Suffolk wildlife Summer 2015

SuffolkWildlife News from Suffolk Wildlife Trust

May 2015

Living Landscapes Living Gardens Living Seas

P18 SuffolkWildlife May 2015

News from Suffolk Wildlife

Trust

On the cover Brown hares Photoshot Holdings Ltd/ Alamy Living Landscapes

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Seas Living Gardens Living

ALEX HYDE NATUREPL .COM

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ANDREW PARTRIDGE ARCHANT

LAND MARGARET HOL

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ADRIAN CHAL KLEY

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ARD STEVE AYLW

MAY 2015

YOUR MAGAZINE

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST

Suffolk Wildlife is published by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, Ashbocking IP6 9JY 01473 890089 info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org SWT cENTRES Bradfield Woods 01449 737996 carlton Marshes 01502 564250 Foxburrow Farm 01394 380113 Knettishall Heath 07717 156601 Lackford Lakes 01284 728706 Redgrave & Lopham Fen 01379 688333 EDITOR Matt Gaw DESIGN & ARTWORK Clare Sheehan ADVERTISING Today Magazines, Framlingham 01728 622030 PRINTING Five Castles Press, Ipswich

PATRON Lord Tollemache PRESIDENT Lord Blakenham VIcE PRESIDENTS David Barker MBE, Lord Deben, Bernard Tickner, Peter Wilson TRUSTEES Ian Brown (Chairman), Nigel Farthing (Vice Chairman), Robin Drayton (Treasurer), James Robinson (Hon Secretary), John Cousins, Dawn Girling, Denise Goldsmith, Pip Goodwin, Fred Goymour, Peter Holborn, Simon Roberts Suffolk Wildlife Trust is one of a national network of Wildlife Trusts dedicated to safeguarding the future of wildlife for the benefit of all Suffolk Wildlife Trust is a registered charity no 262777 and a company limited by guarantee no 695346

Welcome

Walking around a woodland with him was like having an ancient text translated Julian Roughton

YOUR MEMBERSHIP The Trust benefits from the most incredible support, with many members’ commitment stretching over decades. Please keep in touch so we can ensure you get the most out of your membership.

Samantha Grange Our Membership Manager would love to hear from you.

Please call on 01473 890089

We can tailor your membership to suit your family. If your children are aged betwen 6-14 they’d enjoy our Wildlife Watch magazine. Likewise do let us know if your children have grown too old for the magazine.

DAISY HAWKINS

Ancient woodlands

Thirty years ago I was inspired to volunteer at Bradfield Woods by Oliver Rackham’s book, Ancient Woodlands. Its combination of history and ecology was, until then, almost unknown. He revealed that to understand woodlands you had to look beyond the trees – the ‘underwood’, or coppice, would tell you much more about its history than the, usually planted, oaks.

Bradfield Woods was a particular favourite of his research because, once owned by the Abbey at Julian Roughton Bury St Edmunds, it has an unrivalled source of Chief executive documentary evidence going back to 1252. It wasn't just ancient documents that Oliver discovered – the woods also revealed huge ash coppice stools thought to be a thousand years old even if individual stems had been cut back every twenty years or so.

When in the late 1960s plans were drawn up to clear Bradfield Woods for agriculture, Oliver joined the heroic efforts of local people to save the woods.

Monks Park could not be saved – this sixty acres of Bradfield Woods was bulldozed – but his meticulous research highlighted the national importance of Bradfield Woods and that its destruction would be an act of vandalism akin to levelling a medieval church.

He was successful and never again was an ancient woodland cleared for agriculture. Oliver had created a new understanding of the irreplaceability of ancient woodlands that led to their better protection.

This rare ability to combine scholarship and writing also led to a new appreciation of the English landscape. To many the landscape alongside the A140 appears relatively uninspiring but Oliver’s History of the Countryside reveals that this former Roman road cuts across fields dating back to the Iron Age. Two thousand years later, many of these boundaries survive and, for those who care to look, the evidence of Suffolk’s ancient countryside is all around us.

He was as inspiring in real life as he was in print. Walking in his company was like having an ancient text translated.

He was not just about protecting the continuity of precious places. Oliver believed in nature and challenged the assumption that trees must be planted.

His approach inspired the Trust’s purchase of land alongside Arger Fen and he was thrilled when hundreds of thousands of young trees sprung up of their own accord.

When we met last year at Bradfield Woods, Oliver was far from gloomy despite concerns about ash die-back – he was as curious and questioning as ever. His death leaves a huge gap as his clarity and scholarship are needed today more than ever. His books remain as masterpieces that transformed our understanding of trees, woodlands and the wider landscape. And thanks to him Bradfield Woods lives on not just in his books but as a woodland bursting with life.

Return of the Polecat CONSERVATION NEWS

After a 100 year absence polecats are now back in Suffolk. This small mustelid, once widespread throughout England, Scotland and Wales, declined significantly in number due to persecution in the 19th century, until populations were restricted to Wales. But since the 1950s, polecats have been slowly increasing in range, with new populations also being formed by reintroductions (although not in Suffolk).

Then in 2006, a road casualty at Red Lodge in west Suffolk was confirmed as a true polecat and the stage was set for their revival.

Dr Simone Bullion, senior conservation officer at the Trust, explains: “During the last eight years there have been very few new records, but in 2014 there was a

Polecat-ferret hybrid

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sudden spate of observations of polecat-type animals.

“These started in the south of the county, in Assington, Leavenheath and Wiston and were confirmed to be true polecats by the Vincent Wildlife Trust, which is coordinating the National Polecat Survey. It is believed these animals originate from a population in North Essex.”

She adds: “Subsequently, there have been additional sightings further afield in Long Melford and also Bardwell and Lopham in the north of the county, indicating that colonisation may be taking place on multiple fronts.”

It can be difficult to tell a polecat from a polecat-ferret (a hybrid with the

domesticated ferret). A true polecat has narrow, pale cheek patches that contrast strongly with the dark facial mask. The dark fur on this face should reach the end of the nose. There should be no pale throat patch or scattered white guard hairs on the body.

Suffolk is not situated in a ‘polecat purity zone’, which means that due to interbreeding our polecats will be carrying quite a few of the polecatferret genes and therefore also some of their coat characteristics.

However, these wild polecat-ferret hybrids are functionally behaving as polecats and will be making an important contribution to the overall recovery of the polecat in the East of England.

Keep logging your hogs But our project hasn’t finished and we still need your help in continuing to record hedgehog sightings throughout 2015. By gathering information each year from our towns, villages and countryside we can begin to look for trends in their behaviour.

Recording tips It’s useful if you can record a sighting on the first date that you see the animal. If you then continue to see hedgehogs regularly throughout the summer months there is no need to log each sighting. It may be useful to create a new record for any unusual behaviour – or to add an additional record at the end of the season – making a note that this was a regular sighting. Go to suffolkwildlifetrust.org/hedgehogs and follow the simple instructions to add your sighting.

As last year, we are asking for current live and dead sightings, (including droppings), instances where you used to see hedgehogs, but no longer do (please do not repeat this

type of sighting if you have already submitted it) and we also still need to hear about locations where hedgehogs have been absent for some time.

You can tell us about these by adding a negative sighting (option three on the website). From the website you can look at all the sightings that have been logged near to where you live.

This may encourage you and your neighbours to help extend their range by creating gaps underneath fences and leaving food out. Hedgehog friendly gardening advice is available on our website – small changes really can make all the difference for our ancient prickly friends.

Our project hasn’t finished and we still need your help to record hedgehog sightings throughout 2015

MARK TAYLOR

Following the successful launch of our survey in 2014, more than 8,000 hedgehog sightings have been logged on our recording website.

The data shows clearly that Suffolk’s urban centres in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Felixstowe are important refuges for a species that has suffered a dramatic decline over the last ten years.

V websisit our 014 ite or c to log73 89008all your 9 hog!

Please also let us know of your sighting as we are monitoring the records as a means of charting the recovery in Suffolk.

PAUL HOBSON

Taking a photograph or recording the coat characteristics will also be important for confirmation.

MICHAEL KRABS FLPA

If you see a polecat or polecat-ferret then please report this to the Vincent Wildlife Trust using enquiries@vwt.org.uk or phone 01531 636441.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

DAVID KJAER

TOM MARSHALL

Move to protect breeding waders

Redshank

EDF Energy is proposing to build a new nuclear power station, Sizewell C, to the north of the existing Sizewell B station. The appropriateness of their proposal will be examined through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process.

This involves stages of public consultation and an examination, which will be carried out by a panel of inspectors appointed by the Planning Inspectorate (PINs). The final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

In February 2013 we responded to EDF Energy’s Stage 1 consultation, setting out the concerns we had with the proposals being made at 6 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE DAVID KJAER

that time. Amongst other issues, these included impacts on protected species such as bats and reptiles; impacts on Sizewell Marshes SSSI and impacts on nearby European designated sites such as the Sandlings Special Protection Area (SPA) and the Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes SPA and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

It is expected that EDF Energy will hold another public consultation showing more detailed plans for the development. We will continue to engage in the planning process as we believe that our expertise and local knowledge can help influence the outcome and secure the best long term future for Suffolk’s wildlife.

STEVE AYLWARD

Hopeful of influencing Sizewell C decision

Sizewell B

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ANDREW EXCELL

ver a mile long fence designed to improve the breeding success of birds like lapwing and redshank, has been erected at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Trimley Marshes nature reserve near Felixstowe.

The 1.5metre high fence, funded by a grant of £21,836 awarded by The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund, will protect breeding wading birds from disturbance and improve the number of resulting fledglings during the nesting season.

Wintering geese, including Brent and greylags, will also benefit as the fencing will allow them to graze the marshes without disturbance. This will help them maximise calories and survive the harsh winter conditions.

Sites manager Andrew Excell has been recording mammal movements across the marshes for the last two years using footprint checks, dung recording and wildlife trap cameras. “These methods have clearly Andrew Excell South East Suffolk flagged up the frequency of site use by sites manager foxes and badgers, which is preventing birds from settling,” he says.

“At the moment we achieve optimal water levels for breeding waders, which is great; we were seeing breeding displays but weren’t seeing the expected number of fledglings.”

Work in progress: the new fence at Trimley Marshes

He adds: “The new fence will give the birds in the low lying areas of grazing marsh at the back of the reserve more protection from ground predators. This will allow them to settle on their nests and incubate their eggs to full term, which is about three to four weeks.

Young lapwing can’t fly until they are about five to six weeks old and for the first 20 days need parents to protect them and teach them life skills. The protective fence will allow this to happen unimpeded.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, adds, “It is great to hear that this important project is getting underway. Although our grant is financing a simple solution, it will hopefully have a positive impact on bird populations by letting adults and fledglings feed and thrive in a safer environment.”

The Veolia Environmental Trust’s grant will also fund four tern rafts, which will be situated in the scrapes and used by nesting terns later on in the year.

Justin Smith from Ipswich continues to raise funds for the Trust having just run his first ever London marathon. He says: “I want to inspire people about the natural world so they value it and take action to protect and restore it. By supporting me your sponsorship will go directly towards giving young people a first chance to experience wildlife through the Trust’s diverse learning program.”

Michael Strand, development manager at the Trust, adds: “Opportunities like these remind others that our work can be supported in a plethora of ways and we are delighted Justin chose Suffolk Wildlife Trust.”

Please show your support in recognition of Justin’s monumental effort by donating what you can at virginmoneygiving.com/JaySmith1975

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JUSTIN SMITH

A marathon effort

CONSERVATION NEWS

Campaigning against raptor persecution STEVE AYLWARD

A coalition of Suffolk ornithological organisations has launched the Campaign Against Raptor Persecution in the wake of recent incidents in the county.

The announcement follows the shooting of a young peregrine falcon in Long Melford and the trapping and killing of an owl in Fakenham Magna.

In addition, the RSPB’s latest Birdcrime report, which covers 2013, revealed that the organisation’s Investigations Unit received reports of 69 incidents of wild bird crime occurring in the eastern region.

Wanted: rare species!

If you have witnessed or suspect a bird of prey has been illegally killed, call Suffolk police on 101

Peregrine falcon

ROBERT CANIS NATUREPL.COM

£ up fo250 for in r grabs novat comm ive u wildli fe pronity jects

One way in which the Trust reaches out and inspires new people about Suffolk’s wildlife is through its ongoing talks programme.

We are currently seeking people to join our volunteer speaker team to present the work of the Trust to groups, clubs and associations at community venues around Suffolk.

Might this volunteer role be for you? It requires individuals with a good knowledge of the Trust and an ongoing interest in the full range of our work.

There is a minimum requirement to give three talks each year with requests for speakers focused mainly during the evenings between September and May. Ian Brown, Trust chairman and volunteer speaker says: “I get an enormous amount of pleasure in sharing the successes of the Trust with other people. Wildlife seems to have an uncanny way of connecting and reconnecting people with something which they inherently value.”

He adds: “Driving home, no matter how critical I may be of my own performance that evening, I have a real sense some of those newly fledged listeners will be visiting a reserve, booking on a course or attending one of our events in the very near future.”

NICK ILLOTT

To find out more information contact michael.strand@suffolkwildlifetrust.org on 01473 890089

community challenge If you are part of a project to improve green space or raise awareness of issues facing the natural world where you live you could be in with a chance of winning £250.

Our community challenge, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, launched in March and we’re looking for creative and innovative ideas to fund.

We plan to award two prizes on a bi-

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monthly cycle and anything that benefits wildlife will be considered. We will share the winning ideas on our website and social media. Existing projects can apply if they have future plans for the money and we’d really like to hear from new groups who are who are looking to take that first step.

Thank you 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 Jean carlisle Sharon carter Yvonne catchpole Victor Dyer Sylvia Hollis Dave Hunting

John Longstaffe Susie Mellor Margaret Minns David Nash Jim Stevens Leslie Ward

SUFFOLK’S ORCHIDS

The great orchid pilgrimage

STEVE AYLWARD

They have captivated walkers and lovers of the outside for generations.

But following decades of decline, spotting an orchid has become more of a challenge. Steve Aylward looks at where to go and what to look out for in the quest for this evocative flower

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rchids have always held a certain fascination with plant lovers, whether it is their rarity, flamboyance or simply the intrinsic beauty of their flowers. This allure can even lead to orchid ‘twitching’ by enthusiasts when rare species appear and ‘pilgrimages’ are made to see certain flowers that might occur in just one or two special places.

For conservationists, orchids are a useful indicator of ancient woodland or unimproved grassland and marsh, and typically where you find orchids, you will find an abundance of other wild flowers, many of which are likely to be uncommon or rare in the wider countryside. They can usefully indicate places of historic continuity where land use has remained unchanged for many

years and where agricultural ‘improvement’ has been limited.

Orchids in Suffolk Around 22 species of orchid can be found in Suffolk (excluding hybrids) although not all might occur in any one year, and of these, 16 species can be found on Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves.

At least eight species of orchid have become extinct in Suffolk since 1900, most of which were associated with fens, wet heaths and chalk grassland; habitats that have been particularly hard hit by land use change.

Prior to 1900, orchids would have been widespread and frequently abundant in the wider countryside.

Meadows and marshes would have held large populations of species like greenwinged and southern marsh orchids SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 9

SUFFOLK’S ORCHIDS respectively, which would flower by the thousand, while woods and hedgerows would have been dotted with early purple and twayblade orchids. Common spotted, pyramidal and bee orchids would similarly be found in good numbers on any suitable patch of grass or verge. For past generations, orchids would have been an everyday part of the spring and summer colour of the countryside and most likely, hardly considered special at all.

A sad decline The last 80 years or so have been tough for orchids and all the surviving Suffolk species, have seen both declines in overall population and a contraction in range.

Some species such as the man orchid have been pushed to the brink of extinction, while other once common species like the southern marsh orchid are no longer a ubiquitous plant of almost every piece of marsh or wet grassland.

The spectacle of a field ‘stuffed’ full of orchids is now so rare that it has to be sought out – typically on a nature reserve.

Our growing deer population is having a huge impact on woodland orchids browsing the highly palatable flowers resulting in declining numbers of plants.

Inappropriately timed and often unnecessary mowing of road verges is similarly reducing populations of even the more common species like the pyramidal orchid. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Habitat restoration at Redgrave & Lopham Fen, for example, has led to the return of marsh fragrant orchid and elsewhere efforts are being made to reintroduce fen orchid to Suffolk.

When to see orchids The ‘orchid season’ usually starts in April with the appropriately named early purple orchid being the first to flower.

This orchid of ancient woods, hedgebanks and occasionally old meadows is easily identified before it even flowers by its purple spotted rosettes of leaves. It is quickly followed in early May by the green-winged orchid, one of the few species that in a good year can put on a most impressive ‘mass flowering’ show when hundreds of plants bloom in suitable grassland habitats.

Most woodland orchids typically flower quite early and most are over by mid to late June, by which time the marsh-orchids are just at their peak.

Amongst the last orchids to flower are the pyramidal orchid, which favours chalky calcareous grassland and marsh fragrant orchid, a rare valley fen plant that flowers in late June through to July.

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While some brightly coloured orchids are almost impossible to miss, others such as the birds nest orchid and twayblade are often extremely difficult to find

Birds-nest orchid

Marsh helleborine

Whatever it is about orchids, they add a certain something to any spring or summer visit to the countryside Identification

ABOVE:

Southern marsh orchid LEFT: Greenwinged orchid

Top five orchid reserves

BELOW: Marsh fragrant orchid

Martins’ Meadows A glorious succession of orchids starting with early purple and followed by twayblade, green-winged and pyramidal, with the occasional common spotted and bee orchid for good measure.

Reydon Wood Early purple and twayblade orchids again start off the year.

Look carefully to be rewarded with birds-nest orchid alongside the nature trail, while in June, the woodland rides are full of common spotted orchids.

Market Weston Fen Star of the show is the rare pale form of early marsh orchid but also look out for southern marsh orchids and later in the summer, marsh helleborine and marsh fragrant orchid.

Winks Meadow A stunning display of green-winged orchids in May but also home to common spotted, bee, twayblade and pyramidal orchids as well as the highly elusive frog orchid. carlton Marshes In a good year there can be impressive numbers of southern marsh orchids. Also look out for common spotted orchids and hybrids with southern marsh orchids.

Winks Meadow ALL PHOTOS BY STEVE AYLWARD

Identifying orchids can occasionally be quite challenging as some species freely hybridise, typically where two or more parent plants grow together. The most common hybrids are those between the various types of marsh orchid and common spotted orchid, the resulting hybrids exhibiting characteristics of each parent to varying degrees.

In addition, some exhibit ‘hybrid vigour’ producing large robust plants, typically much larger than the pure form of either parent. Another interesting quirk of some orchids is the ability to produce albino forms. These are most commonly seen in early purple and green-winged orchids where the normally pink or purple flowers are devoid of pigment and consequently are pure white, except for the green veins in the green-winged orchid flowers.

While some brightly coloured orchids are almost impossible to miss, others such as the birds-nest orchid and twayblade are often extremely difficult to find. The birds-nest orchid is a rather drab colourless plant of deep woodland shade.

It is entirely saprophytic, gaining nutrients from soil fungi and therefore has no need to produce much chlorophyll, while its scented flowers attract small flies for pollination. Twayblade orchids are entirely green in colour, including the flowers, and therefore picking out the flower spikes amongst other vegetation can be a challenge.

However, once found, look closely as the flowers are quite beautiful.

Whatever it is about orchids, they add a certain something to any spring or summer visit to the countryside. The thrill of finding, and even better, being able to identify the different species of orchid is hugely rewarding – so why not give it a go this year and see how many species you can find. n For directions and more information about these reserves, visit our website suffolkwildlifetrust.org

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OULTON MARSHES TURF PONDS

Great diving beetle

The ongoing project at Oulton Marshes aims to restore habitats damaged by modern practices. Adrian chalkley investigates the reserve’s turf ponds to discover rare species have already moved in

ne of three Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves that together form the Suffolk Broads, Oulton Marshes lies across Oulton Broad from Carlton Marshes. Castle Marshes, two miles away down the Waveney Valley, completes this north east Suffolk trio of unique wetland habitats. A short distance from Lowestoft seafront and part of the Broads National Park, these reserves are a real treat to visit in any season.

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Vision for the future The Trust’s 30 year vision for this area of wide open skies, dykes and wet marshes

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involves restoring damaged or neglected habitat and recreating wetland lost to arable farming. The richly vegetated dykes and extensive areas of grazing marsh are well known to be the habitat of important species of plants, birds and dragonflies.

However, since initial surveys when acquiring the first parcels of land, little specialist work has been done on the aquatic invertebrate fauna of the reserve.

Since that time the site has grown considerably in size and much habitat restoration has been done by Broads Warden Matt Gooch and his team.

So, with the experimental recreation

STEVE AYLWARD

What lies beneath Turf ponds at Oulton marshes have significantly increased the range of habitats at the reserve

A new turf pond establishes very quickly

compartment at the southern end of the reserve. Rather than hand digging, a tracked excavator was used to create ponds of differing shapes and sizes but very shallow compared to the dykes dividing the marsh. Not only did the fen plants quickly re-establish and soften the edges of the new ponds but long buried seeds and other propagules in the newly exposed bed sprang to life allowing submerged plants to colonise.

During the spring and summer of 2012 the new ponds presented large open, sunny areas of water with growing amounts of underwater habitat.

SIMON BOOTH

ADRIAN CHAL KLEY

Surveying the ponds

What is a turf pond?

Fens are of course water-logged areas of land dominated by reeds, rushes and sedge with a complicated system of plant and animal communities. They were managed in a variety of ways in the past, one of which resulted in the creation of turf ponds.

These were shallow, hand dug pools in many ways similar to the scrapes we see to attract wildfowl. Dug out in Victorian times to provide

peat for fuel or to improve the quality of the reed and sedge harvest, once left to recolonise, turf ponds proved a rich source of diverse vegetation. In the Broads today the most species-rich areas tend to be found where turf ponds were once dug.

So in late autumn 2011 four turf ponds were excavated in Rists Marsh, a fen

There are 178 aquatic species across Oulton Marshes

Oulton kept surprising, with two more unusual species appearing during the last couple of hours of my last visit

SIMON BOOTH

of four turf ponds it was again time to see what lay below the water surface.

A very brief and simple survey in September 2012 revealed a surprising total of 63 aquatic invertebrate species, one of which was a Red Data Book, four were Notable and nine were listed as Local in status. This early result was encouraging, but did the ponds simply become populated by creatures already living in the dykes or had they developed a more unique invertebrate community?

During 2013 and 2014, with funding from the SITA Trust, a more comprehensive survey of the reserve was carried out.

Twenty-one different areas across the site were sampled, comprising existing dykes and pools, together with the original four and six new turf ponds dug in 2013.

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OULTON MARSHES TURF PONDS A standardised sampling method was used so that this work may be repeated in future years.

As a result of the survey the number of aquatic species across Oulton Marshes was found to have risen to 178, of which 33 were only found in the turf ponds – indicating how the range of habitats at the reserve has been increased. I have picked out a few of the more interesting species below.

Firstly the small diving beetle Hydaticus transversalis has never been recorded in Suffolk before. Too rare to have acquired a common name it was frequently found across the marshes. Another pair of tiny, crawling beetles were only found in the turf ponds; named Haliplus obliquus and H variegatus both are infrequently found in Suffolk.

This is because of their specialised food source, the algae-like stoneworts, which were the first plants to colonise the new ponds. Another tiny invertebrate new to the county list is the caddis fly Agraylea sexmaculata, the larvae of which again only occurs in the turf ponds.

The insects above were probably attracted by new open water with suitable plant life but other creatures can arrive in a different way altogether.

For most of the year water fleas are all female, producing offspring that are female clones. But when conditions deteriorate males appear and mate with females, which then produce resting eggs. These eggs can remain viable in the bottom mud for centuries – only hatching again when conditions are right.

In the new turf ponds at Oulton several species were found, including Daphnia curvirostris, only its fourth record in Suffolk, together with the more common giant crawling waterflea, Eurycercus lamellatus.

Elsewhere on the reserve the predatory giant eyed waterflea, Polyphemus pediculus is common, though only two other sites are known in Suffolk.

STEVE AYLWARD

High conservation value Of course the invertebrates above are but a small selection of those found and many of the others are also rare and unusual.

With a standardised survey statistical formulae called metrics can be applied, such as the Community Conservation Index

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KIM TAYLOR WARREN PHOTOGRAPHIC

A first for Suffolk

Dug out in Victorian times to provide peat for fuel or to improve the quality of the reed and sedge harvest, once left to recolonise, turf ponds proved a rich source of diverse vegetation developed by the Environment Agency.

This showed that when the Trust acquired Oulton Marshes, the aquatic invertebrate community was only rated moderate in terms of conservation value.

By 2014 all of the 21 sample sites exceeded moderate, most were rated as of high conservation value and eight (including three turf ponds) rated very high, a value on a par with sites of Special Scientific Interest. In fact Oulton has now been made a flagship site by the Freshwater Habitats Trust.

And Oulton kept on surprising. During the last couple of hours of my last visit two more unusual species appeared. The first was a rare waterflea, Ceriodaphnia

setosa in the main Soke Dyke, which runs below the river path. Not only is this the first time it has been recorded in Suffolk, this is only the fourth site in the whole of the UK where it has been found since the first record in 1930.

Then, whilst looking at the last turf pond to be surveyed, an unusually large pondskater caught my eye. Pondskaters are fast, hide easily and are hard to catch but, confident I knew what it was, fifteen minutes later and wet from much splashing about a specimen of Aquarius paludum was in my net! What attracted it to an Oulton turf pond and where are the rest of this normally gregarious species found at only two other county sites?

Five of the best 1 Water beetle

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Hydaticus transversalis Two species of Hydaticus occur in the British Isles and both are found together at Oulton Marshes. Hydaticus transversalis is the smaller at 12.5 mm and is a specialist species requiring rich fen in lowland ponds and drainage ditches, especially in more exposed sites. As such Oulton, especially with habitat extension and improvement, fits its ecological requirements.

Nationally scarce

2

Nationally scarce

Pondskaters are fast, hide easily and are hard to catch

2 Pondskater Aquarius paludum This is larger than all other Suffolk pondskaters and has two distinctive pointed processes at the end of the abdomen. Although it seems to be spreading somewhat in southern Britain, our first county record was only in 2010 with a second colony found in Thurston in 2012.

3 Micro caddis Agraylea sexmaculata Whilst most caddis fly larvae make tube like cases from sticks, stones and plant pieces Agraylea sexmaculata, named for a characteristic pattern of spots on the thorax, is an exception. A member of a group of micro caddis called the hydroptilidae the larva has never before been recorded in Suffolk, but then it is only 4mm long! There is one record of the adult, from Hollesley in 2013.

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4 The saucer bug More to come from Outlon There are undoubtedly more species to be found at Oulton in the future. What is undeniable is the improvement in habitat quality since establishing the reserve and the success of re-creating turf ponds to enlarge the variety of habitat on the reserve. These ponds are successional habitats and will gradually merge back into the fen. Further work will be needed to monitor this and indicate whether a regime of digging new ponds in rotation is needed to maintain this invertebrate diversity. But if you are visiting the Lowestoft area then Oulton Marshes are well worth a visit. n Adrian Chalkley is County Recorder for freshwater invertebrates with Suffolk Naturalists’ Society and runs the Cladocera Interest Group. Email: aquatics@sns.org.uk www.cladocera.org.uk

Ilyocoris cimicoides Although this bug is common across Suffolk I have never seen so many as I have at Oulton. All the dykes and turf ponds have an enormous population, perhaps an indication of the abundant invertebrate life they hold. A carnivorous bug, their mouthparts are adapted to pierce and suck body fluids from their prey, which are other invertebrates or fish of a similar size or smaller.

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5 The giant eyed waterflea

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Polyphemus pediculus This waterflea has only been recorded three times in Suffolk and, as its name implies, has a single very large eye. It is extremely predatory and can move faster than most waterfleas with powerful swimming legs. Only 2mm in size it is named after Polyphemus, the man eating giant of Greek mythology who trapped Odysseus and his men on their way home from Troy.

Oulton Marshes

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 15

Helping to tern back the tide LITTLE TERNS

DAVID WOODFALL NATUREPL.COM

Rising sea levels and coastal erosion has seen a dramatic decline in the number of little terns. Susan RendellRead of the Little Tern Recovery Project explains how wardens, volunteers and landowners all have a role to play in protecting these graceful birds

16 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

O If you have visited the coast in early summer you may have seen their graceful frames hovering above the sea edge, before they plunge dive and catch a fish

Dingle Marshes

STEVE AYLWAR D

ur Suffolk beaches are fantastic.

They are special places where we can enjoy open landscapes, sheltered dunes, cliff top views or scrunch along miles of shingle. As the weather warms up lots of us head to the coast, and our wildlife is no different.

Each spring the little terns (the smallest tern species breeding in the UK) return from Africa to nest along our beaches. Nesting starts soon after they arrive in mid April and lasts throughout the summer. In August, once nesting is over for the year, they then fly south to Africa once more.

Little terns return to the same nesting sites each year. The sea close to these beaches offers a good supply of small fish for them to feed to their chicks. If you have visited the coast in early summer you may have seen their graceful frames hovering above the sea edge, before they plunge dive and catch a fish.

wardens make a real difference by talking to organisations and landowners who can help directly with their protection. The wardens and volunteers not only monitor the colonies and maintain the fencing to manage disturbance from people and predators but they also speak to visitors about the importance of protecting the little terns. By building on this proactive help on the ground, and by increasing public awareness, we can significantly help our Suffolk little terns.”

National project Falling numbers Sadly their numbers are declining. In 2000 there were 148 nests across seven different coastal sites in Suffolk, but by 2013 there were only three sites where nesting was known to have been attempted and only one of these sites was successful. Declines have also been witnessed in other areas of the UK, with only one colony remaining along the Lincolnshire coast. Without help this could be the fate of Suffolk’s little terns.

With natural erosion and a rising sea level, many of Suffolk’s beaches are becoming narrower – often due to a process called ‘coastal squeeze’. This is reducing the space along our coastline and means that there are few quiet places for little terns to nest without being disturbed by people.

Active protection Last year we were able to take a big step forward in recovering the population of little terns by employing three wardens to monitor their breeding attempts along Suffolk’s beaches. The wardens also ensure the birds are protected from disturbance and they took every opportunity to talk to beach users about some of the challenges the little terns face and how to help them.

Last summer’s work was very successful.

Sixteen breeding pairs were recorded nesting at three sites, resulting in 18 chicks successfully being raised. With three wardens being employed again this summer, protection can be built up in the hope that further successes may be possible across more sites.

As Andrew Excell, South Suffolk Coastal Sites Manager, explains: “The little tern

This step up in actions is possible as part of a national Little Tern Recovery Project, which is 50% funded by the European Union LIFE+ grant. In Suffolk a collaboration of organisations (including Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Natural England, Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, National Trust and RSPB) work in partnership to help resource the local project with staff time and money.

Part of the future for little terns in Suffolk relies on us finding solutions and adaptations to coastal change; this means recognising and working with local coastal processes. At Dingle Marshes coastal shingle is being allowed to rollback naturally following the diversion of the Dunwich River, whilst at Kessingland the beach areas are actually growing. In the future, offshore ridges like the Deben Knolls at Felixstowe may provide safer breeding areas.

The Suffolk little tern wardens have a huge job to help reverse the decline in little terns, but they are not alone as they are part of a network of wardens working around the coastline of the UK to protect the remaining colonies. Through this network, experiences and knowledge can be shared quickly, and we are all then better placed to help save our little terns in the longer term. n

How you can help If you support little terns and the protection work on Suffolk beaches, you can help by keeping your distance from fenced areas and following requests given on local signs. If dogs are kept on leads near colonies the little terns are less likely to fly off their nests leaving eggs or chicks.

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 17

The secretive emperor PURPLE EMPEROR

With beautiful colours and disgusting eating habits one of the county’s most iconic butterflies is back from the dead. Liz Goodyear and Andrew Middleton track down the purple emperor

PETER ENTWISTLE FLPA

By the 21st century it was considered long extinct

18 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

The decline of the purple emperor About 150 years ago the purple emperor was found in a few Suffolk woods, but gradually during the 20th century numbers declined. By the 21st century it was considered long extinct, despite the occasional report, which was most often dismissed either as a misidentification or the result of a person releasing a captive bred individual.

However, in 1999 in Hertfordshire, we found that purple emperors were not extinct – they did exist on our patch. It's hard to believe, but the internet was still in its infancy, photographers used film

and mobile phones with digital cameras were a fantasy.

News of a purple emperor being seen could move very slowly, or even disappear altogether – Liz heard of Andrew's sighting several months after the event – and she's on the committee of her local branch of Butterfly Conservation.

Slowly, more people had email, butterfly sightings websites were launched and the change in recording

had begun. Our project started at the right time, when we also accepted that changes in the climate were having a beneficial effect on some butterfly species, such as the woodland dwelling silver-washed fritillary.

Boost to butterflies

Purple emperors in Suffolk Pre 2000 1900-99 Pre 1900

Bradfield Woods Northfield Wood Bonny Wood

MAP REPRODUCED UNDER OS LICENCE NUMBER 10016410

T

he purple emperor is probably the country’s most iconic but elusive butterfly.

The male, when the wings catch the sunlight, displays an amazing iridescent purple and historically it was the butterfly collector's ultimate goal for the cabinet.

Thankfully, nowadays many people are just hopeful of seeing, and maybe photographing, a male purple emperor as it flits to the ground in the search for salt.

Favourable changes in woodland management, where there has been active encouragement to return to broadleaved trees as opposed to conifer, helped the butterfly’s larval foodplant sallow to prosper and the continued presence of some mature oak in our woodland landscape has also been important.

All in all, these factors appear to have benefitted the species with a natural increase in numbers. The butterfly went from being in the landscape but undetectable, to numbers where a random sighting was becoming increasingly more likely and with the ability to transmit almost instantly the news, with the obligatory photo confirming the fact the identity was correct.

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 19

PURPLE EMPEROR Established populations Over the last 15 years we have confirmed that there is now an established population across Hertfordshire and within suitable habitat in Middlesex. Our search extended in 2012 to Essex (thanks to some funding from the Essex Wildlife Trust) and in 2013 we started looking for suitable habitat in Suffolk, ie sallow-rich woodland, mature oaks and ash, and ideally a nice prominent high point that is easily visible.

It is a very slow process involving a great deal of groundwork, but in 2013 we confirmed that purple emperor was present naturally in Suffolk, although still at very low density levels. Our own records have been supplemented with reports from other individuals including Mike Rae and Julian Dowding. What was even more exciting was that these two recorders saw emperors whilst visiting Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves – Bradfield Woods and Bonny Wood.

STEVE AYLWARD

So what made these woods so user friendly for the purple emperor? Simply, their sallows (salix) have been allowed to prosper. Sallow, or pussy willow, can be overlooked, but in spring it bursts into life with silvery catkins and yellow flowers abuzz with bees and butterflies.

Wide sheltered rides and clearings with nectar-rich sallows, brambles and other diverse plants, will benefit a host of insects and other creatures such as songbirds and dormice, and are something to be aimed for by all woodland managers.

When surveying for purple emperors, we follow its activities as described in the accompanying sidebar, starting by looking for grounded males in the morning.

In Bradfield Woods, a suitable place

Bradfield Woods

20 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

ALEX HYDE NATUREPL.COM

Why Bradfield and Bonny Wood?

might be the ride leading from the car park to the wood-yard where many dogs are exercised on a daily basis and where there has been a recent sighting.

Late morning we start looking upwards in case a female should fly over in her search for a nice sallow for egg-laying.

wait another 30 minutes before its true identity can be confirmed. This is not recording for the impatient; it is timeconsuming and involves total concentration.

There is no time for idle chatter or distraction, but when you find an emperor in a new landscape it's fantastic.

Favourable changes in woodland management and the presence of mature oak in our woodland landscape has been important But we also need to leave the wood and be watching any potential assembly areas for males as 1pm approaches. We will sit some distance from the wood edge – it needs be 300 or 400m away – ideally along a public footpath or road verge, sitting on our collapsible chairs we carry around, with our elbows on the arm rests to steady our binoculars so we can constantly scan the woodland canopy for this large iconic butterfly.

Occasionally it lets slip and chases a pigeon or other bird, occasionally we just glimpse something fast and large glide around a tree-top and we might have to

Get involved In Suffolk, many woods are fairly flat, as are Bradfield Woods where the identification of a potential assembly area is proving quite difficult. Bonny Wood may be a bit easier, with slightly more defined highpoints, but no luck yet despite sightings within the wood.

Northfield Wood, which is a Woodland Trust reserve near Stowmarket, is proving even harder as it also sallowrich but almost totally flat and the high points are hard to view from outside the wood. In other situations, the woods are private and we have no access. In

Unsavoury habits, reproduction and spotting an emperor The purple emperor is a species of quite revolting habits and for reproduction purposes the newly emerged male, in late June or early July, takes salts from the ground and at worst, from dead animals or animal excrement.

Whether it favours ‘dog's muck’ over ‘pee’, including human; is uncertain, but it is all to be enjoyed mostly in the mornings, between 10 and noon.

where the males are already on the lookout. The male is exceptional at detecting an approaching female, maybe helped by the use of pheromones and will zoom off from his lookout to intercept the female, who will lead him away for the necessary.

Sometime after mating and dispersing from the assembly area, the female will in turn lay her eggs across the woodland

For reproduction purposes, the male takes salts from dead animals or animal excrement

The male, when the wings catch the sunlight, displays an amazing iridescent purple addition we are still working on the comparative timing of the Suffolk purple emperor flight period in relation to other areas of the country – when is it exactly?

We hope readers will be enthused to go out this summer to the Suffolk woods and look for this butterfly. There have been reports from the Halesworth area as well, and it is interesting to note that nearly all the recent sightings have been in areas where they were last reported in the 1940s. n

landscape over a period of several days. This egg-laying activity usually occurs between noon and 2pm, when the female can sometimes be seen swooping down from a sap-feeding tree such as a large oak and 'striking' into a sallow to start ovipositing.

Meanwhile, the males are still at their look-out point and if there are several males present, they will fight and clash for dominance, with fantastic mid-air duals sometimes spinning high into the sky. One male will eventually admit defeat and retreat to a secondary point, but often returning later for more acrobatics. This often happens well out of sight of the average butterfly recorder and can go on unseen high above the woodland canopy.

For anyone wishing to learn more about purple emperor habitat, habitats and surveying, along with silver-washed fritillary and white admiral, we will be leading some training events for the Trust this spring and summer. Hope to see you there. Check the dates of wildlearning courses on our website suffolkwildlifetrust.org

ROBIN CHITTENDEN NATUREPL.COM

The purple emperor is probably the country’s most iconic but elusive butterfly. You may be lucky enough to see one as it flits to the ground in the search for salt

Females, which are a little larger and rather brown, will also occasionally visit the ground, but this tends to be in the afternoon during a spell of hot, dry weather when they are looking for moisture.

Towards the middle of the day, the male starts to make its way towards a high point in the wooded landscape, reaching what is referred to as an assembly area, where the fighting and territorial activity kicks off around 1pm.

Historically, assembly areas were called ‘master trees’, but such single trees are quite rare and it is more often a cluster of prominent oak and/or ash trees at the highest point in the woodland.

The unmated female, in the meantime, also makes her way to this assembly area

Have you seen a purple emperor in Suffolk?

Whether it was 60 minutes ago or 60 years, we would like to know about it. Email details of your sighting to info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org ALAMY.COM

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 21

UK NEWS

allowing nature’s return

stephanie hilborne obe Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts

JOHN FERGUSSON

It’s called My Wild Life, it features hundreds of people across the UK – and it’s The Wildlife Trusts’ newest campaign. Its purpose: to spread the message that nature matters.

We want to hear what nature means to you, so that we can share your stories with the world. Visit mywildlife.org.uk and add your voice to those already there. From the wild peat bogs soaking up carbon, to the green places in our cities that give people a chance to fall in love with nature – we want to show what nature means to people.

“Nature matters. We are part of it and depend on it for everything including our happiness,” says Stephanie Hilborne, The Wildlife Trusts CEO. “This campaign is about people and wild places that matter to them. We want everyone to experience the natural world”.

eycott hill: beautiful now, even better in the future, thanks to Cumbria Wildlife Trust

CUMBRIA WT

It is wonderful when something big and positive happens. Tony Juniper’s new book What Nature Does for Britain (p24) tells uplifting stories of real progress in our relationship with the natural world.

Alongside the new Natural Capital Committee report it is a powerful call to invest in our ecosystems. Professor Dieter Helm (who led the Committee’s work) is also closely connected with his own Wildlife Trust. He understands the pure joy of wildlife and is a great promoter of our vision of Living Landscapes and Living Seas. He knows you can’t trade in species but that you can invest in ecosystems. He and we want those who measure success financially to stop depleting the nation’s natural capital because it erodes the ability of future generations to earn their living, as well as removing their chance to experience the joy and health benefits nature brings.

Now you can make a difference, because elected politicians really do listen to their mailbags. Please write to your elected representatives or candidates to call for a proper UK network of protected areas at sea. And ask for a Nature & Wellbeing Act for England. You may not benefit from this Act directly if you live outside England but we need progressive policies for nature and people across the UK, as wildlife knows no borders.

Tell us why nature matters to you

n Use #MyWildLife n share wha wildlife means t to you at mywildlife. org.uk n Make nature part of your life – see our top ten ideas

samatha Gay People & Wildlife ranger suffolk Wildlife Trust knettishall heath

rare upland saved in Cumbria A spectacular 216ha upland between Keswick and Penrith will be restored for wildlife and opened to visitors, thanks to a £1.6m Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Eycott Hill is unusual for its extensive mire system, which supports rare plants and many species of bird. Historic management has, however, removed much of the wildlife from the remainder of the site. The Trust will bring back a mosaic of grasslands, woodland, scrub and heath through practical restoration, natural regeneration and managed grazing. More at wtru.st/eycotthill

avon

derbyshIre

devon

essex

sUffoLk

Planning permission has been granted for a new nature reserve in Bristol’s Avon Gorge. Bennett’s Patch and White’s Paddock have had a make-over this winter ready for the launch. wtru.st/newavon

A Community Day of Action had a terrific turn out. Buxton schoolchildren and residents got stuck in to help enhance wetland habitats and hay meadows. wtru.st/buxtoncommunity

After spending months working to secure a future for Devon’s beavers, the Trust has been granted a five year licence from Natural England to monitor their impact. wtru.st/ beaversback

A new visitor centre is under construction at the Trust’s Ingrebourne Valley.

Helping connect people with the park’s heritage, the centre will open late this year. wtru.st/ Ingrebourne

Experts from Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank have collected tree seeds from the Trust’s Bradfield Woods reserve as part of a national project to protect the UK’s trees. wtru.st/ kewcollection

22 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

CAROLINE COLES

UK NEWS FrOM arOUNd THE WILdLIFE TrUSTS

PLANTLIFE

new meadows from old The Coronation Meadows initiative, set up in 2013 by Prince Charles to celebrate the Queen’s 60th anniversary, has created 180ha (444 acres) of new wildflower grassland on 40 sites. More will come this year, using local seed from existing meadows.

Eventually there will be a new meadow in every county.

Wildflower meadows are the UK’s most threatened wildlife habitat: 97% have been lost since the 1930s, and they are still disappearing through development and neglect. The initiative is a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife, and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Thanks to Biffa Award and all our funders.

12 Completed 2013

This wonderful picture of a fireworks anemone was a winner in the British Society of Underwater Photographers DIVER print competition, sponsored by The Wildlife Trusts.

The nationally rare invertebrate was captured by diver Kirsty Andrews in Loch Duich, a Scottish sea loch. See all the winners in the Gallery at wildlifetrusts.org/bsoup

Pyramidal orchid

skomer: Wales’ first marine reserve Last december the seas around skomer Island off Pembrokeshire became Wales’ first Marine Conservation Zone. The designation gives more protection to skomer’s many marine species, including grey seals and pink sea fans.

kenT

LanCs

LeICs & rUT

London

norfoLk

A new 415m roadside nature reserve has been designated in Boxley, Maidstone. It will support pyramidal orchid, grass vetchling, and the striking lizard orchid. wtru.st/ roadsidenature

Two Kemp’s Ridley turtles, which normally live in the Gulf of Mexico, washed ashore in Lancs and Cumbria.

One survived and should eventually be flown back to the US. wtru.st/lostturtles

96 volunteers and supporters walked, cycled and kayaked 2,000 miles in a day to raise £4,500. The money will pay for a new volunteer training centre at Rutland Water. wtru. st/wildlivesappeal

Volunteers have helped restore the largest wildlife pond in Croydon. It is hoped that great crested newts will return to Bramley Bank reserve as a result. wtru.st/ croydonpond

A new pond-dipping platform will allow children to explore underwater wildlife at the Trust’s Cley Marshes, thanks to funding and volunteers from HSBC. wtru.st/ cleyplatform

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 23

DAVID CHAPMAN

What’s at the bottom of a scottish Loch?

KIRSTY ANDREWS

28 Completed 2014

What nature does LIVING LANDSCAPES

Carbon

WaTer

Blanket bogs in Scotland, Wales and north west England lock up atmospheric carbon as peat for thousands of years.

Yet many have been damaged or destroyed.

Nature is the ultimate water utility.

Healthy upland bogs, grasslands and woodlands release heavy rainfall slowly, reducing floods. They clean the water too, reducing bills.

hUMan heaLTh

NIK POLLARD

environmental campaigner Tony Juniper, counterbalances the claim made by some politicians that we can’t afford to protect nature

D

uring the recent period of economic austerity the measures needed to sustain the health of the natural world have come under attack. Presented as barriers to growth and competiveness, pro-nature policies have been rolled back and budgets drastically cut. It is a manifestation of how in economic and political circles the idea that nature must be sacrificed as an inevitable price for progress has become deeply ingrained.

Could it be, however, that this narrative of people versus nature is quite wrong?

Instead of being hostile to our interests, could investment in the conservation and recovery of the natural world be at the heart of a strategy to promote national

24 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

health, wealth and security? An increasing body of evidence suggests that this is indeed the case, and far from being obstructive to Britain’s interests, healthy ecology is essential for achieving a robust and resilient economy.

This is certainly the conclusion I reached during the course of writing What Nature does for Britain. From the peat bogs and woodlands that help to secure our water supply, to the insects and soils that produce most of the food we eat, and from the capture of carbon in saltmarshes to the avoidance of psychological illness through being in wildlife-rich environments, it seems that at almost every turn nature and wildlife are playing vital practical roles.

There is perhaps no more fundamental

Research shows that living near natural areas substantially reduces the risk of many major diseases, improves mental health, reduces crime and promotes social cohesion.

necessity for our wellbeing than fresh water. While, for most of us, the closest we get to knowing where it comes from is turning a tap, it is of course in the end recycled and replenished by nature. Up on Dartmoor, an area that was for centuries regarded as a wasteland, I got an idea of how this works. The thick blanket bogs that clothe the high hills there hold and steadily release clean water that is topped up by frequent heavy rain. Degraded bogs do that work far less effectively, however, and as bogs have been damaged by fire and excessive grazing pressure so the cost of supplying clean water has gone up.

South-West Water decided to do something about this and invested in the restoration of the bogs. Not only does the modest expense of bog recovery improve

for Britain oCean Centuries of over-exploitation have cut our seas’ ability to provide food and absorb carbon.

Marine Protected Areas could reverse that trend, increase species and expand tourism too.

food ProdUCTIon Farming contributes about £2bn to UK plc and about half a million jobs. But loss of organic matter, chemical inputs, compaction and erosion threaten the viability of our heritage.

water security at a lower cost than engineered alternatives, it also helps to reduce flood risk, aids the recovery of wildlife and creates better recreational opportunities.

The same can be said about pioneering work being undertaken by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust on the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales as part of the Pumlumon Project. Restoration of blanket bogs, the creation of more natural streamsides and changes to farming practices are all helping to slow down the run off in the headwaters of Great Britain’s longest river – the Severn. By improving environmental quality upstream it is hoped that downstream flooding will

diminish. This, and other projects working with similar logic, are increasingly shown to deliver results, and often at a lower cost than expensive engineered defences. As we experience the more extreme weather conditions that accompany climate change, investments in nature will make more and more economic sense.

However, such interventions deliver a lot more than just reducing flood risk. In relation to water supply there is a range of co-benefits that come with this more integrated approach, including for

The idea that nature must be sacrificed for progress has become deeply ingrained

conservation. For example: the improvement of habitats will hopefully assist in reversing the fortunes of otherwise declining populations of breeding dunlin and golden plover.

Then there is our food. When it comes to temperate produce, some three quarters of what we consume is grown here in the UK. Our soils are key to continuing to do this, and so are the populations of wild pollinators and pest predators that assist with food production.

All these elements of our natural environment have been subject to serious damage in recent decades, with huge costs coming as a result.

For example, the estimated annual cost of soil damage to the UK is between £900million and £1.4billion. This includes SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 25

LIVING LANDSCAPES

nature. Many studies confirm a strong link between access to natural areas and wellbeing – and with psychological health in particular. By expanding access to wildlife-rich natural areas we can expect positive impacts for our collective health at the same time as helping to reduce pressure on our strained health services.

People enjoying nature and wildlife is, of course, also the basis of a multi-billion pound tourism industry that employs many people in some of the remotest and most economically stressed parts of the UK. That nature is a fundamentally important asset with multiple social and economic values (as well as intrinsic ones) is not in doubt. Knowing what we know, it is time to break with history. Instead of seeing a choice between healthy ecology a huge body of research shows that local access to semi-natural areas improves physical and mental health MATTHEW ROBERTS

There is a strong link between access to natural areas and wellbeing the effects of soils clogging up rivers and in the process increasing flood risk, and of course raises questions about our longerterm ability to produce as much food as we do now. The same thing can be said about the loss of pollinators, which provide crop production services worth an estimated £430million per year. Then there is the half a million tonnes of food we get annually from the seas around Britain. Improving the health of marine environments would not only secure the future nutrition from that source but increase it, while in the process delivering gains for nature conservation.

Then there is the job of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Later on this year countries will hopefully agree a new international plan to cut the pollution causing climate change. In addition to energy and transport, a major area of opportunity for doing this is the conservation and restoration of different ecosystems. For the UK, the biggest single store of ecosystem carbon is in our peatlands, including the blanket bogs that sprawl over the uplands of the north and western UK. 26 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

Many of these ecosystems are in a state of progressive degradation, emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process. Caused by (among other things) burning and excessive grazing pressure, it is not only our wildlife that is being lost, but huge economic value as carbon storage capacity is removed. We have also lost carbon storage capability through the loss of woodlands, dunes and saltmarshes.

There is good reason to see multiple benefits in not only conserving what remains, but also in an ambitious programme of restoration.

On top of all this are the health benefits we gain through contact with

WhaT naTUre does for brITaIn Tony’s new book looks at how our environment provides the things we need most – soil, water, food, health, energy – and concludes that our economic system is working against our own best interests. His solution is to work with nature, rather than against it.

It is time to break with history and invest in nature for our health, wealth and security and people’s interests, we should invest in the growth of nature as a major plank of our future health, wealth and security. One way to do this would be via a new Act of Parliament for Nature and Wellbeing.

Based on the inspirational aim of ensuring the recovery of nature in a generation, the new legislation would (among other things) lay out plans to rebuild ecological networks, reverse the decline of threatened species and enable more people to have access to natural places.

Such a new law could mark a turning point; the moment at which the relentless and centuries-long decline of nature in our islands is halted and reversed. Considering what nature does for Britain, and will need to continue doing, it would be a moment celebrated with pride by future generations.

Before any of this can happen though, we need to win the argument that looking after nature is not an impediment to our national interest, but is rather an essential prerequisite for it. n

reader offer Signed copies of Tony’s book are available at £7.99 inc p&p. Call 020 7841 6300 or email ali.nadal@profilebooks .com and quote ‘WTNATURE’ Valid while stocks last or until 31 July 2015

Natural statistics Tony Juniper’s new book explains how re-aligning our economy with the restoration of nature would improve physical and mental health, boost business and save taxpayers’ money

Greener CITIes

bees MaTTer

£45bn £60m £77bn 120 50 Turnover

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Estimated cost to NHS of obesity by 2050

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Direct employees

Million litres a year

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Cost to NHS of mental illness in 2008 Worldwide research shows that both problems reduce if people have nearby access to nature

The naTIonaL foresT

sUsTaInabLe v UnsUsTaInabLe In LyMe bay

better environment, bigger economy

Set-up cost of the Forest, 1991-2010

£89m

Thatchers Cider – a business that depends entirely on pollinating insects

values of marine businesses in Lyme bay off dorset in 2007

Benefits to the Forest’s local economy so far

£231m

Estimated return on investment by 2100

£427m

£1.8m

£13m gling Sea an

£3.5m

Scallop dredging

Charter boats and diving

hIdden benefITs

2,576 39,000 17bn 93%

Tonnes/ha of stored carbon in remaining English fenland

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Full-time jobs due to nature-based tourism in Scotland

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Litres of water per day taken from UK ecosystems

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Of people agree that local green space is important

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LOW IMPACT

HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE

JoIned-UP ThInkInG?

£4bn Net saving to taxpayers over 15 years if farm subsidies were linked to measures that improved water quality

............................................................

£1.8bn Estimated cost of replacing insect pollination in the UK. Pollinators are declining due to farming pressures

“Soils should be regarded as strategic national asset, not just something people grow their crops in today.”

Baroness Sue Miller, Parliamentary Agroecology Group

..............................................................................................

“Fixing water problems at source really is a win-win. The farmers who manage the land benefit but so does wider society. It helps wildlife and fish stocks to recover and our customers benefit through cheaper water.”

Dylan Bright, South West Water

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 27

Forgotten railways GREAT DAYS OUT

once the steam and smoke has gone, old railway lines and the land that surrounds them become wonderful corridors for wildlife. They’re not bad for people either. here are ten of the best

1

hadleigh railway Walk Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Now a Babergh District Council local nature reserve, this gentle two mile walk from the old railway station in Raydon to the outskirts of Hadleigh, is well known by plant lovers. Ancient woodland species like dog's mercury and primrose, mark the cutting through the oak, ash and hazel coppice of Raydon Great Wood.

Pyramidal orchid, quaking grass and restharrow are found on the chalky cutting banks in the middle section of the walk. Opened in 1847 the line was closed to passenger traffic in 1932, with a goods service running until the 1960s.

Where is it? Woodlands Road, Raydon. Park at the old station. Grid TM 060404.

2

narborough railway Line Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Part of the King’s Lynn-Dereham line that was closed in the 1960s, this disused railway embankment is a rare habitat for Norfolk: chalk grassland, with pyramidal and early purple orchids, marsh helleborine and autumn gentian.

It is one of the county’s best sites for butterflies, with at least 30 species, including grizzled skipper, grayling and orange tip. With sweeping views, bogs, heather-clad heaths and walks along ancient drove-ways, this nature reserve has an atmosphere of real wildness.

Where is it? About 2.5 miles S of Narborough on Chalk Lane. Post code PE32 1SR. Grid TF 750118.

NEAL TRAFANKOWSKI

narborough railway Line in norfolk: a wonderful place to be at dawn this summer

28 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

3

sydenham hill Wood London Wildlife Trust

Since taking over in 1982 the Trust has repeatedly defended this wildlife-rich area from development. Bats roost in the tunnel and the wood is a great place to see woodpeckers, rare insects and fungi. With the adjacent Dulwich Wood, the reserve forms the largest remaining tract of the old Great North Wood. There are many Victorian garden relic trees too.

Where is it? Crescent Wood Road, Southwark SE26 6LS. Grid TQ 344725.

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bathekin reservoir Northumberland Wildlife Trust

The reservoir’s castellated viaduct along the top of Kielder Water is a great place to look out for ospreys and otters. Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe.

Winter visitors include pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, goosander, mallard and teal. In spring, merlin and hen harrier arrive. The shallow margins also offer valuable spawning grounds for the common frog and smooth newt. Grazing with Exmoor ponies on some of the more important wetland flushes helps to maintain the diversity of species.

Where is it? Butteryhaugh Bridge (parking nearby). Grid NY 631927.

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halwill Junction Devon Wildlife Trust

An old station which closed in 1966, and was bought by the Trust in 1990. The railway is now a cycle path connecting Halwill Junction to Cookworthy Forest, while the reserve is home to badger, green woodpecker and ragged robin. Abundant voles and mice provide good hunting for barn owls. Visit in spring for carpets of violets or in autumn for mosses and ferns.

Where is it? Halwill Junction. Park in the parish hall by the pub. OS Exp 112. Grid SS 443003.

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Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

The ghost of the old railway runs through what is now a superb reserve of flooded gravel pits, willow scrub and grazing marsh. Its pathway and hedgerows are home to many species of small birds including warblers and tits in the spring and summer, and redwing in the winter.

The foundations of Irthlingborough station can be found just beyond the reserve boundary at neighbouring Stanwick Lakes.

Where is it? On the edge of Irthlingborough, Northants. Grid SP 953699.

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ashlawn Cutting Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

A steep-sided cutting on the edge of Rugby, Ashlawn Cutting has more than 20 species of butterfly, including the brown argus and marbled white. The hawthorn scrub supports a large population of birds, and the ponds provide views of dragonflies, amphibians and perhaps a grass snake. There’s also a splendid collection of flowering plants.

Where is it? About 0.5 miles from the centre.

Post code CV22 5JX, Grid SP 516732.

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dyffryn, Llynfi, Porthcawl railway

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smardale Gill nnr Cumbria Wildlife Trust

This 40ha reserve includes a 3.5-mile section of line which once ran from Tebay to Darlington.

Start at the northern end to follow the old line through woodland that’s brimming with plants, trees and birdlife. You can see red squirrels here, and a carpet of bluebells and primroses in spring. The wide, surfaced path is suitable for pushchairs and eventually leads to Smardale Gill Viaduct, where common lizards shelter between the huge slabs of sandstone.

Where is it? Near Kirkby Stephen. Park in the Smardale Hall car park. Grid NY 727070.

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The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

This reserve’s fascinating history makes a great trail for visitors to discover and enjoy. The railway dates back to 1825, when it transported horse-drawn coal. Steam only arrived in 1861.

Today, part of the route goes through Parc Slip reserve, a former mine which is now a mix of wetland, woodland and meadows. It is a superb place for families to discover nature in a safe environment. There are many species of butterflies and birds, and excellent facilities including cycle and wheelchair paths, free parking and a visitor centre.

Where is it? Fountain Road, Tondu CF32 0EH Ring 01656 724100 or 01656 726993 weekends.

Carr 10 Potteric Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Once an even bigger wetland, this 200ha reserve was formed by a century of railway works and coal mining. Today it is a superb site for birds (more than 230 recorded species), dragonflies and butterflies. A recent major extension has resulted in booming bitterns.

Plants include greater and lesser spearwort, water soldier, water violet and southern marsh orchid. Great crested and palmate newts are in some of the pools, and toads are common.

Where is it? Mallard Way, Doncaster, DN4 8DB. Grid SE 589007.

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FIND MORE SITES LIKE THESE AT WILdLIfeTrUsTs.orG/ forGoTTenraILWays

before you go Remember to bring decent footwear and some binoculars to spot the birds and insects. For public transport options to the reserves visit the local Trust website via wildlifetrusts.org SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 29

“I just want to open people’s eyes” PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

Matt Gaw talks to some of the young people who have been inspired by their work and experiences with the Wildlife Trust

sorreL LyaLL, 16 volunteer and birdwatcher Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

ELEANOR CHURCH

I’m a very keen birdwatcher and I do wildlife photography and art as well. I go birdwatching with my grandparents all over Britain – Norfolk, Scotland, Lancashire, Devon – lots of different places! I had an amazing encounter here at the Attenborough Reserve a few years ago with bitterns and water rails out on the ice – I’ll never forget that. I really enjoy simple wildlife encounters, even just with common birds and animals.

I try and promote awareness of wildlife at school. I have a display board and I run a club. I also help at Wildlife Watch, working with young children in my area. We go to the woods or a park and show them the wildlife, and help them engage with the natural world.

30 SUFFOLK WILDLIFE

My aim is just to open people’s eyes to what is out there. Even in Nottingham, we have peregrines. I’ve seen them from school.

The general decline of many species is very worrying but it’s also that there’s a disconnect between people and nature. The fact that it’s not normal to be a birdwatcher or show an interest in wildlife is a real problem and needs addressing.

I’m hopeful for the future though.

There are lots of young people in Britain interested in wildlife and we’re going to get more people interested and preserve the natural world.

Wildlife will be very important in my career path. It’s what I love, and the chance to turn a hobby into a career.

I’m really looking forward to that.

kITTy dry, 16 Lackford Lakes volunteer & young Warden Suffolk Wildlife Trust

I first got involved with the Trust when I was about five years old and started going along to the sessions for four to seven-year-olds. I remember absolutely loving them and I think it’s safe to say I attended nearly every activity day until I was 12. Then I was asked if I wanted to become a volunteer and I have done everything from helping with the children’s days, to be being behind the welcome desk and even helping out with birthday parties.

I am also part of the young wardens, which means I can help to maintain the reserve not just by making sure the reserve is kept in nice condition, and I have to admit, I love the coppicing – it feels like an opportunity to give back to the place that has given me so many great memories in my childhood.

Working with the Trust is an amazing thing to do. You will make amazing friends, help conserve wildlife and make unforgettable memories.

SAMANTHA GAY

sorrel at nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s attenborough reserve. visit her blog on http:// sorrellyallwildlife.wee bly.com

young Wardens Tuesday 26th May

Working with the Trust is an amazing thing to do.

You will make amazing friends, help conserve wildlife and make unforgettable memories

10.30am-12.30pm

Sunday 5th July

2pm-4pm

young Wardens – survey skills

young Wardens

Have a go at mapping & wildlife ID skills Location: Knettishall Heath Cost: Free. Donations welcome Please book Age: 11-15 year olds Contact: 07717 156601

Practical conservation activities Location: Knettishall Heath Cost: Free. Donations welcome.

Please book Age: 11-15 year olds Contact: 07717 156601

Sunday14th June

2pm-4pm

Sunday 2nd august

2pm-4pm

young Wardens – clues to conservation

young Wardens – rediscovering reptiles

Finding & identifying flints & other conservation tools Location: Knettishall Heath Cost: Free. Donations welcome Please book Age: 11-15 year olds Contact: 07717 156601

Maintaining & recording reptile hotspots Location: Knettishall Heath Cost: Free. Donations welcome Please book Age 11-15 year olds Contact: 07717 156601

For further information and to book samantha.gay@suffolkwildlifetrust.org

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE 31

JON HAWKINGS

Common lizard

Carlton & Oulton Marshes We are grateful to our generous supporters who remembered the Trust in their Will and whose gifts we dedicated to this land purchase: Marjorie Bristow Charlotte Cade Doreen Chidley Stephanie Glenn Alexander Lugg William McAvilley Margaret Whitmore

Mention the Suffolk Broads and the chances are your mind conjures up watery landscapes and big skies. Our latest addition to Carlton Marshes certainly has the big skies but will never be wet – and that is exactly why we wanted to buy it.

In all, over the last decade, we have added 260 acres of land at Carlton & Oulton Marshes, gradually piecing together the intricate patchwork of wetland habitats that now make this such a fabulous place to enjoy wildlife. But what has become clear across much of the Broads is that whilst our conservation efforts have focused on the wetland habitats, the drier valley sides have all but disappeared.

Buying the 20 acres of higher land overlooking the marshes will enable us to

recreate some of the dry grassland that has been lost and most importantly to restore the gradient of habitats from the dry valley side down to the wet marshland.

Nature loves these mixed-up edges where habitats meet and merge into one another.

As so often happens, the opportunity to buy this land came at short notice and there was no time to look for grant funding. Fortunately, our approach of keeping legacy gifts for significant projects like land purchase, meant we had funds set aside and so could respond quickly enough to secure the deal.

STEVE ALYWARD

Thank you

Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House Ashbocking, Ipswich IP6 9JY 01473 890089 info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org suffolkwildlifetrust.org

suffolkwildlifetrust.org