White Admiral 100

White Admiral Newsletter 100

Summer 2018

Suffolk Naturalists’ Society

Contents Editorial

Ben Heather

What’s on?

1 2

AGM and Spring Members’ Evening 2018

Gen Broad

3

Naomi Boyle

6

Jennifer Fincham

8

Rasik Bhadresa

10

Hawk Honey

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Species Record at Pipers Vale LNR

Sam Chamberlin

16

The Great British Beach Clean

Lynn Allen

17

Edward Jackson

18

The lichens of Brandon Country Park, Suffolk (Part 2)

Dr. C. J. B. Hitch

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Melanin in the Fungal Kingdom

Neil Mahler

23

Kate Osborne

25

Caroline Markham

27

Alan Thornhill

28

Yellow-spotted Emerald

Andrew Easton

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A View From The Bridge

Richard Stewart

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River enhancement projects helping to conserve native black poplar Latest news on Suffolk’s Marine Conservation Zones In Search of True Lover’s Knot Solitary wasp course FSC Orielton

Saving our Suffolk Swifts

Beach Bonkers Geology Gallery Reimagined Breckland spiders of Lackford Lakes

ISSN 0959-8537 Published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3QH Registered Charity No. 206084 © Suffolk Naturalists’ Society

Suffolk The

Naturalists’ Society

Newsletter 100 - Summer 2018 Welcome to this Summer issue of the White Admiral which has now reached the milestone of 100 issues. We have another bumper issue for you with articles ranging from a report on Breckland spiders at Lackford Lakes to a search for True Lover’s Knot in Groton Wood.

This Summer has certainly gone quickly for me but I expect my lasting memory will be the same as many others - hot and dry! It would certainly be interesting to hear about the effects this prolonged hot weather has had upon Suffolk’s nature, as it seems this may be something we need to come to expect in years to come. My garden at home has certainly suffered this year, with quite a few plants giving up in the heat, but I expect the wider picture would be that of two halves - some gains as well as some losses as nature adapts. So, I would be very interested to hear your anecdotal observations of this Summer.

As the date has been set for the Autumn Members’ evening, I have chosen to make notice of this on page two, rather than wait for the next issue to come out. It would be great to see many of you there and it is not too late to propose a talk for the evening to our secretary.

Also over the next month I hope to edit and publish a substantial proportion of the talks from this years SNS conference which will appear as videos on our You Tube channel which can be found here: https://goo.gl/ Fd9mVF. Please check back periodically as new videos are uploaded.

Editor:

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Ben Heather 28 Enville Way Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9UF. whiteadmiralnewsletter@gmail.com 1

What’s on?

SNS Autumn Members’ Evening 21st November 2018 | 7pm for 7:30pm Start Cedars Hotel, Needham Road, Stowmarket IP14 2AJ Early reminder of our Autumn members’ evening. Speakers to be confirmed nearer the time…

Come and join us for an evening of natural history talks. If you would like to present something please contact the secretary at gen.broad@suffolk.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Drinks will be available from the pay bar on arrival and a half-time refreshment break will be provided (tea and coffee). We hope to see you there.

Orchards East Events There is a full programme of events including many Apple Days and Fairs coming up in late Summer and Autumn. Head to the Orchards East website www.uea.ac.uk/orchards-east/ to find an event near you.

SWT - Wild Learning •

Sunday, 14 October, 10am-4pm - Autumn Bird ID with Paul Holness at Lackford Lakes

•

Saturday, 20 October, 10.30am-3.30pm - Basic Hedgehog Care course with Paula Baker of Suffolk Prickles Hedgehog Rescue at Redgrave & Lopham Fen

•

Saturday, 17 November, 9.30am-1.30pm - Apple Pruning workshop with Mike Wade & Martin Minta at Foxburrow Farm

More events and booking information www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events.

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can

be

found

here:

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AGM and Spring Members’ Evening 2018 Annual General Meeting We were delighted to welcome around 40 members to the SNS Annual General Meeting on 11th April at the Cedars Hotel in Stowmarket. It was a pleasure to see Peter Vincent (Suffolk Diptera Recorder) and Edward Jackson (retired as Manager of Flatford Mill Field Studies Council) elected to Council, both of whom bring a wealth of expertise from the natural world and also from the world of charities. A big welcome to you both!

tions; and a colourful Autumn Member’s Evening in November, which took us from bats across Suffolk to the Fen orchid in western Canada via mineral deposits in an Ipswich church and a variety of stoneworts at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Black Bourn Valley Nature Reserve. The reports

by Martin Sanford (Chair), Joan Hardingham (Treasurer) and Gen Broad (Secretary) can be read in full in the 2018 issue of Suffolk Natural History.

The reports from the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary provided members with an overview of the year’s activities, achievements and finances. It has been a busy year with the organisation of the 2018 conference (‘Of Mammals and Men’) in February; contacting all our members in preparation for the General Data Protection Regula-

If you haven’t attended an AGM in the past, please consider coming along in 2019, you will be most welcome! Combined with the Spring Members’ Evening, the serious business of the AGM is lightened by our speakers from the audience who bring their passion and knowledge for natural history to the later part of the evening.

Spring Members’ Evening Amongst other talks, we were privileged to listen to talks by Adrian Knowles, the Hymenoptera Recorder for Suffolk, and Adrian Chalkley, the Aquatic Invertebrates Recorder. Both Adrians White Admiral 100

have in-depth knowledge of their areas of expertise from many years of field experience and share that knowledge generously when given the opportunity.

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Adrian Knowles presented some interesting additions to his review of the solitary bees of Suffolk. For example, the traditional distribution of Colletes cunicularius shows that it is confined to coastal sand dune systems in north-west England and north-west and south Wales. However, more recent records have shown its presence in the inland sand dune systems of the Norfolk Brecks and now there has been a single record in the Suffolk Brecks. This is an exciting find as the species is listed as ‘Rare’ (RDB3).

Adrian and Adrian have been volunteering at Ipswich Museum, researching the collections for a

‘significance review’. The aim of the review is to improve understanding of the collections and to plan for the redevelopment of Ipswich Museum, based on their reports of whether the hymenoptera and aquatic invertebrate collections have regional, national or international significance. The collections (particularly those of Claud e Mo rle y ) are be ing systematically assessed at present and the reports will be submitted when they have finished their studies.

Claude Morley (1874-1951) pioneered the study and recording of Suffolk’s flora, fauna and geology and was a founder member of

Left: Limnephilus tauricus Redgrave 1915. Abdomen cleared and Heteroptera Collection. Photos both by: Adrian Chalkley

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Suffolk Naturalists’ Society in 1929.

He was particularly interested in entomology, specialising in Hymenoptera and Diptera. The collections, covering the period 1898 -1951, are extensive, occupying about 260 drawers at Ipswich Museum, for example the Tricho pte ra (Cad d isf ly ) and Hemiptera Heteroptera (bugs) Collections.

Determining adult caddisflies to species level is not always straightforward. They can be less easily collected than the larvae and often have to be verified by examination of the genitalia. Adrian showed photos of Oecetis ochracea adults; they were first recorded in

Suffolk by Morley in 1935, whilst the latest record is from 2016. The species is distinctive, having very long antennae, but the final identification still needs to be made from the genitalia. One particularly interesting species is Limnephilus tauricus, for which there are two records from Redgrave in 1915. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and there are very few British records. However, as outlined in the article in White Admiral 99, Raymond Watson caught a single specimen at his light trap near Ipswich in 2016, proving the species still exists in the county.

Gen Broad

mounted by Raymond Watson.

Middle: the Claude Morley Hemiptera Right: Colletes cunicularius Photo by: Steven Falk

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River enhancement projects helping to conserve native black poplar (Populus nigra spp betulifolia) in Suffolk The Environment Agency have been working with the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society County Recorder Sue Hooton to help preserve the native black poplar in Suffolk.

It is one of the UK’s rarest trees and there are thought to be less than 8,000 mature specimens in Britain, with around 430 in Suffolk. The mature trees can grow to 30 metres and be identified by their leaning trunks, often with large bosses and arched boughs.

The timber was used for carts, cruck-framed buildings and floorboards - especially around fireplaces, as it is highly fireresistant. The native black poplar has great wildlife value - especially for insects such as the poplar hawk moth - and provides nesting sites for owls and roosts for bats.

It is associated with wet meadows, river valleys, streams, ditches and farm ponds. For the tree to regenerate naturally male and female trees must grow fairly close together, and fertilized seed must fall on bare mud or silt which must remain moist until autumn for the seedling to establish. This habitat has become very rare due to floodplains being drained for

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agriculture or development and so now the tree is usually generated from cuttings.

We have undertaken a number of riv e r h a bi t a t im pr o v e me n t schemes in recent years typically involving habitat creation by creating backwaters and installing in-channel features such as large pieces of woody debris, gravel riffles and in some places narrowing the channel to increase flow velocity. On most of these sites we have also planted native trees along the river bank. Tree cover along rivers is important to provide shade to keep rivers cool and supress excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. Trees also provide physical habitat diversity that in turn supports a diverse range of animal and plant species, underwater root systems of value to fish and invertebrates and, in the longer term, tree cover can provide a natural source of woody debris, a key component of river systems that is lacking in many lowland watercourses.

With the help of Sue we were able to plant 5 native black poplars (4 female and 1 male clones) along the River Waveney between Scole and Billingford. These trees have

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been propagated by Sue and other enthusiasts from rare clones that were planted as seedlings on Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves at Carlton Marshes, Hen Reedbeds, Re d g rav e & Lo p ham Fe n, Bromeswell Green and Cornard Mere in the 1970’s. These noble trees are a welcome addition to the 80 alder, hawthorn, crack willow and field maple we planted in December 2017 following inchannel works the previous year.

Working with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust we planted male and female clones together with other native trees and shrubs on the River Alde at Bruisyard to complement inchannel river habitat improve-

ments that were carried out in April this year.

Sue is keen to encourage enthusiasts to check on mature native Black poplar trees and let her know if they are still alive to bring the Suffolk records up to date. She can be contacted at blackpoplar@sns.org.uk.

Naomi Boyle, Environment Agency

Captions: Top Left: Black poplar and scrub planted on the banks of the River Alde at Bruisyard. Top Right: Planting out black poplars on the River Waveney between Scole and Billingford.

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Latest news on Suffolk’s Marine Conservation Zones Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) were originally proposed in 2011 under the Marine and Coastal act 2009. The original proposal had 127 MCZ and several Reference Areas (now called Highly Protected Marine Areas).

Four areas around England were set up to provide advice to Defra on the designation of these areas; and Suffolk was included in the area known as ‘Net Gain’. The two sites recommended for the Suffolk coast were Orford Inshore and Alde Ore Estuary. Orford Inshore, a site around 12nm off the coast of Orford, was mainly proposed for ‘A5.4: Subtidal mixed sediments’, of 71.65 km² in size but also a small amount, 0.25 km² of ‘A5.2:

Subtidal sand’. The site was reported to be of high importance as a nursery ground to fish species.

The habitat recommendations were based on modelled results due to lack of monitoring. The Alde Ore Estuary site was proposed for several habitats including; ‘Estuarine rocky habitats’, ‘Sheltered muddy gravels’ and ‘Orfordness (subtidal)’ a geological feature, as well as small proportions of a range of mixed sediments, and several species; Blue mussel beds, European eel, ‘Smelt’, and the ‘Tentacled lagoon-worm’. As this site fell within other already designated sites there was some evidence from previous monitoring

Figure 1. A map of the boundaries of both the Alde Ore recommended MCZ and Orford Inshore recommended MCZ, in orange. (c) Crown Copyright and database rights 2018. Ordnance Survey 100022861.

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to support this designation (Net Gain, 2011).

In the UK MPAs are monitored as part of an ongoing monitoring and reporting cycle but areas of the seabed outside of MPAs are not included in this cycle so many areas lacked evidence to support their designation. Due to this lack of evidence the MCZ consultation process was divided into three tranches, starting with the sites with the most evidence first. This gave Defra time to organise evidence gathering on other sites.

Both Suffolk sites were excluded from consultation until this summer, when the third and final tranche of the consultation was announced. Only Orford Inshore has been proposed for consultation with the Alde Ore site failing to reappear. The monitoring report for Orford Inshore is available online and adds quite a bit of detail to the site information. We can see from this new report that the site in fact has 57 km2 of ‘A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments’ as well as 14.55 km2 of ‘A5.1 Subtidal coarse sediment’, 0.34 km2 of ‘A5.2 Subtidal sand’ and 14.89 km2 of ‘Subtidal Sands and Gravels’ (Callaway, 2015).

Though the protection would only cover the ‘A5.4 Subtidal mixed sediments’ for which the suggested management approach is ‘recover to favourable condition’ (Defra, 2018). The Alde Ore site is White Admiral 100

currently protected by SAC, SPA, SSSI and Ramsar designations covering multiple species and habitats. Though these are not necessarily the exact same habitats and species proposed for protection through a new MZC there would have been some overlap. This current protection is possibly a reason why there was no priority given to protecting this site further.

There is evidence that MPA designations have the highest impact where human activity is causing medium - high pressures and access is easy. I’m unsure as to whether either site would meet this criteria on its own. But the strength in the MCZ programme is meant to be in the network as a whole and not the individual sites.

As together, they hold and protect representatives of different habitats from around the UK. However, designated MCZs are already experiencing commercial exploitation such as aggregate dredging under licence (The Marinet, 2018). So, with current exploitation continuing it could be a long time before benefits of the designations are clear. The MCZ consultation opened on the 8th June and closed on the 20th July, it was available on the con sult.defra.gov .uk website.

Jennifer Fincham 9

References: Callaway, A., 2015. Orford Inshore rMCZ Post-survey Site Report, s.l.: Defra.

Defra, 2018. Orford Inshore Recommended Marine Conservation Zone, s.l.: Defra.

Net Gain, 2011. Final Recommendations: Submission to Natural England & JNCC, s.l.: Net Gain.

The Marinet, 2018. Defra proposes a “tranche three” of MCZs, as Marinet questions their value, s.l.: The Marinet.

In Search of True Lover’s Knot Having seen it previously in Groton Wood, Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s reserve, we thought our chances of finding it again were quite good. We set off for our morning walk in late April, when this summer’s heat was in no way predictable at the time. It was a lovely day in late spring when the vegetation looked lush and sprightly. There was still some blossom on the cherry trees and anemones and bluebells carpeted the woodland floor in places. The early purple orchid had sprung up here and there. Quite easily found if you know where to look. As is often the case with all living things in nature, they are creatures of habit.

However, True Lover’s Knot was a bit elusive – on a previous visit, we had seen this large population in the corner of two major paths 10

running through the medieval pry (Tilia cordata) wood but set away from the woodland edge (so not easily visible). We came to a crossing and wandered into the assumed corner but they were nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, we soon exhausted our search.

Photo 1

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Photo 2

Were they a little further along the path? Was it the wrong corner?

There was only one way to find out.

Marching on to the next intersection. By now our eyes were very keen.

And sure enough at the next crosspaths, visible past the dense undergrowth was a large (four metres across) coverage, for they are rhizomatous, of ‘Herb Truelove’ as named in Culpeper’s 17th century Complete Herbal. There was a mini forest (photo 1) – possibly an amalgamation of

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several colonies, of fresh green whorls of deeply veined leaves on individual stems of different heights vying for space, tops ending in flower buds. A comforting sight. As we looked here and there, we began to see variations in the number of leaves. n o t s i m p l y Pa r i s ‘quadrifolia’ but some plants were trifoliate, quinquefoliate and the odd one six-leaved (photo 2). And the phyllotaxis very interesting.

Although arising at the same point around the stem, the leaves grew out at a very slight angle to the horizontal so from the plant’s perspective, the right side of the leaf was always slightly higher and overlapping the left side of the next leaf all the way round so it produced an inter-twining arrangeIt

was

ment, most befitting it’s common name, True Lover’s Knot! The plant, however, was merely maximising its growth potential, but how genetics dictated the variation in the number of leaves was beyond our understanding.

Five weeks later, we encountered fully fledged flowers with slender petals and golden stamens. Resembling tiny stubby pineapples, some plants showed the beginnings of solitary shining purplish-black berries. As we walked back along the path towards the car park, we saw a few more colonies – it was good to see that Herb Paris was thriving. We have only but to thank nature lovers for the existence of these woodland oases.

Rasik Bhadresa

Solitary wasp course FSC Orielton, an SNS bursary funded attendance For those of you who went to the SNS AGM in April last year, you may remember Martin Sanford reporting on the success of the Suffolk Biological Recording Bursary with various courses held at FSC Flatford Mill. Martin reported that the bursary would now be available, to members only, for courses held outside the glorious county of Suffolk and this 12

came as welcome news to myself.

For the last two years, I have made full use of the bursary to facilitate my studies into solitary bees and with the help of county recorder Adrian Knowles, have submitted many records via the SBIS website to help expand our knowledge of what species reside in Suffolk. On two occasions I have found species new to Suffolk; Colletes

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Ab ove: Oxy belus un iglumis | Below: Am moph ill a s abu los a a nd caterpilla r | Tak e n b y: H a wk H one y

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cunicularius in 2017, a ground mining bee that has, for reasons unknown, started to expand its range; and this year, Stelis breviuscula, a cleptoparasitic bee, that seems to be following its host, the rare Red Data Book 3 Heriades truncorum, a bee that nests in wood using tree resin to seal its nest hole and is gradually spreading northwards through the county. Now that I could attend courses held outside of Suffolk, this gave me the opportunity to study solitary wasps at a course at FSC Orielton in Pembrokeshire.

Similar to the bee course, the solitary wasps course was led by, Shropshire’s county recorder for Hymenoptera, Ian Cheeseborough.

Ian is a passionate tutor who is extremely knowledgeable and very approachable. His style of teaching is good whether you are a novice or are competent with the subject involved. The course involved a mixture of indoor classroom presentations and teaching as well as field trips to local sites and although the course was for solitary wasps, we were also pulled in by the occasional bee from time to time.

Ian also taught us how to get down to genus in the field by looking at certain attributes such as whether the top of the thorax has a polished

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surface or not, or does it wiggle its abdomen whilst hunting, a trait of the Passaloecus sp of wasp. A quick look at wing venation on the large Ammophila sp taught us to tell the difference between A.pubescens or A.sabulosa, both of which occur in Suffolk. Learning skills such as this means that I do not always have to take a specimen to ID, something I’m never very happy to do. It also means that I can help others to identify their findings, usually from photos taken in the field.

In the classroom, Ian took us through various keys giving us insights into how the authors interpreted certain features, such as their idea of being hairy or densely punctured not matching with our assumption of the same thing. This really helps when trying to key something out. There were plenty of specimens for us to compare under the microscope, another really important tool when trying to understand certain keys.

Ian’s assistant, Becky ‘Bex’ Cartwright, was also on hand to help whenever Ian was occupied with another student, so there was never an issue of student neglect, especially as the class had only 8 attendees. Our findings were always confirmed by Ian and, if we got it wrong, Ian would point us in

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Solitary Was ps Course July 2018, FSC Orielton Left to Right: Ian ‘Cheese’, Andrew, Steve, Bex, Neil, David, Hawk, Janice, Helen, Clare

the direction we should have gone in and help us to understand where we went wrong and what to look for.

All in all, the week went swimmingly and the sessions were always filled with laughter and smiles. The days were long starting at 9am and ending at 9pm, but it went so quickly that before we knew it, the end of the week was upon us and it was time to say our goodbyes.

I have learnt so much from this course that would not have been possible without the bursary from White Admiral 100

the SNS. Now, as part of the stipulations of the bursary, I must record ~30-40 species from around the county in the next couple of months.

I would like to say a big thanks to Martin and Gen for sorting the bursary for me and to the SNS itself, which has something like this to help those of us who are willing to get involved to help us better understand the flora and fauna of Suffolk. Thank you.

Hawk Honey

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Species Record at Pipers Vale LNR

Date of sighting: 31/05/18 Grid Reference: TM1741 Status: Nb Nationally Scarce B. Yellow-legged Clearwing (Synanthedon vespiformis ) Family: Sesiidae Distinguishing features: - Wasp-mimic similar to other species in the family Sesiidae - Four yellow bands on abdomen - Noticeable in flight with tail fan (yellow female/black male)

One part of our schedule of practical habitat work at Ipswich Borough Council is the long-term management and progression of heathland at Pipers Vale LNR and this is undertaken annually.

Alongside scrub and bracken control, funding from Butterfly Conservation over the past 10 years has driven heathland regeneration and restoration at the site. Increased heathland coverage and the reduction of successional woodland edge vegetation has allowed clearings to be managed, benefiting the ecological needs of specialist Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Records of Small Heath, Silver-studded Blue, Grayling and the Little flower-bee, Anthophora bimaculata have been providing evidence to gauge the improving ecological condition of the site.

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In late May, bracken control was undertaken on the heathland and to our delight this is where we observed two female yellow-legged clearwing moths ovipositing in an old decaying oak stool in a cleared area. This species of clearwing breeds in the bark of felled oakstools, the larvae feed internally on the wood of the food-plant, emerging in the second year.

Protruding exuvia can be found at the base of stumps giving an indication that the species has recently emerged.

Often mistaken for ichneumonids, clearwing species have evolved a highly effective form of biological resemblance. Named after its discoverer, the theory of Batesian mimicry implies a noxious, or dangerous organism is equipped with a warning system such as

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Left: Pupal exuviae | Right: Yellow-legged Clearwing female | Photos: © Sam Chamberlin

conspicuous coloration, and is mimicked by a harmless organism.

The newly emerged adults were observed in the early morning, once emerged from their pupal exuviae, resting at the base of stools and aro und ne arby

vegetation close to the emergence site.

Sam Chamberlin, Wildlife and Ed ucatio n Range r, Ipsw ich Borough Council

The Great British Beach Clean – 14th – 17th September The Marine Conservation Society Great British Beach Clean will be taking place between the 14th and 17th September 2018.

Almost 7,000 people took part in the Great British Beach Clean in September 2017. Together, they removed 255,209 pieces of litter from 339 beaches, and recorded every bit of it. The results can be read here: www.mcsuk.org/media/ GBBC_2017_Report.pdf.

Keep the dates in your diary and White Admiral 100

have a look at the Great British Beach Clean website at www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/ to find a beach clean event to attend near you or alternatively set up your own!

This year is the 25th anniversary of the year-round Beachwatch programme so it’s a really significant year from MCS! Lynn Allen - Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB

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Image by Bill Baston

Saving our Suffolk Swifts - Call for 2018 Records

Swift numbers across the UK - and in Suffolk - continue to be in freefall. As the graph shows (next page), more than half the Swifts present in 1994 have been lost from our summer skies.

Much of this is due to demolition of older buildings and maintenance work on existing buildings that permanently (and usually inadvertently) exclude breeding birds from long-established nest sites. This can be catastrophic for individuals and pairs that are so site-faithful. Significant reductions in the ‘aerial plankton’ of small insects and arachnids on which Swifts feed may also be part of the underlying problem.

In 2017, based on IUCN criteria, Swift was formally classified ‘Endangered’ as a breeding bird in 18

Great Britain and is a Suffolk Priority Species.

Knowing where Swifts are is a vital first step to protecting them and their nest sites. So, as this White Admiral arrives through your letterbox, a reminder that July was a prime time to see Swifts in your local community, as they would have been feeding their young in the nest. Please help us by recording your sightings from the streets in your town or village (or wherever you are in the county) by using the link below to record: •

‘screaming parties’ (birds flying fast and noisily over the rooftops confirm a colony is close by)

•

‘natural’ nest sites in buildings being actively occupied

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•

nest boxes installed outside or inside buildings www.suffolkbis.org.uk/swift

Please don’t assume someone else has added a record – we would rather have duplicates than none at all! Negative records or records from the past are also useful, as

they build a better picture of their past and present distribution across the county. Just make a note in the ‘Comments’ boxes on the web pages. Many thanks.

Edward Jackson, for SOS Swifts

The lichens of Brandon Country Park, Suffolk (Part 2) During the second visit, the area was walked again and a few general photographs were taken, as reminders of the site. The main object of this day was to visit the heath again to try and re-find a liWhite Admiral 100

chen seen last time, but not collected, which failed unfortunately.

Along the way, sites looked at within the country park, included the walled garden again, the row of mature beeches on the opposite 19

side of the road in front of the nursing home, which with light from the west, had some cover.

The edge of the woodland surrounding the Orchard car park picnic area was included and after

the heathland, a better look at the mausoleum and poplars, hawthorns and the Atlantic cedars around the lawns of the nursing home.

Table 3: Records from the second visit Amandinea punctata Caloplaca dalmatica Caloplaca limonia Lecanora albescens Lecanora campestris Lecidella elaeochroma Lepraria incana Parmelia sulcata Physcia tenella Verrucaria dolosa Verrucaria nigrescens Xanthoria candelaria Xanthoria parietina

The third and final visit was to visit the heath again, with a colleague, and make a brief stop at the mausoleum to photograph a thallus seen during the first modern visit.

There are a few minute collections still awaiting determination, but they will not affect the overall picture of what is happening in the park as a whole.

Tables 1, 2 and 3 show that there are about 45 lichens (the number varying, due to the fact that the position of some of them is not clear at the moment), at Brandon Country Park, together with a 20

poplar by Ho. lawn cement pointing of well mausoleum mausoleum mausoleum poplar by Ho. lawn beeches by park Ho. poplar by Ho. lawn poplar by Ho. lawn mausoleum mausoleum, pointing of well poplar by Ho. lawn poplar by Ho. lawn

lichenicolous fungus, Intralichen sp. within the fruits of Lecanora albescens # and a pure fungus Arthonia punctiformis ##, which lichenologists also record.

The pure fungus in the past was thought to be a lichen, since it appeared that the algae and fungus were growing closely together, but it is now known that the fungal part grows within the wood of the tree, whereas the algal cells are only on the outside.

Unlike lichens, where there is a symbiotic association between the alga and the fungus, with lichenicolous fungi there is no such

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association, they live on or in the tissues of the lichens, but don’t gain any nourishment etc. from them. The lichenicolous fungus Intralichen sp. is fairly harmless, only reducing the production of spores, though Szyygospora physciacearum produces galls on the vegetative thallus. fungus Arthonia punctiformis, is also harmless, The

pure

living under the bark and fruiting on the surface.

Lichens, being incredibly slow growing, about 0.1 - 0.5 mm per annum radially, only require a minimal amount of nutrition, otherwise the symbiosis breaks down and atmospheric pollution one way or another continues to be a problem.

Pollution Acid rain and nitrogenous substances are the two constituents which affect lichens.

Acid rain, weak sulphuric acid produced by the amalgamation of rain water and sulphur dioxide in the air, is a bleaching agent and when it is absorbed by the lichens, as there is no external “skin” to protect their sponge like structure, the chlorophyll of the algal cells is destroyed, so the symbiosis breaks down.

exhausts using petrol and worse still from diesel. Also, from excreta from farm animals and the fertilising of arable farm land.

Much of the nitrogen oxides produced by cars nowadays is converted into ammonium ions by the use of catalytic converters, so the sponge-like lichens take up these ions and many are again killed, or retreat into sites which for one reason or another are areas where the gas does not penetrate.

Nowadays acid rain is less of a problem than it used to be, as the burning of fossil fuels is less, with sulphur dioxide output lower and that is a blessing. However, the output of nitrogen has taken over as the potential killer. Elemental nitrogen isn’t the trouble. It is the emission of nitrogen oxides which do the damage, coming from car

There are some lichens, that are refe rred to as Xanthorion elements, yellow Xanthoria species and grey Physcia species, which positively thrive on increased nitrogen, needing more for healthy growth. They do not grow any bigger, just much more prolifically and both genera are common on the tree with very shiny leaves, in

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the picnic area near to Orchard car park.

At this site these Xanthorion elements proliferate solely due to carparking, as there are no farmyard practices nearby. The lack of Xanthorion elements at other areas of the park, is due to

help, which comes in the form of wind breaks, i.e. trees. This barrier will produce what is called a pollution shadow, which when the wind hits the barrier it is deflected upwards and over the site, so leaving the air at ground level relatively free of pollutants.

Results The variety of lichens recorded in 1997 is strikingly richer than those seen in 2017, with 14 recorded on the mausoleum alone, compared to the 2 species seen in the present survey. Also, the reported presence of Usnea subfloridiana and confirmed presence of Platismatia glauca, which would be the first to have disappeared if pollution was the problem and now there are two, Parmotrema perlata and

Physcia aipolia, which oughtn’t to be present, in the 2017 survey if again pollution is the problem, but they are and it is hard to suggest what is the reason for these anomalies.

The richness of the Cladonia spp. on the heath outside the Country Park is also thought to rule out pollution, including any possible emissions from aircraft flying frequently overhead.

Note During the 2017 survey it was apparent that the two posts supporting the wooden roof over the well in the walled garden are partially rotted and will soon require repairing. It would very be nice if the roof portion with the shingles, inhabited by a good

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spread of lichens, could be retained and fresh timber or non-rusting metal spliced into the supports.

The lichens are not rare, it is just that lichens in general get a poor deal when changes are made.

Dr. C. J. B. Hitch

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Melanin in the Fungal Kingdom Melanin is present in all life forms - in humans it is present in hair, skin and the iris of the eye, amongst others, but its role in fungi can be quite confusing. It can be to keep an area waterproof, protect from UV light, high temperatures, chemicals and even radioactivity, so that is why it is often referred to as ‘Fungal Armour’.

Some larger fungi that produce melanin are Cerioporus squamosus (Dryads Saddle), Dichomitus cam-

pestris, Hymenochaete corrugata (Glue Crust), Armillaria mellea (Honey Fungus) and Polyporus leptocephalus (Blackfoot Polypore).

Then there are a whole host of Ascomycete fungi belonging to the Pyrenomycete group known as flask fungi.

Dichomitus

campestris

(Hazel Porecrust) is more often seen clinging to the underside of dead, attached Oak branches, but here [photo 2] it is seen on Hazel collected from SWT Captain’s Wood reserve. Again, you can see where it is in contact with the substrate, a protective layer of melanin has been produced, but if this is to secure it to its substrate why don’t other ‘crust’ fungi do this?

Hymenochaete

corrugata is a unique fungus in the UK as it is the only fungus here which uses mycelium to glue a nearby branch or twig to move from one section to another to search for nutrients [photo 3]. This method of searching

C. squamosus (formerly Polyporus) [photo 1] is a large bracket fungus often appearing on Ash and Maple species where wounds occur. At the base of the stalk where it emerges from the substrate is a black coating of melanin but this is often hidden by bark. Other Polypores w i th th i s fe at ure are P. leptocephala and P. badius but why seemingly just these and not other Polypores? Presumably, it is for waterproofing to keep its ‘anchor’ to the wood secure.

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Photo 1: Cerioporus squamosus

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Photo 2: Dichomitus campestris

for food is more often seen in Tropical countries. Again, this is in Captain’s Wood and the fungus has recently ‘captured’ some Honeysuckle.

Photo 4 shows how a layer of melanin is produced to waterproof the mycelium to prevent the joint

Photo 4: Hymenochaete corrugata with layer of melanin

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Photo 3: Hymenochaete corrugata

failing in wet weather. This time a Bramb le branch h a s be e n captured.

Pyrenomycete fungi are very seldom illustrated in ordinary field guides as they are usually so tiny the fruiting body often being no more than a small flask (less than

Photo 5: Eutypa archarii

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1 mm across) containing the spores embedded just under the surface of the wood. The fungus illustrated here [photo 5] is called Eutypa archarii and here you can see the whole surface of the barkless wood covered in a protective layer of melanin. The teeth marks are of a mouse or small shrew that must have found the melanin to its liking - or has the melanin been scraped away by the unknown rodent to get at the spores in the flask chambers underneath - or could it be simply a rodent merely sharpening its teeth? The wood is dead Sycamore from Captain’s Wood.

produced by the dreaded Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea). These are coated with melanin, but for what purpose? The rhizomes are usually found by peeling the dead bark away from the tree but the rhizomes would be sheltered from UV light and the rain so why the melanin? It is on very dark nights after a recent downpour of rain when you are most likely to see the phosphorescence produced by the bootlaces, so one would assume the melanin may prevent the escape of this light - I have so much to learn still.

Neil Mahler

Finally, you must all be familiar with the rhizomes (bootlaces)

Beach Bonkers Beach Bonkers is holding a full programme of beachcombing events over the summer. I don’t know what you’ll find but I do know you’ll find something. From a huge range of shells, egg cases, seaweeds and other evidence of our marine life to incredible 80 million year old fossil sea sponges and sharks’ teeth there’s plenty to discover. You will learn all about these treasures as well as the threats faced by our marine environment by recreation and

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pollution. It’s an opportunity for a real treasure hunt!

And if you can’t get to the beach, Beach Bonkers can bring the beach to you including a mini shingle beach, a tableful of beachcombed treasures and a giant beachcombing board game.

For full details of all events see: www.beachbonkers.org.uk/come-tothe-beach/ or call Kate on 0751 255 7200 Kate Osborne

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Top row left to right: Hag Stone, Sharks’ teeth, Starfish Middle row left to right: Eggs of lemon, Cowrie aka Artic trivia shell, Sharks’ Teeth Bottom row left to right: Leg of a swimming crab, Mermaid’s purses, shell Left: Sea glass

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Fossil a sea Fossil velvet Whelk

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Geology Gallery Reimagined If you love wildlife, you will love the new Suffolk Geology Gallery display at Ipswich Museum. Our geology has a wealth of fossils from the recent past – all wildlife in their time (no domesticated animals/plants in Pliocene times!) with fabulous specimens on display. Created by Bob Markham in the mid-1980s this gallery had languished since its information panels were removed in 2004, nearly a decade after his retirement. So many beautiful Suffolk specimens, but how to interpret them? A GeoSuffolk letter to the Museum in 2016 asked for information about the cases to be provided and resulted in the

Crag gastropod, Euroscaphella.

There is a pretty, fluted, globeshaped Hornera, a bryozoan from the Coralline Crag at Sutton and two large, solitary corals, Flabellum from the Coralline Crag at Orford and Ramsholt. Our Crags at 2-4 million years old represent the start of our modern fauna, with many extant species, for example, the six tiny Echinocyamus pusillus, echinoderms from the Red Cag at Alderton. For comparison there are a few excellent specimens of much older (and extinct) molluscs – e.g. the ceratite, a cephalopod from the Muschelkalk (approx. 240 million years old) of Carnstatt, Germany.

Geology Gallery Re-interpretation Project Plan devised by curator

For botanists, there is a case of plant fossils, which includes Glossopteris leaves from the Permian (250 my) of New South Wales in Australia. This fossil is found on all of the southern continents and is part of the evidence trail that they were once all joined in the supercontinent Gondwanaland. Closer to home, the 700,000 year old pine cone from the Cromer Forest Bed at Mundesley, Norfolk could almost be one of last year’s crop on the floor of a Suffolk forest.

Damian Etherington. Soon after, earth scientist Dr Kate Riddington joined the museum staff and with Bob Markham’s assistance she has turned the plan into reality. The gallery re-opened to the public at the start of March this year - a wonderful example of what can be achieved with a low budget.

Invertebrate fossils abound in the Suffolk Crags – check out the beautifully preserved lobster claw from the Coralline Crag at Aldeburgh and the 6 cm long Red White Admiral 100

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Suffolk’s geology is also important for vertebrate bones and teeth, particularly from the Pleistocene beds – excellent examples include the lower left jaw of a hyaena from Barham (about 40,000 years old), and the upper jaw of a red deer and a (mallard-sized) bird humerus from the brickearth at Stutton (about 210,000 years old). An older local sediment, the London Clay (52 my) yields much fish material, with many beautiful shark teeth on display and a large fish head and vertebrae found in mudstone ‘septaria’ at Harwich. Even older, erratics in the Pleistocene till often contain Jurassic fossils, with a really beautiful ichthyosaur tooth found at Great Blakenham on display. This giant marine reptile was living to the north-west of Suffolk about 140 million years ago – its fossil remains carried here by ice.

and full use has been made of this link with the Science National Curriculum, with cases illustrating adaptation and variability and also answering the fundamental question – ‘What is a Fossil?’ For sheer beauty though, try the feathery shapes formed by bacteria in the Jurassic Cotham Marble.

And for a glimpse of a breathtaking mass-extinction, look for the Nesodon jaw from the Miocene (16 my) of Patagonia, which superficially resembled a rhino, but with curved teeth (go and look at the specimen). This entire Order of mammals, of which there were numerous different types, is completely extinct, possibly outcompeted by our northern denizens when the Panama isthmus was created.

Caroline Markham

There is food for thought here in terms of diversity and evolution

Breckland spiders of Lackford Lakes Visitors to Lackford Lakes are mostly attracted to its lakes and its woodland because there is a lot of birdlife to be seen and photographed. However, there are several open areas, some of them extensive and others more 28

restricted. In 2016-2017 the spiders living in these open areas were surveyed with the aim of finding species typical of the breckland landscape that was once extensive but is now much reduced and fragmented due to farming, White Admiral 100

Photo 1: Differently marked females of Steatoda albomaculata

forestry and urbanisation. The survey involved mainly dry pitfall trapping, in which the invertebrates are generally caught alive, but also searching on the ground and on fenceposts running alongside the open areas.

Spiders were caught on several areas on the reserve but most effort went in to surveying Breckland field, adjacent to the path that runs from the East side of the Reception. A chain harrow is passed over this field annually in order to prevent growth of shrubby plants, thereby encouraging colonisation by smaller plants that thrive on the sandy/stony soil.

Most of the less common spider species were found on this field.

One noteworthy species recorded was Steatoda albomaculata (photo 1), a rare and beautiful combfooted spider (family Theridiidae) found on sparsely-vegetated ground. This species has quite narrow habitat requirements. It

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prefers sandy soils but, according to Duffey (1965), is absent where there is complete ground cover, but also where the sand is flattened and so cannot provide attachments for its web. At Lackford Lakes it was only found on Breckland field, the management of which provides the ideal habitat.

Another uncommon comb-footed spider found on Breckland field was Achearanea riparia, with only 4 previous records for Suffolk. It is small but builds an elaborate web (photo 2) amongst low vegetation or irregularities in the soil surface.

One web was found in the hole left after a pitfall trap was removed. (It is often found on river banks, hence the ‘riparia’ part of its scientific name).

Despite the sparsity of vegetation, the Araneidae, which are orb web spinners, were represented in the survey by Hypsosinga albovittata (photo 3), a tiny spider that builds its web very close to the ground. It

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is a species typically found on heathland and other open areas.

Wolf spiders (Lycosidae) mostly live on or close to the ground and are rarely found high up in vegetation.

So, it was no surprise that several species featured in this survey of open habitats. Three Alopecosa species were found including A. cuneata, males of which have a distinctly swollen front tibiae (photo 4). This species was found on areas with quite dense grass cover but not on Breckland field.

However, Arctosa perita (photo 5), an attractive but well camouflaged inhabitant of sandy soils, was found there, occasionally within its burrows.

Photo 2 (top left): The web of Achearanea riparia Photo 3 (bottom left): Hypsosinga albovittata Photo 4 (top right): Male Alopecosa cuneata Photo 5 (bottom right): Arctosa perita

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The family represented most in the survey was the Linyphiidae. Most of the 26 species found are common and associated with a variety of habitats, but some are more restricted in their choice of habitat and rarer. The Mioxena blanda was only the third recorded in Suffolk.

Mermessus trilobatus has only been recorded about 15 times in the UK and only once previously in Suffolk. It is a North American species which has somehow been introduced in to the UK and elsewhere in Europe, and is probably expanding its range here.

The male Haplodrassus silvestris (family Gnaphosidae, ground

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spiders) caught was the first record for the species in Suffolk but it seems to be undergoing a decline in population nationally. Most records are from woodland, but though some are from grassland on sandy soils. The trap in which it was caught was amongst grass about two metres from the edge of a wood. Another uncommon ground spider found in the survey was the small ant mimic, Micaria silesiaca, typically a heathland species.

Records for it in the UK are becoming increasingly scarce and this was the first in Suffolk for 20 years.

surrounding areas. In all, 68 species from 12 families were recorded. Of these, the following are classified as Nationally Rare by Harvey et al. (2017): Steatoda

albomaculata; Mioxena blanda; Micaria silesiaca. These three species were only found on Breckland field during this survey.

The following recorded species are classified as Nationally Scarce:

Achearanea riparia; Entelecera congenera; Saloca diceros; Typhocrestus digitatus; Hypsosinga albovittata; Alopecosa cuneata;

Most of the species recorded during the survey were ones either normally found on open areas, such as heathland, or from a wide variety of habitats. A few, particularly some of those found on the fenceposts, were species normally associated with less open habitats, such as woodland or marshland, and were probably caught whilst dispersing from

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Drassodes pubescens; Zelotes electus; Haplodrassus silvestris.

T h e Me r m e s su s tr i l o b a tu s mentioned above is not given any such status because it is not a native species.

Carrying out the survey made me aware of the precarious nature of life for spiders on sandy habitats.

A footstep could crush an Arctosa perita sheltering in its sandy burrow, and it could destroy not only the web of a comb-footed spider but also the unevenness in the sand that allowed it to be made. Yet, ironically, on Breckland

field, where the rarer species were found, the habitat and its spider fauna are maintained in their current state partly by using a tractor and chain harrow, together weighing a few tons.

Acknowledgements: My thanks to Hawk Honey of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust for encouraging me to carry out the survey and to the many people who showed an interest in what I was doing as they walked past Breckland field.

Alan Thornhill

References: Duffey, E.A.G. (1965) The distribution of some rare breckland spiders. Trans.

Suffolk Nat. Soc. 13 (2) 67.

Harvey P., Davidson M., Dawson I., Fowles A., Hitchcock G., Lee P., Merrett P., Russell-Smith A., Smith H. (2017). A review of the scarce and threatened spiders (Araneae) of Great Britain: Species Status No. 22. NRW Evidence Report No: 11, 101pp, Natural Resources Wales, Bangor.

Yellow-spotted Emerald On Monday 2nd July 2018, having a day off due to working over the previous weekend, I decided to visit Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s reserve at Carlton Marshes, primarily to check the scrape for waders.

track before the long straight leading to the scrape) I was stopped in my tracks by an unfamiliar, small, seemingly all dark, darter/skimmer shaped dragonfly patrolling low backwards and forwards across the path.

At around 10:00 (upon turning the last corner on the Share Marsh

It was clearly too large, and the wrong shape, for a Black Darter,

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Yellow-spotted Emerald by Andrew Easton

and trying to recall other rather dark species of this type I could only think of the White-faced Darter group, but the lack of the white face obviously rendered this a complete non-starter.

former breeding species in Suffolk up to the 1940s, and that no Emerald dragonflies of any sort had been recorded in the county since then, it was a surprising record to say the least.

Still puzzled as to its identity, but very relieved that it hadn’t yet flown off across the adjacent marshes, I decided to try to get a flight image of some sort to see if there were any colours or features on it, as it showed no sign of interrupting its hyperactive patrolling.

A couple of the flight photos were clear enough to make out that the thorax was not covered in dense hairs, so I was happy it wasn’t a Downy Emerald, but that was as far as I could get not having a reference book with me.

As I watched it for longer, and it flew past me a few times, it became clear it’s eyes were a shiny metallic green and there were flashes of iridescent gold and green from the thorax at certain angles. The penny now dropped and I realised that I was watching an Emerald dragonfly of some sort. Knowing that the Downy Emerald was a

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I now had two choices, either take more photos and wait until I got home and specifically identify it, or tweet out a photo with news of the presence of an unidentified Emerald Dragonfly in Suffolk.

Given the extreme rarity of any Emerald Dragonfly being in Suffolk I knew the first choice would not be popular. So I decided to send a message out on Twitter, tentatively suggesting it may be a 33

Brilliant Emerald, to give other interested observers the chance to get there and see it, and also to see what ID suggestions would be forthcoming.

I had seen Maurice Bunn further along the track earlier so I called him to see if he was still on site, luckily he was, and on his bike, so it didn’t take long for him to arrive, and it was a relief to have an independent witness to the sighting. Subsequently, William Boyle came along and saw it, followed by a couple unknown to us who were passing whilst visiting the reserve. The dragonfly then settled briefly, hanging under a reed, and I was able to get a few side-on shots of it.

My friend Robert Wilton was at work, but between classes, and upon seeing the tweet and having a feeling that it wasn’t a Brilliant Emerald, forwarded the picture on to local wildlife writer/blogger James Lowen for his opinion. His response was that he thought it was an extreme rarity and he would check the reference books.

He was soon back with the message suggesting it looked like a male Yellow-spotted Emerald, and as such a new species for the UK. It was not a species I had heard of as a potential vagrant, so it was quite a surprise to say the least.

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With a name suggested I went online and found photos of Yellowspotted Emerald and could see it was a good match. It settled a further four times, mostly fairly briefly, but luckily in the same spot so I was able to get more photos from different angles, and from these it was clear it was indeed as suggested a male Yellow-spotted Emerald.

Although it would hang around the same general area for a while it was gradually moving along the track in the direction of the scrape and the River Waveney.

Occasionally, it would disappear for a few minutes off to the sides of the track but each time returned to patrol across the track again.

I last saw it at 12:05 when it again disappeared off to the side of the track. A little afterwards several more observers arrived, and three of them (David Walsh, Phil Davison and Jane Ferguson) who had headed further towards the river, had it fly past them at 12:54, it then settled briefly before being chased by a Norfolk Hawker and was not seen subsequently.

Andrew Easton

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A View From The Bridge An analysis of all the foxes I have seen would reveal that the most frequent sightings have been connected with railways. I can remember one morning on the East Suffolk line when I saw a fox lying down just a few yards from the track, watching the train as it approached Woodbridge station.

Even closer was a sighting close to Wivelsfield in Sussex when the train had to stop at a red light. We looked out to see a fox right next to the line, stretched out and seemingly unphased by the close proximity of hundreds of passengers. Presumably the carriages cut out the human scent and it was still there as we moved on when a green light appeared.

I also peer over railway bridges whenever I can. A recent fox sighting was from the bridge where Belvedere Road and Moat Farm close meet in Ipswich, on the Felixstowe line. It had a faint white tip to its tail and was searching through vegetation close to the line. As a single carriage train from Felixstowe approached it just moved clear of the line to let it pass, obviously unconcerned. I didn’t have the opportunity to see how it would have reacted to a long and noisy freight train but these White Admiral 100

and the passenger trains move along this line at a relatively slow speed and an alert fox would know a train was coming long before it arrived. There are several advantages of looking over railway bridges for foxes and other wildlife.

First there is the elevated view and the fact that mammals the size of deer and foxes seldom look up for anything dangerous, unless there is a sudden unexplained movement or suspicious scent a fact I verified on many occasions when I sat up trees at Nacton to watch fallow deer. There is also usually a long uncluttered view, assisted by regular cutting back of trackside vegetation for safety reasons. This is a particular advantage on the railway bridge along the path leading from the rugby club grounds at Humber Doucy lane in Ipswich right through to Tuddenham St. Martin. There are long clear views, on one side back towards the Henley Road part of Ipswich and on the other along the Fynn valley. From this bridge, looking back towards Ipswich, I had my longest ever view of a fox, probably about half an hour. It was far enough away not to detect me and I watched it through binoculars. It had black eartips, 35

was grey on its haunches and had a grey tail with a white tip. It was continually moving in and out of vegetation close to the line and up the embankments on either side. It appeared to be hunting with some determination, at a time of year when there were probably young cubs to feed. From the other side of the same bridge I did actually watch two young fox cubs, gambolling together, across and along the line. No parent fox was seen but I assume it was probably watching unseen from a nearby earth, probably in the embankment close by.

This East Suffolk line is particularly favoured by foxes.

Once the line has branched off to Felixstowe at the Westerfield

junction there is no freight traffic and passenger trains, usually of no more than two carriages, pass by just once an hour in both directions. The many embankments provide sites for earths and there is little human disturbance. Also there is the chance of an easy meal from anything knocked down by a passing train. Finally, particularly on the line passing through Ipswich towards Felixstowe, the line provides an effective and easily accessed green corridor, a much safer way of moving around for wildlife compared to nearby busy roads. These green corridors are also officially recognised on many Ipswich maps.

Richard Stewart.

Contributions to White Admiral Deadlines for copy are: 1st Feb (Spring issue), 1st June (Summer issue) and 1st Oct (Autumn issue) The opinions expressed in White Admiral are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Suffolk Naturalists ’ Society.

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Suffolk Naturalists’ Society Bursaries The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers six bursaries, of up to £500 each, annually. Larger projects may be eligible for grants of over £500 – please contact SNS for further information.

Activities eligible for funding include: travel and subsistence for field work, visits to scientific institutions, scientific equipment, identification guide books or other items relevant to the study.

Morley Bursary - Studies involving insects (or other invertebrates) other than butterflies and moths.

Chipperfield Bursary - Studies involving butterflies or moths.

Cranbrook Bursary - Studies involving mammals or birds.

Rivis Bursary - Studies of the county's flora.

Simpson Bursary - In memory of Francis Simpson. The bursary will be awarded for a botanical study where possible.

Nash Bursary - Studies involving beetles.

Applications should be set in the context of a research question i.e. a clear statement of what the problem is and how the applicant plans to tackle it.

Criteria:

1. Projects should include a large element of original work and further knowledge of Suffolk’s flora, fauna or geology.

2. A written account of the project is required within 12 months of receipt of a bursary. This should be in a form 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 apply to SNS for an application form or visit our website for more details www.sns.org.uk/ pages/bursary.shtml.

Cover Photo: A handful of treasures - Kate Osborne

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 Ornithologists’ Group (SOG).

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 Biological Records Centre at Ipswich Museum 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, and the County bird report, Suffolk Birds (compiled by SOG). 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. Field meetings are held throughout the year often in conjunction with other specialist organisations.

Subscriptions: Individual members £15.00; Family membership £17.00; Student Membership £10.00; Corporate membership £17.00.

Members receive the three publications above.

Joint membership with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group: Individual members £30.00; Family membership £35.00. Joint members receive, in addition to the above, the SOG 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 contact: 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: Hon. Secretary, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH. Telephone 01473 400251 enquiry@sns.org.uk