A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE FAUNA OF STAVERTON PARK, SUFFOLK Part 1 PAUL T .
HARDING
Introduction THE area of woodland known as Staverton Park and Thicks lies on the sandlings of East Suffolk near the village of Butley (Grid reference 62/355509). It has long been famous for its ancient pollard oaks, the dense holly thickets of the Thicks, and, before the 1939-45 war, for the heaths surrounding the woodland. The history and the development of the Vegetation leading to the appearance of the area as it is today have been studied by Peterken (1969). Following the precedent of Peterken the name "Staverton Park" is used to refer to the complete medieval Park described by him; this is the Staverton Park of my title. Throughout this paper the name "Park" applies to the area of pollard oak woodland distant from the Butley to Woodbridge road (Tithe field nos. 130, 183, and 184). The name "Thicks" applies to the area of dense holly regeneration among old oaks and hollies near to the road (Tithe field no. 132). Although there is no documentary evidence of tree cover before 1528 Peterken concludes that Staverton Park is of medieval origin, having been emparked before 1275. The area emparked was almost certainly partly woodland that has never been cleared of tree cover in historic times. Staverton Park has been managed and modified by man since its emparkment, and the "primeval" State of the Thicks is only the result of neglect and the absence of grazing during the last 150 years. The Vegetation has changed little since Peterken did his field work in 1968. The boundary track of the Park on the south and west sides has been ploughed and a new track runs just inside the Park margin. Some small areas of bracken have been treated experimentally with a chemical designed to control bracken growth. A few oaks have been felled or lopped as a result of the track reorganisation and the laying of irrigation pipelines across the Park to the arable fields on the south and west sides. The fauna of Staverton Park seems not to have been studied in any detail. Claude Morley, that indefatigable Suffolk entomologist, apparently held the area in high esteem. He selects Staverton and Fakenham Woods for special mention as important examples of old woodland in the forword of his Coleoptera of Suffolk (1899). However, no species of Coleoptera is listed from Staverton in that work, or its later Supplement (1915). Morley, Aston and a few other authors make occasional reference to