competition.categoryamphibians2021 Booking details are on our website suffolkwildlifetrust.org/AGM-2022 Booking details are on our website photography-competition-2022suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ MOBILE CAFÉ JOHNFERGUSONFor more information visit facebook.com/KnettishallHeath Alex MiriamMaryFraserAnthonyBenjaminParkerScruttonStaceySutherlandThompsonWhant 20 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Previous winners have ranged from a hedgerow hare to a bevy of swans, with many first-time winners over the years. With autumn and winter wildlife still to come, there is plenty of opportunity to take that winning picture.
Shaggy inkcap may taste delicious when young, but once it has matured the gills, which are white at first, turn pink then black, from the margin of the cap until it is almost entirely gone. 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.
SWT AGM Conservation& Day
Shaun Norris, Development & Membership Officer, says, “In these testing times, beautiful images of nature
Our mobile visitor welcome and café is now on site at Knettishall Heath from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive (plus bank holidays) 10am-4pm. As well as a warm welcome, we are offering a range of artisan coffee, tea and hot chocolate, local ice cream and Wooster’s Bakery sweet and savoury pastries. We cater for a range of dietary preferences and intolerances. Opening times and food & drink selections may vary as we learn what you'd like.
Our 61st AGM will be on Saturday 15th October 2022. A morning of topical talks and discussion at Uplands Community Centre, Lowestoft (or on Zoom) followed by an afternoon at nearby Carlton Marshes with the local team. The AGM will be at 12 noon and will include the vote to appoint new Trustees as part of our annual recruitment cycle.
We bet you didn’t know...
Snap happy
badlyOneimpacted.colonyin the Netherlands suffered the loss of 400 common terns, putting back conservation efforts many years. In part it might be getting worse because birds are under so many different pressures, including overfishing, pollution, habitat loss and climate change. Cumulatively, these could be creating extra stress on the birds, making them more susceptible to illness.
Impacts on wild birds
Bird flu on the Suffolk coast
FOCUS ON Avian Influenza
FOCUS ON
Unprecedented persistence
Stay up to date suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ospreys
We have decided to postpone the osprey release for this year
Bird flu is devastating wild bird populations, and has paused our planned osprey reintroduction for this year.
CAIRNESPETERWENDYCARTER Dead atheadedblack-gullMinsmere. Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 21
in areas shared with gulls. The gulls also loaf with corvids especially on pig farms on and around the Blyth estuary, where we were due to release ospreys.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust is deeply concerned about the impact that bird flu is having on our wild birds, both here in Suffolk and beyond.
Sadly, many birds have died having tested positive on the Suffolk coast, including common and Sandwich terns
Many of you will be aware of the ravages of bird flu this year and the profound and worrying effect it is having on birds across the UK. One of our wardens recently returned from a holiday to Shetland dismayed at the number of dead seabirds he saw. The biggest impact across Europe appears to be on seabird colonies with great skuas, Sandwich terns and common terns
This year there has been unheard-of summer persistence. Historically, outbreaks of bird flu usually occur in the autumn, but it now appears to be increasing in strength and becoming less seasonally restricted. Whilst we believe seabirds are most affected, reporting is difficult, and seabirds may be more visible and noticeable when deaths occur. Would we know, for example, if blue tits had it?
This presents a clear, high-risk transmission route. Consequently, we have decided with our partners at the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, to postpone the osprey release for this year. We are very disappointed, especially after last year’s delay, but on the positive side, everything is now in place. We have the Natural England licence, the release pens have been built and all the supporting equipment prepared, so we are hopeful that next year we will be able to take the project forward.
Farmland Wilder
For decades we have relentlessly pushed nature to the margins, leaving native plants and animals clinging to the scraps of habitat that escape our ever-more intensive management of the countryside. ‘Wilding’ areas of farmland might be a silver bullet if nature is to recover and thrive.
BY STEVE AYLWARD
22 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
ALAMYBRAMBLINGS: WILDER SUFFOLK Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 23
ALAMYBEETLE:STAG
24 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
This approach can work at every scale, from one to 1,000 hectares, because most species are not that fussy. Many species do not necessarily require a large area of land, but simply need more land that
Wilding areas of farmland is one of the most effective ways we can address the nature crisis
vibrant, colourful, wildliferich countryside we once enjoyed.
ver the last century, and especially in the past 70 years, wildlife has systematicallybeenpushed into smaller, more disjointed areas. Nature desperately needs more space to recover so that in time, species can restoretherepopulatewiderlandscapeandthe
O
Red kites have made a oftencomebackspectacularacrosstheUK,andareseenfloatingoverfarmland.
Brown argus are butterflies of chalk grassland.limestoneand
maintains the conditions in which they can survive. A hectare of scrub can easily support a couple of pairs of nightingales, while an acre of rough grassland could be home to a large population of slow
‘Wilding’ areas of farmland is one of the most effective ways we can address the nature crisis and start to reverse the devastating losses of the past few decades. It involves simply taking low grade agricultural land out of intensive production and giving nature space, allowing populations of plants and animals to spread out and hopefully into the wider countryside beyond.
Since 2004, Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been buying arable land specifically to make more space for nature. This started at Arger Fen & Spouse's Vale, with the purchase of a 17ha (42 acre) field known as Hulbacks. The aim was to allow the adjoining ancient woodland to naturally colonise this area that for years had proved challenging to farm. Most recently, the Trust has acquired almost 32ha (80 acres) of farmland next to Market Weston Fen that will be ‘wilded’ to create a complex and diverse mix of habitats supporting a greater abundance of wildlife.
their farms to address overproduction and huge surpluses, only to be followed by a reversal of policy and a requirement to ‘farm’ every corner of land or risk losing support payments. We lack a coherent national policy that begins to tackle the nature and climate crisis, let alone a genuinely visionary policy for restoring nature at scale alongside delivering greater food security, reduced agricultural pollution, clean rivers and a host of other environmental benefits. None of these are mutually exclusive as numerous writers and commentators including George Monbiot and Jake
Since 2004 the Trust has taken in hand the 90ha (220 acres) of conventionallyfarmed arable land we owned and purchased an additional 260ha (650 acres) of arable land to extend existing reserves and make more space for wildlife through both wilding and conventional habitat creation.
Fiennes attest in recent books. While there may be different views on what approach to take, the consensus is that we can grow enough food profitably and sustain an environment where wildlife can flourish.
The biggest challenge nature faces in Suffolk is the lack of land being managed with wildlife in mind. We are too tidy, too quick to cut ‘scruffy’ hedges and verges, and too eager to clear away the odd dead or dying tree that could be home to a few stag beetle larvae or a species of fungus that will only colonise old deadwood.
Letting nature lead
The agricultural policies of the past 30 years have a lot to answer for. Not long ago, farmers were told to ‘set-aside’ 15% of
Changing direction
worms along with a colony of brown argus butterflies.
Letting nature take the lead at newly acquired land at Market Weston Fen will lead to the creation of more species-richgrassland.
Market Weston Fen is being wilded, forpeople and nature.
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 25
AYLWARDSTEVEFUNGI:&FENWESTONMARKETALAMY;WILSONRAYARGUS:BROWN
AFTER
WILDER SUFFOLK ALAMYMCKIECARLKITE:RED
BEFORE
Deadwood can be home to stag beetle larvae or species of fungus.
GROVESSARAH
has seen the second major development of our wilding vision, with the introduction of light cattle grazing at Black Bourn Valley across former arable fields. The cattle are essential to create and maintain a mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats that will support the greatest biodiversity. As the grey willow scrub develops it is hopefully just
Arger Fen & Spouse's Vale has years.upandbigger,becomewildermorejoinedoverthe
It is almost impossible to imagine that just 18 years ago Hulbacks was a wheat field, when now there are thousands of trees
Our Farm Advisers work with farmers to bring diversity to their land.
26 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
BEFORE AFTER
Before our wilding mission, Black Bourn Valley was an area of arable fields.
The area known as Hulbacks is now home to thousands of self-sown native trees.
Since 2004, Arger Fen & Spouse's Vale has grown out of all recognition, primarily through the purchase of adjoining agricultural land. It is almost impossible to imagine that just 18 years ago Hulbacks was a wheat field, when today there are thousands of self-sown trees, many of which are well over five metres tall, making it feel like a much more established natural woodland. Woodland regeneration across Pecks Piece, the second field the Trust purchased, has been much slower, allowing large numbers of skylark to breed each year in the rough grassland that has developed. The hedges have thickened and spread into the fields creating perfect corridors for dormice to move through the landscape. Ford's Heath is the largest expanse of former arable land, and this is evolving into a soft patchwork of scrub and grassland supporting huge numbers of insects that in turn are food for bats, birds, reptiles and many other animals.
AFTER
WILDER SUFFOLK
already home to three turtle dove and three nightingale territories. Reptile populations are rising rapidly, and cowslips are spreading across the former arable fields with bee and pyramidal orchids following in their wake. This year
Even for a seasoned conservationist, the transformation of Black Bourn Valley has been quite remarkable and has exceeded all expectations. The reserve is
The developing scrub at Black Bourn is already home to turtle doves and nightingales.
A year ago, we stopped arable cultivation across more than 30ha (80 acres) of Foxburrow Farm and let nature grow instead. During the first winter, the cereal stubbles that would normally have been ploughed up were feeding large flocks of finches, and this spring, the flush of ruderal flowers were providing pollen and nectar for a multitude of insects.Almost every visit is now accompanied by a pair of red kites that instinctively know Foxburrow is a rich source of food, much to the consternation of the local buzzard. Four new ponds have been excavated, one has been restored and more are planned. The local population of great crested newts are going to be spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting a breeding pond next year. The
Grasshoppers are some of the wildedbenefitinvertebratesmanythatfromdiverse,grassland.
Wilder Foxburrow
For the Trust, wilding larger areas of farmland does two important things.
Find out more farmland-wildlife-advicesuffolkwildlifetrust.org/
Even for a remarkablehasBlacktransformationconservationist,seasonedtheofBournValleybeenquite
WILDER SUFFOLK
working with farmers and landowners across the county who wish to farm in ways that help wildlife. This could be conventionally, simply making more space for wildlife or through adopting new approaches such as regenerative farming or agro-forestry that are intrinsically better for wildlife and addressing the climate crisis.
ALAMYNEWT:CRESTEDGREATLAWRENCE;CHRIS
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 27
AYLWARDSTEVEFERGUSON;JOHN
BEFORE
a matter of time before a wandering purple emperor butterfly decides this would be a great place to settle and lay eggs.
First, it enables populations of different species to build to a level where they will disperse and colonise new areas of suitable habitat. Second, they can be hugely showcasinginspiring,whata large area of wildlife-rich land (not a traditional nature reserve) looks and feels like, and demonstrating that if we give wildlife space, it will return in abundance.
LEFT: Bee orchid.
crestedGreatnewt.
pair of spotted flycatchers that nest here will have an ever-greater abundance of invertebrate food. Hopefully next year, we might even have twoTakingpairs.farmland out of production is not the sole solution to the nature and climate crisis. It remains essential that we continue to farm much of Suffolk, just far more sympathetically for wildlife. The Trust has a team of advisors
The Hulbacks wheat field at Arger Fen,before we let nature take over.
Despite their initial muddy, windswept appearance, estuaries are productive environments, the result of years of deposition of riverine muds. These habitats, including the main river channel, side channels, mudflats and saltmarshes, act as key nursery grounds for marine fish, as well as important transitional corridors for migratory species.
Little terns breed at a handful of sites along the Suffolk coast.
the
T
Breaking
WildlifeforConservationofSuffolkTrust. 28 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Ebb and flow
Walking along any of our estuaries you will come across wildlife. All our estuaries are crucial for water birds and Ben McFarland is Head
ALAMYTERNS:LITTLE
Because of the tidal ebb and flow, these are highly dynamic environments with rapid changes in temperature, oxygen, turbidity, and salinity. Whilst the perpetual change will drive diversity, the constant fluctuation of the tide creates a stressful, even hostile surface
hink of Suffolk’s estuaries. The majestic Stour and Orwell, wild and yet juxtaposed against an international shipping backdrop, and the pretty Deben with quiet walks and Sutton Hoo. There’s the Alde and Ore, famous for Snape Maltings, nature reserves and amazing shingle spit of Orford Ness, and then up to the Blyth, perhaps in parts the most natural estuary, no longer constrained by straight-jacket walls. It’s easy to find a quiet place on them all, to listen to the call of the oystercatcher or curlew and hark back to a wilder time.
WILDER LANDSCAPES
Suffolk’s estuaries are iconic and special places. Each is different, but all are protected and internationally recognised for their importance for wildlife. We take a dive beneath the surface and meet the fish that call them home.
BY BEN MCFARLAND
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 29
One survey in 2017 recorded 8,000 (mostly young) fish, suggesting that Hazlewood Marshes, quite rapidly, has become an important nursery ground. Having a large area unconstrained by seawalls has provided more shallow areas. These calmer, warmer waters are ideal for juvenile fish to feed and grow. Whilst there are some excellent freshwater reserves behind seawalls, wildlife prospers despite the physical boundaries, not because of them.
Of all the fish found in Suffolk’s estuaries, the humble stickleback is the easiest to overlook. In the UK, there are three recognised species. The three-spined and the nine-spined sticklebacks can both cope with a wide-ranging salinity, and are found in freshwater, brackish water and even the open sea. The fifteen-spined stickleback is a marine species.
preferable to wild fish).
Courting favour
The sticklebackthree-spinedisfound in freshwater, brackish water and even the open sea.
A critical part of the estuarine ecosystem is the saltmarsh. This zone, extending from the high neap tide, is twice as productive in terms of invertebrate biomass as the subtidal regions within the main river channel. The shallow waters are important for juvenile bass, as the rich feeding means they can grow to at least 8cm by late autumn. This rapid growth is critical if they are to survive their first winter, as they often stop feeding completely in cold water. Larger bass also use the deeper channels of the estuaries, ambushing smaller fish as they exit on the ebb tide. Sadly, the UK stock is overexploited and rapidly declining. You can choose sustainable sources, like farmed seabass grown in a recirculating system (although any farmed seabass is
Grey mullet are tidal specialists. Strong swimming, they move rapidly with the tide. Spawning takes place in the late summer and early autumn, with young post-larvae juveniles coming into estuaries around mid-September, avoiding the worst of the winter weather. Grey mullet stocks are also under pressure due to the demand for fish meal used in animal feed. The past decade has seen not only a decline in the number of mullet being caught, but also a sharp decline in overall size. This is a known indicator of declining stock, making
Hazlewood Marshes on the Alde and Ore estuary is one place where fish are thriving. This former freshwater marsh was transformed overnight in December 2013 as the surge tide punched holes through the walls. Since then, it has been intertidal and an increasingly important part of the wider estuary ecosystem. Sea bass, common goby, eel, flounder, pipefish, sand goby, sand smelt and thin-lipped grey mullet all now use the reserve, and in huge numbers.
RIGHT: The call of the curlew haunts many estuaries.
FISHFABULOUS
is then beneficial to predators, like common seals, otters and ospreys.
All about the bass
Sticklebacks have a fascinating, ritualized breeding behaviour. First, the
Fish are fromcommonbringingsealsintheopensea.
WILDER LANDSCAPES
STOCKADOBE
STICKLEBACK
FAR RIGHT MIDDLE: Fish surveys at Hazlewood Marshes are revealing the secret thrivingspeciesbeneath the surface.
estuaries and reserves like Hazlewood Marshes even more important.
30 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Meet some of the star fish species finding a home in our estuaries on Suffolk's coasts.
COMMON GOBY
Find out what we're doing landscapessuffolkwildlifetrust.org/wilder-
FLOUNDER Uses Hazlewood Marshes in huge numbers, feasting on marine worms, crustaceans and molluscs.
HazlewoodMarshes.
A tidal species spawning in late summer with jeveniles coming into estuaries in mid-September.
Saltmarshes are ideal habitats for juvenile bass due to their rich food sources and shelter.
Goby are thriving in the calmer shallow areas at Hazlewood Marshes on the Alde and Ore estuary.
Estuaries are key nursery grounds for marine fish and corridors migratoryforspecies
SEABASS
dazzle his mate, performing a striking 'zig-zag' courtship dance. The female enters the nest to lay her eggs, the male following directly to fertilize them. The male then is on guard for around four weeks until they hatch, vigorously attacking any potential predator, fanning the eggs with his pectoral fins supplying them with critical oxygen.
male constructs a tunnel nest out of vegetation, glued by threadlike, mucous secretions from the kidneys, known as ‘spiggin’. By spring, the male develops a bright red underside and uses this to
GREY MULLET
As we begin to fully understand the diversity of species that thrive in and around our estuaries, and their importance for bio-abundance, it is crucial that we think creatively about how these landscapes and seascapes can
prosper for wildlife and people. They are ever-changing and, in many ways, uncontrollable; perhaps that’s why we are so fascinated by them. Having more naturalised areas around our estuaries will benefit wildlife, including fish and the many species that predate them. In the end, I suspect we will find that nature knows best, and that by removing the barriers, walls and structures, we will see the greatest benefits.
ISTOCK;CURLEW:ALAMY;PHOTOS:INSET GROVESSARAHMARSHES:HAZLEWOOD Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 31
ogs bring us closer to friends, family and even strangers, are important for our mental health and help millions of us stay active. But before being persuaded to get one, I was a long way from being a dog lover. As a conservationist, all I could see were problems: the disturbance to wildlife, the poo everywhere, the bizarre spectacle of dog bags hanging from trees. Now, I struggle to remember how life was without them, they are so integral to my family life. They have also helped me to see different perspectives and think about the role dog owners have if we are going to effectively halt and reverse declines in wildlife.
BY BEN MCFARLAND
D
Dogs bring love and laughter into our lives. But they can also, when not managed responsibly, have a detrimental impact on wildlife. Protecting nature whilst giving everyone equal access to our reserves is a constant balancing act for Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and we’re working hard to achieve both.
32 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Ground-nesting skylarks are highly sensitive to disturbance and nests can be easily destroyed.
birds that use estuaries and heathland, are so sensitive to dogs that disturbance, and the associated stress, will often go unnoticed. Curlew and shelduck will respond to a dog hundreds of metres away, well before being seen by the owner. To most birds, a dog is a predator, even though to us it might be cute, cuddly and barely able to catch a tennis ball. Constant flushing of birds on estuaries, especially when they are resting at high tides by seawalls, can have serious implications on the longterm health of the population, as they constantly expend valuable energy.
The doggy dilemma
DOGGY DILEMMA
At Suffolk Wildlife Trust, we could just say, ‘no dogs’ right across our reserves, at least for permissive trails. However, it is estimated that in the UK, 34% of households own dogs. Evidence shows that to create a groundswell of support for social norms, like caring about nature and wildlife conservation, we need 25% of people actively engaged in helping wildlife. Simply, if we can help these households be responsible dog walkers, they can have a huge positive impact for wildlife.Mostdog owners enjoy walks in their local patches, so we need to connect with them, foster their support and help them to understand what we do. On top of this,
A common response from dog owners is that their dog is well behaved and doesn’t disturb wildlife. This is natural. Like parents thinking their children are blameless, very few people like the idea of something they care about as having a serious negative impact. Having empathy with this is important in helping dog owners understand the relationship between them, their dogs and a nature reserve.Much of our wildlife, especially rare
ALAMYREADMIKESKYLARK:FERGUSON;JOHNMARHSES:CARLTON
In addition, recent research has found that many flea treatments, which contain
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 33
we must help owners to understand why it is their responsibility to ensure that their dog walk doesn’t impact on wildlife.
Love is blind
In a survey of dog walkers, 40% of respondents unsurprisingly said that walking where they could let the dog off the lead was the most important factor. However, the same survey noted that 79% were also happy to use a lead at times if given an informed choice. That’s an interesting and important statistic. Most people are reasonable if they have all the information and it’s our job to help people understand the challenges dogs can present.
There are a small number of reserves where we can’t welcome dogs, perhaps due to the presence of extremely sensitive rare species, or where this was a condition of acquiring the land (like Captain’s Wood).
ponds.canfleahawker.SouthernDogtreatmentsbefatalin DOGGY DILEMA 34 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
Where we can, we are happy to welcome dogs on a short lead
Grazing animals can be sensitive to dogs, too.
A responsible dog walker should always remove their dog’s poo. Not only is dog mess unpleasant, but it can cause Toxocariasis if accidentally ingested. Although thankfully rare, it most often affects young children and can cause serious disease, including blindness.
One size doesn't fit all Our 50 nature reserves vary hugely in size, from tiny meadows visited by barely a handful of people a day, to Carlton Marshes, a wild landscape of 405ha (1,000 acres) with upwards of 100,000 visitors a year. This means that hard and fast rules cannot be applied across all reserves. Where we can, we are happy to welcome dogs on a short lead and ask for dog mess to be responsibly removed.
To small mammals like voles and mice, dog mess is a ‘don’t live here’ warning sign, driving them away. For larger mammals like deer and our grazing livestock, faeces carry parasites, which then requires chemical treatment. This is harmful to the wider environment and
something we are keen to minimise on our reserves. And nearly every reserve warden has been brush cutting near a path, only to find dog mess flying up over their hands, arms and sometimes faces! Perhaps the least recognised impact of dog poo is the gradual fertilisation of low nutrient habitats, like ancient woodlands and heathlands, over many years. One ancient woodland site in Suffolk well used by dog walkers has a clear ‘poo belt’ around the car park, where wildflowers like wild garlic, yellow archangel and bluebell have given way to nutrient-loving nettles and dock.
ALAMY
neonicotinoids, can have a devastating impact on aquatic life. These are toxic insecticides, and it only takes a dog or two to swim in a pond to kill the entire dragonfly community.
Where we have the space and there is no significant impact on wildlife, we try
The peril of poo
When we think ecologically, the dog (related to the wolf) is viewed as a top predator, thus something to avoid and the smell of dog poo will affect the behaviour of other animals.
FERGUSONJOHN
Find out more nature-reservessuffolkwildlifetrust.org/dogs-
FERGUSONJOHN
l Do not let your dog swim in any pond or river on a nature reserve.
Walking through wild areas with dogs (on leads!) is good for mental health.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
l Let our signs guide you.
Stone curlews nest on the ground and are easily disturbed.
DOGGY DILEMMA
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 35
l Time walks near estuaries for a low tide.
l Talk to other dog walkers about the impacts of dogs on the environment.
l Keep dogs on short leads.
Engaging with dog walkers isn’t a simple fix. My own personal journey has helped me reflect that to reverse declines in wildlife, we need to connect with as many people as possible. The way to do this is through engagement and understanding of what drives people’s behaviours, and in turn helping people to understand the issues better.
RSPBCURLEW:STONE
l Dispose of poo in bins or at home.
You can pick up a ‘Walking with lovingwithPleaseaornatureleafletDogs’atourreservesdownloadcopyonline.shareyourdog-friends.
to offer exercise areas where dogs can be unleashed. We adopt this approach on a small area of Knettishall Heath, effectively taking pressure off more important and sensitive parts of the reserve. This approach appears to be working, as we now have rare, ground-nesting woodlark.
Bex Lynam explores the effects of the climate crisis on our underwater wildlife.
36 Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022
This spring, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its sixth assessment report, and it makes for deeply uncomfortable reading. The report, authored by the world’s leading climate change scientists, outlines the damage being done to the planet from our continued release of greenhouse gases, as well as the action needed to slow down the rate of change. The impacts of a rapidly changing climate are not only felt on land (where we see droughts, wildfires, and flooding after heavy rainfall) but in the ocean too, as our seas heat up, rise and become more acidic. Globally, across both land and sea we’re witnessing increases in the frequency and intensity of climate and weather extremes. Coral bleaching is widespread and glaciers are retreating, changing the waters aroundCloserthem.tohome
we know that UK seas are getting warmer. The biggest changes in sea surface temperature have been recorded in the North Sea and north of Scotland. Since 2000, eight of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred. At the same time, UK sea levels have risen by an average of 12-16cm since 1900. This may sound like a small increase, but even seemingly small rises cause more erosion on the coast and increase the chances of flooding. The chemistry of our seas has also shifted; according to the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership, the North Atlantic Ocean contains more anthropogenic CO2 than any other, causing it to become more acidic. So what does all this change mean for our marine wildlife?
MUSTARD/2020VISIONALEXANDER©KELPINSEAL Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 37
Seas out of sync
Ocean warming also affects the timing of animal lifecycles. There’s evidence that grey seals are giving birth earlier in the year, and that climatic changes are part of the cause. In some cases, these timing shifts can lead to repercussions felt across the food web. One worrying example is the sandeel, a small, silvery fish that plays a big role in the UK’s seas. It’s an important prey item for many animals. Seabirds like Arctic terns, puffins and kittiwakes rely heavily on sandeels to feed themselves and their chicks. Warming seas have led to a mismatch between the timing of sandeels’ spawning and the time when zooplankton, their favourite food, is available. As a result, sandeels have declined (exacerbated by overfishing), which in turn has been linked to declines in UK seabird Temperaturenumbers.isn’ttheonly aspect of our
Nature is constantly changing, so the effects of climate change can be difficult to discern. However, scientists are in agreement on some of the common effects seen across the world’s seas. One of the most obvious trends is that wildlife is on the move. Long-term evidence shows shifts in the distribution of not only wildlife, but habitats too. As the seas around the UK warm, species that prefer cooler water are shifting northwards to seek a more suitable temperature. At the same time, some species from warmer waters to the south are moving into our seas, as conditions become more favourable for them.
New neighbours
Several kelp species (a type of brown seaweed) have declined because of warming sea temperatures. This has a knock-on effect on other wildlife, as so many animals rely on the kelp as a food source, hunting ground or shelter against predators. Many marine mammals, like the white-beaked dolphin, require cooler waters to live in. It’s estimated around 80% of the European population of white-beaked dolphin is found in the UK, yet as our waters warm their range is getting smaller and they’re being pushed out of areas previously suitable for them. Whereas warm water fish species like northern hake, largely absent in UK waters
an important building block of the shells of many marine creatures, including crabs and lobsters. These shelled species are eaten by a variety of different animals, including us! Any impacts on their numbers could quickly affect the wildlife that relies on them, as well as many key fisheries across theTheUK.rise in sea level will impact coastal habitats like saltmarshes and sand dunes, as deeper water and bigger waves can reach them, increasing erosion. As these places are damaged and potentially even lost, we also lose the valuable services they provide such as capturing and storing carbon, or protecting coastal communities from flooding and erosion. Habitats like saltmarsh also have an important role to play for our wildlife, providing food for breeding and wintering wading birds
SHIFTING SEAS
seas that’s shifting. Climate-driven changes in ocean chemistry have reduced the amount of carbonate available in sea water. This matters because carbonate is
White-beaked dolphins thrive in UK seas, but that could change as waters warm.
for over 50 years, are increasing in number, cold water species like cod will move north. This will have consequences for our seas, but also for UK fishers and the availability of cod in our local fish and chip shops!
Bex Lynam is the Marine Advocacy Officer for the North Sea Wildlife Trusts, focusing on developing and implementing policy.
can allow wildlife populations to rebuild and flourish. These healthy populations are better prepared to face other threats, like those introduced by climate change. While the UK has established a network of MPAs in its waters, we believe more are needed and with greater levels of protection (in the form of Highly Protected Marine Areas) to ensure we safeguard wildlife for the future.
Wild Suffolk | Autumn 2022 39
and wildfowl, and acting as nursery sites for many fish and invertebrates.
toolMPAsdecades.Protectedreducingsignificantlymarinepollutionandnoiseinouroceans,andmanaginginvasivespecies.AtTheWildlifeTrustswehavebeencampaigningfortheestablishmentandprotectionofMarineAreas(MPAs)forWellmanagedareatriedandtestedformakingspacefornature.
By restricting damaging activities, they
Find out more about how you can help protect our seas wtru.st/marine-mailing
Marine invasive non-native species present another challenge, with several species recorded here already. The invasive Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus was recorded for the first time on the River Stour in 2020, indicating it is expanding its distribution around the coast. It is already an invasive species on the east coastline of America, France, Belgium and Holland. It is highly opportunistic and could displace native shore crabs, as well as feeding on commercially important shellfish species such as mussels. They have distinctively banded legs and a square-shaped shell with three teeth on each side and are typically smaller than our native shore crabs.Reporting is important to stop their spread; if you find one, you can report it to the Marine Biological Association: risc.brc.ac.uk/asianshore_crab.php
Ultimately, we need to work hard to drastically reduce our carbon emissions. But whilst we do that, there are ways to help our seas cope in the meantime. The key step is to reduce the pressure from other human activities. This means ensuring we are fishing sustainably, making sure development is carried out in a sensitive way that minimises impacts on wildlife,
SHIFTING SEAS
Alongside the designation and proper management of MPAs, we’re championing the use of nature-based solutions to combat climate change. This means protecting the habitats and wildlife that provide us with ecosystem services, like the saltmarshes and seagrass meadows that prevent flooding and take in carbon. The Wildlife Trusts lead many restoration projects around the UK, bringing these habitats back to areas of our coast where they have been lost. Using both of these tools together, we hope to tackle the dual climate and biodiversity crises we face, before it’s too late. We can turn the tide if we all take action now!
Suffolk’s seas are at risk from many threats and, with one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe, the risks posed by rising sea levels are elevated further. As a result, a robust management plan to defend and, where appropriate, adopt realignment schemes to minimise the negative impacts will be critical.
ALAMY
Some kelp species are in decline, threatening the wildlife that relies on them.
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Ocean optimism
suffolkwildlifetrust.orgThankyou AYLWARDSTEVE
a legacy gift. Legacies allow us to act quickly when land is on the open market, and they put large land purchases within our reach. Sometimes they enable us to buy smaller blocks of land outright.
Thanks to a legacy gift from Jacqueline Humphreys, we have added another marsh on the western edge of Carlton Marshes.
Legacies unlock the wilder, nature-rich landscape we all want for Suffolk.
T
he past two decades have seen a transformation of the Suffolk Broads. Through 23 land purchases, we have pieced marsh and fen back together.
To find out how a gift in your Will could help Suffolk's wildlife, please contact Amy Rushton 01473 you
Securing more space for wildlife in bigger nature reserves connected into the wider landscape is a major focus for Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Almost every land purchase is seeded by
Bigger, better and more joined up
890089Thank
Castle Marshes, Carlton Marshes and Oulton Marshes nature reserves are now linked up, across a 400ha (1,000 acre) wetland landscape.