Local Wildlife News, Produced by the Greenways Project to Promote the Activities of Local Conservation and Community Groups

Local May - September 2014 A news and events diary from wildlife and conservation groups in Wildlife the Ipswich area News

Twenty years of the Greenways Countryside Project - page 10

Produced by the Suffolk Coastal ... where quality of life counts Up late with Of Nightjars And Bats the Nightjar

Friday July 25th 8:30pm – 10:30pm Sutton Heath South car park (B1083 to Sutton village) Grid Ref: TM306475 Booking event: £4 adults, £2 under 18s, pensioners and students. Find out how bats catch their food in the dark. How does a bat detector work? What is a Nightjar and where do they come from? Listen out for their strange churring call. Join this Ranger led walk to find out the answers and more. For all the family. Friday June 13th 2014 Please bring a torch if you have one. 9.00 pm – 11.00pm Wear stout shoes and bring waterproof clothing. and Please contact us to book a place on this free event on: 01394 444619 or e-mail: Friday July 11th 2014 [email protected] 9.00pm – 11.00pm

Sutton Heath South car park Blooming Heathland (B1083 to Sutton village) Grid Ref: TM306475

Join a ranger-led mid-summer night walk to seek out the elusive and rare nightjar. This nocturnal bird, famed for its churring love call and aerobatic courtship dance can provide a magical display. The well camouflaged ground nesting bird enjoys the recently cleared Sunday 10th Aug 10am – 1.00pm areas of lowland heathland. Please bring Sutton Heath South car park a torch and insect repellent, wear stout (B1083 to Sutton village) Grid Ref: TM306475 shoes and warm clothing. Booking event: £4 adults, £2 under 18s, pensioners and students. Did you know that the UK’s lowland heathland amounts to 20% Booking essential: £4 adults, £2 of one of the rarest habitats in the world? Join this walk and learn much more about heathland wildlife under 18s, pensioners and students. and its conservation while enjoying a pleasant walk through the blooming heather. Please contact: A moderate to strenuous walk. Wear stout shoes. 01394 444619 or e-mail: Please contact us to book a place on this event: 01394 444619 or e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Welcome Welcome to the Spring and summer edition of Local Wildlife News, produced by the Greenways Project to promote the activities of local conservation and community groups. This summer the Greenways Project reaches its twentieth birthday! The tremendous 8 successes over the 20 years are largely due to the wonderful ‘collection’ of talented volunteers who have made the Project so capable. In celebrating the milestone, we are very keen to recognise the importance of the volunteers and would like to invite all of those who have worked with the Project (however long ago and for however much or little time!) to come along and join us on 2nd July – please get in touch for the details. I hope you have a great spring and summer watching wildlife – please remember to report any interesting local sightings for the next edition of the magazine. 11 Contributions We are always happy to receive articles of anything up to 600 words, photographs of local wildlife or conservation work and local sightings or wildlife ‘snippets’ – so please do send in anything which may be of interest to: Greenways Project, Stable Block, Holywells Park, Cliff Lane, Ipswich, IP3 0PG. 01473 433995. [email protected] Mailing lists – Please note We are aware that some who are members of several conservation organisations may 14 well receive more than one copy of the newsletter. If this is the case we would be very grateful if you could pass on the spare copy to someone who will appreciate it and contact the Greenways Project on 01473 433995 or [email protected], stating which organisations you are a member of, so that we can ensure that you receive just one in the future. If on the other hand you don’t currently receive LWN regularly, but would like to, please consider joining one of the groups that distributes LWN to its members (i.e. Suffolk 15 Wildlife Trust, Ipswich Wildlife Group, RSPB etc). Remember, for those who don’t receive a copy LWN is available online at www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/iwg

James Baker

Contents Page Suffolk Wildlife Trust 4 21 Ipswich Wildlife Group 8 Landguard Partnership 9 Local Wildlife News is published by Greenways Countryside Project. Greenways Countryside Project 10 Editor: James Baker [email protected] IBC Wildlife Rangers 12 Tel 01473 433995 Friends of Belstead Brook Park 13 Production Editor: Colin Hullis [email protected] Friends of Christchurch Park 14 Tel 01473 728674 Artwork production: Chris Saunders Portal Woodlands Conservation Group 15 [email protected] Tel 01473 721550 RSPB Ipswich Local Group 16 Printed by PJ Print Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group 17 [email protected] Tel 01473 276010 Butterfly Conservation 18 Printed on recycled paper Friends of Holywells Park 19 The opinions expressed in Local Local Wildlife News Snippets 21 Wildlife News are not necessarily those of the Greenways Project. Events Diary 22

3 Ipswich Group Newsletter

Chairman: David Munday 01473 217310 [email protected] Secretary: Wendy Brown 01473 259674 [email protected] Treasurer: Tony Clarke 01473 741083 [email protected] Newsletter Editor: John Ireland 01473 723179 [email protected] Group contact: [email protected] We are the Ipswich Group of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. We offer an interesting range of monthly meetings with guest speakers which take place usually on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. in the hall of St Margaret’s Primary School, Bolton Lane, Ipswich. Trust members and non-members are equally welcome. During the summer months we offer a variety of trips, some local, others by coach. Details of these and our monthly meetings can be found in our ‘Diary’ section which follows, or on the SWT website, www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org.

Chairman’s Letter

Pine Cones If you’re not sure about droppings, send a photograph Some 20 years ago while walking in Rendlesham Forest of them (preferably with a size indicator such as a coin with my daughter and son-in-law, we came across a alongside) to the Trust with date, location, and your conifer shedding very large cones of some 100mm in name to [email protected] (where you can also diameter in the open state. I took one home and it has register your interest in partaking in the survey) been on my kitchen window sill ever since gathering dust! When it gets too bad I give it a wash, (in cold water, so There is loads of info. at www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org The there is no energy input) and an amazing thing happens, easiest way to access this is to put hedgehog into “Site it closes up into a tight cone. How does it do that? As it Search” on the top right hand side of the home page. dries out it opens up again. Presumably it is a defence mechanism to keep the seeds dry, but it goes to show Feedback that ‘intelligent materials’ of today are not so new after all. If you have any comments about the Ipswich Group we are always pleased to hear them. We’re always pleased to Hedgehogs include your wildlife photographs in the newsletter. Please Hedgehog numbers have dropped alarmingly over the ensure they are in the highest resolution you can manage, last 10 years and up to one-third countrywide may have as otherwise they are difficult to reproduce in print. Some been lost in urban, suburban, and rural areas suggesting pictures taken on a phone may not be suitable. there is no single factor in this loss. In order to better understand the situation, SWT has launched their New season Hedgehog Survey. Our first meeting of the new season is on Wednesday 17th Please do get involved by:- September and I’m delighted to say we have a return visit of Simone Bullion SWT’s Senior Conservation Officer who • Saying where you live and if you – is talking about tracking down our Ipswich hedgehogs. • Have spotted a hedgehog this year • Seen a dead hedgehog Have an enjoyable summer. • Have seen a hedgehog in the last two years • Have not seen any hedgehogs or their droppings. Dave Munday (Chairman)

Dave Munday

4 Ipswich Group Newsletter

Ely and Welney 23rd November, 2013

This was a day of migration. For our part we migrated Birds come here in their thousands, some having foraged into an extraordinary part of the country, completely flat on land nearby and some having flown in on winter except for the Isle of Ely, a low rise that accommodates migration from far afield. Flocks of Pintail, Teal, Gadwall the small town of Ely, dominated by its great cathedral, and Shoveler dabbled in the pools and lagoons. Then, ‘The Ship of the Fens’. It really does seem to float on the with the dusk, honking formations of swans flew over fenland landscape. The fens themselves impress by their us. Squadrons (‘wedges’) swarmed in, ghostlike in the vast skies and long, straight waterways, crossed by road floodlights, to splash down before us as we watched bridges that are the highest points around, offering views from the glass-fronted viewing centre. Most of these were far into the distance. Whooper swans, newly arrived on migration from Iceland. © Peter R Foster IDMA / Shutterstock.com

The Ship of the Fens

We spent the morning in the delightful town of Ely, many making straight for the cathedral. There has been a church on this site since Anglo-Saxon times, but the immigrant Normans, seeking to impress and intimidate troublesome fenlanders like Hereward the Wake, made it into a cathedral within 50 years of the Conquest, and much of the structure is their work. But their central tower collapsed in 1322, and this provided the opportunity to build the octagonal lantern, the marvel of medieval engineering that is literally the wondrous highlight of the cathedral today. Eight massive stone pillars support eight oak posts, each 63 feet high and weighing 10 tons. We speculate on the nature of the Bedfordshire forest they came from and marvel at the faith and daring ingenuity of the medieval craftsmen.

Then it was on to the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border Whooper swans and evidence of the genius of more immigrants, this time Dutchmen in the 17th century. They it was who created the These birds mate for life, and we were fascinated to see landscape before us, digging miles of straight channels to them gather in kindred groups, heads bobbing to greet direct the course of the rivers, which became known as each other. The yellow and black pattern of their bill is the Bedford Levels, so as to drain the swampy land and unique to each bird, like a fingerprint, so recognition of make it suitable for arable crops. Cleverly, they designed individuals is possible for the birds themselves as well the channels so that the land between the Levels could as the WWT wardens. Excitement mounted amongst the be flooded at will in winter, thus avoiding floods elsewhere birds at feeding time, as they clamoured to get close to the and providing irrigation for the fertile land. warden with a wheelbarrow full of corn. As the birds, now sated, drifted away into the darkness, we too got ready to And so to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust at Welney. Here leave. So the day ended on a note of contentment on the a flooded area half a mile wide and several miles long has part of the birds and ourselves. been harnessed to provide a haven for wildfowl and other water birds. They flock to these wetlands to roost in safety Our thanks go to Leigh Williamson for offering us such from predators – and for the food that the Trust provides to beauty, both man-made and natural. encourage them, to the fascinated delight of visitors. HP

5 Ipswich Group Newsletter

Badger culling reviewed

The issue of whether culling badgers is an effective or be some years before the vaccine is fully available. It worthwhile means of controlling tuberculosis in cattle is difficult to ensure that every animal is vaccinated, has surfaced again recently (March 2014). Suffolk so some infected animals could remain at large. And has relatively little livestock farming compared with on one estimate it will cost over £600 per badger, so other areas, but it is still an emotive matter with no the question arises of who pays – the taxpayer or the easy answers. What follows is a layman’s hopefully farmer? We are left with culling, reducing in a particular dispassionate attempt to make some sense of it all. area the numbers of badgers, infected or not, by trained marksmen killing them. Culling has been practised in the Irish Republic since the 1980’s. In the UK limited trials were approved in 2013 in parts

© Volodymyr Burdiak © Volodymyr of Gloucestershire and Dorset with the aim of removing about 5000 badgers, but in early 2014 the projected numbers were deemed to have fallen short and it seems likely that the trials will not continue.

So vaccination is out, and there are arguments about culling. There is evidence that culling could reduce the incidence of TB in cattle by 12%-15% after four years, but the overall effects of the measure are still poorly understood. One problem There is no doubt that tuberculosis (TB) can be is that it interferes with badgers’ social grouping. transferred between badgers and cattle and other Survivors move out of the cull area and, if infected, animals. It can also be transferred from badger to take TB with them. And recent evidence shows the badger, cattle to cattle and cattle to badger. One difficulty of achieving the required 70% cull. If injured estimate (disputed) suggests that where TB infection or diseased animals are left they could create a disease in cattle is high, about 50% of it comes from badgers. pool, weakening the effects of the cull. There is a It is possible that the disease can be transmitted to radical, but unproved, suggestion concerning modern humans through infected meat or milk. So TB must be husbandry methods, which aim to maximise milk taken seriously. Over the past ten years or so attempts production at almost any cost. It is said that these to control it have cost the taxpayer £500 million, but methods stress the animals and make them more during that period bovine TB has increased markedly, susceptible to disease, including TB. On that argument probably exacerbated when herds were restocked there is no point in culling, and we may just have to after the BSE epidemic. By law, infected cattle must accept the incidence of bovine TB, the cost of which be slaughtered and the direct cost to the farmer is would simply be set against the productivity of milk. compensated by the government. But there are still In short, what price the control of bovine TB? Would severe problems for farmers, who can lose whole the public be prepared to pay more for milk to save the herds of pedigree cattle built up over many years. Such badgers? losses can put farmers out of business altogether. There seems to be as yet no definitive answer to the There are various possible methods of control. Strict question of whether or not to cull badgers. Given limits on the movement of livestock would reduce present knowledge it is impossible to prove arguments the incidence of infection between farms, but would for or against culling and somehow alternative means seriously damage trade. Vaccination of cattle has been of controlling the disease must be found. There is suggested. But in its present state of development clearly need for much more research, but meanwhile TB testing, which is compulsory, could not distinguish the problem for farmers cannot be set aside. It is urgent between infected and vaccinated animals. Vaccination if beef and dairy farming are to remain viable. of badgers is another possibility and is now under trial in Wales, although even if this is successful it will John Ireland

6 Ipswich Group Newsletter

Summer Outings 2014

Coach Outing Saturday 31st May 2014 Coach Outing to Hickling Broad Advanced Booking required - enquires 01473 723179

Summer Guided Walks To book a place or for more details of these walks, please contact :- Leigh Williamson [email protected] Tel. 01473 785600. Members and non members welcome.

Wednesday 18th June 2014 6pm – 8.30pm approx TOUR OF LODGE FARM, WESTHORPE. Following on from Patrick Barker’s talk on 23rd April “Farming with Wildlife in Mind”, we are visiting the farm that Patrick runs with his brother Brian. Their aim is provide a productive modern farm while maximising wildlife diversity. Species include grey partridge, turtle doves, brown hare, and great crested newt. Cost £3.50. This includes a tractor trailer ride, tea and cake. Booking essential. Post code IP14 4TA Map Ref. TM040703 Would you consider sharing a car? If so let us know when you book and we will try to organise it.

Thursday 17th July 2014 6.30pm SUMMER EVENING WALK BY THE ORWELL. Meet at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, (formerly Levington Marina) for a three mile circular walk on the banks of the River Orwell, including Loompit Lake. An opportunity to get to know other members, and pool expertise on plants and animals. If you wish, you can enjoy food and drink afterwards at East Club Rooms (East Anglian Sailing Trust). Menu available from Leigh Williamson (see details above) on booking as you need to order hot food in advance. You are welcome to come just for the walk, which is free, in which case there is no need to book. Post code IP10 0LN Map Ref. TM246381

Saturday 16th August 2014 10.30am - 12.30pm GUIDED WALK AT CARLTON MARSHES Flower studded marshes drained by a system of dykes and grazed by cattle in summer create a paradise for wildlife, including hobby, marsh harrier, water vole and water soldier. Warden Matt Gooch, who spoke to the group on March 19th, will be our guide. Booking essential. £3.00 donation to SWT. Bring binoculars if you have them. Post code NR33 8HU Map Ref. TM508920 Would you consider sharing a car? If so let us know when you book and we will try to organise it Evening Talks

All Wednesday evening talks will take place in St Margaret’s School Hall, Bolton Lane, Ipswich at 7.30pm, finishing at approx 9.30pm. Entrance £2.50, which includes tea or coffee. Disabled access is available. Members and non members welcome. For more details contact Pam Ireland [email protected] Tel 01473 723179.

Wednesday September 17th 2014 7.30pm TRACKING DOWN OUR IPSWICH HEDGEHOGS By Simone Bullion SWT Hedgehog numbers have declined dramatically in the last ten years across the country and they seem to be getting scarcer in towns and countryside alike. This year Suffolk Wildlife Trust is asking for all records of hedgehogs – living or dead – to see where the remaining populations are located. This talk will focus on the unique ecology of the animal, the likely reasons for the decline and what can be done to try to safeguard our remaining Suffolk hedgehogs.

A full listing of all Groups’ events can be found from page 22

7 Ipswich Wildlife Group

Chair: Ray Sidaway 01473 259104 www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/iwg facebook.com/ipswichwildlifegroup Ipswich Wildlife Group is a registered charity, relying entirely on volunteers, that promotes interest in, and conservation of, wildlife and habitats in and around Ipswich. We seek to inform and educate the local communities of Ipswich about the wildlife and habitats that can be found in the area, and the issues affecting them, as well as involve local people in practical wildlife conservation. We carry out practical conservation tasks, bid for grants to improve wildlife and green areas around Ipswich and work closely with the Greenways Project, Friends of Belstead Brook Park and other local groups with similar aims. ‘Homes for Wildlife’ takes shape

The Group’s ‘Homes for Wildlife’ project got underway In March, IWG with a visit to Britannia Primary school during the half term members joined the holiday when IWG members were joined by a team from Friends of Belstead the Greenways Project and 20 pupils, parents and staff to Brook Park and improve the habitat within the school woodland area. Greenways for a tree The children helped create log piles for stag beetles, planting session on erected bird nesting boxes and built dead hedges from Kiln Meadow. These the coppiced trees and shrubs providing valuable habitats were mainly fruit trees for birds, mammals and insects. that will become an informal orchard be part of the overall management plan for the meadow.

Make sure that you have Bank Holiday Monday 5th May marked in your diary for the annual Spring

Above and below: enthusiastic pupils from Britannia Primary School

Above: pupils from Sidegate Primary School hepling create new homes for wildlife

Wood Celebration Day. This has become an exceptionally popular event with well over 500 people visiting the Wood and Kiln Meadow during the day last year. There will be IWG members Martin Cant and Colin Hullis also visited lots to see and do for the whole family from guided walks, the school during their EcoWeek and gave presentations woodland crafts and Morris dancing to making wildlife on insects and birds to the 180 pupils of Year 1 and 2. homes, folk music and lots to eat and drink. The fun starts at 11am. Also in the Spring the Group had a request from the school council of Sidegate Primary school to help them Another event to make note of later in the summer is the install bird nesting boxes around the school grounds. annual Garden Party organised by ActivLives and held at Pupils of the school council accompanied Ray Sidaway the Maidenhall allotments and Community Garden, Halifax and Colin Hullis around the school nature area and Road. This is another very entertaining day and includes playground deciding the best positions and helping put up a chance to tour the Community Garden enterprise. IWG boxes for Tits and Robins. They also enjoyed helping to will be there with a stand where the focus will be ‘Homes build insect habitation boxes. for Wildlife’. Date is Saturday 26th July from 11am.

8 Landguard Partnership

Landguard Bungalow, View Point Road, Felixstowe IP11 3TW Tel: 01394 675283 Email: [email protected] www.landguardpartnership.org.uk Ranger Blog: http://www.landguardpartnership.org.uk/nature_reserve/rangers_blog Twitter: https://twitter.com/landguardranger The Landguard Partnership was formed in 2009 to ensure that the Landguard Peninsula in Felixstowe is managed in a sustainable manner, contributing to the nationally important environmental conservation, cultural heritage, educational resources and economic prosperity of the area and adding to the quality of life and enjoyment of the local community and visitors. The Partnership consists of all the organisations and a charitable trust who have either a vested interest in the Peninsula or are concerned about conserving and protecting this valuable resource. The Peninsula incorporates the historic Fort, the important collections of the Felixstowe Museum, the Landguard Nature Reserve and the popular View Point overlooking the Orwell Estuary. Vandals and Volunteers

The Vandals were an Eastern Germanic tribe that spirit was lifted and could be heard humming the Monty managed to sack the city of Rome in 455. This led to Python ditty ‘Always look on the bright side of life’. the use of the term vandalism to describe any senseless destruction. This term is entirely appropriate for the A previous volunteer work party had Mike and Fred person or persons who tore off the notice board from its helping to install a set of new steps on the Rifle fixings on the Nature Reserve entrance gates and threw Butts and clearing a deteriorating enclosure on the it into the grounds of the Bird Observatory! grassland, while Steve got on with some fixed point

I tried to think of an opposite name for a vandal but could only think of ‘do gooder’ which can have slightly negative connotations. Nevertheless in its essence it does describe the remarkable characters that I have met on the Nature Reserve quietly going about doing good. Take John for example, he can often be seen on the reserve litter picking and then there is Ernie amongst others. All who take it upon themselves to help keep the place litter free, and in the case of Terry, free of dog poop. When I first New steps at the Rifle Butts came across Terry, I asked “Are you picking up what I photography (this type of photography shows any think you are picking up?” incremental changes in the habitat and is vital in making He replied that he was and management decisions). It’s amazing how much more that he was doing it in order can be achieved with just three more pairs of willing to provide an example and hands. A big thank you from me and the Landguard make people think twice Partnership to all the volunteers that have given up their about not picking up after Volunteers on the monthly free time through this Winter to help with the wildlife their dogs! litter pick conservation work on the reserve.

Whilst on the subject of unsung heroes, the ‘Footprint/ A rather sick looking Guillemot was found struggling on Landguard’ volunteers were on the reserve recently the beach near the jetty and was brought back to the clearing encroaching Bramble. Volunteers Guy and Mike Bungalow. Unfortunately the bird died during the night were active again levelling out the board walk that had and was duly buried the next day and wished well on its been affected by the winter storm surge. Not having a way to Guillemot heaven. In early February I spotted four spirit level to hand they Ringed Plovers on the grass towards the Point having a came up with the ingenious snoop around or as bird recorder Nigel Odin said “Just solution of filling a tub of checking to see if the place was still here”. water and placing that on the board walk to ascertain I am currently trying to find a number of willing the correct level. Volunteer volunteers to act in a volunteer Ranger capacity Richard and I found time throughout the nesting season April to the end of July. to fix the Sparrow Terrace This would include patrolling the site, raising awareness nesting box that Richard of ground nesting birds and general visitor management. had kindly made and If you are interested, please contact me at chris.ryde@ donated. By the end of suffolkcoastal.gov.uk or call 01394 675283. The sparrow terrace the day my vandalised Chris Ryde

9 Stable Block, Holywells Park, Cliff Lane, Ipswich IP3 0PG Office: 01473 433995 [email protected] www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/greenways The Greenways Countryside Project exists to protect and enhance the countryside, landscape and open space across an area of about 100 square kilometres in and around the town of Ipswich, and home to around one quarter of the population of Suffolk, for the benefit of wildlife and local people. The project relies on volunteers to complete much of its practical conservation work. The Greenways Project is a very successful and well-established partnership between Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council, Babergh District Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council and the local community. The Greenways Project - 20 years old!

The Greenways Project is 20 years old this summer! Like me, if you’ve been involved with the Project in that time, you’ll probably find that hard to believe! Back in 1994, the world was a very different place and the countryside in and around Ipswich was no exception.

The four local authorities that got together in the early 1990s recognised the importance of high quality green space in and around the town and could see the potential risks if these areas were not maintained and protected for wildlife and local people to enjoy. Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council, Babergh District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council, with the support of the Countryside Commission, decided to set up a joint funded ‘Project’ to help maintain important wildlife sites; engage local communities in their management; try to resolve conflict between varying land uses; and encourage local people to enjoy their local environment. The four Councils have remained committed to the Greenways Project as it became named, despite very difficult financial times – and the Project itself has become very effective at raising funds to ensure our continued existence.

Funding The four main partners contribute just over half the annual costs of running the project, with the remainder coming from grants from Parish and Town Councils; land based government grants; payment for practical conservation management work; landfill tax grants; grants obtained by partner local community groups such as Ipswich Wildlife Group; and additional payments for practical work from the main partners. Over the 20 years, the Project has been very successful at attracting external funding from the above sources as well as from major grants – with a total approaching £1.5M with £1M of this in the last five years. The Project delivers extremely good value for money to its partners – the costs are shared; large amounts of external income are generated and huge amounts of volunteer time have been contributed by an ‘army’ of willing local people.

Volunteers From the outset, it became clear that the best way to involve local people in their local environment was to provide opportunities to be directly involved in the ‘hands on’ management of the nature reserves and green spaces on people’s doorsteps. The Project quickly built up a network of motivated, dedicated and

10 very capable volunteers who today achieve around 2000 and mental health, keeping fit and active in beautiful person days of practical work each year. Apart from the surroundings; maintaining social contact for those incredible financial equivalent worth estimated at more who might be isolated; bringing local communities than £100,000 each year – it is the equivalent of around together with a common interest/aim; providing nine full-time staff! learning and training opportunities to improve chances of employment; supporting community groups and In addition to these clear benefits of volunteers to the organisations to realise their aims; and providing a Project, there are important wider benefits to society sense of achievement and hopefully enjoyment! as a whole, as we provide opportunities for everyone to be involved – maintaining and improving physical On the ground The Project has worked on more than 100 sites over the 20 years and currently looks after around 50 sites including eight Local Nature Reserves and three Sites of Special Scientific Interest. These nature reserves and green spaces include a very wide range of habitats from heathland and acid grassland to ancient woodland and wildflower-rich meadows and many more. Management work has included almost every conceivable task: coppicing and tree felling, hedge cutting, tree and hedge planting, meadow mowing, pond clearing, reed cutting, scrub clearing, fencing, bridge building, path surfacing, and the inevitable litter picking and dumped rubbish clearing.

The Project also organises large and small public events to increase local people’s awareness and enjoyment of wildlife including the now annual Spring Wood Day – a celebration of this beautiful ancient woodland on the southern edge of Ipswich. One of the more important strategic roles over the 20 years has been to try to influence the shape of future development in and around Ipswich, attempting to prevent any loss of biodiversity and public access and indeed, hoping to improve both.

The next 20 years! I sincerely hope that the Greenways Project is good for another 20! We have always had to adapt to the changing environment around us – making sure we are carrying out the most appropriate site management and delivering what the funding partners expect from us. In these extremely difficult financial times, the Project has suffered cuts in contributions but has been able to maintain the budget with external income. Increasingly, there is better recognition of the wider benefits of involving volunteers in practical site work and we hope to be able to build on some of these and attract new partners.

The most important task at our 20th Birthday is to send out a massive thank you to all of you who have been involved in Greenways in whatever way in that time. By way of celebration, we are planning a get together for as many current and past volunteers and others involved on Wednesday 2nd July in Belstead Brook Park. If you have been involved and would like to join us for the celebration, please contact me as soon as possible and I will make sure you receive an invitation!

Very many thanks,

James Baker (Project Manager)

11 Wildlife Rangers

Office : 01473 433993 [email protected] Stable Block, Holywells Park, Cliff Lane, Ipswich IP3 0PG The Wildlife & Education Rangers are responsible for the management of wildlife areas within the town’s parks and other green spaces. As well as carrying out practical management, the team runs an events programme and works with many local schools to engage and inspire the public about the wildlife Ipswich has to offer. Wildlife Rangers’ Summer Events

Now that summer is finally here, wildlife is at its most active and so too the rangers have emerged from their winter-work pupa to once again present a colourful range of wildlife events for all the family!

We of course have the staple bird walks: Plug in the caffeine-drip and meet us at Bourne Park for the 4am Dawn Chorus walk, where we’ll head into the reed bed and hopefully hear a good range of warblers (Grasshopper Warbler was heard there last year!) in addition to the usual suspects, finishing off with a bacon roll and hot drink at the Stoke Park Scout Hut. For the late risers there is the Dusk Chorus walk from 7 - 8.30pm on 6th May at Pipers Vale, where we usually hear Small Tortoiseshell butterfly Nightingales and potentially spot the Peregrines under the Orwell Bridge. For those with a head for heights we will have a guided walk from Belstead Brook to the Orwell Country Park via the Orwell Bridge on 31st August from 1-5pm, for great river-views and if we’re really lucky, the rare chance to see a Peregrine Falcon from above. We are also joining forces with Suffolk Wildlife Trust for two Wildlife Gardening events on 30th May from 2-4pm at the Dales local nature reserve and 29th August from 12-4pm in Christchurch Park, where we’ll be building wildlife homes, pond dipping and much more!

The Orwell Bridge from Pipers Vale

We’re also bringing in a few new events such as ‘Heavenly Heathland’ where we invite you to come to Bixley Heath on 7th June from 10am-12pm to learn about one of the rarest habitats in the UK and the wildlife found there. Another event for the night-owls among us is the Moth Trapping event at Pipers Vale on 27th June from 8.30pm onwards – while butterfly species number around 60 in the UK, moth species run into the thousands – come and see how many you can identify!

Wildflower Walks

The events mentioned are just a taster, we also have wildflower walks, bug-hunts, bird-box building, creature feature - the list goes on. So don’t forget to check the Ipswich Parks noticeboards and the IBC website for the Eyed Hawk Moth full events list and call us on 01474 433994 to book.

12 Friends of Belstead Brook Park

Website: www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk Go to Links and click on Friends of Belstead Brook Park. E-mail: [email protected] Friends of Belstead Brook Park (FoBBP) was set up in 2002 to help look after the 250 acres of informal country park on the south-western fringe of Ipswich. The group runs practical work parties, helps raise funds for improvements and acts as ‘eyes and ears’, passing information back to the Greenways Project.

December’s work party saw the Friends, with Adrian in charge, clearing coppiced trees in Millennium Wood and creating a dead hedge with them. The idea of this sort of hedge is to keep dogs out of some areas of the wood to protect nesting birds, dormice and other animals. At the end of the morning we stood back and admired the huge amount of work we had achieved with just six of us.

The Friends met in January in Kiln Meadow to thin out some of the trees and bramble around the edge of the path running parallel to Bobbits Lane. The blue sky made it a real pleasure to be working outside.

Planting fruit trees in Kiln Meadow

species to Suffolk – so they should do well and in a few years we will all hopefully be able to munch on some fresh fruit. James then demonstrated how to dig a hole, plant the tree carefully at the correct height, put on a protective tree guard and hammer in a stake. We all set to with gusto, working in pairs and were soon finished. Fortunately James had more work to do and after the usual coffee, biscuit and chat break we got back to planting hazel saplings along some of the edges of Kiln The full complement with rubbish from Stoke Park Wood Meadow.

After a brief shower followed by a lovely rainbow, the The morning was a great success with several people sun shone down on us in February and we welcomed expressing an interest in joining in with the Friends two new volunteers – Lois and Ed joined us bringing monthly work parties – we would be delighted to our numbers to a record eight. Our intended task had welcome them to our happy band. been to clear away and burn reeds previously cut by the Rangers in Bourne Reedbed but unfortunately we PS It was such a lovely spring day we saw our first couldn’t locate them! Actually this was quite fortunate Comma butterfly warming itself in a ditch. in some ways as the ground was very wet after all the torrential rain. Plan B was swiftly put into operation and Ann Havard we spent a very pleasant first half of the morning pruning the paths around Stoke Park Wood. After a sociable chat over coffee and biscuits we all set off with bags and litter pickers for the rather less pleasant task of clearing rubbish from the site. And there was a lot of it, including, amongst all the usual cans and bottles, several bags of disposable nappies. Why? Everyone has a black bin in Ipswich, why do people think it appropriate to hurl these sort of items over the fence into a wood? Beats me.

March saw us join forces with Ipswich Wildlife Group and the Greenways Project planting fruit trees in Kiln Meadow. A good number of people turned out to help including several members of the Woodcraft Folk who used to meet in Spring Wood. James Baker from Greenways explained that all the fruit trees were local First sighting of a Comma

13 © Tim Kenny Friends of Christchurch Park

Secretary: Ann Snook 01473 251037 Membership Secretary: Robert Fairchild 01473 254255 Events/Meetings: David Routh 01473 255680 The sole purpose of the Friends Group is to help look after the Park for the public good, and to promote its welfare. Anyone who shares this aim is welcome to join. For a small annual fee of £5 you can join in Friends activities all year round, including Illustrated talks and discussions, Guided Park walks and Practical conservation work. You will also receive an informal seasonal newsletter.

Jack-the-lad © Paul Sherman I have known jackdaws all my life. When I was very young, we boys used to keep jackdaws as pets. We would raid the nests of these crows during May, which were often deep down in a hollow tree amongst the hedgerows where Trinity Park is now, and take home a newly feathered youngster. This bird would then be cared for, usually to begin with in an old rabbit hutch and fed on household scraps of food. Soon the jackdaw would become imprinted.

We used to think that it was great to walk around with a jackdaw on a shoulder. Mind you, we would have preferred to have had a magpie as a pet but in those days, believe it or not, magpies were not very common – gamekeepers hated them!

However, there were problems with having crows as pets. Firstly, they were noisy, extremely noisy, and secondly our parents were convinced that jackdaws attacked babies in their prams. Our jackdaws would perch on the handles of prams, those large elegant purveyors of babies, and being jackdaws they would try and steal any teething rings, bells and rattles that hung there to amuse the baby. This was misinterpreted by our parents as jackdaws attacking the pram’s occupant. The jackdaw’s fondness for all things sparkly was reinforced when we went after their eggs or youngsters. The nests were often lined with sheep’s wool and Quality Street wrappers. Sadly, many of our pet jackdaws disappeared because of this unproven belief. increasingly have competition for suitable sites from owls, squirrels and stock doves. A favourite nesting area One of the reasons for having a pet jackdaw was that is near the Reg Driver Visitor Centre where many of the jackdaws could be taught to ‘speak’. Really? Mind you, I ancient sweet chestnut trees are riddled with holes. In am convinced that our talking jackdaws were the result of recent years, a colony of jackdaws has had considerable some of us kids being potential ventriloquists. My jackdaw breeding success in Constable Road which is quite would only repeat its name! near to the Park. Many people no longer use their open fireplaces, central heating being more popular, leaving the We really do take our Park jackdaws for granted. We chimneys obsolete. A small colony of these birds now use see them but we then ignore them. After all, they are these chimneys in which to nest. only small insignificant crows, noisy crows perhaps, but nevertheless just ordinary little crows not worth a It is amusing to observe these birds carrying sticks from second glance. How wrong can that be? The jackdaw, the Park to Constable Road and dropping them down the now known as the western jackdaw (corvus monedula), chimney pots. For the last four years six pairs of jackdaws is about fifteen inches long and is basically black with have nested close together in this area and amazingly a grey nape and a pale grey eye. To most people who these six pairs have always succeeded in raising four visit Christchurch Park, the bird appears to be just a youngsters per pair. In early summer, these young black coloured bird, smaller than a carrion crow, that jackdaws are free flying and the air is full of black coloured is recognised by its call, although I suppose that most birds excitedly calling to each other. The call of ‘jack’ can people do not know what bird it actually is. sometimes be rather monotonous but these cries become more urgent when the local carrion crows fly too close. Jackdaws nest in holes often in trees but especially in buildings and cliffs. Jackdaws still nest in our Park but Reg Snook

14 Portal Woodlands Conservation Group

Enquiries: Martlesham Parish Council 01473 612632 www.pwcg.onesuffolk.net or email [email protected] The group was formed to conserve the woodlands west of the Suffolk Police HQ and alongside the A1214. Volunteers meet each month to work on a variety of projects. Anybody is welcome to join this friendly group. Training and tools are provided. © D Sweeting The recent bad weather has continued to keep our volunteers busy. With a total of 36 trees lost during St Jude’s and recent storms, the priority has been to make safe and clear away the debris, and this has meant that many of our planned jobs have had to be postponed. Having now received the posts and waymarker signs, we hope to complete the marking out of our ‘Nature’, ‘Historic’ and ‘Pond’ walks in the spring.

Our AGM in March was very well attended. The © D. Sweeting committee was elected for the coming year, with existing members standing again except for Lyn Parker who was Elephant Hawk Moth thanked for her three years as Information and dates for 2014 volunteer work mornings, Publicity Officer. Nature Watch Club and Nature Explorers are available at The inaugural http://pwcg.onesuffolk.net/ For more information about winner of the PWCG and its activities or if you have any questions Nature Explorers Award 2014 - Winner Nature Explorers please contact us as above details. Chloe King receiving Powling Cup from Award was Chloe Richard Powling King. Chloe, a Volunteer Work Mornings: meet at the Education Area deserved winner from 10am - Noon for her excellent contribution to conservation in the Saturday 17th May Parish of Martlesham over the past year, received The Sunday 15th June Powling Cup, a glass plaque, a certificate and a wildlife Saturday 19th July book. The Cup was presented to Chloe by Richard NO WORK DAY IN AUGUST Powling, whose Uncle Philip Powling had originally Saturday 20th September purchased the cup as a memorial for the men who lost Nature Explorers (11 to 18 year olds): meet at the their lives in WWII and used for the Martlesham Village Education Area from 9:00am -11:00am, booking Produce Association ‘Best in Show’ award from 1947 to essential, please email naturewatch.pwcg@martlesham. 2008. Richard was pleased that the Cup now has a new org.uk lease of life rather than gathering dust in a cupboard. Saturday 17th May The AGM closed with a fascinating presentation on the Saturday 19th July ‘Moths of Portal Woods’ by Stephen Corley and Duncan Saturday 20th September Sweeting, who reported on the exceptional number of Nature Watch Club (5 to11 year olds): meet at the moth species recorded in the past year. Martlesham Heath Control Tower from 9:00am -11:00am, booking essential, please email naturewatch.pwcg@ The Nature Explorers carried out our annual survey and martlesham.org.uk maintenance of the bird boxes in the woods, and were Saturday 31st May very pleased to find that 22 of the 25 tit boxes had been Saturday 21st June used. A pair of tawny owls has been heard calling at the Saturday 5th July southern end of the woods. This is a welcome return Saturday 6th September following their departure from the northern end possibly Glow Worm Survey and Bat Walk: due to works around the Police HQ. Friday 27th June, 9:15pm, meet at Martlesham Heath Control Tower We welcome and appreciate all the help we can get to Visit our stand at the following events: keep the woods safe and open for users to enjoy. Please Saturday 14th June: Birchwood School Summer Fete, feel free to come along to our volunteer work mornings Noon – 3:00pm and join in – it’s good fun, keeps you fit and you may Sunday 7th September: Martlesham Heath Aviation make some new friends. Society Open Day

15 Ipswich Local Group

Membership Secretary: c/o 19, Marlborough Road, Ipswich, IP4 5AT Email: [email protected] www.rspb.org.uk/groups/Ipswich Ipswich RSPB Local Group is for everyone interested in finding out more about the birds and other wildlife to be found in the Ipswich area and beyond. Why not come along to one of our indoor talks, held monthly between September to April at Sidegate Primary School, or (throughout the year), get out and experience nature first hand on one of our regular field meetings, visiting some of the best spots for wildlife in the area. Received by members three times a year the ‘Orwell Observer’, keeps readers abreast of the latest developments at the nearby Suffolk RSPB Reserves as well as news of Group activities, along with members’ photographs and accounts of birding exploits from both home and abroad. Annual Membership costs just £3 per year (£1 for Juniors). For more information please see the Events Diary in this magazine, visit our website or write to the Membership Secretary, all as per details above. A Walk in Christchurch Park by Tim Kenny © Tim Kenny Something special happened on 26th February this year. It was a Sunday afternoon and for the first time in what seemed like eons, the sun shone. Of course this brought out the human inhabitants of our town to play football, walk dogs or simply to lounge around on the grass. Too good an opportunity to miss, I made for Christchurch Park with my camera and telescope combination to see what I could photograph.

First stop, of course, had to be Ipswich’s most famous tawny owl. Much has already been written and said about Mabel, but surely there’s room for one more picture? © Tim Kenny © Tim

Grey squirrel - didn’t asked to be introduced

Controversial? Well, yes, even in my own mind. They didn’t ask to be introduced into this country, and they are kind of cute (a description that my scientific side always shies away from).

But we all know the damage they do to woodlands. Their proliferation to the detriment of the native red. Frankly they are widely regarded as a pest. Here’s a thought; in these straightened times and with concern about sustainable resources, intensive farming and food miles Mabel - perfect natural ambassador growing, does encouraging the nation to eat wild grey squirrel represent a radical solution to the problem? Mabel is surely the most visible specimen of Strix aluco And before I get letters, this is just an idea, and definitely anywhere in the country, and as such serves as the not the official view of the RSPB! perfect natural ambassador, not just for owls and birds but for urban nature in general. Many people young and One introduced species that, at present, is a welcome old, approached me for a close-up look through the addition to the avifauna of Ipswich is the mandarin telescope. duck. Who couldn’t love the male Aix galericulata? The orange whiskers, chestnut sails, red bill… every colour Heading for the Wilderness Pond, the great tits and of the rainbow and more is seemingly represented in woodpeckers calling all around me, I spotted a grey the plumage of this exotic creature. They also have the squirrel going about its business. So I stayed still and added advantage of tasting bad, as even those who enticed this controversial rodent close enough to me to have seen beyond the beauty sufficiently to try it have get a photo on my camera phone. testified.

16 Ipswich Local Group

and Holywells Parks, and a trip on the Thames last year between Walton and Maidenhead revealed a pair

The mandarin’s native range is Japan, China and eastern Russia, where local populations have seen a decline in recent years due to the loss of their forest habitats. Meanwhile the RSPB’s website estimates the UK breeding population to be around 2,600 pairs, with 7,000 individuals estimated to be present in winter. Could it be that, in future, the European populations (there are populations on the continent and in Ireland) are somehow transplanted to the Far East to replenish the declining population there? Mandarin Duck - Who couldn’t love the male? On the way out a pair of stock doves were busy Unfortunately for the females, the practicalities of inspecting their nest hole for the year. This smaller, incubation and camouflage mean that they can’t afford daintier relative of the wood pigeon breeds in the park, the extravagant plumes of the drakes. They have to and their “roaring” calls (“ooo-ooo-ooo”) are a familiar settle for greenish-grey with white spotting on the flanks harbinger of spring in the centre of Ipswich. and a white eye stripe, but they are beautiful in their own way. There’s plenty to enjoy in the town’s parks during the spring, and it’s the ideal pick-up to following a long, wet Mandarins are now to be seen in both Christchurch winter. Butterfly Conservation Saving butterflies, moths and our environment

Secretary Phil Whittaker, Oak Barn, Pipps Ford, Needham Market Ipswich IP6 8LJ [email protected] Membership Secretary Matthew Deans, 49c, Hollesley, IP12 3JY www.sogonline.org.uk Twitter: suffolkbirds1 SOG is the Group for people interested in the birds of Suffolk, and provides a network and a voice for birdwatchers in the county.

SOG Projects in 2014 include: what’s going on - stories about birds, conservation, A Rook survey is being planned for 2015, as a reserves and people. comparative study for one that took place in Suffolk 40 years ago. The BTO Atlas will support this work and Membership of SOG is open to anyone with an interest birdwatchers are asked to plan/suggest possible survey in the birds of Suffolk. Membership is £15 for singles and sites at this stage. Contact: Gi Grieco Tel. 07814 137432 £17 for families. A joint membership with Suffolk Naturalists Society is available A Swift Box Project is underway and SOG is seeking for £28 for singles to forge contacts with councils or building firms that and £32 for families may be able to accommodate boxes on their building representing a saving projects. Updates on progress will follow in the Harrier of £2 on combined magazine. Contact: Adam GrettonTel.01473 829156 membership rates and entitling members to The Group is administered by Suffolk birdwatchers for a copy of the annual Suffolk birdwatchers, keeping them in touch with what ‘Suffolk Bird Report’ is going on and with each other. SOG has good links as well as to the SNS with other naturalist and conservation organisations Magazine. White Admiral’, in the region including the BTO, RSPB and SWT. SOG published three times a organises an extensive programme of field meetings year. and indoor meetings - see Events Diary. The Group’s magazine, ‘The Harrier’ keeps members in touch with

17 Butterfly Conservation Saving butterflies, moths and our environment

Membership Secretary 01379 643665 www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk email: [email protected] Butterfly Conservation is dedicated to saving wild butterflies, moths and their habitats throughout the UK. All Butterfly Conservation members who live in Suffolk are automatically members of the branch and receive our newsletter, the Suffolk Argus, three times a year. The Suffolk branch is run by volunteers and we would be very pleased to hear from you if you would like to get involved. Ipswich Heaths Project - Purdis Heath SSSI update for the Silver-studded Blue

Efforts continued over the winter months, often in spite colony on a section of the heath north of Purdis Farm of gloomy weather predictions, with regular work parties Lane. This has been achieved with additional help from on the first Saturday of the month of between 16 and 19 Greenways Project and Ipswich Wildlife Group. The work volunteers clearing gorse and birch scrub from the heath. will also provide a habitat link from Purdis to Ipswich Golf These, along with more informal sessions accomplished Course, where, in the not too distant past, the butterfly much habitat work. was recorded on suitable habitat. The map highlights the area in blue with an obvious white arrow showing This work will allow a follow up machine cut of mature the direction we hope the butterflies will take, given the heather by a technique known as forage harvesting. By prevailing south-westerlies. choosing where we cut we can encourage the growth of early stage or pioneer and building heathers, interwoven With the current level with areas of mature heather. This will create a mosaic of interest in the site, of different age structures of heather suitable for the we are constantly Silver-studded Blue butterfly and the ant upon which it learning of other depends. The interface between tall and short heather species which seem will create a beneficial micro-climate providing shelter for to be benefiting from the butterfly and warm places for the female butterfly to habitat work. Last lay her eggs. It should also increase the abundance of summer, five Graylings Bell Heather, the butterfly’s principal nectar plant, which were recorded on just is in short supply. In the not too distant past, livestock one day and Small grazing would have created this structure, but today our Heaths were also only recourse is by human intervention. present. Both of these are noteworthy BAP During the winter period we are also aiming to scrape species. The heath is back other areas, where heather has become old and also a good place for degenerate, to the underlying sand, by using a JCB. By Small Coppers, Green judiciously strewing these scraped areas with heather Hairstreaks and Common Blues. clippings, containing Bell Heather seeds, we hope to encourage new heathers to germinate. Scraping also The management of the woodland edge, with the removes much of the decomposing heather and gorse removal of scrub and invasive species such as Birch, litter, which if left on site would eventually add unwanted has extended and improved the woodland - heathland nutrients to the site, which is already a problem for interface. This is an important zone particularly for Purdis and its heathland flora and fauna. birds and reptiles. A number of Woodcock have been observed here and although probably only wintering Work has also started to create suitable conditions to birds, they are very welcome. For those of you with an help the butterfly increase both the size and range of its ornithological interest, it might be worth searching the site for roding Woodcock at dusk and dawn in early spring, just in case they are in fact breeding.

© Matt Berry The east and south facing edges, particularly where dead hedges and habitat piles have been created using scrub removed from the heathland, have also been brilliant in providing habitat for Viviparous Lizards and Slow Worms. Again, these are BAP species. Hopefully, some of you will visit the site over the coming weeks and months and enjoy this rare fragment of what was once an extensive tract of heathland stretching from Ipswich all the way to Lowestoft. If you see anything interesting, please let us know.

Silver studded Blue Male Julian Dowding

18 Friends of Holywells Park

The Group aims to work in partnership with Ipswich Borough Council to improve and promote the Park. Contact: [email protected] www.holywellspark.org.uk facebook.com/holywellsparkipswich

After all the waiting and a great deal of hard work by a great number of people, the work on the Holywells Park restoration project—jointly funded by the National Lottery, IBC, volunteer labour and a small contribution from the Friends of Holywells Park (FoHP) — has begun. A great deal of money and effort is to be spent on infrastructure, including the Orangery and Stable Block, and a new toilet block and kiosk near the Play Area. The essence of the project is to increase the use of the Park, and public (and private) participation in the Park.

The first three ponds have been dredged, and about 350 fish moved from pond 1 (close to the source spring) to pond 4 further downstream, to protect the fish from any harm. The spoil from the ponds is now behind bunds, and slowly drying out before being spread out later in the year. Various bits of the Park have been given a short Damage from the St. Jude’s storm, Big Pond back and sides, if not a No. 1 cut, and now look very bare. However, it won’t take long for the greenery to The Park is home to various reptiles, including some return and the ecosystems to re-establish themselves. which have been transferred in. There is initial talk of placing a seriously large bug-box, or insect hotel, in the A little further round the Park the new toilet block and Park. Besides the sheer joy of installing such a project, kiosk is under construction. The key features include one would hope that there would be a very positive a pair of family friendly cubicles, the refreshment kiosk impact on the Park’s ecosystem. itself and a green roof to help the building blend into the natural order of the Park, rather than being an After a very soggy winter, it’s good to see spring making excessively eye-catching feature. a return. The sound of woodpeckers drumming on trees and the general increase in birdsong is lovely. Keep The Dell is a lovely sunken sun-trap, with a palm tree and an eye out both for the usual birds in the Park and for a horizontal tree that seems almost to defy gravity and passing visitors — you never know what you might see! surrounded by bamboo. It’s an exotic island in the rest of Our apologies for the cancellation of the Cold Fair — due the otherwise very natural Park and well worth a visit. to strong winds — and we hope to see you at a FoHP event or simply enjoying the Park and its natural surrounds.

Events

Saturday 10th May Blossom in the Orchard with Scarecrows. 14:00-16:00

Saturday 12th July Mini-Beast Safari. 11:00-14:00

Saturday 16th August Bat Walk. 20:00-21:45

Saturday 18th October Apple Day. 11:00-14:30

There will also be a series of family events during the summer, organised by IBC. Keep an eye out for these

Robin Gape, (Chair of FoHP) The Dell - an exotic island

19 Local Wildlife News Appeals

Stag Beetle Larvae needed for Research Project

If you should happen to accidentally expose a live Stag Beetle larvae whilst gardening or removing unwanted tree or shrub stumps, please contact Colin Hawes who is engaged in research into feeding regimes of the larvae.

Larval growth rate is being measured under different feeding regimes and at different temperatures. For example different species of decaying wood (oak, beech, ash etc) are being used as larval food to determine whether this makes any difference to their growth rate. Similarly, whether the presence or absence of the decay-causing fungus affects growth rate. Larvae are also being kept at contrasting temperatures, 20˚C and ambient temperature.

All larvae will be returned to suitable habitat after three resulting beetles stay underground in their cocoons until months, when sufficient data has been collected. approximately mid-May when a threshold temperature has been reached that triggers their emergence above Stag beetles will begin to emerge in warm weather from ground mid-May onwards. The males, easily recognised by their large, reddish mandibles (‘antlers’), can be seen flying on Please contact Colin Hawes [email protected] warm evenings at dusk. Females, which do not possess Tel: 01473 310678 the imposing antlers of the male, are reluctant to fly and can generally be found crawling on the ground at the Colin Hawes has been researching the distribution and same time as males are flying. By the end of July most of behaviour of the stag beetle in Suffolk for over 20 years. the beetles have mated, the females have laid their eggs, He is a member of the national team lead by the People’s and the life of the adults is over. Trust for Endangered Species, which is responsible for implementing the UK Stag Beetle Biodiversity Action The larvae that hatch from the eggs can take up to Plan. In recent years his research has been carried six years to grow to full size, feeding on a poor diet of out under the guidance of Professor Alan Gange in subterranean, decaying broad-leaved wood of shrubs the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, and trees. Pupation takes place in the soil inside University of London. Colin is also the lead for the an earthen cocoon and lasts about six weeks. The conservation of the stag beetle in Suffolk.

Wanted - your old and neglected tools

Don’t use it anymore? Rusting in the shed? Save those woodworking tools from a fate worse than corrosion, donate it to a good cause - The Greenways/Ipswich Wildlife Group Woodcraft Area.

We are looking for all types of non-powered tools from chisels and gouges to axes, billhooks and froes. Old, rusty and don’t know what it is? We won’t either, but we will find out and hopefully use it. They will all be put to work on a good cause either directly within the project or traded for other tools we need.

We are currently desperately looking for a wood vice, large auger bits and any old timber-framing tools, so please save those unused tools and call us now!

If you can help save a tool from corrosion, call Neil on Neil Marjoram instructing on the use of the pole lathe that he 07513 014473. made in the Woodcraft Area.

20 Local Wildlife News Snippets

Adders Urban Waxwings The early, warm Spring weather this year was welcome by Adders coming out of hibernation. These were seen basking in the March sunshine on a local heath. A total of six were seen in close proximity, chances are they all hibernated together in the nearby undergrowth.

One advantage of attending indoor meetings of the local RSPB group is that there is always an updated list of local bird sightings. Finding out at the February meeting that waxwings were along Lattice Avenue, I first of all checked the grounds of the nearby hospital, which has several berry-bearing trees. This was unsuccessful but a short walk to nearby Lattice Avenue led to my seeing three waxwings, which even at a Swifts only please! distance and in silhouette can be identified by their plump body shape and prominent crest. Coming from the far north, where they see few humans, they are usually approachable and I had good views as two moved down the tree to feed on the rowan’s pink berries. Then they flew off but I saw a further five crossing nearby Woodbridge road. In flight they resemble starlings and often make a trilling contact call. Once home I contacted Anne Beaufoy, with whom I have had many years of conversation about these ‘cinnamon dumplings’, to use one of their colloquial names. She also saw them, coming down from a lime to feed and later observed them in nearby Britannia Road. Despite their exotic appearance, these winter visitors often grace very urban locations. This is because many streets and commercial developments have been planted with berry-bearing trees and shrubs, favoured by waxwings, especially cotoneaster, crab apple, pyracantha and rowan.

Richard Stewart Last Spring I was inspired by the BTO campaign to provide nest boxes for swifts to help compensate for the decline in RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch breeding sites within the UK. Almost half a million people who took part this year discovered I downloaded the plans, sourced some suitable wood and some interesting changes among our most popular garden set to building two boxes (more would have been better as birds. It’s all change in the top 10, with blue tits in their highest they like to breed in communities but I ran out of wood). It position since Big Garden Birdwatch began, at number two. was a precarious and scary business fixing the boxes under The previous occupiers of the second spot, blackbirds, have the eaves of the house. Eventually swifts arrived in the dropped to number four. Goldfinches have climbed another neighbourhood and took absolutely no notice of the boxes, place since last year, and now perch at number seven. The unlike the neighbours who were fascinated by the prospects. robin, which has been as high as number seven in the past 10 years, has dropped back to number 10. So this year I was eagerly awaiting the 2014 swifts until one of the neighbours tells me excitedly that birds are definitely RSPB Top Ten Garden Birds popping in and out the nest boxes. This being mid-March, 2014 several weeks before swifts are due in the UK, my suspicions 1 House Sparrow are aroused. I keep watch and sure enough confounded 2 Blue Tit starlings are the swift box squatters! 3 Starling 4 Blackbird I thought about painting a sign ‘Swifts only please’ but I don’t 5 Wood Pigeon particularly relish having to climb that ladder again. Guess I’ll 6 Chaffinch just have to put up with them as they have just as much right 7 Goldfinch to a comfortable nest site. 8 Great Tit 9 Collared Dove Sorry swifts, I did try. 10 Robin Colin Hullis

21 DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REGULAR EVENTS ON PAGE 24 Events Diary

Wednesday 7th May 6.30pm RSPB FIELD MEETING Purdis Heath for nightingales and spring birds. Meet at Bucklesham Road, Ipswich (roadside parking adjacent to Trinity Park). 2hrs. 3miles.TM213424 Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791.

Saturday 10th May 2pm - 4pm Friends of Holywells Park BLOSSOM IN THE ORCHARD WITH SCARECROWS For details contact Robin Gape 07711 793804, [email protected]

Sunday May 11th 7am SOG OUTDOOR EVENT Meet at Eastbridge Map Ref: TM452666. Leader Ashley Gooding 01473 415651

Tuesday 13th May 10am RSPB MIDWEEK WALK Pipers Vale. Meet at car park at Vale entrance. TM178419. Leader Kathy Reynolds 01473 714839

Wednesday 14th May 10.30am Butterfly Conservation DINGY SKIPPER WEEK King’s Forest. Please enquire in advance to notify availability and whether you can assist with other locations. Map Ref: TL826738 Leader Bill Stone 07906 888603

Saturday May 17th 9am SOG OUTDOOR EVENT Lakenheath and Lackford. Meet at Lakenheath (RSPB) car park Map Ref: TL719863. Leaders Gi Grieco Tel 07814 137432 and Dave Pearsons 01473 726581

Saturday 17th May 9am - 11am Portal Woodlands Conservation Group NATURE EXPLORERS Meet at the Education Area. Booking essential, Mayplease Email [email protected] Saturday 17th May 10am - 12 noon Portal Woodlands Conservation Group WORK PARTY Meet at the Education Area. For details contact 01473 612632 Email [email protected]

Saturday 24th May 9pm Butterfly Conservation MOTH NIGHT Lackford Lakes SWT reserve. Meet at the reserve car park. Bring a torch. Map Ref: TL800705. Leader Tony Prichard 01473 270047

Wednesday 28th May 6.30pm RSPB FIELD MEETING Rushmere Common for seasonal birds. Meet at Heath Road entrance. 2hrs. 3miles. TM197445 Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791.

Saturday 31st May 9am - 11am Portal Woodlands Conservation Group NATURE WATCH CLUB Meet at the Martlesham Heath Control Tower. Booking essential, please email [email protected]

Saturday 31st May 8.30am SWT COACH OUTING Coach Outing to Hickling Broad. Advanced Booking required - Enquires 01473 723179

Saturday 31st May 10.30am Butterfly Conservation BUTTERFLIES OF THE SHOTLEY PENINSULA Meet: Bristol Arms, bottom of Bristol Hill, Shotley Map Ref: TM245336. Leader: Bill Stone 07906 888603

Sunday 1st June 10am RSPB FIELD MEETING RSPB Snape. Meet at Snape Bridge (park at The Maltings). Leader Chris Courtney 01473 423213.

Friday June 6th 9pm SOG OUTDOOR EVENT Blaxhall Heath Nightjars. Map Ref: TM383565. Leader Ashley Gooding 01473 415651

Saturday June 7th 9am SOG DIGISCOPING EVENT AT LACKFORD Meet at the Lackford SWT visitor centre car park. Digiscoping demonstration. For details contact Gi Grieco 07814 137432.

Friday June 13th 7pm SOG OUTDOOR EVENT Minsmere RSPB Reserve. Meet at Reserve car park for evening walk ending with Nightjars on the heath. Leader Paul Gowen 01473 311263

Sunday 15th June 10am - 12 noon Portal Woodlands Conservation Group WORK PARTY Meet at the Education Area. For details contact 01473 612632 Email [email protected]

Mid June (Date to be confirmed) RSPB Field Meeting NIGHTJAR EVENING Sutton Heath. Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791. Details on website or email [email protected]

Tuesday 17th June 10am RSPB MIDWEEK WALK Christchurch Park. Meet at Soane Street entrance. TM165448.Jun Leader Kathy Reynolds 01473714839 Wednesday 18th June 6pm – 8.30pm SWT TOUR OF LODGE FARM, WESTHORPE Booking essential. Contact Leigh Williamson [email protected] 01473 785600.

Saturday 21st June 9am - 11am Portal Woodlands Conservation Group NATURE WATCH CLUB Meet at the Martlesham Heath Control Tower. Booking essential, please email [email protected]

Saturday 21st June 9am RSPB FIELD MEETING The western end of Alton Water for Summer wildlife. Meet at Lemons Hill north car park, Tattingstone. 4hrs. 6miles. TM137377. Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791.

22 DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REGULAR EVENTS ON PAGE 24

Friday 27th June 8.30pm Butterfly Conservation MOTH NIGHT Joint event with Ipswich Borough Council Wildlife Rangers at Orwell Country Park. Moth trapping and possibility to look for Glow worms. Meet: Pipers Vale car park (Orwell Country Park) Map ref: TM178419. Contact IBC Wildlife Rangers 01473 433994 Friday 27th June 9.15pm Portal Woodlands Conservation GroupJun GLOW WORM SURVEY AND BAT WALK Meet at Martlesham Heath Control Tower. For details contact 01473 612632 Email [email protected]

Wed 2nd July – CELEBRATION OF GREENWAYS’ 20TH BIRTHDAY! For all those who have been involved with the Project at any time in the last 20 years – please contact us ([email protected] or 01473 433995 or 01473 601346) for details of the event.

Saturday 5th July 9am - 11am Portal Woodlands Conservation Group NATURE WATCH CLUB Meet at the Martlesham Heath Control Tower. Booking essential, please email [email protected]

Saturday, July 5th SOG OUTDOOR VENT Stanford Training Area, near Thetford. Permits have been reserved for 15 members to visit this unique unspoilt area. For details, cost and to reserve your place, contact Jonathan Lawley 01449 711331.

Wednesday 9th July 10am Butterfly Conservation SILVER-STUDDED BLUE SURVEY RSPB Minsmere. Annual survey for Silver-studded Blue (first of two dates). Park at warden’s lodge just before RSPB car park. Please register in advance. Map Ref: TM470671 (bring a packed lunch). Leader: Rob Parker 01284 705476

Saturday 12th July 11am - 2pm Friends of Holywells Park MINI-BEAST SAFARI For details contact Robin Gape 07711 793804, [email protected]

Sunday 13th July 11am Butterfly Conservation SILVER-STUDDED BLUES IN NORFOLK A joint meeting with the Norfolk Branch to look for Silver-studded Blues at Kelling Heath. Map ref: TG099418. Contact: John Wagstaff 01263 711213

Tuesday 15th July 10.30am Butterfly Conservation BUTTERFLY WALK Kenton Hills, species to include White Admiral and early Grayling. Bring lunch. Meet in Kenton Hills Car Park Map Ref: TM 453639. Contact: Peter Maddison 01473 736607

Wednesday 16th July 10am Butterfly Conservation SILVER-STUDDED BLUE SURVEY RSPB Minsmere. Annual survey for Silver-studded Blue (second of two dates). Park at warden’s lodge just before RSPB car park. Please register in advance. Map Ref: TM470671 (bring a packed lunch). Leader: Rob Parker 01284 705476

Wednesday 16th July 6.30pm RSPB FIELD MEETING Kiln Meadow and Bobbits Lane meadows for Summer wildlife. Meet at Bobbits Lane car park off Ellenbrook Road. 2hrs. 2miles. TM148416. Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791.

Thursday 17th July 6.30pm SWT SUMMER EVENING WALK BY THE ORWELL Contact Leigh Williamson [email protected] 01473 785600.

Saturday 19th July 9am - 11am Portal Woodlands Conservation Group NATURE EXPLORERS Meet at the Education Area. Booking essential, please Email [email protected]

Saturday 19th July 10am - 12 noon Portal Woodlands Conservation Group WORK PARTY Meet at the Education Area. For details contact 01473 612632 Email [email protected]

Sunday 20th July 11am - 4pm Butterfly Conservation GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Flatford Mill. Meet: Flatford Mill RSPB wildlife garden MapJul Ref: TM077332 . Contact: Bill Stone 07906 888603 Saturday 26th July 11am - 3pm ActivLives GARDEN PARTY Maidenhall Allotments and Community Garden, Halifax Road is the venue where you can enjoy food and drink from local producers and from around the world, music and dancing, craft stalls including habitat box building with Ipswich Wildlife Group and tour the community garden site. More information from Sam Thurlow [email protected] 01473 261112

Sunday 27th July 10.30am Butterfly CONSERVATION WILDLIFE GARDEN OPEN DAY An invitation from BC member Mrs Trudie Willis, to visit her 10 acre garden, including a Buddleia and Honeysuckle collection. Meet and park at Prior’s Oak, Leiston Road, Aldeburgh (B1122 Leiston to Aldeburgh Road). Map Ref: TM452591. Contact: Peter Maddison 01473 736607

Tuesday 29th July 9.30am - 4pm SURVEYING AND RECORDING SUFFOLK SPECIES A biological recording event organised by Suffolk Naturalists’ Society and hosted by SWT at Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve. Recorders will be on hand to help you identify a wide range of wildlife species. Map Ref: TM509920. Booking essential: Suffolk Wildlife Trust 01473 890089

Wednesday 30th July 10.30am Butterfly Conservation NEW MEMBERS DAY Holywells Park. An indoor training session in the morning at St Lukes Church Hall, Cliff Lane, Ipswich A practical butterfly watching session will follow. Enrol in advance with Rob Parker Map Ref: TM174432 - parking available in adjacent streets (none at church). Contact: Rob Parker 01284 705476 Jun

Sunday 3rd August 11am Butterfly Conservation SUMMER ON PURDIS HEATH A walk around the heath for Grayling and other summer butterflies and moths. Map Ref: TM 213425 Contact: Sharon Hearle 01638 731648

Saturday 9th August 8.30am RSPB FIELD MEETING Trimley SWT Reserve for waders and summer birds. Meet at SearsonsAug Farm, Cordys Lane, Trimley St Martin. 5hrs. 8miles. TM277357. Leader Stephen Marginson 01473 258791.

2323 DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REGULAR EVENTS BELOW

Sat 9th August – WILDLIFE HOMES EVENT Belstead Brook Park - Join the Friends of Belstead Brook Park, Greenways, Ipswich Wildlife Group and others to help build new homes for a wide range of species to improve the corridor between Stone Lodge Park and Ellenbrook Meadow in Belstead Brook Park. From 10.00am until 1.00pm – at Ellenbrook Meadow (opposite the old bus turning circle on Ellenbrook Road) – come and build bird boxes, hedgehog houses, insect towers and more. The event is particularly aimed at those who live in the local area who can improve their gardens for wildlife to link the two parks, but all are welcome. Contact Greenways for more details. [email protected] 01473 433995

Saturday, August 9th SOG OUTDOOR EVENT Havergate Island. Permits have been reserved for 12 joint SOG/RSPB members. Leader John Grant. For further details and to reserve your place contact Jean Garrod 01473 723264.

Sunday 10th August 10am - 3pm Butterfly Conservation BUTTERFLY IDENTIFICATION A Suffolk Wildlife Trust wildlearning course at Lackford Lakes reserve Cost £21.50 for BC members. Map Ref: TL800708. See SWT website for details and enrolment.

Saturday 16th August 10.30am - 12.30pm SWT GUIDED WALK AT CARLTON MARSHES Booking essential. Contact Leigh Williamson [email protected] 01473 785600.

Saturday 16th August 10.30am Butterfly Conservation WALL SURVEY A walk in the Orford area to look for Walls. Please phoneAug for more details Peter Maddison 01473 736607 Saturday 16th August 8pm Friends of Holywells Park BAT WALK For details contact Robin Gape 07711 793804, [email protected]

Wed 20th August – WILDLIFE HOMES EVENT Sandlings Local Nature Reserve, Rushmere St Andrew – Join Greenways, Ipswich Wildlife Group and Suffolk Coastal District Council to help build new homes for a wide range of wildlife. We will construct reptile hibernation piles, stag beetle pyramids, bat boxes and log piles and you can make ‘homes’ to take back to your own gardens to improve their value for wildlife, including bird boxes, insect towers, hedgehog houses etc. A free family event aimed at those who live near the Reserve but open to all. Contact Greenways for more details. [email protected] 01473 433995

Saturday 23rd August 10.30am Butterfly Conservation LATE SUMMER BUTTERFLIES Alton Water. Meet: Lemons Hill Bridge Car Park (South). Long walk possible. Map Ref: TM 136373. Leader: Bill Stone 07906 888603 Regular Events

TUESDAYS 9.30am Greenways CONSERVATION WORK PARTY The Project’s largest weekly work party – carrying out a wide range of practical tasks across the 50 or so sites that we manage. For all Greenways work parties, volunteers need to be registered via a short informal induction prior to joining us – please contact us for further details. Work party runs from 10.00am to about 4.00pm. Contact [email protected] or call 01473 433995.

THURSDAYS 9.30am Greenways CONSERVATION WORK PARTY A smaller group than on Tuesday, but operates in the same way – please see details above.

FRIDAYS 9.30am Greenways CONSERVATION WORK PARTY Another opportunity to work on the 50 or so sites managed by the Project – please see the details above for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

MOST SATURDAYS 10.30am - 1pm IWG Northgate Allotments WOODCRAFT & WILDLIFE Get involved in coppicing and woodland skills at the Wildlife area. Call Geoff Sinclair to confirm dates 01473 327720

SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH 8pm ‘Green Drinks’ Dove Inn, Ipswich DRINKS AND CHAT Join us at the Dove Inn for a drink, a chat and a bit of networking with other environmentally-minded people. Look out for the ‘Green Drinks’ sign on the table. All welcome. Details from Steve Pritchard on 07724 004272

THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH 10.30am - 1pm SPRING WOOD WORK PARTY Join Ipswich Wildlife Group and Friends of Belstead Brook Park for a morning of work in the wood. Meet at the stepped entrance to the wood in Bobbits Lane. Details from Gerry Donlon 01473 726082

WEDNESDAYS 10am HOLYWELLS PARK WORK PARTY Besides doing positive work as part of a small team of volunteers your time will be matched by cash from the Lottery enabling further work in the Park. Meet at the Stable Block located down the driveway from Cliff Lane. Contact Martin Cant for details 07858 436003

FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH 10am - 1pm Ipswich Wildlife Group RIVER WORK PARTY A joint work party with the River Action Group along Alderman Canal and the River Gipping, maintaining footpaths and making these splendid waterways areas to be proud of. Meet at Bibb Way alongside Alderman Road recreation ground. More information from Ray Sidaway 01473 259104.

SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH 10am - 1pm Friends of Belstead Brook Park CONSERVATION WORK PARTY Come and join us for a morning working in the fresh air. For further details visit our website : www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk - go to Links and click on Friends of Belstead Brook Park or email [email protected]