Nightingales in Bridge Wood – see page 12 January - April 2020 A news and events Produced by the diary from wildlife and conservation groups in the Ipswich area Woodland Products and Services from Greenways Beanpoles, peasticks, ‘firewood logs – bagged or different size loads available and other woodland produce, wildlife homes including hedgehog houses, bird boxes and insect homes. Mobile sawmilling of felled timber to your specification. Woodland, meadow and other habitat management – advice and quotations available. Products available by appointment from the Greenways Project office on Stoke Park Drive. Contact [email protected] or 01473 433995 / 07736 826076 to discuss your requirements. All produce from the sustainable management of nature reserves in Ipswich and proceeds to help fund management of the reserves and other wildlife projects. 2 Welcome by James Baker Editor As people who are generally out and about more than the uk/stateofnature2019/reports/) does not make happy reading, average, us wildlife loving folk are increasingly aware of the but as a society we must not continue to ignore it’s findings. It’s very rapid changes in wildlife species’ fortunes. Sadly, almost easy to be despondent, but the only way forward is to act, each all of the changes are bringing ill-fortune to our wildlife. There and every one of us, in every way possible to increase wildlife’s are exceptions – new species being seen due to climatic zones chances of surviving – campaign against inappropriate and moving northwards, for example, but our traditional species non-sustainable development; buy organically produced food; are not so fortunate. The lack of skylarks in Christchurch Park or get out and volunteer with the organisations who are doing (page 19) and the very few remaining within Ipswich, (at their best to stem the tide – plenty of opportunities locally Ravenswood, page 8) would seem almost impossible just 25 in the events listing at the back of this edition. Thank you to years ago. everyone who does their bit – it keeps hope alive. We’ll report on the state of the dormouse population in Mailing lists – Please note Belstead Brook Park in the next edition of Local Wildlife Some who are members of several conservation organisations News – but nationally, the population has more than halved may well receive more than one copy of the newsletter. If this since the year 2000 – a staggering figure – and that despite is the case we would be very grateful if you could pass on the huge efforts from the People’s Trust for Endangered Species spare copy. If you don’t receive LWN regularly please consider and numerous other conservation bodies around the country. joining one of the groups that distributes LWN to its members. At this rate, we could see the extinction in Britain in our LWN is available online at www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/ lifetimes! The State Of Nature report for 2019 (https://nbn.org. greenways/ Contents Page Suffolk Wildlife Trust 4 Greenways Countryside Project 8 Friends of Holywells Park 10 4 5 Ipswich Wildlife Group 11 Ipswich Borough Council Wildlife Rangers 12 Friends of the Dales 13 RSPB Ipswich Local Group 14 Friends of Belstead Brook Park 15 Suffolk Bird Group 16 11 13 Portal Woodlands Conservation Group 17 Butterfly Conservation 18 Friends of Christchurch Park 19 Wild Ipswich 20 Snippets 21 14 15 Events Diary 22 Local Wildlife News is published by Greenways Countryside Project. Editor: James Baker [email protected] Tel 01473 433995 Production Editor: Colin Hullis [email protected] Tel 01473 728674 Artwork production: Chris Saunders [email protected] Tel 01473 721550 Printed by The Five Castles Press Tel 01473 718719 Paper produced from well-managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council The opinions expressed in Local Wildlife News are not necessarily those of the Greenways Project. 3 Committee Report Wendy Brown Secretary of the SWT Ipswich Group We are being told to have summer! I am letting a strip Trust. Leigh Williamson who The Ipswich Group autumn more exercise and fresh go wild and I have a ‘wilding’ arranged the visit has written talks were well attended air for our health and ally that visited the garden a report as follows: in the Methodist Church in well-being and one of the regularly who tried to turn “There were two opportuni- Black Horse Lane, Ipswich easiest ways is to go and do the lawn into a hazel copse. ties to see Sylvia and Steve’s and we have booked something in the garden. The squirrel made little holes lovely Ipswich garden during speakers talking on varied and popped a hazel nut into the 2019 summer. There was and informative subjects We are being encouraged to each one and covered it over. so much of interest for those throughout the winter season ‘wild’ part of the garden by These nuts are winter food for who walked round it and for (see the diary for the talks letting the grass grow and the squirrel but many will not those who sat in the sunshine still to come). The meetings scattering some wild flower be found and will germinate enjoying their tea and cake.” make an enjoyable evening seeds in it. This is the time of and hey presto a new wood out and the venue is excellent year to be planning this and, will appear. There could be and there are empty seats and if that is in part of the lawn a walnut tree in the middle We are being a welcome for more people. then it’s less to mow this because I watched little paws Any profit made on a meeting struggling to get the nut to encouraged to helps SWT to do more come out of the sheath and ‘wild’ part of the ‘Wilding’ in Suffolk. then burying it. Maybe the garden... large quantity of nuts was the THE IPSWICH GROUP squirrel hedging its bets! COMMITTEE NEEDS HELP! Where have all the Some people accompanied Maybe you are recently chaffinches gone? There Steve down a mysterious retired and looking for a Ipswich Group Newsletter were no sightings in my path to the back corner of charity to help or you have garden in 2019 and very the garden that led directly never had the time until now Chairman: (Vacant) few in the two previous into The Dales Reserve. They to be involved in helping Secretary: Wendy Brown 01473 259674 years. It could be the disease remarked how delighted wildlife. [email protected] Treasurer: Tony Clarke 01473 741083 trichomonosis that made the and surprised they were to [email protected] greenfinches very scarce but find this varied little reserve We have few committee [email protected] happily they are now back on hidden behind the houses in meetings and the work the feeder in small numbers. I Dales Road. Other people sat is spread between the We are the Ipswich Group of the live in urban Ipswich so visits in the conservatory where, as committee members and no- Suffolk Wildlife Trust. We offer an from a male great spotted well as having a view of the one is tied to a computer for interesting range of monthly meetings woodpecker are a special garden they could see a slide very long. with guest speakers. Trust members and non-members are equally treat; green woodpeckers show of Steve’s photos of the welcome. During the summer months I hear regularly and see wildlife visiting their garden. PLEASE offer to come to a we offer a variety of trips, some local, occasionally. The bonus was that £250 was committee meeting, see what others by coach. Details of these and raised for the SWT through we do and help this great our monthly meetings can be found in Thinking about gardens, the donations and a plant sale. cause. our “Dates for your Diary” section or Ipswich Group of SWT was The group thanks Sylvia and on the website, delighted to have an offer Steve for all their hard work Contact Wendy Brown on www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org. from members who wished and for allowing us into their 01473 259674 or introduce to open their garden for the garden. yourself at a meeting. © Colin Hullis © Colin Have you seen our Facebook page yet? The SWT Ipswich group is now sharing the ‘Suffolk Wildlife Trust in Ipswich’ Facebook page. If you are on Facebook why not come and follow us, you will find our page if you search for:- @swtipswich If you’re not on Facebook you can always look at the page by typing the following into your preferred browser:- https://www.facebook. com/swtipswich/ Helping to make the garden wild 4 24th Annual Coach Trip London Wetland Centre 16th May 2020 This year’s coach trip will be to the Hullis All pictures © Colin London Wetland Centre, Barnes, South West London. It is owned by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) which was founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott. The London Wetland Centre was formed in the year 2000 by combining four disused Victorian reservoirs which were tucked into a loop of the Thames. The centre occupies just over 100 acres, the land has been converted into a range of wetland features and habitats, reedbeds, grazing marsh, lagoons and wildflower meadows. It was actually the first urban project of its kind in the UK. Courting Great Crested Grebes 74 acres have been designated a SSSI. 300,000 plants and 27,000 trees have chiffchaff, great spotted woodpecker, been planted, making it a real oasis for many ring-necked parakeet, hundreds of wildlife in central London. sand martin (there is a sand martin wall), swifts, and of course all the birds we In 2019 there were many species of see in our gardens.