Wild Suffolk Magazine spring/summer 2021

WildSuffolk The membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Spring/Summer 2021

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Our 60th birthday!

Celebrate 60 years of standing up for Suffolk’s natural world

WILDER LANDSCAPES

Share our vision for a Wilder Suffolk

BEGUILING BUTTERFLIES

Discover the changing fate of Suffolk’s butterflies

SUFFO L

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32

YEARS

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That the natural world underpins our health and happiness has become obvious over the past year. Like so many, I have become more acquainted with my local patch and taken delight in the everyday nature close to home. Yet, as we mark the 60th anniversary of Suffolk Wildlife Trust and reflect on the changes to our county, it is the silent, creeping loss of our everyday nature, the very nature that has sustained us, that society must surely now be compelled to act upon.

As our horizons expand once again, Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s focus will be on turning this collective awakening into collective action – to bring nature back.

In my student days, the mantra for environmentalists was ‘Think global, act local’, and the need for global co-operation has never been greater. Over the Trust’s six decades our members, volunteers and supporters have shown the potency of locally-led action, and this summer we will celebrate the wonderful and precious places that have been protected as nature reserves – and begin to reimagine a wilder future for our county.

In this issue our focus is on our countryside and in autumn we will look to our towns and villages.

The decade to 2030 has to be the one in which we, and indeed humanity, can put nature on a path to recovery, as part of the United Nations’ global ‘Decade of Action’.

With your support, Suffolk Wildlife Trust will play our part in this.

PEACOCK: ALAMY

We are 60!

60

UST TR

Welcome

ILDLIF E KW

Christine Luxton Chief Executive

Suffolk Wildlife Trust Wild Suffolk is the membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org Telephone 01473 890089 Address Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, Ashbocking IP6 9JY Registered charity number 262777 Website suffolkwildlifetrust.org Facebook @suffolkwildlife Twitter @suffolkwildlife Instagram suffolkwildlifetrust Flickr.com/photos/suffolkwildlifetrust

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

Get in touch Our Membership Manager, Nicola Martin, is happy to help with any questions about your membership on 01473 890089 or membership@suffolkwildlifetrust.org.

Wild Suffolk Magazine Team Editor Lucy McRobert Designer Clare Sheehan Content editor UK Tom Hibbert Cover: Leaping otter Andy Rouse, naturepl.com

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is one of a national network of Wildlife Trusts dedicated to safeguarding the future of wildlife for the benefit of all.

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Contents

36

4 Your wild summer

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JOHN FERGUSSON / COMMON TERN: ISTOCK

Share in the best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it nearby.

10 Our nature reserves

Wild places to discover this spring and summer.

13 Wild thoughts

Gillian Burke: to save biodiversity, we need to represent human diversity.

14 Gardening for wildlife

Feed yourself and wildlife with Kate Bradbury’s guide to companion planting.

16 Wild news

Read what’s happening for Suffolk’s wildlife and around the UK.

20 60 years of Suffolk’s wildlife

Find out how Suffolk’s landscapes have changed over the last sixty years.

26 Our vision for Suffolk

We share our vision for a Wilder Suffolk countryside.

28 Shingle banks to sandy stiltballs Richard Mabey shares the story of how he fell in love with Suffolk's landscapes.

30 Imagining a Wilder Suffolk BRAMFIELD: JOHN FERGUSON

We asked members what changes they had seen in Suffolk’s wildlife, and what they’d like to see in future.

32 Beguiling butterflies

Discover the changing fate of Suffolk’s butterflies.

36 Seabird cities

Bombard your senses with some of our wildest landscapes: the UK’s seabird colonies.

6 ways to get involved with Suffolk Wildlife Trust Celebrate with us We’re

Wildlife Watch Bring the

whole family closer to nature by signing up children, friends and young relatives to the wildest kid’s club in the UK! wildlifewatch.org.uk

Carry out a bake sale, do a sponsored run or get crafty and sell your treasures – every penny you raise supports local wildlife. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/donate

Volunteer Donating your skills,

30 Days Wild This June,

Events Discover courses, activities,

celebrating our 60th birthday! Look for events near you and tell us if you’re celebrating a big birthday this year! suffolkwildlifetrust.org/60years

time and knowledge to wildlife can leave you feeling happier, healthier and more connected to local nature. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/volunteer

can you do something wild every day for 30 days? Take part in the biggest environmental campaign of the year. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/30Dayswild

Fundraise

badger watches, birthday parties, walks and talks, all designed to bring you and your family closer to nature. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/whatson

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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Your wild summer The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it in Suffolk

We manage grasslands and heathlands with reptiles in mind, creating habitat piles, keeping sandy basking refuges clear and offering advice to landowners and gardeners.

Covid-19

to follow We are continuing ce and to an id Government gu y. Please gl in rd respond acco and social check our website t up-to-date media for the mos r nature information on ou and reserves, centres events.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

T h a n k y ou

Thanks to your m embership, we are managing grassland, woodland and he athland to make them perfe ct for reptiles. Log piles in your garden make grea t reptile habitats, too!

SUMMER SPECTACLE

Lounge with lizards Living up to its name, the common lizard is the UK's most common and widespread reptile and summer is the perfect time to spot one in Suffolk. They are found in heathland, moorland, woodland, grassland, and even in gardens. The ultimate lounge lizard, look for one basking in sunny spots, on rocks, walls and trees. Along with adders, common lizards are unusual among reptiles as they incubate their eggs inside their bodies and 'give birth' to live young. They are the most likely reptile you’ll see in Suffolk, although we’re also home to adders, grass snakes and slow worms.

If threatened, the common lizard will shed its tail to distract its attacker: it should regrow, but probably shorter than before!

Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

ALAMY

SEE THEM THIS SUMMER Knettishall Heath A mosaic of habitats perfect for reptiles, including grassland, woodland and breckland – one of the UK’s biodiversity hotspots!

Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale Spot reptiles basking in woodland glades, warming themselves in the sun.

Blaxhall Common Woodlark, nightjar and Dartford warbler can be found alongside common lizard and adder.

YOUR WILD SUMMER

Banded demoiselle As you’re walking by a river, fen or wetland reserve this summer, look out for the metallic blue-green sprite that is the banded demoiselle.

These bright gems bounce through the air with a distinctive, fluttering flight and perch on rushes, grass and sedge with their rounded wings pulled back against their bodies. The males are iridescent turquoise with a dark band across their wings, whilst females have emerald bodies and translucent wings. Sit quietly by the water to watch them dancing through the air: they might even perch on an outstretched toe!

The banded demoiselle is a large damselfly.

Its common name derives from the distinctive 'fingerprint' mark on the males' wings.

SEE THEM THIS SUMMER Castle Marshes This fenland site, criss-crossed with dykes, is perfect for wetland invertebrates.

Knettishall Heath Take a stroll along the Little Ouse on a sunny day, following the river bank.

FIELDCRAFT

RON MCCOMBE ALAMY

Be buzzed by a bat

We manage woodlands like Captain's Wood for bats. As well as pipistrelles (pictured), records include Natterer's, brown long-eared, Daubenton's, barbastelle and Leisler's.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

Flitting around in the gloaming like shadows, these nocturnal mammals are as charismatic as they are misunderstood. Britain is home to 18 species of bat; the largest is the noctule, the smallest is the pipistrelle, weighing as little as a 2p coin. Bats are most active in the summer when they are raising young; look out for them around sunset on warm, dry days. You’re mostly likely to spot a common pipistrelle, tiny bats with a frenetic flight, which echolocate around 48kHz. Through a detector, they sound like frantic pops, clicks and drops.

How to SPOT A BAT

Look Explore local nature

reserves, farmland, churchyards, woodland, hedgerows, lakes and even gardens, which all provide ideal foraging habitat.

Listen Eavesdrop on their conversations using a bat detector, available to buy or borrow on a guided walk. Bats echolocate at different frequencies, allowing you to identify the species.

Take note Different species will forage for insects in certain ways; for example, Daubenton’s bats will pick insects off the surface of a lake.

SEE THIS

The pincushion, lilac flowers of devil’s-bit scabious are excellent for pollinators. Look for them in damp meadows, on marshes and riverbanks.

DO THIS

Elderflowers are the taste of summer. Use the creamy flowers from these fragrant trees to make sweet cordials and syrups.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Cattle egrets

SPECIES TO SPOT

NATU REPL.COM

PLUMAGE largely white with orange plumes on the head, chest and back (breeding).

ADOBE STOCK

ALAMY

BEAK New arrivals bright Western cattle egrets are a yellow comparatively new arrival to beak. the UK, following a trend of herons, egrets and ibises that are visiting and breeding here more regularly. Whilst cattle TEAMS UP egrets are yet to nest in with herds of Suffolk, they bred at cattle, eating LEGS Chigborough Lakes, Essex in insects disturbed pale yellow, 2019 and last year there were by their hooves. grey or pink. four breeding pairs in Norfolk at Holkham National Nature Reserve. As sightings their range across the world to all

increase across the region annually, seven continents (including at we are hopeful that it won’t be RARE least one record in long before we see them nesting We’re smaller Antarctica!), first in Suffolk, too. and much breeding in the UK rarer in the in Somerset in 2008. Big Moo-ving around UK than little flocks of the birds Unlike many herons, you’re just egrets. can congregate in the as likely to see them on farmland winter; some of these stay as you are in a wetland. Cattle into the spring and, especially in egrets evolved alongside the buffalo recent years, breed. As well as being and elephants of the African savannah natural pioneers, cattle egrets are one species but were quick to switch their allegiance to taking advantage of climate change, pushing more abundant domestic species. Living up their range northwards. They even make use to their name, cattle egrets associate with of cruise liners and cargo ships to move herds of cows; the hooves of the livestock across the oceans. kick up worms and insects from the ground, which the egrets then feed on. They’re also LOOK FOR THEM THIS SUMMER regularly seen perching Carlton Marshes Our innovative work at on animals’ backs! this Broadland reserve makes it a good place to look for cattle egrets.

Global success Hen Reedbeds With grazing ponies and The adaptability of the cattle several heron species recorded, this is a egret has made it one of the most possible site for cattle egrets. successful birds on the planet.

Snape Marshes Cattle egrets are seen They have expanded

quite often in the area, so this wetland site is worth checking out.

Little egret Little egrets have black beaks, black legs and in summer, yellow feet that look like they've been painted!

Great white egret Found on wetlands, with yellow bills and a 1.5m wingspan! Once a rare visitor, now more common.

Glossy ibis A global species expanding its range. They are dark redpurple and iridescent with decurved bills.

Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

ALAMY

Spot one of the UK’s most recent ornithological stars.

Top tips THREE

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HEAR THIS

The screams of swifts are symbolic of summer. Listen for their joyous cries as they tear through towns and villages.

SMELL THIS

Stinking iris, also known as the ‘roast beef plant’, is found in woodlands, hedgerows and coastal cliffs, and gives off an unpleasant meaty smell when crushed.

NOT JUST FOR KIDS

Seven ways to enjoy nature this summer Why should kids have all the fun? Feed your love of nature with these really wild things to do.

SIGN UP FOR 30 DAYS WILD! Take part in the UK’s biggest nature challenge and do something wild every day this June. Feel happier, healthier and more connected to nature.

1 – 30 June

Are you ready for #30DaysWild?

ISTOCK

suffolkwildlifetrust. org/30DaysWild

ALAMY

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ENJOY THE SOUND OF STRIDULATION Summer is the time to tune into ‘stridulating’ crickets and grasshoppers. Crickets sing by rubbing their wings together whilst grasshoppers rub their hind legs against their wings.

Roesels bush cricket.

COMB FOR A MERMAID’S PURSE A mermaid’s purse is another name for the leathery egg case of a shark or ray that contains the young. If you find one on washed up on the shoreline, it’s probably no longer viable.

SWT

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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TELL THE TIME WITH NATURE Starting at midday on a sunny day, plant a dowel or stick standing straight up in the soil. Place a stone at the end of the shadow cast by the stick.

Repeat this every hour until sunset, and then from sunrise the next morning to complete your sundial!

GOOGLE IMAGES CC

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RELAX IN THE DIMPSEY ‘Dimpsey’ is a wild word, used to describe the time in the evening just before dusk. Full of birdsong, buzzing insects and dancing, golden light, it’s the perfect time to relax in nature.

ALAMY

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YOUR WILD SUMMER

10 wild ideas

MARK PATON ISTOCK

Look out for our seasonal activities and events restarting, in step with the covid-19 guidance.

1 Celebrate our 60th!

Join one of our birthday events and activities across the county. We would love to hear from you if you are also celebrating a landmark birthday in June!

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WATCH WOBBLING RED KITES Now a more common sight in Suffolk, look for the forked tail, long wings with distinct fingers, reddish colour and wobbling flight as they scavenge for food.

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BUILD A MINI WILDLIFE POND Water provides vital habitat and will encourage lots of wildlife – from frogs and newts to pond skaters and damselflies, and give birds and mammals a chance to drink. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/actions/ how-make-mini-pond

N at u re cra ft

YOU WILL NEED l Bucket or watertight container l Spade l Sand l Old bricks, rocks and pebbles l Native pond plants (to help oxygenate the water)

1 Dig a hole deep enough

to hold your container so that the top is level with the ground.

2 Remove any rocks

or sharp stones and line the bottom of the hole with sand.

3 Position the container

2 Learn a new skill From hedge-laying to dragonfly ID, we offer online and face-to-face courses for teens and adults, as well as accredited Forest School and Wild Beach training.

3 Rewild your garden Create a haven for wildlife in your garden. Book your place on our Wildlife Gardening course at Fuller’s Mill on 8th June or visit suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ gardeningadvice

6 Wild families Book a weekend family Forest School session, family pond or dyke dipping, invertebrate hunting or night walk with us .

7 Volunteer for wildlife Join one of our Young Wardens sessions or adult work parties to help care for our nature reserves or share your love of nature with others at our learning centres and reserves. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ volunteer 8 Fundraise for wildlife Help distribute collection tins to locations across the county and raise money to look after Suffolk’s wildlife and wild places.

4 Gift a wildlife experience We offer gift vouchers for our learning experiences, including Wild Babies, Wild Tots, family activities, courses and badger watching.

9 Join the Youth Board If you are aged 11-24, you can help develop our work as part of our Youth Board.

Contact lucy.shepherd@ suffolkwildlifetrust.org to find out more.

5 Raise a wild child Come to one of our Wild Babies or Wild Tots sessions for wild play, discovery and a chance to chat to new friends.

10 Wet your whistle Meet like-minded people at one of our events for 18-35-year olds in Ipswich, followed by a drink at a local pub.

Browse our events page for the latest news suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

in the hole and fill the gaps with loose soil.

4 Pile rocks,

JOHN FERGUSON

ILLUSTRATIONS: CORINNE WELCH

bricks and pebbles in the bottom and add plants. Fill with rainwater.

Find out more suffolkwildlife trust.org/ gardenponds

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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Redgrave & Lopham Fen is one of the most significant wetlands in Europe, holding SSSI, NNR, Natura 2000 and Ramsar status.

Discover Redgrave & Lopha

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

Lying across the rising River Waveney, Redgrave and Lopham Fen is not only one of Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s most important nature reserves, but one of the most significant wetlands in Europe.

At over 400 acres (160 hectares), this mosaic of re-established fenland, criss-crossed with dykes and marshlands, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a National Nature Reserve, a Natura 2000 site and Ramsar.

Explore the fen on a warm afternoon in late spring, as the dimpsey is settling in. The car park is surrounded by trees; you can follow several trails from here, wandering through the woodlands or meandering across the marsh. At this time of day, the evening chorus will be in full song. We often hear two or three cuckoos calling on the nature reserve.

Enjoy the familiar scream of racing swifts or watch hobbies patrolling the fenland. They are hunting the many

dragonflies and damselflies that live here, including the small red-eyed damselfly, willow emerald damselfly, Norfolk hawker and four-spotted chaser.

This time of year marks the return of the breeding warblers that nest on the marsh, including sedge, reed and grasshopper warbler, the latter sounding much like a whirring fishing reel. In the last five years, marsh harriers have returned to nest here; watch them

Small red-eyed damselflies were first recorded in the UK in 1999.

ALAMY

Redgrave and Lopham Fen has an iconic status for Suffolk Wildlife Trust, being the nature reserve that led to our foundation in 1961. At over 160 hectares, it is the largest valley fen in England.

OUR BEST SUMMER RESERVES

T h a n k y ou

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Thanks to 60 year s of members' suppor t, fen raft spiders, dragon flies and rare fenland pl ants are thriving here.

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Redgrave & Lopham Fen

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

floating atop the reeds on v-shaped wings or keep an eye out for hovering kestrels. You might even spy one of three owl species: barn, tawny or little.

Otters are seen quite regularly, and sightings of adders are increasing every year.

With over 270 plant species, Redgrave & Lopham Fen is celebrated for its flora.

Whilst not known for its beauty, one of

DID YOU KNOW Redgrave &

Lopham Fen was the first nature reserve in England to use Konik ponies from Poland for conservation grazing. This hardy breed resembles an ancient and extinct sub-species of wild horse called the tarpan. Alongside targeted conservation work, they have helped create ideal conditions for the rare fen raft spider.

Otters are seen quite regularly, and adder sightings are increasing every year the most important species is saw sedge, which led to the fen’s protection. Tall and robust, it is also known as the great fen-sedge and makes up the primary habitat of the rare fen raft spider, first discovered here in 1956 by local naturalist Dr Eric Duffy. This was the first time they had been recorded in Britain. With bodies over 2cm long and a leg span of 7cm (in females), they are one of our biggest spiders and are semi-aquatic.

This nature reserve was once the site of a borehole, installed in 1960, which was slowly draining water away from the site and damaging the fragile habitat.

Had it continued, Redgrave & Lopham Fen would have been lost. A major campaign, led by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, began in the late 1980s to save the fen and its precious wildlife. It took many years, but work began on restoring the nature reserve after decades of damage and in 1999, the borehole was finally moved.

Walking around the reserve today, it’s hard to imagine how close we came to losing this luscious and biodiverse landscape. In our 60th year, it is worth a visit to appreciate what together, with your support, we have saved.

TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT Fen raft spider: Spot this leviathan at the water's edge on warm windless days, identified by the creamy white stripes down its sides.

Hobby: This fast-flying falcon can be seen hawking over the fen. Similar in size to a kestrel with red ‘trousers’.

Small red-eyed damselfly: First seen in Britain in 1999, this species has colonised from the southeast. It has a bronze-black top to the thorax. Males have red eyes and a blue-black abdomen.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY Relax at the Cross Keys pub in nearby Redgrave, a community-owned pub serving real ale and delicious homecooked, locally sourced meals.

Head on down the A1066 to Knettishall Heath and enjoy a coffee or ice cream from our new cafe van.

Get involved with the Little Ouse Headwaters Project. Take a guided walk or visit one of their nearby sites west of Redgrave, where conservation work is helping restore nature to the area.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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HOBBY: FLPA, OTTER: ALAMY, FEN RAFT SPIDER: NATUREPL.COM

m Fen

STEVE AYLWARD

ADO BE STO CK

Adders are secretive and will often hide if approached.

Location: South Lopham, Diss IP22 2HX. How to get there: Head west from Diss on the A1066 towards Thetford. Before South Lopham, turn south onto Brick Kiln Lane. Follow the road onto Low Common Road. The car park is on the left.

Opening times: Open all year. Toilets and car park always accessible. Learning Centre for educational groups (booking in advance).

Access: Fully accessible Learning Centre with disabled toilet. Picnic area and designated parking. Wheelchairs may be pushed over some paths in dry conditions, but they are rough unmade surfaces.

Phone for information: 01379 688333.

Email: info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org Website: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/redgrave

OUR BEST SUMMER RESERVES

More Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves for a great summer day out Nature reserves

Gateway reserves

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Gateway reserves with refreshments & toilets

Lowestoft BROADS NATIONAL PARK

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A1065

THE A11 BRECKS

Mildenhall

Diss

A134

Halesworth A143

Southwold

Eye

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Ixworth A140 A14

Newmarket

A146

A12

Bury St Edmunds

Saxmundham A14

Stowmarket

Needham Market

Aldeburgh

A134

Lavenham

Woodbridge

Haverhill Hadleigh

Sudbury

DEDHAM VALE AONB

A12

Ipswich

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SUFFOLK COAST & HEATHS AONB

A14

Felixstowe

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Newbourne Springs

Why now?

Be serenaded by the sweet song of a nightingale in late spring, as this star songster takes centre stage. Scan the trees for nuthatch, treecreeper, goldcrest and two species of woodpecker!

Know before you go Location: Woodbridge Lane, Newbourne, Ipswich IP12 4NY. Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Nightingale, nuthatch, treecreeper, great-spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, marsh marigold, common spotted orchid.

Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ newbournesprings

Darsham Marshes

Why now?

With its ponds and intricate network of freshwater dykes a good number of dragonfly species can be found in the summer, such as the Norfolk hawker, four-spotted chaser and the willow emerald damselfly. Listen for whirring grasshopper warblers.

STEVE AYLWARD

Know before you go Location: Westleton Road, Saxmundham IP17 3BS. Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Norfolk hawker, fourspotted chaser, grasshopper warbler, linnet, blackcap, common lizard, marsh orchid.

Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ darshammarshes

The lowdown Darsham Marshes comprises a mosaic of habitats with grazing marsh, fen meadow, woodland, scrub, hedgerow, grassland, heathland, freshwater dykes and ponds. The herb rich marshes are summer grazed with cattle, which create an ideal sward structure for marshland birds. Over 150 species of flora have been recorded, including the southern marsh orchid, marsh marigold, ragged-robin, flag iris and marsh arrowgrass.

The neighbouring Darsham Common is a breeding site for linnet, blackcap, song thrush, chiffchaff and occasionally nightingale. Other notable inhabitants include reed bunting, badger, grass snake, common frog, toad and lizard.

STEVE AYLWARD

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The lowdown With the atmosphere of a secret garden, this small wooded valley with its spring-fed brook used to be a source of water for Felixstowe. Made up of woodland, marsh, fen and adjacent heathland, this reserve puts on a spectacular display of marsh marigolds alongside the stream. Listen out for woodland birds in the summer, keep an eye out for green hairstreak butterflies and look for orchids on summer days, including common spotted orchid and twayblade.

Newbourne Springs is cared for by Suffolk Wildlife Trust on behalf of Anglian Water.

Info & maps for all reserves suffolkwildlifetrust.org/naturereserves

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

WILD THOUGHTS

Gillian Burke @gillians_voice

It was the best little hide! A hibiscus bush with the perfect little-girl-sized hollow, where I would spend whole mornings, watching butterflies and jewel-like sunbirds flitting and darting nervously from flower to flower. I had no access to field guides and no idea what the birds were called. To be perfectly honest, it didn’t really matter because I was quite content with just watching and occasionally trying to draw what I saw in a little notebook. This was my Kenya in the late seventies. No internet, no clubs, no daytime telly, no distractions – just the world outside to explore and discover.

With time and freedom on my side, I got to know the many moods of the natural world.

Beautiful flowers hid thorns, lush green grass hid snakes, the same wondrous sun, that gently warmed up the day, would birth violent afternoon storms that, in turn, gave way to the cooling sweet smell of the earth. I loved it all. All this gave me a profound sense, even as a little girl, that everything in nature had its place.

My younger self had yet to learn that this is what biologists call diversity – the single word that describes the infinite possibilities, expressions and connections of life on earth.

From a biologist’s perspective, all this variety is not just the spice of life, it is the source of

nature’s resilience and adaptability.

Viewed with this lens it is hard, therefore, to believe that there is still the need to debate diversity in the conservation and environmental sector but clearly we do. From senior leadership roles to volunteer positions, just 0.6% are from black, mixed and other ethnic groups. This is a famously quoted figure and one that likely extends to underrepresentation from white working class backgrounds as well.

One thing that we can all agree on is that we have the fight of our lives right now in meeting the twin challenges of the climate and ecological crisis. As 2020 is set to go down in history as ‘one hell of a year’, there is a precious opportunity to set a course for a truly 21st century mind-set. If we are ever really going to walk the walk and actually do things differently, we are going to need the full power of diverse voices and perspectives to forge resilience and adaptability in a fresh, new system that serves everyone and everything, and exploits nothing and no one.

WILDER IS HEALTHIER

The Wildlife Trusts are committed to putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our movement. Find out more: wildlifetrusts.org/wild-about-inclusion

Gillian Burke is a biologist and wildlife presenter and has recently become vice president of The Wildlife Trusts.

Research published

by The Wildlife Trusts in 2019 showed that children experience profound and diverse benefits through regular contact with nature.

It’s essential that all children (and adults) have the opportunity to experience nature in their daily lives. But 42% of people from minority ethnic backgrounds live in the most greenspace deprived areas, compared to just 15% of white people*. We need at least 30% of land to be restored for nature, helping wildlife recover and bringing nature into everyone’s daily lives.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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*ENGLAND’S GREEN SPACE GAP, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

ILLUSTRATION: C. IZUNDU

Together for nature

Companion

planting Feed yourself and your local wildlife with these tips from Kate Bradbury.

Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

Nasturtiums can lure aphids from beans and egg-laying butterflies from brassicas. You can also transfer white butterfly caterpillars on to nasturtiums from your cabbages and kales. Their flowers attract bumblebees, the main pollinator of tomatoes.

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

This low-growing herb can deter blackfly from broad beans and roses. You can also make a tea from its leaves and spray it on brassicas to prevent whitefly.

Beans

Fabaceae

Brassicas and salad crops need nitrogen-rich soil to grow well. Plant them alongside beans, whose roots fix nitrogen into the soil.

Mint

Mentha spicata

Its strongly scented leaves deter insects with a taste for carrots, onions and brassicas, including flea beetle. Best grown in a pot as it can grow out of control in open ground.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

Marigold

Calendula officinalis

Its leaves repel whitefly from tomatoes and can lure aphids from beans. Its flowers attract pollinators as well as aphid predators like ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies. Its roots work with soil fungi to deliver more nutrients to other plants.

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

Companion planting is an age-old tradition of organic gardening, designed to help plants grow better, aid pollination, deter insects from munching your crops and encourage the predators that eat them. It basically involves the planting of wildflowers or other crops alongside your main crop – think of them as little friends or guardians, there to keep your plants happy and safe.

Most companion plants are strongly scented and therefore can deter insects in search of their host plant. Others attract more beneficial insects, such as ladybirds and lacewings, which then prey on aphids and other crop eaters. Some companion plants are ‘sacrificial’, meaning you grow them so that insects lay eggs on them instead of your prized crop. Others can benefit the soil, such as nitrogenfixing legumes, which help leafy plants grow better, or calendula, whose roots work particularly well with soil fungi, which aid the uptake of soil nutrients. All of this helps you work in harmony with nature, protect your crops and help them grow better. What’s not to like?

On my allotment I grow calendula with tomatoes, onions and garlic with carrots and parsnips, and nasturtiums with beans and brassica

crops. I also grow nettles, fennel, teasels and other wildflowers along my allotment boundaries. These are fantastic wildlife plants, and so bring in a range of insects and birds. Nettles give me a head start on other allotmenteers: coming into leaf early in the year, nettles attract the nettle aphid, Microlophium carnosum. This feeds only on nettles and emerges from hibernation sooner than other species, so attracts aphid predators – such as ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings – early in the year. This means the predators are already on hand when the blackbean aphid starts breeding on my broad beans. Then in summer, fennel flowers attract hoverflies, which then lay eggs on aphid clusters – I rarely have a problem with aphids.

Other wildflowers attract pollinating bees, which stay to fertilise my bean and tomato flowers. I also like to grow caterpillar foodplants for moths and butterflies because they’re nice to have around.

I like to think of them as my companions, so companion planting can benefit the gardener, too!

Kate Bradbury is passionate about wildlifefriendly gardening and the author of Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything in association with The Wildlife Trusts.

Gardens and allotments are a vital habitat for many of our struggling insects. Get tips for helping them at: wildlifetrusts.org/take-action-insects

Borage

Borago officinalis

Its nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies and hoverflies, which pollinate crops. It is also reported to improve the flavour of strawberries.

Garlic chive

Allium tuberosum

The garlicy scent from its chive-like leaves deters the carrot root fly, which can usually smell carrots from up to a mile away.

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Its strong-scented foliage can deter aphids and its flowers attract a range of pollinators, including bees. Plant with carrots and leeks to protect them.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

15

WILD NEWS Highlights from Suffolk and national news from The Wildlife Trusts ILDLIF E KW

UST TR

SUFFO L

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From our humble beginnings

Number factoid in this space and 60 years ago up to description here.standing Number factoid save Redgrave & Lopham in this space and description here.

Fen,factoid we now have Number in this space 28,000 members. and description here.

Thank you!

60 YEARS

61-2 0 21

JOHN FERGUSON

19

28,000

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

What better way to emerge from the challenges of coronavirus than with a month-long celebration of nature? With events and activities planned throughout June to mark the Trust's 60th Anniversary, we hope you will be able to join us.

Congratulations too, to Trust members who are celebrating their own 60th

Full details of this and all the events planned for June are in the enclosed What's On listing and on our website: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

"The foundation of the Suffolk Trust for Nature Conservation in 1961 coincided with our arrival in Suffolk after our wedding in July. The awareness and enjoyment of this beautiful county have sustained the family throughout the 60 years. We feel we belong and must all strive to preserve its unique qualities for the future."

Michael Thomas

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

A date for your diary Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s 60th Annual General Meeting and Conservation Day will be held on Saturday 23rd October 2021.

The morning talks will be at Norton Village Hall, followed by an afternoon visit to Black Bourn Valley nature reserve, to see the rewilding of the former arable fields. The AGM will be at 12 noon and will include a vote to adopt the charity’s new Articles of Association.

Further information is on the attached letter and on our website: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ how-we-are-governed

LES CARTER

We are 60!

milestones with us. Suffolk Wildlife Trust was formally established on 13th June 1961, known in those early days as Suffolk Trust for Nature Conservation. A month later Michael and Penelope Thomas were married – and have been involved with the Trust since these early days. They and others will be sharing their memories and hopes for the next decade in a special 60th Anniversary webinar on 14th June at 7pm-8.30pm.

Together

we’re stronger

Here are some of the ways your membership is helping to protect local wildlife.

SARAH GROVES

Natterjack toads, barbastelle bats and fragile aquatic habitats could all be lost.

500

site visits every year to help

Ben McFarland, Head of Conservation.

landowners and partners do their best for target species, including dormouse, hedgehog, swift, water vole, lapwing and skylark.

SIZEWELL C

30,000

Standing up to Sizewell C Earlier this year, 104,836 people said they shared Suffolk Wildlife Trust's and the RSPB’s concerns about Sizewell C’s impacts on nature. In November, the two charities launched a joint e-action as part of the ongoing Love Minsmere campaign. BBC Springwatch presenters Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin launched the action whilst hosting a Love Minsmere online live event.

The action was launched to make nature’s voice stronger in the planning process. EDF's plans for Sizewell C are being examined by the Planning Inspectorate, and the RSPB and Suffolk Wildlife Trust have submitted an extensive summary of concerns about the impacts on wildlife.

Despite some further mitigation made

by EDF Energy to the plans, Suffolk Wildlife Trust still has significant

concerns over the impact of the build, including: Light and noise disruption to bats around key roosting sites, including Ash Wood, a critical area for the endangered barbastelle; A loss of 40% of the hibernation site for natterjack toads, which will likely cause the local extinction of this nationally rare species; The loss of a significant area of SSSI, due to EDF Energy’s insistence on building a causeway, rather than a sensitively designed bridge; And risk to the water quality of the remaining SSSI, which will impact on the plant community and consequently the whole SSSI area and its wildlife.

followers standing

•

up for nature across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

•

Thank

you!

• •

Powering up for newts

winter at Dingle Marshes thanks to our eagle-eyed detective and North Suffolk Warden, Jamie Smith.

For the latest news on Sizewell C visit suffolkwildlifetrust.org

104,836

GREEN ACTION PLAN

UK Power Networks’ electricity substation at Ilketshall is one of 100 selected for biodiversity enhancement as part of the company’s Green Action Plan.

Dr Simone Bullion surveyed the site, identifying restoration of the pond as a key improvement. In February, a digger removed reeds and re-profiled the bottom. UK Power Networks anticipate the restored pond will have refilled by next year, making it valuable for local wildlife like great crested newts.

Badgers spotted this

people responded

ALA MY STO CK PHOTO

to our joint e-action with the RSPB to object to Sizewell C.

8

great white egrets

were photographed at Lound Lakes near Great Yarmouth.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

17

We bet you didn’t know...

Suffolk Wildlife Trust was the first Wildlife Trust to realise the importance of engaging people with nature for building support, making access free for everyone to our nature reserves.

Farming for nature

FARMING

Early successes of six farms that collaborated around Bramfield have inspired them to extend their efforts to form a full-scale farm cluster, aiming to cover nearly 5,000 acres (2,000ha) of farmed land. Following the Bramfield watercourse to the River Blyth, the group has ambitious aims of connecting wildlife across the landscape via healthy hedgerows and rivers, and allowing wildlife to thrive by restoring farmland ponds, planting wildflower margins for

pollinators and ensuring seed and fruit is available for birds over the winter. Early work has already led to great wildlife success stories, including the re-discovery of slimy-fruited stonewort, a species thought to be extinct. Buoyed by their impact so far, the group is extending the area of their focus towards Blythburgh.

Find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news/ farmers-work-together-reconnect-wildlife

A boost for West Suffolk’s wildlife In December 2020, we were thrilled to be one of the first environmental projects awarded a grant from the government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Across England they will help protect and restore landscapes and damaged habitats, boost environmental education programmes and connect people to green spaces.

Our ‘West Suffolk Nature Triangle’ focuses on Knettishall Heath, Lackford Lakes and Black Bourn Valley. The project will enrich these special places to make them even better for wildlife whilst

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

GREEN GRANT

enhancing our visitor experience with nature.

At Knettishall Heath, we have appointed a new Assistant Warden to ensure the habitats are managed to maximise their value to wildlife and work is underway to create a mobile catering van to serve refreshments. At Black Bourn Valley, we will be introducing cattle to help rewild former arable fields, to help threatened species such as turtledoves and nightingale.

The GRCF is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

NEW VIEWPOINT

A new view for Lackford Lakes Visitors to Lackford Lakes will have noticed we’re replacing the old double-decker hide with a new, two-storey wildlife viewpoint, providing enhanced views across the wetland.

Work began in February to remove the existing structure, with the new viewpoint taking shape in early spring.

As part of the work, the paths around this area have been improved, making the site even more accessible. We look forward to opening the new viewpoint to visitors as soon as COVID restrictions allow. This project was made possible through our DEFRA Green Recovery grant and legacy gifts and donations.

Thank you

LEGACIES

We are grateful to the families of the following friends of the Trust who have recently remembered us in their Will or through an In memoriam donation.

Sheila Blake Terry Rampling Sue Charman Doug Ricot James Chastney Jane Sherwood Grenville Clarke Kathleen Smith Robert Cooper Nicky Speller Peter Fox John Turner Betty Gooden Lorna Turner Peter Grimwade Ray Upson Mary Hall Val Upson Geoffrey Hollis Jeanne Walker Eric Holton Leslie Weeks Richard MacGregor Richard Weldon Kathleen Meadows Jean Moscrop

REDSHANK: ADOBE STOCK, LITTLE OWLS: ISTOCK / JOHN FERGUSON

JOHN FERGUSON

Richard Symes is one of the Bramfield farmers helping to restore nature.

UK NEWS UK UPDATE

Wildlife Trusts welcome new president Broadcaster and biologist Liz Bonnin has been elected as president of The Wildlife Trusts. Liz will be championing The Wildlife Trusts’ new 30 by 30 vision to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Liz says, “It is a critical time for the natural world, and I hope that through lending my voice and support, and by working together, we can help to enforce the changes that must take place in order to secure a brighter future for our wild places.”

Alongside Liz Bonnin’s appointment, The Wildlife Trusts have also welcomed biologist and BBC Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke as vice president, as well as four new ambassadors: environmentalist and birder, Mya-Rose Craig; actor and presenter, Cel Spellman; actor and

UK HIGHLIGHTS 2 Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

Liz Bonnin

1 3

1 A dam good job

podcaster, David Oakes; and professor of biology and bumblebee expert, Dave Goulson.

Ulster Wildlife are using coconut fibre logs to create dams on Cuilcagh Mountain, re-wetting and restoring large areas of peatland. The boggy areas created will capture and store carbon, helping combat the climate crisis, and provide a better habitat for wildlife. This work, done in conjunction with local farmers, is part of a project to restore 16 hectares of degraded peatland on Cuilcagh.

LIZ BONNIN © ANDREW CROWLEY; BUFF-TAILED BUMBLEBEE © CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION; BROWN TROUT © LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

2 Shark sanctuaries

Scottish Wildlife Trust welcomed the designation of a new suite of protected areas in Scottish seas. Four new Marine Protected Areas will help safeguard species like basking sharks and minke whales, alongside 12 new Special Protection Areas created to benefit Scotland’s iconic seabirds. It is essential now that these areas are backed by effective management measures.

Neonicotinoids are a threat to bees and other pollinators.

Close call for bees The Wildlife Trusts are relieved that the Government will not be granting an emergency authorisation for the use of a banned neonicotinoid on sugar beet this year. The Government had previously agreed to authorise the use of the bee-killing pesticide thiamethoxam to combat a virus that affects sugar beet, but after an uncharacteristically cold January and February the levels of the virus were not high enough to meet the threshold for its use. While The Wildlife

Trusts are pleased that the Government will not be authorising use of this highly damaging chemical this year, this ‘stay of execution’ does not change the underlying issue – that the neonicotinoid could be allowed in the future, with potentially devastating impacts on UK wildlife.

To find out more, take a look at our Wild LIVE episode on the use of neonicotinoids wildlifetrusts.org/wild-live

3 River restoration

Surrey Wildlife Trust are working with a wide range of partners to restore the natural course of the Rye Brook, near Ashtead, helping to encourage brown trout upstream and capture flood waters. Riverbanks were reprofiled and natural bends and meanders were added, as well as a large riverside pond, to create more habitat for wildlife, including spawning areas for brown trout.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

19

Suffolk’s countryside

change 60 YEARS OF

Catte's Field, Milden Hall Farm near Brent Eleigh, 1963, with a wonderful, thick hedge with lots of trees, a wide field margin and a crop that is going to leave a great winter stubble for birds.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

A lot has changed for Suffolk’s wildlife in the last six decades. Whilst we have protected some of Suffolk’s most precious places for nature, in our towns and the wider countryside wildlife has been lost at an alarming rate. Is it too late to undo the damage and restore nature?

CATTES FIELD MILDEN HALL FARM: CHRISTOPHER HAWKINS

BY STEVE AYLWARD & BEN MCFARLAND

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

21

Song thrushes may seem common, but have declined markedly on farmland and in towns and cities.

RED SQUIRREL: ALAMY

R

ewind the clock to 1961, the year that Suffolk Wildlife Trust was formed. What would Suffolk have looked like? Some of you will clearly remember. There was very little housing sprawl around our towns and villages, few big developments, quieter and smaller roads. You might remember that Suffolk was home to tens of thousands of majestic elm trees, there were a lot more hedges and, above all, a lot more wildlife.

The changes have crept up on us – a small development here, a hedge grubbed out there, the occasional village bypass or the disappearance of a pond in the corner of a field. Of course, nobody 22

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

could miss the big developments, like the A14 carving a great swathe through the Suffolk countryside slicing the county in half, or the building of the Orwell Bridge, or the monolithic nuclear power stations that now dominate the Suffolk coastline.

However, it is the small incremental changes year on

year that tend to go unnoticed: fewer house sparrows, not finding a toad under a pile of garden waste or the cowslips that no longer flower on the verge down the road. Little changes, individual losses, each one on its own of no great significance, but repeated over and again across the county they add up to a huge loss and they matter. Suffolk is no longer the place it once was.

Undoubtedly, wildlife in 1961 was much more abundant than it is today. A window left open at night with a light on would guarantee a good haul of moths and you couldn’t drive across the county without gathering a vast number of splatted insects on the windscreen. Every garden hedge seemed to have a nesting blackbird or song thrush and every

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

Lost in time

Bradfield Woods was saved from destruction but not before one third had already been lost.

In 60 years, we have lost so much that makes Suffolk special, including...

55%

MILLIONS

JOHN FERGUSON

BRADFIELD: STEVE AYLWARD, ARCHIVE PHOTOS: LUCINDA DOUGLAS-MENZIES / WILFRID GOOCH

OF INSECTS

OF FARMLAND BIRDS

HALF OUR HEDGES

85% OF ALL ORCHARDS

DAVID COLE: ALAMY

HALF OUR PONDS garden a hedgehog. We even had red squirrels, right here in Suffolk!

A softer landscape of thick hedgerows leading to Milden Hall 1978..

Farm near Brent Eleigh, 1978

Playing in the hay stooks at Flatford Mill 1954, Lesley remembers finding harvest mice nests in the fields.

Little changes, big differences In the broadest sense, the wider countryside wasn’t that different in 1961.

Suffolk has always been a farmed landscape with a lot of cultivated land, a patchwork of fields, hedges, small woods, ponds and commons. But it was different in 1961. The fields were smaller, typically half the size of today. There were twice as many hedges and probably twice as many ponds. Suffolk has never been heavily wooded, but in 1961 there were a lot more ancient broadleaved woods and copses and seven times as many orchards.

Winter stubbles were common, leaving important seed for wintering birds, and nearly every farm had some livestock, typically cattle and pigs or sheep. The hedge flail didn’t exist in 1961 and hedges were typically coppiced when they got big enough to produce firewood, so they tended to be thicker, denser and scruffier and more berry-laden in autumn. Road verges

RED SQUIRRELS ALL OUR

...but with your help, we can bring it back.

were similarly scragglier, with more wildflowers and therefore more insects.

In many respects our 2021 countryside is nothing like the Suffolk of 1961.

In the same way we lost so much of our wildlife we can bring it back piece by piece Saving special places The Suffolk Trust for Nature Conservation (as we were back then) was formed in response to the threat to Redgrave & Lopham Fen, one of the richest wildlife sites in East Anglia. Home to a great diversity of rare plants and insects, it was well known to leading Suffolk naturalists. However, at this time wildlife conservation (and systematic recording) was in its infancy. Naturalists noticed the loss of notable rarities such as the black Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

23

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

darter dragonfly and small red damselfly at Redgrave & Lopham Fen and they sought to do something about it; but nobody was counting the sparrows in the farmyards or the frogs in the ponds.

There were so many of those, they were a ubiquitous part of the countryside. As such, when they started to disappear a few at a time, year after year, nobody noticed.

There were important steps taken in those early years to protect the countryside, with pockets of wildlife-rich countryside such as Martins' Meadows, Wangford Warren and Groton Wood being amongst the earliest acquisitions by the Trust. Nonetheless, across Suffolk the losses were mounting.

Recover, restore, rewild It is only now with the benefit of hindsight and years of recording that we can measure just how much Suffolk has changed. It makes grim reading. The miles of hedgerows that have vanished, the percentage declines of this species or that, or worse still, the many extinctions.

Some might ask if it matters that

The plight of Redgrave & Lopham Fen led to the formation of Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

As we celebrate 60 years of protecting Suffolk’s wildlife, we are determined to play a major part in reversing declines there are fewer sparrows, fewer frogs or no black darter dragonflies in Suffolk?

Increasingly people are recognising that it does. More people than ever are valuing nature, not just measuring biological diversity or how intact an ecosystem is, but what it means to us in our everyday lives. To step outside the door and hear

Changes in how we manage farmland have led to dramatic declines in wildlife.

Corn buntings, tree sparrows and grey partridges have declined markedly.

Common toads have suffered from the loss of farmland ponds.

Orange tip butterfly in Ashbocking.

These butterflies love field margins, hedgerows, meadows, river banks and gardens.

Fields at Milden Hall Farm in the 1960s bordered by hedges, elm and oak trees.

MATTHEW ROBERTS / ARCHIVE PHOTOS: GEORGE HARRIS / CHRISTOPHER HAWKINS

ALAMY

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

Wild camping with just a stove and a tent at Thorpeness in the 1950s.

ORANGE TIP: STEVE AYLWARD, COMMON TOAD: DAVID CHAPMAN ALAMY, BARN OWL: ISTOCK

ALAMY, R&L FEN: STEVE AYLWARD

Access to nature enriches our lives.

swifts screaming in the sky or see primroses flowering on the verge adds so much to our quality of life and our sense of wellbeing. We need the colour and life of a Wilder Suffolk.

In the same way that we lost so much of our wildlife in Suffolk we can bring it back piece by piece, a new hedge here, a restored pond there, wildlife gardens, field margins, rewilded areas, new natural woodlands, restored rivers and wetlands. There are so many ways to make Suffolk wilder again.

Web of wildness As we celebrate 60 years of protecting Suffolk’s wildlife, we are determined to play a major part in reversing these declines. It goes without saying that we will continue to manage our 49 nature reserves to maximise their value for wildlife. Ranging from coppice woodland with its abundance of butterflies and birds, to fen and traditional meadows with their rare communities of flowers, through to wet grassland for waders,

We all need to do the small things, make little changes, take individual actions these jewels will continue to provide safe havens for many rare species.

Where possible, we will continue to buy and protect important sites, expanding into areas that border our nature reserves or returning wildness to a new area currently devoid of wildlife.

This is only the start. We are expanding our work to influence the land beyond our nature reserves with greater investment in farmland advice as well as working with landowners bordering rivers. We are aiming to secure 30% of Suffolk to be well looked after for nature. Evidence shows that this is the area of land required to

restore many of the species and habitats across the UK. Only by working at a scale well beyond our nature reserves can we hope to turn the tide in our declining wildlife.

With your support, we can continue to make a real difference to Suffolk’s wildlife.

What could Suffolk really look like by 2030 if we all did something for wildlife?

The question itself is important but so is the sentiment. We all need to do the small things, make little changes, take individual actions. We have incrementally lost patches of wildlife, but if enough of us care, we can incrementally return wildlife to patches across Suffolk, rebuilding the intricate web of wildness.

How you can help suffolkwildlife trust.org/actions Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

25

Bringing nature We have a vision of a Wilder Suffolk, where nature in our countryside is connected by hedgerows, rivers and wild areas to allow wildlife to move freely through the landscape.

WATER

We have been draining our landscapes for hundreds of years but it's time to allow seasonal changes to bring life back.

PEOPLE

PHOTOMONTAGE: DAN HILLIARD

Easy access to local green spaces is important for us all. We can all help everyone get closer to wildlife.

back

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

HEDGEROWS

Hedges provide animals with food and shelter and allow them to move safety across landscapes. They help prevent soil erosion by wind and rain.

WILDER FARMS

Suffolk is about 80% farmland, so nature on farms needs to thrive. We are working with farmers to help them grow food whilst providing habitats and a healthy environment for wildlife, and crucially, creating nature networks between farms.

DEAD WOOD

We've been too tidy for too long. Dead wood and dead standing trees are great for birds and insects and all manner of fungi.

Find out more about our vision for the countryside and for our towns suffolkwildlife trust. org/landscapevision

WILD ISN'T TIDY

Leaving areas un-mowed and un-touched not only saves carbon, it means nature can thrive.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

27

DISCOVERING SUFFOLK'S

THE TIMES

wild secrets

MARSH HARRIER: ALAMY

I

When Richard Mabey, one of the UK’s best-loved nature writers moved south across East Anglia, it opened a new world that was quirkily Suffolk. And whilst we may lament the fall of the countryside and its wildlife, there are reasons to hope.

moved my writing bolthole from north Norfolk to Suffolk in the early 1970s, to a cottage in Wenhaston above the River Blyth. On my first night I lay in bed listening to nightingales singing in the heath behind the garden.

It was the best of omens. In the summer evenings grey mullet came upriver to spawn, making swirling vortices in the water. That autumn I made my only original contribution to Suffolk natural history. On the road verge outside Blyford church, I discovered a colony of the splendidly named sandy stiltball, a fungus which, with typical Suffolk quirkiness, resembled a kind of puffball on a stalk.

I’m still not sure what drew me south.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

I had a notion that Suffolk was somehow a more intimate, textured landscape. Oliver Rackham (born in Beccles) had something to do with it. I was enraptured by his books of historical ecology which featured so many Suffolk woods, with their saw-pits, charters and service-trees. One day I gave Oliver a lift from Bury to Waldringfield. The journey took over three hours, as he gave a running commentary on the history of every common and copse on the way (including one with five-leaved herb paris).

I was touched by this interbraiding of wild and human worlds as I began to explore the coastal belt. When I first saw the wooden angels that soar in the roof of Blythburgh church, I was sure the carvers must have watched harriers over the marshes outside. Later I saw the real birds nearby, gliding by the road that passes through Hen Reedbeds. I’ve seen a bittern cross the road here and heard another booming at Snape Maltings during the interval of Haydn’s Creation. I tramped the Aldeburgh shingle between concerts, jotting down the plants I found. When I discovered George Crabbe’s poetry, I was astonished to find so many

BLUE BUGLOSS: ADOBE STOCK, NIGHTINGALE: ADOBE STOCK , ALAMY

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

ALAMY

Common gorse creates an amazing habitat for wildlife.

species he mentioned – henbane, marshmallow, “blue bugloss” – still growing on the shoreline two centuries later.

I began to appreciate the places less touched by human culture too. I loved the way that the track from the Ramsholt Arms meanders into the heart of the wader-hectic Deben estuary, then simply stops. The repeated shading of heath into marsh and back again around Walberswick. The many places – both sides of the Blyth estuary, or the grandiosely-named Iken Cliff – where

you have that quintessential East Suffolk glimpse of a shimmer of water through a blaze of yellow gorse.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has done wonders in safeguarding and enhancing many special sites, but I lament the fall of the “ordinary” countryside between.

I’ve lived in the Waveney Valley for twenty years and am shocked at the accelerating degradation of farmland.

The rate of hedgerow destruction rivals the 1970s, fields ploughed to the edge of the road, old grassland lost to paddocks

The Deben Estuary has many designated protections, including Ramsar status.

TOP LEFT Viper's-bugloss.

"There the blue bugloss paints the sterile soil; Hardy and high, above the slender sheaf".

From 'The Heath' by George Crabbe (born Aldeburgh 1754).

and ill-thought-out tree-planting.

Wildlife is draining away. Some may be halted by new environmental legislation, but I believe that rewilding and landscape-scale restoration, like that at Carlton Marshes and in parts of the Brecks, is the way forward. I have a vision of all the Trust’s reserves along the Waveney and Little Ouse valleys, from Roydon Fen to Knettishall Heath, being joined up in one 16km fence-free corridor of wild river, fen, heath and carr. And perhaps beavers.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

29

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

Imagining

a WILDER SUFFOLK We let our grass grow wild last summer and I loved seeing all the insects and flowers which arrived. I’d like to see many more wild patches everywhere.

Every farm could have hedges around each field, with flower-rich six metre margins. All fields over 50 acres should be divided by a beetle bank, and odd corners allowed to revert to scrub or planted with trees.

Ponds should be reclaimed.

MARTHA KEARNEY SUFFOLK

KENNETH CARLISLE WYKEN As former Chair of Suffolk Wildlife Trust, I look forward to seeing butterflies by the handful flit-fully feeding on the flowers; to seeing moths dancing in my headlights and having to scrub my windscreen daily; and to know there are wild greenspaces crisscrossing the countryside.

I hope nature recovers with more people respecting the environment by recycling and encouraging wildlife into their local areas. We can attract insects by sprinkling wildflower seeds and this will bring birds, hedgehogs and other animals.

DAWN GIRLING SHOTLEY

ISOBEL COLE TOSTOCK

30

Wilder Suffolk is more of what I love. More marshes and reedbed, creating essential habitat for bitterns and cranes.

More pristine woodland and heath for turtle doves and nightingales.

More unspoilt natural horizons. And then, I will dream of a white-tailed eagle pair (or two!).

A Wilder Suffolk is essential and a wonderful asset for us all.

It’s essential for our rivers, flowers, birds and wildlife, we need them all to function in harmony.

Our woodlands and meadows are important for nature's recovery, and need careful protections, not only for today, but for all our futures.

JONNY ELLIS CARLTON

JOHN FERGUSON IPSWICH

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST IS 60!

For six decades we have been standing up for nature and championing Suffolk’s special wild places. Whilst we have been beset with losses, in some places nature has thrived and more people than ever want to take action to save it. We’ve asked people of all ages what they remember about Suffolk’s wildlife over the past 60 years, and what they hope for in a Wilder Suffolk in the future.

My father and I would walk together on the marshes, not talking much, but appreciating the sights and sounds. I have realised how important that time was. A Wilder Suffolk involves the sun rising through mist over a dyke, reeds dancing in the breeze, a flash of a kingfisher.

I'd like to see children in Suffolk learning more about the wildlife around them, as this is not really taught in schools. Also, more space set aside for nature and supporting Suffolk's endangered species like turtle doves and dormice.

And I would love to see a beaver re-introduction project!

GAVIN DURRANT WORLINGHAM

PIPPA HALL IPSWICH

We would wave goodbye to monoculture, replaced with diverse swathes of interconnected countryside, providing the ideal infrastructure for complex ecological relationships. Overgrown hedgerows for nightingales, woodlands alive with birdsong, and swallows feeding over rivers.

As a journalist, I covered the Trust's stories across six decades. The story I now want to see written is the story of Suffolk becoming even more wild, even more biodiverse, even more wonderful. I think Suffolk Wildlife Trust can help and inspire all of us to be the authors of that one.

HARRY READ BUNGAY

JOHN GRANT LEISTON Oh, to hear turtle doves and nightingales again, to see meadows bright with wildflowers and butterflies, to walk through a countryside buzzing with teeming life and to dream of sea eagles overhead. Let’s make Suffolk richer again – in wildlife, wonder and hope.

JEREMY MYNOTT LITTLE THURLOW

I grew up making dens along the cliffs and dunes at Gunton.

The damp scent of cowparsley takes me straight back to being 7 years old.

Now I encourage everyone to embrace the wild in our tidy lives: a strip of unmown lawn; reducing outdoor lighting for nocturnal wildlife – the cumulative benefits of each small action would be enormous.

ZEB SOANES LOWESTOFT Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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PETER ATKINSON ALAMY

Purple emperors with their astonishing iridescent wing colour have colonised numerous woods in South Suffolk, including several Trust reserves.

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

YOUR LOCAL WILDLIFE

Beguiling

butterflies Explore outside on any sunny day this summer and you’ll probably see a butterfly. But this paints a deceptive picture and many of our butterflies are in trouble. Discover what we’re doing to save them and how you can help.

BY STEVE AYLWARD

E

ncountering a butterfly in the garden or out on a walk is always a joy, a brief uplifting moment of pleasure and colour as these delicate but determined insects go about their business.

It is possible to see as many as 35 species of butterfly in Suffolk, out of a UK total of 59 (including two regular migrants: clouded yellow and painted lady). Of those 35, around 20 species are commonly seen in gardens and urban spaces. It is almost impossible not to encounter a butterfly on any mild and

sunny day between March and October, but this paints a deceptive picture. Many species of butterflies are in trouble.

A decade of change Suffolk’s butterflies have experienced mixed fortunes over the last decade. A handful have seen their populations increase and expand in range, but the majority have either just held their own or declined.

The clear winners have been our spectacular woodland butterflies. Ten years ago, it would have been hard to

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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ESSEX SKIPPER: STEVE AYLWARD, SILVER-STUDDEN BLUE: ALAMY

Silver-washed fritillaries have responded well to good habitat management.

Essex skippers have suffered a decline in distribution and numbers.

Silver, grey, blue, purple Species that have been the target of conservation efforts have generally fared well. The silver-studded blue, a heathland specialist, has responded positively to management work to restore ideal habitat conditions. Most Suffolk populations are thriving and the number 34

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

of silver-studded blues seen on the wing in peak season can be astounding at the best sites. The grayling, another heathland specialist, is also faring well on restored, wellmanaged heaths in the Sandlings but elsewhere it is struggling.

There are straightforward reasons why some species are doing well. Good habitat management, perhaps coupled with climate change driving northwards expansion, most likely explains why silver-washed fritillary and purple emperor recolonised Suffolk.

There is, however, no simple explanation why so many common species are declining. Multiple factors are likely combining in different ways to impact on butterfly populations and range. Intensive farming, pesticides, the continual ‘tidying up’ of the countryside, climate change, habitat loss, habitat condition and extreme weather events are all likely to be ALAMY

imagine that silver-washed fritillaries would be a common sight in ancient woodlands but their increase in numbers and range across Suffolk has been relentless.

Even more remarkable has been the rapid spread northwards of purple emperors. These huge, impressive insects with an astonishing iridescent wing colour have colonised numerous woods in South Suffolk, including several Trust reserves. The wonderful yellow-green brimstone has also increased in numbers maybe helped in part by people planting buckthorn, the caterpillar food plant.

Ironically, it is the once most-common butterflies in Suffolk that are now struggling. The gatekeeper, Essex skipper and small heath have all suffered huge declines in both distribution and numbers. Ten years ago, the wall brown had already disappeared from most of Suffolk and it barely hangs on in a handful of coastal locations. Only populations in the Waveney Valley appear relatively stable.

impacting on the species typically associated with the wider countryside.

Rapid response The next 10 years will be critical for butterflies and all wildlife in Suffolk. We must address climate change more urgently and use new farming support mechanisms to restore the fortunes of our butterflies. Most species will respond rapidly to positive land management.

For example, the flailing of field margins and road verges wipes out vast numbers of butterflies such as the orange tip, small white and

The next 10 years will be critical for butterflies and all wildlife in Suffolk

Ringlet populations have expanded.

YOUR LOCAL WILDLIFE

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR BUTTERFLIES

LET IT GROW Leave areas of grass uncut through the summer and winter.

PLANT FOR POLLINATION Encourage plants, especially natives, that produce nectar.

The silver-studded blue, a heathland specialist, has responded positively to management work to restore ideal habitat conditions.

BE NICE TO NETTLES Leave nettles for peacock, comma and holly blue caterpillars.

Record the butterflies you see and submit your records to help conservationists build a big picture. There are various schemes such as the Garden Butterfly Survey. gardenbutterfly survey.org

Steve Aylward is Head of Property & Projects for Suffolk Wildlife Trust and has a keen interest in butterflies and flora.

green-veined white, which over-winter as chrysalides attached to stems. Meadow brown, large skipper and ringlet, which all spend the winter as caterpillars suffer similar fates. A simple change, for example cutting or flailing field margins and verges every two or three years on rotation would make a massive difference, ensuring that many more butterflies survive the winter to complete their annual life cycle the following spring.

With the right measures we could once again see large buoyant populations of butterflies throughout the county. What is good for butterflies is also good for a myriad of other insects and wildlife. So rather than occasional brief encounters, we could spend warm days in the continual company of these fabulous creatures that so enrich our lives.

Help butterflies in your garden suffolkwildlifetrust.org/butterflies

THINK ALL YEAR ROUND Keep your garden wild, especially from February to November.

LEAVE YOUR IVY

STEVE AYLWARD

SHARE YOUR SIGHTINGS

Leave ivy to flower as it is a wonderful source of nectar in the autumn.

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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GUILLEMOTS © BARRY BLAND, NATUREPL

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Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

SEABIRD CITIES

With more people than ever staying in the UK for a seaside holiday, we share some of star seabird species we should all be looking out for.

BY TOM HIBBERT

Guillemots nest on cliffs and rocky islands, crowding together on suitable ledges.

T

he air is heavy with the scent of seaweed and the unmistakeable musk of guano. Perched on the dry, cliff-top grass, I lean forward and cautiously peer over the edge. A heart-stopping distance below me, the North Sea washes against the algae-covered rocks. Dark shapes dot the water, with more on the white chalk cliffs. I raise my binoculars and see crowds of guillemots crammed onto the narrow ledges, their neat, almost-blackand-white plumage giving them the air of guests at an overcrowded dinner party.

One shuffles and stretches, revealing a glorious turquoise egg tucked between its flipper-like feet. It leans down, studying its precious parcel, before hiding it once again in the soft embrace of its feathers. The guillemots aren’t alone on their rocky home. Razorbills recline on their own little ledges, shunning the crowds for a more private

perch. Kittiwakes screech from mounds of moulded mud and seaweed, and the bright orange bill of a puffin peeks out from the shadows of a narrow crevice.

Hundreds of birds cover the cliffs before me, with many thousands more along this single stretch of coast. The colony is in constant motion; it’s noisy, smelly, busy and without a doubt one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen. In a time of terrifying species declines, abundance is an increasingly difficult thing to experience. Rare are the butterfly blizzards and moth snowstorms described from just a few decades ago, but a seabird colony still offers the chance to enjoy an overwhelming plethora of wildlife, and the UK is one of the best places in the world to discover these bewitching birds.

A quarter of Europe’s breeding seabirds are found in the UK, with over eight million birds of 25 species nesting around Britain and Ireland.

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SEABIRD CITIES

GANNETS NESTING ON A CLIFF © TOM HIBBERT

A home for the summer Seabirds are a varied group, from the flightless penguins that chase fish through the frigid waters of Antarctica, to the globe-spanning shearwaters that cross entire oceans on their long, slender wings. They’re adventurers and explorers, taming the untameable, from wind-scoured cliffs to the endless expanse of the open ocean, thriving in the places that for so long were too hostile for us to follow. What unites these amazing animals is their unrivalled ability to be at home on land, at sea, and in most cases, in the air.

It’s on land that we know them best.

No bird has truly escaped the pull of dry ground, as even the most oceangoing seabirds need to nest. Every spring, our seabird cities burst into life as the summer residents return, hurriedly pair up with a new mate or reaffirm bonds with an old flame, and get on with the important business of nesting.

For land loving birds, this is usually a solitary affair, but for seabirds the opposite is true. The majority nest in colonies, sometimes hundreds of thousands strong. There are a few reasons for this, but ultimately seabirds are at their most vulnerable when they visit land to nest. Many lay eggs on the ground; an easy snack for a hungry fox, stoat or rat. As a result, they tend to favour inaccessibly sheer cliffs or small islands, free from the threat of mammalian predators. Prime seabird real estate like this is in short supply, so birds end up clustered together.

Safety in numbers But even when there is room to spread their wings, most species cluster by choice. There’s safety in numbers.

Even without the dangers of roaming mammals, there are still predators to worry about; birds of prey, crows and even other seabirds like gulls and skuas are a threat to eggs, chicks and adults.

Nesting in numbers is the best defence.

For some it’s about protection. Arctic terns are ferocious parents and will defend their nest from any potential predator that gets too close. One angry bird is a nuisance, dozens or even hundreds together make a very effective deterrent. For other species it’s all about the odds – the more nests there are 38

Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

The UK is home to 55% of the world’s population of northern gannets.

around you, the less likely yours is to be targeted.

Some of our smaller seabirds keep their eggs and young safe by nesting underground. Puffins, arguably the UK’s most popular seabird, deposit their single egg deep within a rocky crevice, or at the end of a burrow dug into a grassy slope. Pairs can dig their own burrows, but they’ll also steal them from rabbits

Manx shearwaters complete a 7,000mile journey in less than a fortnight and Manx shearwaters, secretive seabirds that return to their nests under cover of darkness.

Land-locked seabirds You’d be forgiven for thinking that to see a seabird, you have to travel to the coast.

After all, sea is in their name. But some seabirds have taken to inland waterways, nesting on lakes, reservoirs and even the roofs and ledges of buildings. Kittiwakes, dainty gulls with black legs and a bright yellow beak, can be heard giving their evocative cry of ‘kitt-eeee-waark’ above the Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside each summer. At around 13 kilometres from

SUFFOLK SPECIES SPOTLIGHT Herring gulls may seem like the quintessential seaside gull, but they are red-listed due to sharp population declines.

Common terns have long tail 'streamers' that have earned it the nickname 'seaswallow'.

Gannets plunge into the water from heights of 30m, reaching speeds of up to 60mph.

SEABIRD CITIES

1/4 of Europe’s breeding seabirds are found in the UK, with over 8 million birds and 25 species nesting around Britain and Ireland the sea, this is the most inland kittiwake colony in the world, but some seabirds have put even more distance between themselves and the coast.

Common terns, elegant white birds with long tail streamers, a black cap and a bright red, black-tipped bill, are summer visitors to the UK. They nest along the coast and on offshore islands but can also be found on reservoirs and gravel pits across the country, especially where artificial rafts have been created for them.

It’s a joy to watch them hovering above the water, diving and dipping their beak below the surface to snare a fish, before carrying it back to their small, sandcoloured chicks.

The same lakes often host cacophonous colonies of black-headed gulls, with their pale grey and white plumage and dark brown hood. They can gather in their thousands, creating a spectacle every bit as raucous, restless and impressive as the more celebrated coastal colonies of seabirds.

Many of these birds have forsaken the sea entirely, remaining near their inland colonies year-round.

Ocean wanderers Though some seabirds don’t stray far from their summer breeding grounds, others make incredible journeys. The Arctic tern, who we already know as an impressive parent, makes the longest recorded migration of any animal on the planet. A recent study, using tiny devices that record daylight and allow the bird’s location to be calculated, mapped one intrepid tern’s 59,650-mile return journey from the Farne Islands in Northumberland to the seas around Antarctica. The bird’s meandering route took it around Africa and into the Indian Ocean, then down to Antarctica and across to the Weddell Sea, before returning to the exact same nesting site the following spring. With the potential to live for 30 years, this bird could travel over 1.8 million miles in its lifetime.

Manx shearwaters make their own mammoth migrations each year, crossing both the Atlantic and the equator as they head for wintering grounds off the coast of Argentina and Brazil.

Studies on birds from the Welsh islands of Skokholm and Skomer have revealed

that they can complete this 6,000-7,000mile journey in less than a fortnight.

Understanding the complex migrations of these globe-spanning seabirds is essential for protecting them.

Seabirds across the world are threatened by the introduction of predators to their breeding sites, by being caught up in fishing gear, and from the effects of the climate crisis. Warming seas around the UK are already thought to be responsible for declines in many of our more northerly seabird colonies, as the sand eels that so many species rely on move northwards to cooler waters.

Our seabird cities are amongst our greatest natural treasures, we must look after them by protecting their nest sites from development and their food sources from overfishing, and by doing all we can to combat the climate crisis.

SUMMER STAYCATION

Visit a seabird city

Flamborough Cliffs, East Yorkshire Flamborough Head has one of the most important seabird colonies in Europe. In summer, the cliffs are packed with tens of thousands of breeding birds, including guillemots, gannets, gulls and puffins.

Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire A mile off the Pembrokeshire coast, Skomer Island is home to thousands of puffins and the largest colony of Manx shearwaters in the world.

Alderney T housands of gannets breed on a series of rocky outcrops called Les Etacs, just off the coast of the mainland.

Discover more at wildlifetrusts.org/seabird-cities Wild Suffolk | Spring / Summer 2021

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PUFFIN © ALEXANDER MUSTARD/2020VISION; MANX SHEARWATER © CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Puffins nest in burrows or rocky crevices.

Dreaming of

ospreys

red Pam and George Ford sha e. tur na in st ere a lifelong int

with confidence.

It is thanks to legacy gifts from Pam, and so many others, that we can dare to dream and be ambitious for nature, whether that is buying or enlarging nature reserves, as at Carlton Marshes, or targeted help for species such as water voles, farmland birds or hedgehogs.

Legacies are extraordinary gifts and we use them to do extraordinary things.

Thank you To find out how a gift in your Will could help Suffolk's wildlife, please contact Amy Rushton 01473 890089

suffolkwildlifetrust.org

OSPREY: NATUREPL.COM

A

round the time your magazine lands on your doormat, we should hear whether our dreams of ospreys nesting on the Blyth estuary have been approved

by Natural England.

Pamela and George Ford lived in Walberswick and the Blyth was their patch. Pam remembered Suffolk Wildlife Trust in her Will and her generosity has enabled us to plan the osprey release