WHITE ADMIRAL Newsletter 82 Summer 2012 SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY CONTENTS EDITORIAL 1 SNIPPETS David Walker 2 THE SUCCESSFUL RETURN OF A SUMMER Ben Heather 3 HOLIDAYMAKER NEW DRAGONFLY RECORD FOR SUFFOLK - SBRC 4 Leucorrhinia pectoralis CHANTRY PARK BIO-BLITZ 2012 Adrian Knowles 5 BATS IN WOMEN’S HAIR Martin Sanford 6 POEM The Bat and the Blonde G.M. Gathorne- 7 Hardy SAWFLIES Martin Sanford 11 WIND TURBINES, BATS AND BIRDS Tom Langton 13 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE Philip M. Greaves 17 MICROSCOPE - Choice of digital camera REPORT ON THE 2012 AGM David Walker 20 OLIVE CRESCENT - POTENTIAL COLONY IN Tony Prichard 21 SUFFOLK A WHITE MINK AT LACKFORD Jeff Martin 22 A CELEBRATION OF SUFFOLK GEOLOGY Roger Dixon 24 ABSTRACT OF PAPER BY PRESENTED BY Colin Hawes 27 COLIN HAWES AT EUROPEAN WORKSHOP ON CONSERVATION OF SAPROXYLIC BEETLES LETTERS NOTES AND QUERIES Invasive species - Green Alkanet Nick Miller 28 Halesworth Millennium Green invitation Nicky Rowbottom 28 Cover photograph of Nightingale at RSPB Minsmere taken by Peter Heather ISSN 0959-8537 Published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3QH Registered Charity No. 206084 © Suffolk Naturalists’ Society SUFFOLK NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY David Walker 30 Reade Road Holbrook Suffolk IP9 2QL [email protected] SUMMER 2012 Two unusually dry winters; double the normal rainfall in April and June, the highest since records began; the jet stream shifting south yet again; severe flooding in Russia; record heat waves in North America – surely evidence of climate change? Why aren’t the climate scientists screaming ‘We told you so’? But science doesn’t work like that, it’s based on statistically reliable evidence. True, says Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office, the globally warmer atmosphere now carries 4% more moisture over the oceans than in the 1970s and this could be leading to increased rainfall. But the only aspect of climate change’s impact on the weather that most academics agree on is the need for more research. Unlike the climate change deniers who have something to protect (like investment in the oil industry) scientists are just seeking the facts. Dr David Schultz, at the centre for atmospheric science at the University of Manchester says: “It’s hard to extrapolate the past few summers to global warming as a whole. That’s the message I would give if you want to be fair about what the data is showing and our state of the science”. *** Springwatch – sneered at by some serious naturalists for being too populist – gets good viewing figures. But in the mix there is some useful education. As well as following the fate of individual fluffy fledglings and cuddly fox cubs, the resident geek in the person of Chris Packham is always there to point out the harsh reality of competition and survival in the wild or analyse a lump of smelly droppings or make a controversial statement such as castigating cat owners for letting their pets out at night. It’s a matter of balance. Packham may not be to everyone’s taste, but he is outnumbered by the ever-smiling Michaela Strachan and the slightly bumbling Martin Hughes-Games. The popularity of the programme shows they have got something right. Can the SNS learn from this? The success of the recent ‘Taster Day’ at the Flatford Field Studies Centre points to a demand for hands-on events that offer learning opportunities. After all, we have plenty in our midst who could contribute to owl pellet or droppings workshops or Q & A forums, with bar charts if necessary! White Admiral 82 1 SNIPPETS • “Plant Galls” by Margaret Redfern, the latest volume in the New Naturalist Library, is an excellent book. Encyclopaedic in its coverage (more than you’ll ever need to know), beautifully illustrated with line drawings (technically superb life cycle diagrams) and photos, it is a reminder of what a complex and thrilling subject biology is. • SWT’s plan to reintroduce the Fen Raft spider to Castle Marshes, near Beccles, seems to be working. Four nursery webs, each containing about 200 spiderlings have been found on Water Soldier plants in the marshes. Project leader Helen Smith bred 3,000 spiders in test tubes in her kitchen prior to releasing them. • Studies in the USA have shown that glyphosphate (Roundup) at sublethal, environmentally likely concentrations caused morphological alterations in two species of frog tadpoles. • Beekeepers are being asked to kill and report all instances of the non-native Asian Hornet Vespa velutina. This aggressive invader, which is now established in France, can destroy a bee colony in two hours. Sightings should be reported to [email protected] • A study of Lyme Disease in dogs has shown that the disease is more widespread than previously thought. Remember to cover the skin on your feet and legs when walking in areas of bracken. • By twitching their whiskers upwards, outwards and straight ahead dormice use them to navigate when climbing trees. Dr Robyn Grant at Sheffield University’s ‘Active Touch’ lab says that similar processes occur in other rodents but not in the non-rodent water shrew and that this shows that dormice share a common ancestor with other rodents. • The mosquito Culex modestus, not seen in the UK since 1945, has been recorded in marshes in north Kent and south Essex. It is thought to be a vector of West Nile Virus. VACANCY – EDITOR OF WHITE ADMIRAL Owing to David Walker’s retirement an immediate vacancy has arisen for the position of editor of the White Admiral newsletter. White Admiral is published three times a year. It aims to inform SNS members of activities and developments within the Society and in Suffolk’s natural history generally, in a fresh and lively manner. The role is unpaid but approved expenses can be claimed. If you are interested and would like more information please contact The Hon. Sec., Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH, telephone 01473213479 or [email protected] 2 White Admiral 82 THE SUCCESSFUL RETURN OF A SUMMER HOLIDAYMAKER The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is one of our most notable and distinctive summer visitors. Seldom seen but when heard, its powerful and impressive song is enough to attract the interest of any nearby birdwatcher to try and catch a glimpse. This is exactly what led to my uncle, a keen naturalist and birdwatcher from Cumbria, to track down and photograph a singing nightingale in the scrub around the wardens’ office at RSPB Minsmere. My uncle (Peter Heather) is a regular visitor to Suffolk and its ‘birding’ hotspots and follows the various forums citing bird occurrences as well as taking many excellent photos. Together on the 19th May we visited Westleton and Dunwich Heath and were treated to many brilliant photo opportunities of Dartford warbler, but it was stopping by at Minsmere on our route home that provided the highlight of the day. Peter suggested searching for nightingales in a spot east of the wardens’ office, where he had photographed them the week before. We listened and observed a singing nightingale and Peter was, for the second time, able to get good close pictures (see cover photo). The most interesting part of this and his previous sighting only came to light once Peter had returned home and was editing his pictures. From the photos, the nightingale was clearly ringed but the resolution of one photo was so great, that even the ringing number was clear. Photo by Peter Heather Peter informed Minsmere staff who were able to confirm that this very bird was ringed almost exactly a year earlier during a ringing demonstration by the Waveney Bird Club. The secretary of the club, Chris McIntyre was able to detail further that “this nightingale was an adult when ringed on the 6th May last year, so it’s already defied the odds by completing at least two journeys to Africa and back.” The successful re-identification of this specific bird confirms how faithful individual nightingales are to their particular breeding territory and highlights the importance and value of their often overlooked scrub habitat. Ben Heather White Admiral 82 3 NEW DRAGONFLY RECORD FOR SUFFOLK – LEUCORRHINIA PECTORALIS A male specimen of the Large White-faced Darter or Yellow-spotted White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia pectoralis was recorded by Edwina and Alan Beaumont on 16th June 2012 at Dunwich. Their record, confirmed by Adrian Parr, reads as follows: “It was sunny and very windy at about two fifteen. We were walking along Docwra’s Ditch at Dunwich, TM475678, which separates the heath from Minsmere. The dragon fly was in the third pool west from the beach. The dragonfly was fairly active and frequently attacked by a four spot chaser. It landed a number of times on reeds and also on the timber rail on the little bridge which is where we were able to photograph it. The water is probably slightly acidic judging from the vegetation which includes a lot of Marsh St Johns Wort.” This is the first UK record of the species in 150 years. Immature male Leucorrhinia pectoralis photographed at Dunwich by Alan Beaumont 4 White Admiral 82 CHANTRY PARK BIO‐BLITZ 2012 “Bio-blitzes” are a recent phenomenon: a range of experts and the general public are invited to “do” a site, recording as many plants and animals there on a single day. On 16th June Ipswich Borough Council organised just such an event at Chantry Park on the southern outskirts of Ipswich. I attended in my capacity as SNS Recorder for bees, ants and wasps; several other recorders were also present.