Welcome to the Autumn issue, where we have two reports from the well-attended and enjoyable members’ afternoon in Westleton, pp. 4–9, and a report from the Tiger Hill bioblitz held earlier this year, p. 12. We have a selection of articles, which I hope you find interesting and you are cordially invited to contribute your own article showcasing your finds or observations for the next issue. If you are looking for something to do over the autumn, we have just announced the November members’ evening, and I have listed some more events, webinars and courses at the end of the newsletter. Joan’s article on woodlice is a fine example of how members can make use of a grant from SNS. If you have a project that would benefit from funding, find out more about our grants and bursaries on p. 43.
Emma Aldous
WhiteAdmiralNewsletter@gmail.com or editors@sns.org.uk
The opinions expressed in White Admiral are not necessarily those of the editor or of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society.
SNS COUNCILLORS
Chairman: Joan Hardingham
Hon Secretary: Vacant
Rivis Vice Presidents
Colin Hawes
Howard Mendel
David Walker
Joan Hardingham
Martin Sanford
Councillors can be contacted on: enquiries@sns.org.uk
• Treasurer: Martin Sanford
• Administration Secretary: Anne Shaw
Council members
Peter Vincent
Howard Mottram
Juliet Hawkins
Simon Jackson
Darren Tansley
Dorothy Casey
Gavin Deans
Emma Aldous
Publication Editors
Suffolk Natural History
Martin Sanford transactions@sns.org.uk
White Admiral
Emma Aldous editors@sns.org.uk
Suffolk Bird Report
Nick Mason suffolkbirds@sns.org.uk
SNS MEMBERS’ AUTUMN MEETING
Anne Shaw and Joan Hardingham
The SNS Members’ Autumn Meeting was held at Westleton Village Hall and Westleton Common on Saturday, 21st September, a change from previous Autumn meetings, which were held on a weekday evening in November. It was widely advertised, resulting in a pleasing turnout of over 40 members.
Councillors arrived early to prepare the exhibits – Hymenoptera by Hawk Honey, Woodlice by Joan Hardingham, Compost Critters Under the Microscope with Gavin Deans, (microscopes supplied by Anglia Microscopy) and Westleton Common by John Bebbington, Westleton Parish Council – and to erect the SNS gazebo on the Common before the meeting started at 1.30pm. After enjoying the refreshments and exhibits, members settled down for the talks.
Simon Jackson of Ipswich Museum discussed the discovery of “The Maidenhall Mammoth” in Ipswich in 1975 and the development of new displays at the museum. Howard Mottram spoke about the geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Common and Westleton Pit. John Bebbington gave a talk about the history and management of the Common.
Howard Mottram, Peter Vincent and Ross Piper introduced the activities on the common. Peter and Ross took one group to show surveying methods for invertebrates and basic identification. Howard took the other group to look at the Geology of Westleton Pit. At half time the groups were able to change over so members could attend both sessions.
1: Members gather for activities on the common. 2–3: Ross Piper inspects the results from the suction survey. 4: Peter Vincent shows how to use a pooter. 5: Peter & Ross examine some of the findings. 6–7: Peter shows how to make a pitfall trap and looks at the contents. 8: Members examining information board on geology. 9: View into the pit. 10: Rainwashed and overgrown pit face. 11: Westleton Beds showing individual beds of sand and gravel, cryoturbated near the top. 12: Close up of rounded flint pebbles in a bed of gravel. 13: Antlion pits below Ivy bee nests. 14: Ross looks for Antlion larvae. 15: An empty Antlion cocoon.
Updated picture of Westleton pit, taken after the SNS visit showing the newly excavated upper bench circa 5m deep. The layers of sand and of pebbles can be seen dipping gently downwards from right to left in the photo. It is not easy to obtain accurate measurements but it is often found that the dip is in an approximately south-easterly direction.
Observations recorded: Westleton Common, 21st September 2024
Species Determiner
Nebria brevicollis
Pterostichus madidus
Syntomus foveatus
Psylliodes chrysocephala
Ocypus olens
Stenus brunnipes
Stenus clavicornis
Stenus impressus
Delia platura
Pegomya bicolor
Medetera flavipes
Helina evecta
Helina reversio
Neomyia cornicina
Phaonia valida
Tephritis matricariae
Elasmucha grisea
Kleidocerys resedae
R. Piper
R. Piper
R. Piper
P.J. Vincent
R. Piper
R. Piper
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
Lygus rugulipennis
Pilophorus perplexus
Stenodema calcarata
Euroleon nostras
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
P.J. Vincent
R. Piper
Colletes hederae H. Honey
Gelis sp H. Honey
Lichens – on soil
Cladonia chlorophaea sens. lat. A. Speca
Cladonia furcata subsp. furcata A. Speca
Cladonia portentosa A. Speca
Cladonia ramulosa A. Speca
Lichens – on lignum (old gorse branches)
Hypotrachyna revoluta sens. lat. (probably sens. str. tbc) A. Speca
Parmelia sulcata A. Speca
Physcia adscendens A. Speca
Xanthoria parietina A. Speca
Rhizoncarpon reductum on stabilised flint pebbles, ID (from spores) tbc. A. Speca
Anthony Speca noted that all of the Lichen species have been recorded in the hectad before – but the records are all 15-20 years old. There were certainly many other lichens there, too!
Members returned to the Village Hall for more refreshments, networking, and another look at the exhibits before the meeting ended at 6pm. Everyone agreed that it was a very interesting site for both heathland species and geology, and an excellent, well-equipped venue. Thank you to the many people that helped to made this event possible.
www.sns.org.uk/sns-meetings-and-events
THURSDAY 28, FROM 7PM
Antlion larvae (Euroleon nostras) found at Westleton
Image: John Jenn, Unsplash
WESTLETON MEETING: A MEMBER’S REPORT
Hannah Alred, SBIS Biological Records Officer (GIS)
This September Suffolk Naturalist Society held a brilliant weekend members meeting at Westleton Common. The day consisted of various exhibits, two talks in the village hall and two field activities all lead by Suffolk experts.
Gavin Deans had kindly set up desks and microscopes with various field guides informing viewers of the specimens examined. These included some fantastic pseudoscorpions, the details of which were very striking through the lens. There were other trays and lenses to view more compost critters too. Flyers for a free Anglian Microscopy Group were scatted around, meetings are once a month on the 3rd Saturday in Crowfield, no experience/microscope needed, and for more information contact Gordon: Anglian.microscopy@gmail.com
There was an impressively neat and detailed display of Hymenoptera by Hawk Honey. Comparing specimen groups and species sizes was particularly interesting; not so easily accomplished when out in the field. Useful to note were the differences between European and Asians hornets, an invasive species that is on the rise in the UK. Key ID features include leg colour; Asian hornets with distinct yellow legs with the hornet being slightly smaller that its European counterpart. The Ruby-tailed wasps (Chrysididae) were also incredibly eye catching as the name suggests.
A brief overview of the work currently underway at the common was given by John Bebbington of Westleton Parish Council. Work is planned to clear some vegetation from the quarry edges to encourage the return of sand martins.
Having wandered around the exhibits and enjoyed hot drinks and a few digestives we were seated for the presentations. The first on the local geology of Westleton Common, given by Howard Mottram. Previous land use as a quarry has left exposed the sediment layers deposited around 2 million years ago with variations caused by rising and lowering sea level. The gravel deposits, mostly consisting of smoothed flint, are everywhere to be found within the area. This was nicely demonstrated when we headed out into the field with Howard. The following talk by Simon Jackson from Ipswich Museum gave insight into the multiple lesser known mammoth species present in the UK. Remains of a species called Steppe Mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii) were discovered in
Ipswich nearly 50 years ago. Work on this exciting discovery was lead by Bob Markham of GeoSuffolk and the Ipswich specimen is one of four from 200,000 years ago, drawing national and international interest. The fossilised bones will be on display when the museum reopens next year.
Having lucked out with a gloriously sunny day we headed over to the common and explored geological features with Howard, invertebrates with Peter Vincent and Ross Piper, and lichens with Anthony Speca. Some key finds included, Harlequin Ladybird larvae, various spider species including Wolf Spider, a couple of butterflies including a Small Copper and many more that Ross and Peter were quick to ID and help guide on key features and answering questions with impressive expertise.
Last but not least was Joan Hardingham’s collection of woodlice, including one coast dwelling Sea Slater species, Pill Woodlice and Millipedes and Common Pygmy Woodlouse among many others, all clearly visibly with a great piece of kit connected to Joan’s phone.
The turnout for the event was good, many comments on how interesting the talks and activities were and many other experts sharing their knowledge within the group. I would be remiss not to give special thanks to those that organised and led this event and would encourage anyone interested in natural history and wildlife recording to come and join the next one!
During the Westleton meeting, we were asked about recording.
Q: Which recording Apps uploaded records to SBIS? A: iRecord.
Q: how often should records be submitted? A: Records over 20 years old are not included for planning purposes (important where sensitive habitats might be affected by a development); it is therefore important for records to be sent regularly, especially for common species, which are often under-recorded.
How to record your sighting
1. Via a County Recorder
Send your record directly to a county recorder
• Birds – North East: Richard Walden • bird-ne@sns.org.uk
• Birds – South East: Steve Fryett • bird-se@sns.org.uk
• Birds – West: Chris Gregory • bird-w@sns.org.uk
• Amphibians & Reptiles: John Baker • amphibian@sns.org.uk
• Aculeate Hymenoptera: Adrian Knowles • hymenoptera@sns.org.uk
• Aquatic Invertebrates: Adrian Chalkley • aquatics@sns.org.uk
• Coleoptera: Ross Piper • coleoptera@sns.org.uk
• Hemiptera: Adrian Knowles • bugs@sns.org.uk
• Butterflies: James Corton • suffolkbutterflies@sns.org.uk
• Orthoptera: Stuart Ling • orthoptera@sns.org.uk
• Dragonflies: Adrian Parr • dragonfly@sns.org.uk
• Ferns & Flowering Plants: Martin Sanford • botany@sns.org.uk
• Freshwater Fish: Phil Strachan • enquiries@sns.org.uk
• Diptera: Peter Vincent • diptera@sns.org.uk
• Fungi & Slime Moulds: Neil Mahler • mycology@sns.org.uk
• Galls: Jerry Bowdrey • gall@sns.org.uk
• Lichens: Chris Hitch • lichen@sns.org.uk
• Bryophytes: Richard Fisk • bryophyte@sns.org.uk
• Mammals: Alison Looser • mammal@sns.org.uk
• Bats (Suffolk Bat Group): Alan Miller • bats@sns.org.uk
• Marine Life: Gen Broad • marine@sns.org.uk
• Molluscs: Ian Killeen • mollusc@sns.org.uk
• Moths: Neil Sherman • moth@sns.org.uk
• Spiders, Arachnids, Isopoda & Myriapoda: Paul Lee • spider@sns.org.uk
• Black Poplar: Sue Hooton • blackpoplar@sns.org.uk
2. Via the SBIS website
Visit the recording page: www.suffolkbis.org.uk/record
Where you can use the SBIS wildlife data recording forms or find out how to send your data directly to SBIS. Or, you could use the survey forms for: Polecats, Rookeries, Stag Beetles, Swifts and Turtle Doves
3. Via the iRecord App: https://irecord.org.uk
Create and upload observations, available for both iPhone and Android, options include:
1. Specific attributes on the casual recording form offered for certain groups (e.g. birds, bryophytes, dragonflies).
2. Recording lists for plant/moth/general surveys.
3. Linking to activities you’ve joined.
4. Automatic image recognition to aid with ID.
5. Extensive list of stage options for invertebrates.
6. Geolocating survey entries.
7. Notification on entering a new grid square during plant survey or species list surveys.
The updated SBIS website contains a wealth of information in the Knowledge Hub. There is a comprehensive library area with back issues of Suffolk Natural History, Suffolk Birds, White Admiral, The Harrier, and Suffolk Argus. Plus Species of the Month, detailed maps and information on landscape features, the Suffolk Bird Atlas and more! www.suffolkbis.org.uk
TIGER HILL BIOBLITZ JUNE 2024
Sue Hooton, Gen Broad and Alison Looser
Saturday the 1st June 2024 was a relatively cool summer’s day, but the weather certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the children and adults (and dogs) who turned up to record the species found in this special Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in south Suffolk. Everyone enjoyed the excitement of finding, and recording, different species of butterflies, birds, plants, mammals, beetles or, in fact, anything alive in the reserve. And we were generously rewarded with tea, cake, lemonade, biscuits, and more, in the cottage garden at the end of the afternoon.
Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve is a 21 ha site with varied habitats, including woodlands, wet woodlands, heath, wet meadow and fenland, lying between Bures and Assington, in the Dedham Vale National Landscape. The majority of it forms part of Arger Fen Site of Special Scientific Interest and hosts rare species such as Hazel Dormouse. Unusually, it is owned by a group of landowners and managed by an LNR Management Committee, which includes Suffolk County Council. For this day only, parts of the reserve which are normally closed to the public were open for survey.
Guided activities, such as pond dipping, helped everyone to get involved. Once the small brownish fish with huge, flattened heads and prominent eyes were transferred from the stream via nets to white plastic trays, we easily identified them as Bullhead or Miller’s Thumb fish. For those interested in mammals,
two keen bat workers from Hybrid Ecology demonstrated how to do aerial surveys for bats, using a video feed to show those of us on the ground what Ollie Coyne was seeing in real time.
We barely scratched the surface of counting the animals and plants forming the Tiger Hill ecosystem, but in summary, the count was: 26 trees/ shrubs, 12 grasses, 1 lichen, 1 moss, 1 rush, 1 sedge, 4 ferns, 50 other flowering plants, 18 birds, 8 butterflies, 4 moths, 2 dragonflies, 10 ‘other’ species such as slugs, woodlouse and fish, 5 mammals, 2 reptiles, 45 other insects and 2 fungi. Some species are still being identified, so the count will be greater when this is finalised. All of these records will go to Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service and will also be used to develop the next edition of the management plan for the LNR, which will make it more focused and effective.
Tiger Hill LNR is outstanding for its diverse range of habitats, so we’ve mentioned just a few of the species recorded on the day in association with the habitats in which they are likely to be found on this fascinating site. We’ve noted some of the connections between the habitats, the plants they support and some associated animals, as well as some interesting facts!
Bat talk and demonstration by staff from Hybrid Ecology.
Rushes and Grasses : Field Wood Rush, Rough Meadow Grass, Meadow Foxtail, Sweet Vernal Grass (which used to be chewed for its vanilla taste), Yorkshire Fog (the pink stem is used as a mnemonic identifying feature called ‘stripey pyjamas’!)
HEATHLAND
Reptiles: Common lizard (need sunny spots to bask)
Flowering plants: Red campion (hedges and indicator of ancient woodland), Common Nettle, Garlic Mustard/Jack-by-the-hedge, Tufted Vetch
Butterflies and moths : Red Admiral, Comma, The Snout moth, Angle Shades moth, White Ermine moth (the caterpillars of all these species feed on Common Nettle), Small White butterfly (caterpillar
WOODLAND
Butterflies and Moths : Bagworm – the life cycle of this micromoth is astonishing. The female has no wings and lives her entire life in a silken case. After mating, she pokes her head out and wriggles around aiming to get eaten by a passing bird. This ensures that, although the individual dies, her eggs are dispersed in the bird’s droppings. Speckled Wood butterfly is found in partially shaded woodland with dappled sunlight, often two spiralling in the air, the caterpillars feed on Cocksfoot grass.
Flies: Snake fly (usually found in tree canopy)
WET
WOODLAND
Trees: Alder
Sedges: Remote sedge
Flowering plants: Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifrage, Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil
PONDS,
Reptiles: Slow worms – incredibly this species can live to be 20 years old.
Flowering plants: Meadow Vetchling
Birds: Barn Owl
Sheep’s Sorrel), Small Heath (adults feed on Tormentil and Bramble, caterpillars feed on fine grasses such as Bents and Fescues). Small Heath is classed as Vulnerable in the GB Red List.
Ants : Southern or Red Wood Ant (build large nests out of soil, twigs, leaves and pine needles)
feeds on crucifers such as Garlic Mustard)
Birds: Robin, Blackcap, Wren
Bees: Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee (a parasite species that takes over the nests of other bee species, particularly Buff-tailed Bumblebee), Common Carder Bee
Spiders: Common Sun-jumper spider
Beetles: Cardinal beetle
Trees : Oak, Ash, Sweet Chestnut, Beech, Sycamore, Field Maple, Holly, Rowan, Yew
Butterflies: Common Blue (caterpillar feeds on Bird’sfoot-trefoil sp.)
Beetles: Chequered click beetle
STREAMS AND MARGINAL VEGETATION
Mosses: Polytrichum sp.
Flowering plants: Water Figwort, Brooklime, Water mint, Ladies Smock, Meadowsweet, Giant Horsetail (a favourite with dragonflies, this ancient group of plant species predate dinosaurs)
Ferns: Broad Buckler fern, Male Fern, Lady Fern
Dragonflies: Broad bodied chaser,
Common blue damselfly
Fish: Bullhead fish is the only freshwater sculpin found in the UK. It is recognisable from its very large head with eyes on the top, a flattened tapering body and mottled brownish camouflage colouring.
Flies: Mayfly nymph
True bugs: Water Boatmen
We would like to thank the owners and family members of Tiger Hill LNR, together with the volunteers past and present of the LNR Management Committee for making the Bioblitz day such a success in engaging people with nature. Hopefully the event has encouraged several young naturalists to study the wildlife around them and learn more about it.
And thank you to all the naturalists, particularly County recorders for Suffolk Naturalists Society (SNS) who joined in, Dedham Vale National Landscape Youth Rangers, staff at SBIS and families who made this another successful bioblitz with many species recorded, common and rare, during a fascinating day. Let’s hope that the next event is even more successful and more SNS County recorders can take up the invitation to visit this Local Nature Reserve as it is one of Suffolk’s best. Visits to Tiger Hill LNR can be made by arrangement as this is a requirement of the designation in areas where visitors would not damage or disturb wildlife.
Natural England states that Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are a statutory designation made under Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 by principal local authorities. LNRs are for people and wildlife, offering people opportunities to study or learn about nature or to simply enjoy it. They should be part of the core conservation areas included within the Local Nature Recovery Network, so Tiger Hill LNR is keen to play a role in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Suffolk to connect more people with nature. Tiger Hill LNR is unusual as it is privately owned rather than owned by a local authority or leased to a wildlife organisation. It used to be the only privately owned LNR out of the 36 LNRs in Suffolk, with SCC maintaining its role on the LNR Committee meeting the requirement for a legal interest with a Local Authority.
In issue 114, I wrote about the plight of my resident Barn owls, when I described the Egyptian geese nesting in the Barn owl’s nest hole. When the female was off her nest, I quickly used a ladder to investigate the situation. The large ‘knot hole’ entrance presents access to a slightly lower shelf which the geese had filled with feathers and down concealing several warm eggs. Another void or passage continued behind the nest; this is where the owls usually nested. The slim chance of the neighbours getting along would necessitate the owls walking over the goose nest so that was not going to happen.
By mid-March, the geese had hatched seven youngsters which parachuted 3 metres to the ground safely. Within a few days I noticed that the male Barn owl was sitting in the now vacant hole. Over the following months I only saw the male hunting occasionally, day and night.
In the first week of August, I saw a dark plumaged female ringed Barn owl several times and occasionally an un-ringed male. To my surprise, on the 20th of August I watched a juvenile Barn owl in the hole bobbing and weaving as they do. Perhaps this is the only one to survive but it was later found dead. After getting its full plumage it appeared that the parents abandoned it, perhaps lack of food lead to self-preservation.
I finally got a barn owl nest box erected to give the owls an alternative nest site after Egyptian Geese moved in. The owls quickly found the box and were spotted sitting on it together bonding about 3 weeks later.
DISCOVERY AND OBSERVATION OF ODYNERUS SIMILLIMUS (ISO. RICHARDS: 1980) AND NESTING AGGREGATION AT SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST
CARLTON MARSHES
Hawk Honey
Working as a visitor experience officer for SWT, I spent a day at the Carlton Marshes nature reserve (TM508919) on 17th July 2024. Whilst on my lunch break, I took the time to investigate a swale (drainage ditch) that was a mixture of sand and soil. The ditch had dried out being fully exposed to the sun and due to heavy foot traffic caused by children going to and from the adjacent play area that is next to the ditch, the grass that led up to the ditch was sparse and patchy leaving areas of bare earth in between.
I walked along the base of the ditch observing several Oxybelus uniglumis, Sphecodes, Lasioglossum and Andrena sp visiting various holes along the north bank, which is south facing. I suddenly noticed an entrance hole that had a small built-up protrusion around it. I have come across Odynerus spinipes nesting aggregations before and realised that this must also be an Odynerus nest entrance. However, the entrance to this nest differed to that of O. spinipes in that instead of it being on the vertical bank face and having a lattice chimney 3-4 cm long curving downwards, this nest was on the flat horizontal top of the bank and protruded 5-8mm from the ground upwards. There were no entrances found on the bank face, only on the top of the bank, edge of the bank or where there was a horizontal flat ledge on the bank face.
It wasn’t long before I saw the wasp and netted it quickly. Once potted, I knew straight away that it was not O. spinipes by the colour of the bands being creamy instead of yellow. My first immediate thought was that it was O. melanocephalus. However, after forwarding a couple of quick images to a friend (David Basham), he quickly pointed out the spot on the metanotum making it O. simillimus, a pRDB1 species that was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery by M E Archer in 1986. Records for this species are confined to the coast of East Anglia on coastal grazing marsh and fens and there are only two known records for Suffolk of this species, P. Yeo 1991 Snape Maltings (TM35) and M. Edwards 2001 RSPB Minsmere (TM46). Closer records appear in Norfolk (TG41) just north of the nature reserve.
I made a count of visible entrances and found ~40 individual entrances stretching along the top edge of the ditch for approximately 10 metres at the eastern end of the ditch.
The swale measures a total of nearly 60 metres in length with a 4m wide break midway to allow for access to the play-area, but children being children, they happily run across the swale to get there instead. The nesting area is concentrated on the east ditch with none being found elsewhere along its banks.
According to Hymettus: A survey of Odynerus simillimus nest sites in the Norfolk Broads in 2008. Strudwick 2008:
Odynerus simillimus nests were located in a fairly wide range of situations. The soils included sandy silts, pure silts, silty clay and a clay/sand/chalk mix, though none were on pure sand or peat. All were on raised substrates, created by human activity – flood banking, ditch and pond excavation and maintenance. Nest sites were all exposed to the sun for several hours during the middle of the day. Nest sites are always on more or less bare ground, though often small patches within
Specimen showing spot on metanotum.
Two nest entrances on top of ditch edge.
Arrows depicting top edge of swale where O. simillimus is nesting. Visitor centre to the north at top.
well vegetated ground. Individual nest burrows were close together, even where apparently suitable nest sites are not limited.
All of this matched the current nest site as it was in a man-made swale floodbanking ditch, in a mix of clay/sand soil. The site was completely exposed to the sun for most of the day, each entrance was situated in bare ground or amongst vegetation in areas of bare ground and entrances were mainly clustered.
However, there was some differing of observation from Strudwick in that there are no trees nearby.
Trees were nearby to all sites – no nests were more than 15m from a tree, and two of the four sites were in well-wooded landscape. This may not be significant, since trees are frequent close to wetland margins in the Broads, but it is possibly indicative of the beneficial microclimate provided by trees in an otherwise open, windswept habitat.
At this site, the nearest trees are ~50m away. There is a building (visitor centre) 21m to the north, but this provides no shelter to the nest site, and I believe does not influence the area of the nesting aggregation at all.
O. simillimius peering out from nest entrance.
The ditch looking east is between the picnic area and play area. Female leaving nest.
Speaking to colleagues at the site (M. Gooch & A. Hickinbotham), the swale, which was created in 2020 and was previously an arable wheat field, rarely gets flooded and drains away quite quickly when it does. They asked should the area be cordoned off to protect the nest site but I said this would actually do more harm than good as this would cause the vegetation to spread due to the reduced footfall and it would be better to leave it as it currently stands as the wasps, along with other hymenoptera, do not seem to be put off by the current activity around the nesting area.
References:
https://bwars.com/wasp/vespidae/eumeninae/odynerus-simillimus Strudwick (2008), A survey of Odynerus simillimus nest sites in the Norfolk Broads in 2008, Midhurst http://hymettus.org.uk/downloads/O.%20simillimus%20in%20Norfolk%2008.pdf https://bwars.com/sites/default/files/diary_downloads/20221110%20species%20list.csv https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000876483
SNS SUBSCRIPTION RATES ARE CHANGING
It was agreed at the AGM (April 2024), to increase SNS subscription rates in 2025. This is due to increasing costs for printing and distributing our publications. The rates for SNS have remained unchanged since 2004 when individual membership increased from £14 to £15. That’s 20 years ago! For those of you who are joint members, the SBG subscription will stay the same. Subscription rates for 2025 will be as follows:
NOTE: for those paying by Direct Debit, the increase will happen automatically when payment is taken at the beginning of January.
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Trevor Goodfellow
A poor year for butterflies as I am sure you have all noticed. We shall soon see the evidence when the Suffolk County Butterfly Report is published but I hear all too often: ‘I haven’t seen many butterflies this year’. My own observations have shown smaller numbers of most species and only one or two Small Tortoiseshells. When I was a kid buddleia bushes were full of them and that was in the days of DDT and talk of another ice age!
Ironically, I have seen far more Marbled Whites than anything else and more Marsh Fritillaries in Suffolk than the struggling resident Dingy Skippers. It has been suggested that parasites are partly responsible for the declines possibly driven by climate change. It is certainly undeniable that the seasons are changing and as we seem to have lost spring and autumn, leaving prolonged summer and winter, could it be, as I suggest, that the main losses are during winter? Risks of predation and starvation are increased with mild spells and prolonged wet weather.
Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla
Moth trapping at home this year has been exciting, and despite moths suffering decline too, I have seen 35 species for the first time this year. Two that were on my wish list were the Jersey Tiger – Euplagia quadripunctaria and the Olive Tree Pearl – Palpita vitrealis, both little crackers. Another star appearance was a Cream-spot Tiger - Arctia villica and Clifden nonpareil – Catocala fraxini for the third year running. An annual record number of species recorded at 816 at the time of writing, just at home.
Outside the butterfly season I have done a bit of birding and seen a few species for the first time without travelling very far. Purple Heron, Red-back Shrike, Slavonian Grebe to name a few.
Now we are in autumn, toadstools are popping up all around giving me another outdoor interest before it is deep winter.
Plume moth
Olive Tree Pearl Palpita vitrealis
HIS MAJESTY – THE PURPLE EMPEROR
Rasik Bhadresa
It was cold and drizzly this morning in early July when I set off for my daily walk just before 7. Having walked to the weir at Judas Gap on the Stour and round the circuit behind Willy Lott’s House, I was walking up Flatford Lane towards Burnt Oak corner (Grid ref: TM 07704 33965) when I saw this fairly dark structure ‘sticking-up’ off the road. A dead leaf? But as I got nearer and bent down to look, I realised it was a butterfly with wings folded up. Seeing an ‘eyespot’, my first reaction was to get it to safety before some car came along. So I just picked it up gently and put it on the wet grassy bank on the left. Sure enough, a couple of cars went by just then! Possibly the disturbance ‘roused’ it because in a few seconds, it opened and spread its wings. I was simply gobsmacked! Quite a large butterfly (c.7 cm across), the dorsal wings had a subtle sheen of bright bluey-purple adorned with white bands and spots, with a distinctive orange ring on each hindwing. It was a male Purple Emperor (Apatura iris). Wow. It folded its wings shut again.
At this point, I thought it was appropriate to get him further away from the bank and more into the open. Getting out my secateurs, I cut a few hazel shoots and put them down in front of a nearby gate. Then I went back and picked it up again and put it on the bed of leaves. I started to take photos, the opportunity was too good to miss, firstly a side view (1). Coincidentally,
2. Dorsal view in full glory
1. Side view
a Harlequin Ladybird larva crept into the scene! It was still a bit cold but the sun began to appear and slowly at first, it stretched out its wings to reveal its full iridescent glory (2). As it warmed up, it walked towards the end of the twig and at one point lost balance and flipped over (3) revealing its remarkable ventral patterns of oranges and whites, its striking limey-green eyes and yellow strapped proboscis. It righted itself (4) settling itself for at least another five minutes, possibly to warm up. Suddenly, it took off and flew up into the mixed hawthorn/blackthorn hedge nearby, its markings looking quite different against the sunlight (5). With wings stretched out, it was off again and towards the tall and dense canopy of predominantly oak and ash, from where it had presumably descended. Only time will tell whether it was simply a vagrant, or belonged to a local population having expanded into a new territory.
This splendid enigmatic butterfly, also dubbed ‘His Majesty’, flies high in the canopies of wooded landscapes where it feeds on honeydew and tree sap. The adults are extremely elusive, the males occasionally descending to the ground morning-time where they look for salts and other nutrients either from road surfaces (what mine was possibly doing) or from animal dung. However, for the Purple Emperor it is important that there are willow bushes nearby, their primary larval food plant, on which females lay their eggs. Again no shortage of these nearby, so will there be more to stumble upon in the future? Watch this space! I have reported the find to James Corton, the Suffolk Butterfly Recorder (the Suffolk branch of Butterfly Conservation) so the sighting will go onto the National database.
3. Ventral view in full glory
4. Warming up
5. In the canopy
A NATURAL HISTORY JOURNEY WITH WOODLICE
In a better-spent part of my youth I studied Zoology. Life then intervened and between fruit farming and family I kept up a random interest in whatever wildlife was around, not getting to grips with anything in particular. SNS helped me keep in touch through those years. You can never retire from farming but eventually you have time for your own projects and I decided to get to know one group of wildlife. Woodlice seemed a good bet: easily identified, only 25odd species in Suffolk, don’t fly or sting, found year round, can’t be much to it(!)
I discovered that Paul Lee – expert on things with more than 6 legs – last published a woodlouse survey in Transactions 1993 so I ambitiously thought I could do a follow up. On-line I discovered that the BMIG – British Myriapod and lsopod Group were having their annual field meeting in Wales – what a good start! I successfully applied for a bursary from SNS for which I am most grateful. This was at the Plas Tan y Bwlch, Field Studies Centre based a slate mine owner’s mansion set in a beautiful Welsh valley near Harlech. I joined 28 enthusiastic and friendly people studying both isopods (woodlice) and myriapods (centipedes and millepedes). To get into a subject, spending time with other helpful enthusiasts is essential. So I spent 3 days hunting for woodlice in unexpected places, and in unpredictable weather – on the beach, in the sea, in the beautiful woodland in the area and, like botanists, much
time was spent before even leaving the car park. One drawback of being with experts is getting them down to novice level, but you just have to keep asking. We were joined by a team from the Natural History Museum, working on the Darwin Tree of Life Project, collecting positively identified specimens to analyse the DNA to establish when lsopods first emerged from the sea where they originated. It shows how amateur expertise in species identification can contribute to complex research.
Woodlice are Crustacea in the order Isopoda and are characterised by having 7 pairs of equal unmodified legs. 30 or so species are found in UK and about 25 in Suffolk. Several introductions are found only in garden centres, botanical gardens etc. I got very bogged down poring over keys, which are different in every publication (see end) and you really need some expert guidance as some species are distinguished e.g. by the angle of the point on the edge of the first pleonite (thank you Paul). Woodlice vary a lot in size and colour, between and within species and the lifecycle. They go through several moults and as adults, species range in size from 4-20mm, so presumed youngsters could actually be adults of another species.
After an exhaustive search for woodlice on my own patch I decided that rather than chasing a species list it would be more interesting to concentrate on ‘the big 5’ common species and study their life cycles. So for me the thrill of the chase is actually to observe and photograph features and events and acquiring the necessary technical knowledge and observational skills. Their medicinal and cultural contributions will have to wait!
They happily live in petri dishes (or other plastic container) and will breed so the sexes and juvenile stages can be observed. They need moss rooted in soil, rotten wood, some tissue (loo paper) kept moist with pond water, on which I placed food – finely sliced carrot, potato, squash innards are popular, powdered cuttlefish and dried cat food all recharged every week or so. Kept in a cool room or outside in a cool-box, they need some light every few days.
The common ‘Big 5’ are shown below along with Sea Slaters. Sea Slaters are happy in a plastic tub with seaweed, sand and a stone; and, to emulate their coastal habitat, sea water which is changed every few days (I keep a supply in a bottle and shake to aerate it), and all kept in the fridge and put in the light occasionally. I also have Pill millepedes Glomera marginata which can be mistaken for the Pill woodlouse except for the numerous legs when they unroll and the lack of segments or uropods at the rear.
Before tackling keys there are the body parts to learn: 7 pairs legs one pair on each of the segments (perionites) on the thorax (perion).
(Line diagrams: S.L. Sutton (1972))
Common Rough Porcellio scaber, Common Shiny Oniscus asellus, Common Striped Philoscia muscorum
Common Pill Armadillidium vulgare, Common Pygmy Trichoniscus pusillus agg., Sea Slater Ligia oceanica
Looking at the underside: the absence or presence of 2 or 5 pairs of white patches – the external lungs (Line diagram: S.L. Sutton (1972))
The difference between male (left) having central backward pointing projections for sperm transfer. Females (centre) raise young in a brood pouch between the legs. (Line diagram: S.L. Sutton (1972))
Females – top right: with lungs, centre: without lungs, left: brood pouch with eggs, right: with mancae
The head with or without projections or "horns" and the number of segments at the end of the antennae (the flagellum).
(Line diagram: S.L. Sutton (1972))
While some detail can only be seen with a microscope and/or after pickling, enough can be seen with the naked eye or a hand lens. A stereo microscope or a smart phone camera give fascinating detail.
Preservation: Some features disappear when preserved but reference specimens should be kept, killed rapidly in ethyl acetate and then preserved in 70% ethanol. I use small glass or plastic vials and include details inside written on a cartridge ‘art’ paper label with graphite pencil. Keep a good record in a notebook. I wish I had the handwriting of the old naturalists!
Oniscus asellus, size variation through the lifecycle and moulting which is in 2 stages, first the hind end (right) –already enlarging – then the front. After moulting the casing is consumed. Do not to disturb them at this stage.
Penny-Pig
Sink-Lice
Tiggy-Hog
Grammerzow
Rolypoly
Woodbug
Armadillo Bug
Ball Bug
Hardy Back
Potato Bug
Chuggy Pig
Butcher Boy
Curly-Baker
Carpenter
Cheesybug
Cheeselog
Daddy Gamfer
Granny Grey
Doodle Bug
Sow-Bug
Pill-Bug
Slater
What to note when observing
• Traditional curling up into a tight ball: one of 2 species of Armadillidium (n.b. the Pill millepede has too many legs). If only a partial ball, antennae and/or uropods protruding can define the species.
• Size: note that adults of the different species vary from 4 to 20mm.
• Activity: clamps e.g. Oniscus asellus or runs Philoscia muscorum or a bit of both Porcellio scaber.
• Body outline: continuous e.g. Oniscus asellus or "stepped" (the pleon segments taper) e.g. Philoscia muscorum.
• Colour: uniform; shiny; with a ‘bloom’; spots or stripes in lines or crossways. Texture: smooth; bumpy or with ridges in lines longitudinally or crossways and any variation between individuals.
• Antennae tip (flagellum) segments: 2 – e.g. Porcellio scaber or 3: Oniscus asellus, several ‘beads’: e.g Ligia oceanica and L. hypnorum (a wetland species) or a tapered cone with a bristle: Trichoniscus pusillus.
• Uropods: blunt, wide and not projecting beyond the body outline (Armadillidium); projecting and spear-shaped e.g (Oniscus asellus) or forked e.g (Trichoniscus pusilus).
• Male or female, adult or juvenile? Woodlice undergo 4-5 moults. The first instar is called a manca (mancae) and are tiny and difficult to see. At this stage they only have 6 pairs of legs and fewer body segments, after the next moult the 7th pair of legs and additional body segments appear.
Essential first reading:
• Irwin, A. G. and Jones R. E., (2020)Woodlice of Norfolk, Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, pdf online: https://tinyurl.com/45jab96e
• Lee, Paul, (1993) Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 29
• Richards, Paul, An Introduction to Woodlice British Myriapod and Isopod Society (BMIG) pdf online: https://tinyurl.com/y8asfhta
• Sutton, S.L., (1972), Woodlice, Ginn and Co.
• Wheatear, Read & Wheatear (2023), Animals Under logs and Stones, Pelagic Publishing Information
• The Darwin Tree of Life Project: www.darwintreeoflife.org
• SNS Grants and Bursaries: see inside back cover.
DISCOVERING GEOIPSWICH
Caroline Markham
GeoSuffolk’s new, free leaflet focusing on geology in Ipswich was launched at St Peters by the Waterfront on September 14th to celebrate Heritage Open Days. It is the latest in a series of leaflets we have written on the geology of Suffolk, all available on our website www.geosuffolk.co.uk. There is such a wealth of geological material in the buildings, streets, and parks of Ipswich that this leaflet practically wrote itself! It starts at the Question on the Waterfront, the black dolerite from Uruguay (used to dramatic effect with a white Portuguese marble) is surely the furthest travelled rock in Ipswich (1). Following this, the leaflet describes the geology of St Nicholas Church and surroundings, the Cornhill, Ipswich Museum, Christchurch Park, and Blackfriars (Foundation Street). You can visit the six locations separately or take a longer walk and cover them all.
The deposits which underlie Suffolk have a fascinating story all of their own, but they provide little in the way of good quality building materials. Ipswich has several examples of the use of the mudstone (from the London Clay with outcrops along our shores) in its Medieval buildings. The leaflet uses the Blackfriars ruins to show this, borings made by ‘Medieval’ marine molluscs and worms are clues that the mudstone was obtained from the foreshore or from submarine outcrops (2). The beautiful
1. The ‘Question’ on the Waterfront
2. Mudstone with modern marine borings at Blackfriars.
3. Belgian Tournai Limestone font in St Peters by the Waterfront.
12th century Belgian limestone font, with its carved quadrupeds, in St Peters by the Waterfront is a very early example of imported stone, presumably possible because of our waterfront location (3).
Good communications by land and sea have added to the variety of Ipswich’s building materials. Once the railway arrived in 1846 the Victorians imported stone from around Britain for their civic buildings, limestones from Bath and Dorset and sandstone from Nottinghamshire are used in the Town Hall. The Portland Stone in this building has a surface created by masons to resemble weathered rock containing fossil burrows, perhaps of sea urchins (4). The terracotta ornamentation on the High Street Museum façade was made in Lambeth, the ‘fossils’ here were chosen by John Ellor Taylor, Curator of Ipswich Museum. The helically coiled ammonite is depicted in gilt on the green cloth spine of his book, Geological Stories, 1873 (5).The Victorians also dug out the Wet Dock and the sarsen stones they found there are now in the rockery in Christchurch Park, some showing the characteristic mammillated surface often seen on these rocks (6).
And what of the 21st century? The Question on the Waterfront of course. The Portuguese marble and Uruguayan dolerite indicate our ability to import rocks from anywhere on the planet now. Copies of the leaflet will be at various outlets around Ipswich, or download one from the GeoSuffolk web site. GeoSuffolk is indebted to the Ipswich Society for their support for this project.
4. Portland Stone in the Town Hall.
5. Ammonite on the spine of Geological Stories by J E Taylor, 1873
6. Sarsen stone in the rockery at Christchurch Park
WILLIAM KIRBY (1759 - 1850), RECTOR OF BARHAM, SUFFOLK: A NATURALIST OF ‘THE OLD SCHOOL’.
Patrick Armstrong
William Kirby has often been referred to as ‘the father of entomology’, a title that has also occasionally been accorded to others, but there would be few that would dispute the allocation to him of the dignity of the designation of ‘the father of Suffolk entomology’. Born to a solicitor’s family at Witnesham, he studied at Ipswich Grammar School and Caius College Cambridge. He was ordained in 1781, and spent the entire remainder of his life in the village of Barham (about 5 miles, 8km, north of Ipswich, close to his birthplace), first as curate and then as Rector. He was a competent botanist, but is best known for An Introduction to Entomology, written jointly with William Spence (1815, many subsequent editions). He wrote a number of scientific papers over his career, but Kirby produced his first major work, Monographia Apum Angliae (Monograph on the Bees of England), in 1802, a pioneering monograph. He described his purpose thus:
The author of Scripture is also the author of Nature: and this visible world, by types indeed and by symbols, declares the same truths as the Bible does by words. To make the naturalist a religious man – to turn his attention to the glory of God, that he may declare his works, and in the study of his creatures may see the loving-kindness of the Lord –may this in some measure be the fruit of my work…
Fig 1. Title page of William Kirby’s monograph on English wild bees, 1802.
He was thus definitely part of the natural theology movement, the founder of which was John Ray (1627-1705), another East Anglian (and Cambridge) naturalist. Natural theologians believed that the study of the beauty and complexity of living things gave the observer an insight to the Creator. Kirby was also influenced by Gilbert White’s Natural History of Selborne, and Introduction was similarly presented as a series of letters (Armstrong, 2000, 2002, 2015).
Although in a small Suffolk parish for approaching 70 years, Kirby was not isolated. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and travelled to London: he knew Sir Joseph Banks. He visited Cambridge, and as well as being an early supporter
of the Ipswich Museum, he assisted in the development of that at Norwich. Such a long incumbency meant that he got to know the plants, animals (particularly insects), environment and people of his locality extremely well.
He could be credited with developing economic entomology, for the Introduction places great emphasis on the beneficial and harmful effects of insects.
Fig. 2 Barham Parsonage, the residence of William Kirby: Lithograph by an unknown artist, about 1850.
He also, in describing the locomotion, and breeding behaviour of insects, was a pioneer in ethology, the study of animal behaviour.
His observations are usually excellent and very detailed but the literary style is very much of its era. In discussion his beloved wild bees:
A considerable number of wild bees, however (those of the genera Nomada, Melecta &c.), being unprovided with an apparatus for collecting pollen, save themselves not only this labour, but also that of excavating cells; and gliding into those in which their more industrious brethren have deposited their eggs and the necessary supply of pollen moistened with honey for food, they also cuckoo-like, insinuate their own eggs (imitating in this respect the carnivorous parasites [Ichneumons]), the larvae from which live at the cost of the rightful occupants (Introduction to Entomology, 1859 edition, p.197)
A wordy and anthropomorphic style of this nature would not be acceptable today.
The book was extremely popular and influential in its day. There was a copy aboard HMS Beagle, and Charles Darwin referred to it in his writings, particularly on the behaviour of insects. Nevertheless, the approach used by Kirby in some of his interpretations of the natural world has meant that his work is sometimes quoted by modern Creationist writers.
William Kirby, although a great innovator in his recording of natural history, had a reputation for being somewhat ‘old fashioned’ even in his own day. Politically, socially and theologically he was a conservative. His Tory alignment was the source of occasional comment, and it has been suggested that his political views were a factor in his not gaining the professorship of Botany
in Cambridge (John Henslow, his great friend, and Rector of another Suffolk parish obtained it, but there was no rancour).
The threat of social disturbance, unrest or revolution terrified him. William Kirby assisted in preparing pamphlets, about the ‘notorious’ Tom Paine –originally from Thetford in Norfolk and a great political activist, philosopher and devotee of the French and American revolutions.
A stubborn fact passed before Mr. Kirby’s own observation, which was, that this man was not only squandering, in vice and iniquity, the ill-gotten reward of his infamous labours, but had even taken by fraud, for the same purpose, the small pittance of his widowed mother, and left her to pine in misery and starvation.
It is clear that Kirby was something of a partisan onlooker!
Yet despite being an advocate of the status quo, socially and politically, he was a great encourager of the education of working people, particularly those of the countryside, and a supporter of museums and the institutions of education. He was also extremely conscientious about his duties as Rector (and for a time Archdeacon). He favoured highly traditional clerical garb, usually in the fashion of a couple of generations previously.
An account of his daily and weekly routine is of interest.
The time before breakfast was devoted to reading the scriptures in Greek or Hebrew. After breakfast [he read] one of the [Early Christian] Fathers until noon, with a classic author on alternate days, and this was followed by exercise until an early dinner. The afternoon was devoted to natural history, and the evening to miscellaneous reading, correspondence etc. Wednesday and Friday were devoted to systematic visiting of the parish . These rules were observed with great accuracy for a very long period of his life; latterly his custom was to read the New Testament in Greek after breakfast (which he always did aloud) and it was rarely that this was neglected... He would often rise early to ascertain the proceedings of the insect world. (Freeman. 1852)
But occasionally the gleam of a somewhat different personality would shine through. Arriving late at a country inn late one evening with companions, on their way to Cambridge, and having been provided with a somewhat ‘make do’ supper he noted: ‘A Suffolk damsel, to my no small glee waits upon us.’
References
Armstrong, P H, 2000. The English Parson-naturalist: a Companionship between Science and Religion. Gracewing, Leominster.
, 2002. Antlions: a Link between Charles Darwin and an Early East Suffolk Naturalist, Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 38, pp. 81–86.
, 2015. William Kirby (1759-1850): Eminent Suffolk Naturalist, Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 51, pp. 1–8.
Freeman, J, 1852. The Life of the Rev. W. Kirby, &c., Longman, Brown, Green & Longman, London.
Kirby, W, 1802, Monographia Apum Angliae (Monograph on the Bees of England), London.
Kirby, W, and Spence W 1815 An Introduction to Entomology, London. The 7th edition of 1857 was used here.
Fig 3. The Reverend William Kirby. Mezzotint by T. Lupton, 1828, after H. Howard. From an early edition of The Introduction to Entomology. Wikipedia Commons, in the Public Domain.
SNS has a growing Facebook group where members share their photos and observations, and ask for, or offer, help with identifying mystery sightings.
To join the group:
• Search Facebook for Suffolk Naturalists Society - Members Group
• Use the QR code above
• Use this url https://www.facebook.com/groups/5161346860620607
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Re: The new locust years of ancient woodland destruction
I managed Bradfield Woods NNR in Suffolk for 38 years, and retired five years ago. I was the first warden/manager of the site, and my job initially was to get the woodland back into coppice rotation on an approximate 25 year cycle. I was very fortunate that Professor Oliver Rackham had carried out a very detailed survey of the wood with a wonderful map showing the medieval bank and ditch where they still existed, with all the rides and internal ditches, the deer launds, the sand lenses and even the details of the soil pHs throughout the site. Roughly 10% of the wood was non intervention, mostly a “deer laund” consisting of 80–100 year old trees and a meadow. So 6–8 acres of coppicing needed to be carried out each winter in order to maintain the cycle. The mandate was to bring in as much income as possible from the material, which was done principally in the form of firewood, and other products like thatching rods and spars, bean poles, pea sticks etc. This was done along with a regular group of volunteers, and over the years I built up enough of a market to bring in a good income, just enough to cover the costs of 1.5 members of staff, but by no means could we make a profit! Only when the Suffolk Wildlife Trust took on the lease of the wood 25 years ago and were able to obtain Heritage Lottery funding were we able to do things like improving some access tracks and investing in equipment such as a mini forwarder with flotation tyres, was productivity improved. Most ancient woodlands that still survive today, certainly in East Anglia, only do so because they are on heavy
Thank you to those who completed the online Members’ Survey, which closed on 1st October. 86% of our members were invited to take part by email and 27% of the total membership responded.
To ensure everyone can share their feedback, we will be sending out paper surveys to members that we couldn’t email. Once these have been returned we will publish the results.
The council are already taking steps to implement some of the suggestions from the online survey, for example, more events and meetings.
SNS MEMBERS’ SURVEY 2024
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ABOUT SNS MEETINGS AND EVENTS
SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX?
Did you get an email invitation to the November Members’ Meeting? If not, we may not have your current email address.
A lot can happen between issues of White Admiral, and we would like to keep you updated. If you don’t receive SNS emails, and would like to, please email enquiries@sns.org.uk with ‘Email Update’ in the subject line, and your name or first line of your address in the text.
boulder clay soils, poorly drained and not productive for farming, so any extraction of the timber products can only be done in the short window of a dry summer, to avoid compaction. If contractors have to be relied on to carry out the extraction, getting them to wait for the right time is ruddy nigh impossible!
Since retirement, I have volunteered in a large private ancient woodland that was mostly coniferised in the 1960s. With the help of grants, the conifers were removed 15 years ago by a forestry agent and the deep ruts in the tracks caused by this work can still be seen today. The long term effects of these I hesitate to guess at, but it is certainly not a good look and makes extraction more difficult than it should be. The owner is keen to improve the wood for wildlife so has taken on a self employed manager who, in the last few years, has accumulated suitable equipment and is able to wait until the right time for extraction (though when that will be this year after the wettest on winters for a very long time, who knows!)
Yes, better management plans are needed, to include all historical features to be avoided, also important wildlife areas too, such as ponds and wet areas.
My biggest worries for ancient woodlands are the general lack of interest in management/investment, with understorey lost to long term shading, and increasing deer numbers, despite some really good control in some areas.
Pure forestry may be able to make a profit, but ancient woodland owners rarely will, and so need better support and encouragement. There are a very small number of people in Suffolk who are able to restore ancient woodland sites and I have seen some fantastic results of their work after dead hedging or Herris
fencing to protect the coups, but even using a very small tractor/forwarder takes its toll. Lightweight machinery over many trips becomes quite a burden on machinery with down time and costs.
The future: Suggesting that we go back to horse and cart “for traditionally managed ancient woodlands” is simply not feasible. Argocats just won’t cut the mustard! We need a more pragmatic approach with support for contractors who use the right lightweight, robust machinery if we are to give our neglected ancient woodlands any chance of survival with the diversity that they once had.
Pete Fordham, MBE
Back issue of British Wildlife
I have a full collection of British Wildlife back issues, to give away. However you will need to collect them from Alconbury. If you are interested please email me on: dickseamons@gmail.com
Dick Seamons
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
◀ Willow Emerald Damselfly
This species is now turning up fairly regularly in my garden at this time of year. 11 Sep 2024, Bredfield
Stewart Belfield
Cyclosa conica ▶
Cyclosa conica with its web stabilimentum. A spider I’ve always wanted to see and now I have! 15 Sep 2024, Brantham
Justin Grant
The Pantaloon Bee: Further Sightings ▶
Although we get many bees in our garden, we were unaware of the Pantaloon bee, Dasypoda hirtipes. This was featured, with a photo, by Debbie Broom in the Spring 2024 issue of White Admiral.
On 21st July 2024, my wife Marie and I were volunteering at the ten-acre wildlife garden at Priors Oak, Aldeburgh, which was being opened in aid of the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation. The gardener, Paul Buckle, had made the wise decision not to cut the grass in the main parking area. Consequently, visitors were met by a carpet of yellow Hawkweed and Bird’s-foot Trefoil and a Pantaloon bee was seen visiting the Hawkweeds.
On 29th July, Marie found two Pantaloon bees, one at the Bishop’s Hill end and a second close to the Stable Block of Holywells Park, Ipswich. Two days later, she saw the species again at the northern end of Christchurch Park.
Debbie mentioned a field of yellow flowers close by, and in each of these four sightings, the Pantaloon bee was feeding on a short species of Hawkweed.
Richard Stewart
◀ Chicken of the Woods
Great to see this large ‘sulphurous’ bracket fungus in late August. It was definitely ‘not in the woods’ but actually growing on a large floating oak log tethered to a reinforced bank at Flatford, a handy duck refuge. I got in touch with county recorder Neil Mahler who said, “This is really fascinating because it could be the very same log that was floating in the water by the Field Centre buildings about 15 years ago with a large Ganoderma bracket fungus growing on it. Yes, a great specimen of Laetiporus sulphureus – you are lucky to have photographed it”.
• 27 Nov • Invertebrate Study Day • Natural History Museum • Use the LNHS library and NHM microscope facilities to identify your invertebrate specimens with support from experienced recorders.
• 3 Dec • Plants for Pollinators: Using DNA to Explore Relationships in Gardens • Hear about research on using DNA to explore the intricate relationships between organisms in gardens.
• 11 Dec • Invertebrate Study Day • Natural History Museum • see above
• 17 Dec • Invasive Plants of the UK • Learn about the 8 invasive plant species that are widely spread in England and Wales.
• 30 Dec • Bumblebees of the UK: 1 • Learn about “The Big 8” most common bumblebees in the UK.
• 7 Jan • How Many Moths and Butterflies? The Importance of Taxonomy
• 8 Jan • Dragonflies of the UK: 1 • Learn about hawker and emperor species of dragonfly breeding in the UK.
• 15 Jan • Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium • The latest research in nature-friendly gardening to help you make evidence-based decisions.
• 20 Jan • Bumblebees of the UK: 2 • Learn about the rare and localised species of bumblebee in the UK.
• 21 Jan • Molluscs on the March • A journey into the magnificent world of molluscs with tales from the Oxford University museum collections.
• 4 Feb • Using Bioturbation Behaviour To Create New Functional Groups for Earthworms • Delve into an experiment investigating the burrowing, feeding and casting behaviour of 50 species of earthworm.
• 10 Feb • Bumblebees of the UK: 3 • Learn about the cuckoo bumblebees of the UK and recent bumblebee extinctions.
• 18 Feb • The Mind of a Bee: An Exploration of the Intelligence of Bees • Delve into the mind of a bee and explore the ways in which how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom.
• 3 Mar • Insect Dogfights: How Aerial Combat Shapes the Patterns of Insect Flight • Join us for an exploration of the fascinating world of insect flight.
Full details, booking and more events: www.eventbrite. co.uk/o/the-biological-recording-company-35982868173
SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY GRANTS
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society has received generous donations in the past and uses these to fund studies by members on the flora, fauna and geology of the county. Amateur naturalists have always been in the forefront in increasing knowledge and recording the natural history of Suffolk. We aim to help those who feel that the costs of a study are a barrier, either experts or beginners, encouraging exploration of understudied areas of the natural world and explaining the importance of this knowledge to the general public.
Applications are welcomed for small or large sums, £1,000 or more for substantial, longer running, projects.
Grants can be used for:
Scientific equipment, books, software or other relevant items. Reasonable travel and subsistence for field work. Attending training courses, conferences, specialist meetings and visits to scientific institutions. Running workshops or field meetings that encourage people to get involved with wildlife studies and recording. Payment for expert guidance and acquiring necessary licences.
Criteria:
1. Projects should include a large element of original work and further the knowledge of Suffolk’s flora, fauna or geology.
2. A written account of the project is required within 12 months, unless it is a longer term study. This should be suitable for publication in one of the Society’s journals: Suffolk Natural History, Suffolk Birds or White Admiral.
3. Suffolk Naturalists’ Society should be acknowledged in all publicity associated with the project and in any publications emanating from the project.
Applications may be made at any time. Please visit our website for full details and criteria: www.sns.org.uk/pages/bursary.shtml
WWW.SNS.ORG.UK
The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, founded in 1929 by Claude Morley (1874 -1951), pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology. It is the seed bed from which have grown other important wildlife organisations in Suffolk, such as Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Suffolk Bird Group (SBG).
Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still the Society’s primary objective. Members’ observations go to specialist recorders and then on to the Suffolk Biodiversity Service at The Hold to provide a basis for detailed distribution maps and subsequent analysis with benefits to environmental protection.
Funds held by the Society allow it to offer substantial grants for wildlife studies.
Annually, SNS publishes its transactions Suffolk Natural History, containing studies on the county’s wildlife, plus the county bird report, Suffolk Birds (compiled by SBG). The newsletter White Admiral, with comment and observations, appears three times a year. SNS organises two members’ evenings a year and a conference every two years.
Subscriptions to SNS:
Individual membership £20; Family/Household membership £23; Student membership £13. Members receive the three publications above.
Joint subscriptions to SNS and SBG:
Individual membership £35; Family/Household membership £41; Student membership £21. Joint members additionally receive the SBG newsletter The Harrier.
As defined by the Constitution of this Society its objectives shall be:
2.1 To study and record the fauna, flora and geology of the County
2.2 To publish a Transactions and Proceedings and a Bird Report. These shall be free to members except those whose annual subscriptions are in arrears.
2.3 To liaise with other natural history societies and conservation bodies in the County
2.4 To promote interest in natural history and the activities of the Society.
For more details about the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society contact: Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, The Hold, 131 Fore St, Ipswich IP4 1LR. enquiry@sns.org.uk
