A study of land adjacent to Picton Avenue, Ipswich TM167463.

154

Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 56

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 56 (2020)

R. Stewart

On 6 May 2020 Paul Gilson, a friend since the early days of the Suffolk branch of Butterfly Conservation, alerted me to the presence of a nightingale on land at the far end of Picton Avenue. This site provided my wife Marie and I with a new habitat to explore during the lockdown. It is just a four minute walk from our house and somewhat embarrassing to only discover it many years after moving in. However, the footpath sign isn’t visible from Valley Road and the footpath itself isn’t marked on my OS map. Most of those using it are either dog walkers or walkers passing through and then turning left to reach the better marked Fonnereau Way footpath. It is a relatively small area, approximately 118 yards across and 120 yards deep. It is composed mainly of grassland and scrub with the latter dominated by bramble. To the west it is bordered by Ipswich School playing Picton Avenue - the footpath fields, to the north by a large cultivated field and to south and east by back gardens from Picton Avenue, Valley Road and Westerfield Road.

The most numerous trees are elm, silver birch, sycamore and both common and Turkey oak. There are also mature specimens of hazel, hawthorn, dogrose and dogwood. Mammal sightings included muntjac, rabbit, field vole and common shrew, with at least two different foxes seen close by, but not actually on site. A slow-worm was also seen. The list of birds seen in 2020 was: blue tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, robin, wren, song thrush, blackbird, greenfinch, goldfinch, yellowhammer, skylark, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff, blackcap, woodpigeon, collared dove, jay, magpie, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker and birds flying over included buzzard, kestrel and barn swallows, plus carrion crows, black- Picton Avenue - a luxuriant growth of headed gulls and jackdaws gleaning after honeysuckle close to the footpath

R. Stewart

A Study of land adjacent to Picton Avenue, Ipswich TM167463 RICHARD STEWART

Richard Stewart, ‘Valezina’, 112, Westerfield Road, Ipswich. IP4 2 XW.

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 56 (2020)

R. Stewart

the adjacent field had been harvested.

The nightingale was heard singing until 27 May with warning calls after this date, suggesting possible nesting in deep scrub well away from the footpath.

Although our butterfly recording didn’t begin until May, the following nectar sources were noted: ground ivy, germander speedwell, field pansy, thistles of various species, hemp nettle, bramble, burdock, pineappleweed, ragwort, yarrow, goldenrod (extensive Picton Avenue - the extensive grassland clumps close to the footpath) and Michaelmas daisies, the last two being garden escapes. Larval food plants included an extensive nettle bed, oak, elm, dock, hedge garlic, and various species of grasses.

Autumn nectar was limited with no ivy detected and no butterflies feeding on fermenting blackberries. That would probably explain why the latest identified butterfly species was on the early date of 22 August. Most butterfly numbers and species were noted when bramble flowers were out. For such a small area and butterfly recording only starting in May, the list of 21 species is impressive for a site not managed as a nature reserve and within the Ipswich town boundary.

These species were, in order of sighting: green hairstreak, brimstone, holly blue, orange tip, red admiral, brown argus, common blue, speckled wood, meadow brown, small tortoiseshell, comma, green-veined white, large white, ringlet, Essex skipper, small skipper, small white, gatekeeper, peacock, purple hairstreak and small copper. A luxuriant growth of honeysuckle did not attract any egg- Picton Avenue - one of many areas of laying white admirals, a species recorded scrub and brambles at The Dales, a site about one mile away.

Despite close scrutiny of the elms, no white-letter hairstreaks were seen and though no purple hairstreaks were noted around the oaks, which are mainly small, my wife Marie found one nectaring on bramble flowers. The only expected species not seen were large skipper and the migratory painted lady.

Can I thank Paul Gilson and his son Stuart for adding many species to the above lists and regrettably I have to end on a pessimistic note. The whole of this site is scheduled, with other larger tracts of land nearby, for the extensive ‘Northern Fringe’ housing development.

R. Stewart

155

BUTTERFLY REPORT 2019