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White
Admiral
Newsletter 94
Summer 2016
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society
Contents
Editorial
Ben Heather
1
Suffolk Butterfly Recording- 20112015 Distribution Maps
Bill Stone
2
First records for Barrel Jellyfish
in Suffolk
Gen Broad
3
Kate Osborne
5
Colin Lucas
6
Caroline Markham
7
Kerry Stranix
10
Bee House Observations
Peter Etheridge
12
Suffolk’s Veteran Trees
Richard Stewart
13
The Return of the Polecat Mustela
putorius to Suffolk
Martin Hancock
15
Jerry Bowdrey
20
Neil Mahler
21
Trevor Goodfellow
23
Gen Broad
26
Jenni Fincham
29
Rasik Bhadresa
32
Beach Bonkers
Bee-ginners luck
A New Excavation at Knettishall
Heath
Growing Up Wild
The Pogge, Hooknose or Armed
Bullhead
Rust Fungi and other Small Stuff
Wildlife Diary (January to July)
SNS AGM and Spring Members
Evening
The Starlet Sea Anemone
The Dawn Chorus
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
Cover Photo: Ichneumon Wasp by Ben Heather
Suffolk
The
Naturalists’ Society
Newsletter 94 - Summer 2016
Welcome to the Summer issue of the White Admiral newsletter. A big
thank you must go to all those who have contributed copy, on a wide range
of topics, to this issue. Please start thinking about anything that you would
like to contribute towards the Autumn issue - I can be contacted using the
details below.
Please can I draw your attention to the advert in the centrefold of this
newsletter. The new Suffolk Dragonfly Atlas is now available to buy both
online from the SNS website and in person from Ipswich Museum. The
book, edited by Adrian Parr and Nick Mason, serves as a timely update to
the previous Suffolk atlas produced in 1992. It uses maps, photos and
written accounts to reveal the changes in the distribution of Suffolk
Odonata. The book costs £10 if collected from Ipswich Museum or £12
(including postage & packaging) if ordered online. For more information
please see here: http://www.sns.org.uk/pages/Dragonflies.shtml.
In other news, if you haven’t heard already, the Suffolk Biological Records
Centre has had a slight re-brand over the Spring and is now called the
Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS). The change of name
reflects the absorbing of the Biodiversity Partnership and its officer into
the record centre. To reflect the change SBIS has also updated and rebranded its website and url and can now be found at
www.suffolkbis.org.uk. The updated pages also now feature a news and
events feed that can be used to see what has happened recently and to
highlight what events are coming up.
Editor: Ben Heather
Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service,
c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH
[email protected]
White Admiral 94
1
Suffolk Butterfly Recording - 2011-2015 Distribution Maps
Distribution maps have been
prepared for 34 species that have
regularly occurred in Suffolk
during the five year recording
period 2011-2015. (Rarities have
not been included, Chalkhill Blue
has been excluded due to site
sensitivities and more data is
required for the introduced Brown
Hairstreak in Central Ipswich).
The maps are based on records
received and represent 1025
Suffolk tetrads where butterflies
have been recorded. An average of
14.6 species per tetrad was
achieved. (NB. Suffolk has 1089
Tetrads in total). All these maps
are now published online at the
link below.
Bill Stone
Recorder
-
County
Butterfly
2011-2015 Distribution Map
View the species maps here: http://goo.gl/3b0P5r
2
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First records for Barrel Jellyfish in Suffolk
Barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo
were recorded twice off the Suffolk
coast in January 2016. These are
extremely interesting finds as the
previous nearest records were from
Yorkshire and Kent. This immense
jellyfish is also known as the
dustbin lid or frilly mouthed
jellyfish and is a favourite food of
the leatherback turtle.
Small barrel Jellyfish photographed by Jerry
Bowdrey on Sizewell Beach January 2016.
On 12th January, an Aldeburgh
fisherman (Alby Clements) pulled
a barrel jellyfish in with his nets 2
miles directly east of Aldeburgh.
Then, later the same month, on
29th, the naturalist Jerry Bowdrey
found the remains of 3 or 4 badly
damaged barrel jellyfish on the
beach near Sizewell power station.
White Admiral 94
Most of the UK records on the
National Biodiversity Network
(NBN) database are from the west
coasts of England, Wales and
Scotland and the south coast of
England. The closest records to
Suffolk are from Scarborough to
the north and Margate and
Folkestone in Kent to the south.
The distribution of this species is
the northeast Atlantic,
the
Adriatic
and
Mediterranean Seas and
the southern Atlantic
Ocean off South Africa.
The barrel jellyfish is the
largest jellyfish found in
British waters. It can
grow to an enormous size,
with a thick dome shaped
bell up to 90 cm in
diameter and weighing up
to 35 kilos, although it is
more commonly seen at
half that size and weight.
The jellyfish is variable in
colour from pale whitish
or yellow to shades of green, blue
pink or brown. The species is
unlike other jellyfish as it has only
the eight thick arms underneath
and no trailing tentacles. The arms
are covered in frilly tissue where
they meet the body, hence the
name ‘frilly mouthed jellyfish’. The
frills are actually small dense
3
Barrel Jellyfish in action off Mudeford, Dorset.
Credit: Stephen Hodder
National Biodiversity Network map showing
current records for the Barrel Jellyfish
Rhizostoma pulmo mainly to the west and south
of the British Isles
tentacles which are used to catch
prey and pass them into the
hundreds of small mouths which
they surround. The species is
identifiable from the large size,
four pairs of very large oral arms
on the under-surface and the lack
of marginal tentacles.
Barrel jellyfish have usually made
the news when they have stranded
on Welsh or south west beaches,
for example in the Daily Mail
online in June 2015, with the
headline “Alien Invaders Hit
British Beaches”! However, despite
their dustbin lid size and
appearance, they feed only on tiny
plankton and their sting is
extremely mild to humans. They
usually drift in deep ocean waters,
but sometimes come inshore to
feed on plankton blooms.
The full grown living jellyfish looks
magnificent swimming in the sea
as can be seen from Stephen
Hodder’s fantastic underwater
photograph off the Dorset coast.
Gen Broad
Recorder
-
Marine
County
References:
Sabatini, M. 2004. Rhizostoma pulmo Dustbin-lid jellyfish. In Tyler-Walters H. and
Hiscock K. (eds) Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key
Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the
United Kingdom. Available from: http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/2027
4
White Admiral 94
Clockwise from top left: Bryozoan fossil and shell; Sponge and attached egg cases; hag stones, sea glass and
flints; sea mat of bryozoan on seaweed; Brittle star and handful other bits from Felixstowe beachcomb; hornwrack.
Kate Osborne has launched Beach Bonkers to carry on the beachcombing
work she started when working as Project Officer for the HLF project
‘Touching the Tide’. Throughout the 2016 summer holidays she will be
leading beachcombing walks in Felixstowe and Southwold as well as
taking the beach to summer carnivals and festivals. If you can’t get to
the beach why not contact her and she’ll bring the beach to you! All
events can be found at www.beachbonkers.org.uk
White Admiral 94
5
Bee-ginners luck
On 16th June last year, I
incidentally netted two bees at
Captains Wood whilst setting out
some bottle traps for beetles.
Previously, I had often found bees
very difficult to identify but the
new book by Steven Falk, “Field
Guide to the Bees of Great Britain
and Ireland”, has changed that.
Using the book the bees quickly
keyed out to Lasioglossum
sexnotatum and Andrena florea.
So far so good! However, checking
the distribution of these species
led to some doubts creeping in.
Lasioglossum is a seriously rare
bee although it does appear to
be present in south-east
Suffolk. Andrena florea,
whilst also a scarce species
did not appear to be found
north of the Thames estuary. Oh dear, obviously
mis-identifications by an
inexperienced observer.
I emailed the Suffolk aculeate
recorder, Adrian Knowles, about
the records and he replied saying
that he had caught a specimen of
A. florea on the 18th June 2015
from the Shotley peninsula. He
also confirmed that the most
northerly published record until
last summer was just north of
Southend.
I decided to take the bees
to
an
identification
workshop run by Steven
Falk and was surprised to
find the original identifications were instantly confirmed.
The Andrena specimen in
particular caused a good deal of
excitement amongst the bee
aficionados.
6
White Admiral 94
And rena florea ( female) - Steven Falk
So this is another species that
appears to be moving northward
over the last few years. The bee
collects pollen exclusively from
White Bryony Bryonia dioica
which is plentiful in Suffolk so it is
interesting to postulate where the
bee may end up. Has it crossed the
river Alde yet? Does it occur in
Norfolk? If it turns out that a
reasonable population of A. florea
is becoming established in East
Anglia it will be very exciting to
track the colonization.
The fact that the bee seems to have
escaped capture from the whole of
the east coast of Essex suggests to
me that there aren’t many
observers there, as presumably
any records would have been
published. Perhaps the publication
of excellent modern guides like
the Field Guide will lead to more
enthusiasts starting to record bees
as their mobility should lead to
some more interesting discoveries
– rather like dragonflies.
And as my two captures show you
certainly don’t need to know what
you are doing to find something
interesting!
Steven Falk has a superb collection
of photos at https://www.flickr.com/
photos/63075200@N07/collections/
The photo galleries can be used in
conjunction with the book to aid
identifications. He photographs a
wide range of insects so the site is
well worth a look even if
hymenoptera are not your thing.
Colin Lucas
A New Excavation at Knettishall Heath 12.04.2016
The periglacial patterned
ground at Knettishall Heath is
some of the best and most
extensive in Breckland and, with
the help of Suffolk Wildlife Trust
(SWT), GeoSuffolk has opened up a
section across one of the vegetation
stripes for public viewing. In 2013
we hand dug a small exploratory
trench in one of the stripes,
investigating the chalk and sand
White Admiral 94
and the relationship between them.
It is written up in White Admiral
no.86.
This had to be mainly
backfilled, but in April 2016 the
opportunity arose to create a larger
trench using an excavator SWT
had on site. At TL945804, just a
few metres from the original dig, it
is 8m long exposing a cross-section
of one of the sandy troughs which
run downhill towards the River
7
8
White Admiral 94
Ouse here. Repeated across the
slope, these alternate with chalky
stripes, forming patterns expressed
in the vegetation they support.
Relics of a colder climate some tens
of thousands of years ago, they
indicate a preserved ancient land
surface.
The excavation is 1.2m deep with
brecciated white Chalk exposed in
its base and a biscuit-coloured
chalky diamicton in places. The
trough is filled with mediumgrained orange sand containing
some shattered flints. The
structure of the trough closely
resembles the one near Grimes
Graves, 17km to the north west
(this is now quite degraded, but
was illustrated by R B Williams*
when freshly exposed in 1964 and
is also featured in our leaflet ‘In
Breckland with GeoSuffolk’). Its
base is about 1m below the surface
with several lobes extending down
into the Chalk. These have been
interpreted as ‘drop’ structures
initiated in the supersaturated
mobile layer above permafrost –
the sand has ‘sunk’ down into the
brecciated Chalk/diamicton
beneath. These showed as rounded
features in the horizontal base of
the trench and, tested with a stick,
most extended down a further
0.25m. However, one was a further
1.15m deep, possibly more. Could
this be a secondary solution pipe in
the Chalk, initiated by water
pooling in the base of the trough?
The trench has been left open and
is arguably the best patterned
ground exposure in East Anglia at
present - the contrasting orange
sand and white Chalk create a
stunning display with the
relationship between the two
clearly discernible. The SWT
reserve has open access here (but
don’t wander too far into the
adjacent area where skylarks nest)
so please do pay it a visit.
With thanks to Peter Allen for
discussion of these features on the
day.
Caroline Markham
* Williams RGD 1964. ‘Fossil Patterned Ground in Eastern England’, Biul.
Periglacjalny, 14, 337-49.
Contributions to White Admiral
Deadlines for copy are: 1st Feb (Spring issue), 1st June (Summer issue) and 1st Oct
(Autumn issue)
The opinions expressed in White Admiral are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society.
White Admiral 94
9
Growing Up Wild
Suffolk Wildlife Trust has
launched a campaign called
‘Growing Up Wild’, asking people
to send their memories of growing
up in the Suffolk countryside.
With backing from the Heritage
Lottery Fund, the Trust is trying
to create a unique memory bank of
But it is evident from the Trust’s
experience with volunteers, staff
and close work with communities
that there is a wealth of untapped
stories in the region; whether it is
swimming lessons in rivers,
climbing trees or just running wild
until tea time. These tales and
images will clearly demonstrate
how children in the county have always grown up with a largely outdoor life.
The campaign will also paint a
vivid picture of the lost Suffolk
that the Trust is striving to
restore; a Living Landscape of
flower-rich meado ws, furzy
people’s childhood experiences of
nature that can then be used to
inspire families to spend more time
in the county’s wild spaces. In all,
the Trust is aiming to collect at
least 100 people’s stories of
Suffolk’s summers and wintersgone-by, which will then be published and shared on their website.
While changes in the physical
landscape, or declines in species,
have been well documented, the
oral history of people’s lived
experiences of wildlife and wild
places remains largely anecdotal.
10
Jill, Linda and Susan Harris (Jane Eade’s mum)1950s
Sally and Jenny Hardwick, 1960s
White Admiral 94
Geoff Kennett
commons and expansive wetlands.
It hopes the memories captured
during ‘Growing Up Wild’ will
allow people to see how the Suffolk
countryside used to be and
illustrate the changes that have
taken place since World War II.
Hopefully not only will this inspire
people to get outside, but it will
encourage them to take action for
wildlife where they live.
The timing of the campaign, which
will see stories being shared by
BBC Suffolk and on the Trust’s
reserves is also important. Recent
research has suggested that the
last 40 years has seen children become increasingly separated from
nature.
A national YouGov poll,
commissioned by The Wildlife
Trusts in 2015, revealed that 57%
of parents thought their children
spend less time outdoors than they
did, while 37% of children had
reportedly not played outside by
themselves in the past six
months.
Evidence suggests that contact
with nature is good for children, it
makes them happier, healthier and
more creative. ‘Growing Up Wild’
is designed to present a wild
childhood in a new way to increase
young people’s contact with the
natural world. Stories can be submitted at suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Kerry Stranix
White Admiral 94
11
Bee House Observations
A couple of years ago I made the
bee nest house above. This was put
in position late winter and in
spring was beginning to be
occupied, mainly by mason bees,
with one leaf cutter bee. I think the
leaf cutter bee was predated as I
couldn’t find it this spring.
As soon as the weather warmed up
this year, I noticed a lot of flight
activity around the box and
initially thought that it was all
about the bees using the soft wood
of the logs for nest material.
However, I later found that in
addition, they all appeared to be
male bees, and whilst several were
digging out the soft wood, which
they appeared to be doing by using
12
their back legs with a lot of wing
fluttering, some of them were
entering recently opened holes,
whilst others sat with their heads
at the entrance.
As I watched, what appeared to be
a freshly hatched bee moved up to
the entrance of a hole and
was immediately seized by the
waiting male. They both fell
together to a bench underneath
where they immediately mated.
I am certain the female had
recently hatched as whilst
watching I hadn’t seen any females
flying around.
Peter Etheridge
White Admiral 94
Suffolk’s Veteran Trees
Until I took part in a parish survey
of Suffolk veteran trees I didn’t
realise just how many there were. I
selected three parishes close to
where I live, namely Westerfield,
Playford and Rushmere.
Essentially the technique was to
measure the girth of each tree at
human chest height and if it
measured 4.2 metres or more it
was a veteran tree. My equipment
was a notched piece of board, thick
string marked at the 4.2 distance
and a big lump of Blutac to stick
one end to the trunk. This
procedure wasn’t as easy as it
sounds; some trees were at road
level but down in a steep ditch on
the other side, others couldn’t be
accurately circled because of thick
growths and thankfully I detected
a nest of wild bees before I got too
close to a large oak at Playford.
Early Sunlight in Christchurch Park
White Admiral 94
Many other details were requested,
related to the tree’s condition and
surrounding habitat. From the
three parishes I recorded a high
total of 92 veterans. All those in
Westerfield were oaks but the
other two parishes included poplar,
lime, elm, beech, Scots pine and an
enormous garden Wellingtonia at
Rushmere.
What I also discovered was how
little effective protection these
amazing specimens have, even if
covered by a Tree Preservation
Order (TPO). It will be interesting
to see how many of the
processional old oaks stretching
from Westerfield to the edge of
Ipswich survive the Northern
Fringe housing development. I
have had verbal assurances from a
council officer but he wasn’t
prepared to put these in writing. In
other European countries trees of
particular cultural and/or historic
significance are protected by what
we would define as Ancient
Monument status.
In national terms the three most
celebrated concentrations of
ancient trees are at Windsor Park,
Richmond Park and the ‘grey,
gnarled, low-browed, long-armed,
deformed’ oaks of Moccas Park, as
Francis Kilvert described them. In
Suffolk, I am particularly familiar
13
Veteran Oaks in Staverton Thicks
with three areas. The first is on the
edge of Foxhall and Ipswich, along
a path accessed from Foxhall road,
opposite the Nuffield hospital.
Here there is a fine row of tall and
stately oaks. The second is just a
few hundred yards from where the
‘White Admiral’ is produced. In
Christchurch Park, Ipswich, there
are many veteran oaks and
chestnuts, supporting a wide
variety of wildlife from the
drumming of great spotted
woodpeckers in early spring to the
summer shimmering of purple
hairstreak butterflies high in the
oak’s canopy. Even older is a yew
tree, close to the Fonnereau road
entrance. Many Suffolk churchyards have old yews, a magical
tree dating back to pagan beliefs
and often predating the Christian
settlement.
The third is definitely the most
atmospheric and of national
importance - Staverton Thicks
near Butley. I was one of many
14
privileged to be escorted around
the Thicks, on a FWAG walk, by
the late Oliver Rackham, that
great expert on veteran trees.
Many of these oaks are hollow,
forming a cylinder structure that
proved surprisingly resilient in the
1987 hurricane. Only a few on the
periphery were toppled. Some
incredibly tall hollies add to the
richness of this site and there is a
footpath passing through the main
area of old trees. However I prefer
to sit for a long time with my back
against the wide trunk of an
ancient oak, letting stress and
troubles go, slowly relaxing and
trying to become assimilated into
the place. Then imagination can
start to take over, perhaps going
back to the old hunting ground
mentioned in the Domesday Book,
or forward a few hundred years to
a time when these surviving trees
were in their infancy.
Richard Stewart
White Admiral 94
The Return of the Polecat Mustela putorius to Suffolk
The
Polecat
became extinct
in
England
over
100
years
ago
due to relentless persecution. It
has been said
that the Polecat
was the most hated
mammal ever. Their liking
for poultry and their pungent stink
when trapped did not do their PR
much good. The last survivors
retreated to key strongholds in
Wales and remote parts of
Scotland where lower human
populations and game intensity
gave them some respite. Surveys
conducted by the Vincent Wildlife
Trust (VWT) over the last 23 years
however have noted the gradual
return of the Polecat to its former
ranges and the latest survey for
2014/15 shows a relatively strong
presence in Suffolk.
Whilst the latest VWT survey has
now concluded, the Suffolk
Mammal Group is keen to continue
monitoring Polecat distribution in
Suffolk. As Polecats have spread,
interbreeding with ferrets has
produced hybrids (Polecat-ferrets),
and a major challenge of
White Admiral 94
monitoring is the ability to be able
to distinguish ‘true’ Polecats from
hybrids. The chart on the next
page illustrates some of the key
differentiators.
The blackest ‘true’ Polecats will
probably survive better in the wild
and therefore the lighter ‘blonde’
Polecat-ferrets might be expected
to gradually disappear as more
‘true’ Polecats spread eastwards.
Mustela putorius distribution map
Key



Red = 1986-1996
Orange = 1997-2006
Yellow = 2007-2016
For the current list of data sources used for this map see
here: https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0000005129
15
Suffolk
Dragonflies
Edited by
Nick Mason
and Adrian Parr
Photo: Broad-bodied Chaser Mark Robinson - Wildlife Trusts Images
Back in 1992, the SNS published Howard Mendel’s book “Suffolk
Dragonflies”. This excellent publication did a lot to advance our
understanding of the county’s Odonata, and also helped cement
Suffolk’s role as a key player in the British arena. While changes to
the UK’s dragonfly fauna had been relatively gradual up until that
point, a very great deal has, however, happened since then.
Changes in land usage and in water quality have taken place, and
the emergence of climate change as a major ecological factor has
also had a dramatic impact. The time was thus right for a new look
at the state of the county’s dragonflies. After a period of intensive
fieldwork over 2008-2014 the results are in, and a new book on
Suffolk dragonflies is now available.
The book confirms that major changes have indeed taken place
since 1992, with most species fairing well. A number have, indeed,
shown some quite spectacular increases in range and abundance.
No less than eight new species have also been recorded from the
county since the time of Mendel, with three of these now
breeding (two in fact being recent colonists to Britain). In contrast
to these increases, just a few species seem to be doing less well.
The new book is strongly recommended to all of those with an
interest in the county’s dragonflies, and to those curious as to
how Britain’s wildlife is responding to recent ecological shifts.
Now Available!

Order Online £12 (inc p&p) www.sns.org.uk

In Person from Ipswich Museum £10
R eproduce d b y k ind perm ission of The V ince nt W ildlife Trust
DNA analysis is further adding to
our understanding of the purity of
the Polecats genetic makeup.
If you do see a polecat please take
picture of the head, paws and full
body (if possible) and please be
very careful on busy roads if you
are recording a Road Traffic
Accident (RTA).
A few basic facts about the Polecat:
it is a member of the mustelid
group of mammals. It is nocturnal.
There is no delayed implantation
and March is the main mating
month. The gestation period is 42
days and litters range from 5 to 10.
Life expectancy in prey rich areas
is 4 to 5 years.
Unfortunately many Polecats are
found as RTAs. It is not that they
have no real road sense, but rather
they are opportunistic foragers and
roadside kills provide a ready
larder – ‘Tarmac Tapas’ as Johnny
Birks calls it.
Hopefully we will be more tolerant
of Polecats in the future. It is
afforded some protection as it is
listed on Schedule 6 of the 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act. As
predators they have a key role to
play in regulating modern
18
White Admiral 94
A ll photos by Martin Hancock
ecosystems and with their main
prey being rabbits (85%), they are
welcome on my smallholding
anytime. Preventative measures
such as the use of electric fencing
can assist in preventing predation
on domestic fowl.
The return of the Polecat is a
remarkable conservation success
story. Welcome back to Suffolk!
Martin Hancock
Key References:

The Polecat by Johnny Birks, Whittet Books, ISBN 978 1 873580 98 1

The Distribution and Status of the Polecat (Mustela putorius) in Britain 20142015, Elizabeth Croose, The Vincent Wildlife Trust http://goo.gl/4emv8v
You can now log polecat records on
Suffolk Biological Recording Online
(SuffolkBRO). The Suffolk
Biodiversity Information Service
has created a bespoke public
recording form for the Suffolk
Polecat Survey where you can log
your sightings, making use of the
helpful online recording tools
available to users of SuffolkBRO.
The survey homepage can be found
at the link below.
Ben Heather - SBIS
http://www.suffolkbis.org.uk/polecatsurvey
White Admiral 94
19
Agonus cataphractus L.1758 - The Pogge, Hooknose or
Armed Bullhead
Le ng th c. 9cm - P hotos b y Je rry Bowdre y
On the morning of March 30th
2016, a walk along the strandline
from Sizewell northwards, revealed
the remains of a large number of
marine organisms along the
strandline.
Amongst the usual starfish
(Asterias rubens), Sea mouse
( Aphrodita aculeata ), mollusc
shells, cuttle bones (Sepia officinalis) etc., was an unfamiliar fish.
The body was completely covered
by keeled bony plates, the
underside of the head bearing
short bristles with two small horns
on the snout, these characters
combining to give it an almost
dragon-like appearance.
immature individual, the average
adult measuring 12-15cm in
length.
This species inhabits shallow seas
from 5 to 200m deep and spawns
between February and April. The
eggs are unusual in that they take
from 10-11 months to hatch.
Reference to the MarLIN website
www.MarLIN.ac.uk/species/
detail/1992 (accessed 7.vi.2016)
shows that the Pogge is widely
distributed around the British
coastline including the North Sea.
Jerry Bowdrey
Reference to Muus and Dahlstrøm
(Collins guide to the sea fishes of
Britain and North-Western
Europe, Collins, 1977) showed that
this was a young Pogge, also
known as a Hooknose or Armed
Bullhead, a member of the bony
fish family Agonidae. Its length of
c.9cm suggested that this was an
20
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Rust Fungi and other Small Stuff
Probably not since Arthur Mayfield
and the Ellis’s have we seen much
about the micro fungi in Suffolk, so
I guess it is time I did these rather
complicated fungi some justice.
I am prompted by an email sent to
me recently from Rob Parker (Ex
County Butterfly Recorder)
containing some photographs
taken with his mobile phone of
something strange growing on,
what turned out to be, a Juniper
shrub ( Juniperus communis )
growing in his garden at Bury St
Edmunds.
The quality of the photos were not
‘top notch’ so I couldn’t enlarge
them to fit the whole screen.
Therefore, I struggled to come up
with an answer - I could not be
certain that it was even fungal.
Thankfully, Jonathan Revett
remembered seeing a photo similar
to this in an old issue of ‘The
Mycologist’ magazine, produced by
the British Mycological Society
(BMS), and it was a rust fungus
going by the striking name of
‘Tongues of Fire’ or ‘Burning
B u s h e s ’ ( G y m n o sp o r a n g i u m
clavariiforme).
We normally think of Rust fungi as
growing on leaves or small
fledgling plants and looking just
like rust. However, in this case the
fungus was growing on wood and
at a stage called the spore horns
which look like a series of little
orange coloured ‘tongues’.
Burning Bushes Fungus by Rob Parker
White Admiral 94
Earlier, I mentioned Rust fungi are
rather complicated, and that is
because they can have up to five
different types of spore in the life
cycle of any one Rust species and
they all have alternative hosts - in
the case of G.clavariiforme the
21
Pseu dopithyella minuscula by Neil Mahler
alternative host
(Crataegus spp.)
is
Hawthorn
There are 157 records on the
Fungal Records Database for
Britain and Ireland and Ellis
recorded three sites in Suffolk (two
at Bury St Edmunds and one site
at Mendlesham).
Mention should also be made of
David Strauss who has been
diligently recording ‘small stuff’ in
the tetrad near his home at
Brundish, near Framlingham.
Recently, David had found
Puccinia caricina var. magurii
which would appear to be a new
Rust for Suffolk. He has also found
two small Ascomycete fungi going
by the scientific names of
Aporhytisma urticae and
Hymenopsis typhae - the latter
being classed as a ‘Fungi
Imperfecti’ and again, both
seemingly new to Suffolk.
My flat and finances will not allow
me to have details of every fungus
known in the UK so David is
sending dried samples off to Kew
for confirmation.
Not to be outdone, I too have been
busy and a few months ago I found
a tiny discomycete fungus growing
on decomposed Leyland Cypress (x
Cupressocyparis leylandii) litter in
a garden at Aldeburgh called
Pseudopithyella minuscula - new
to the UK.
Neil Mahler
Recorder
-
County
Fungi
Reference:
Orange ‘Tongues of Fire’ on Juniperus communis by Tom Preece. Mycologist, Vol.9,
Part 2, May 1995.
22
White Admiral 94
Trevor Goodfellow’s Wildlife Diary (January to July)
In January, I had a tip-off that
short eared owls were often seen at
Adventurer’s fen, Burwell, so I
popped in to have a look but no
sign of any. Not to be defeated, I
returned to the adjacent Wicken
fen and walked through to Burwell
fen, again no owls but a stonechat
which I had not seen before. I had
another tip-off about a pair of
raven at National Trust’s Ickworth
Park but I missed out on them too.
The ranger said, ‘you should have
been here yesterday’, I am fed up
with hearing that line.
Red Kite
In April I responded to another tipoff (you thought I would have
learnt by now): stone curlew and
wheatear at Cavenham heath. I
thought, ‘I know where that is, we
used to swim in the river as kids’
but the passage of time had taken
its toll, the bridge over the river
had long gone and I was
restricted to carry on
by foot, but how
far? I decided
to retreat
along
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the extremely bumpy track to
Icklingham and drive all the way
around to the heath from
Cavenham village. The day was
hot and the heath was creating a
massive heat haze which distorted
the inevitable long range photos
but I did at least see a stone
curlew, wheatear and stonechat.
Oh how I longed for summer, as I
am an insect lover, with only
birding to pass the time so by May
I was ready to scout around. Eager
to improve on my green hairstreak
butterfly photograph, I set out to
find one. This should have been
easier, I went to the King’s forest
four times and various other
supposed sites for them, but no
luck.
May was expedition time to
Welney (Wildfowl & Wetlands
Trust). After a good time there last
December I felt that a different
season could give varied interest.
Cuckoo, Cetti’s, reed and sedge
warbler, great white egret and
avocet all photographed well. On
the way home – well ok a little
detour
to Stilton near
Peterborough where I had seen
red kites in the past. This did
not disappoint, as ten kites
circled and posed for the
camera.
23
Glossy Ib is (le ft) & Common Liza rd (rig ht)
Silver-washed Fritillary (opposite)
In June, I photographed Glossy
ibis at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s
(SWT) Micklemere, Cetti’s warbler
at SWT Lackford lakes,
Nightingale at Ramparts heath
and confirmed the orange conch
micro moth Commophila aeneana
was still at SWT Black Bourn
Valley Reserve (formally Grove
Farm).
Next stop was to RSPB
Strumpshaw to see the swallowtail
butterflies which was a success,
spotting around twenty of them,
with sightings of marsh harrier,
eyed hawk moth and sounds of
grasshopper warbler, Cetti’s
warbler and bittern. On the way
home I called in to Redgrave &
Lopham fen which came up trumps
with lizards, marsh harrier, hobby,
and sounds of water rail. Later on
I went back to Ramparts heath
and found: forester moths, large
and small skippers and lots of
small heaths.
July is when I think summer
started. I called in at Devil’s dyke
24
and spotted around twenty or so
m a r b l e d w h i t e bu t t e r f l i e s .
Pakenham woods near home
deserved a visit but I recorded only
two silver-washed fritillaries – I
just hope that the extensive
logging mission is not going to
harm their life cycle or that of the
white admirals
here.
My July
Minsmere visit
was a hot and dusty one. I arrived
to see the sand martins busy and
continued to walk the marsh route,
quickly encountering pantaloon
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King fishe r (le ft) & Silve r -studd ed Blue (rig ht)
digger bees (so I was informed)
being surveyed by a very
enthusiastic ranger (the ‘adder
lady’). As I approach the beach, it
was evident that there were more
than just a few other visitors
which almost distracted
me as a bittern flew
past and a while later,
just before a ‘coach
party’ walked up,
there was a family of
bearded tits, wonderful! The next hides
were busy but I
managed to see blacktailed godwit, golden
plover, little ringed plover, ruff
and redshank. On the way home I
called in to Westleton heath. A nice
habitat I would have thought,
although I had previously been and
spotted nothing. A stonechat
family showed and bless my soul a
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silver-studded blue, then another,
then a grayling, then a mating pair
of silver studded blues, fabulous!
‘TAXI!’ how could I beat that? I felt
so ‘money supermarket’. Later that
week I squeezed in a visit to
Bradfield woods and spotted a
white admiral. I was so pleased
after just returning from a 2 hour
walk through waist-high weeds
just to not see a white letter
hairstreak or much else other than
lizards and a holly blue at Lineage
wood near Lavenham.
Later on in July I tried out SWT
Combs wood in the hope of a
purple emperor sighting but
although it was a pleasant walk
and quite a few butterflies showing
considering the windy weather, no
luck so I will wait for the Butterfly
Conservation trip to SWT Bonny
wood on the 17th.
25
SNS AGM and Spring Members Evening
Around 30 people had the
opportunity to enjoy a wide array
of talks for the Spring Member’s
Evening after the AGM on 14th
April at the Cedars Hotel in
Stowmarket.
Simone Bullion, County Mammal
Recorder, gave a captivating talk
d e sc r i bi ng h a ze l d o rm o u s e
Muscardinus
avellanarius
Adrian Parr is not only County
Dragonfly Recorder, but is also
active at national level, sitting on
the British Dragonfly Society
Odonata Records Committee for
Migrant Dragonflies. He described
the changing fortunes of some of
the species to be covered in the
new Dragonfly Atlas. This
beautifully illustrated book by
Adrian Parr and Nick Mason,
updating Howard Mendel’s atlas
published 25 years ago, was
published in early July and costs
Slid e from Simone’s prese nta tion - Ha plotype d istribution
monitoring in Suffolk over the past
15 years. Suffolk lies on the northeastern edge of the range of the
hazel dormouse in the UK and
their distribution appears to have
contracted during the last 100
years. The monitoring has focused
on discovering the extent of the
remaining populations. A new
study to test if nesting by Suffolk
dormice is the same as SW
England dormice made a
fascinating discovery – that Suffolk
dormice have a unique haplotype.
26
White Admiral 94
Slid e from Ad ria n Pa rr’ s prese ntation - Sca rce C hase r P opula tion
only £10 (see page 16). There have
been many population changes
since then. For example, the Scarce
Chaser population has done well;
the Variable Dragonfly has moved
its stronghold to the Waveney
Valley; and a new species, the
Willow Emerald, has become
common since it was first seen in
the UK at Felixstowe in 2007.
Adrian Chalkley, County Freshwater Invertebrates Recorder, gave a
short talk about the freshwater
species likely to be found at Tiger
Hill Local Nature Reserve in
advance of the 7th May Bioblitz.
White Admiral 94
Adrian cited such tantalising
names as Cat-eared Flatworm,
Water Cricket, Welshman’s Button
(a type of fly), the Green Drake
Mayfly and finally moved on to one
of his favourite groups - Daphnia.
Adrian is the national and Suffolk
verifier for daphnia and illustrated
how easy it is to identify Daphnia
obtusa with its bulbous chin, large
‘nose’, combs and small antennae.
Rob Parker is Conservation Officer
with the Suffolk branch of
Butte rfly Co nserv ation. He
described the 2014 invasion by the
Scarce Tortoiseshell (or Yellow27
Slid es: Ab ove - D aphnia obtus e, Ad ria n C ha lkle y. Below - 201 5 Butte rfly Re cord ing Blackspots, Rob Pa rk e r.
28
White Admiral 94
Bob Markham, from GeoSuffolk,
gave a fascinating illustrated talk
about the volute of Harwich – a
marine gastropod from 8 million
years ago. This was first
mentioned in Occurrence of Voluta
lambertini on the Suffolk Coast in
the Magazine of Natural History
V olute image from Bob Ma rk ha m’s pre se nta tion
legged Tortoiseshell) from Europe.
Movement was first noticed in
2012 from the Ukraine to Sweden,
then in the Netherlands and they
were first sighted in the UK in
2014. They were recorded first in
Norwich, then Minsmere, going on
to around 19 sightings in 8
counties from Kent to North
Yorkshire. The sightings continued
until 2015. Rob encouraged more
people to get involved with
recording butterfly species – it can
be done in your own garden and
the records will be invaluable!
1837 (Edward Charlesworth):
‘Speaking of this volute, Parkinson
says, “the most rare shell of this
genus found in this island is the
fossil volute of Harwich”….
Gen Broad - SNS Secretary
The Starlet Sea Anemone
The starlet sea anemone
(Nematostella vectensis) is now a
species of principal importance for
the purpose of conservation of
biodiversity under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities
Act 2006, listed as Vulnerable on
the IUCN Red List, and protected
under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981. It is
rarely surveyed for, on its own, but
White Admiral 94
its coastal lagoon habitat is often
surveyed in contribution to
designated site monitoring of SACs
and SSSIs. Some of the important
attributes monitored in coastal
lagoons are salinity, extent and
biotopes – thus allowing me to
draw on this knowledge and
comment on some of the proposed
actions for Suffolk made in the
2003 Saline lagoon BAP.
29
F ig .1 Sig hting s of N. vectens is on the Suffolk C oast
The monitoring, as mentioned, is
ongoing and reported under Article
17 of the Habitats Directives. As
this work follows NE protocols for
marine monitoring many of the
records are being submitted to
Marine Recorder rather than the
Suffolk BIS, and will make their
way onto the NBN gateway as the
results of ‘Natural England Marine
Monitoring Surveys’.
N. vectensis was found in Benacre
to Easton Bavents lagoons SAC
and Orfordness to Shingle Street
SAC (Bamber, 1997). The current
range and habitat distribution can
be in the figures, with sightings
from 2012-2014 from Alde, Ore and
Butley Estuaries SAC, Orfordness
to Shingle Street SAC, Benacre to
Easton Bavents lagoons SAC and
Minsmere to Walberswick SPA
(Figure 1 and 2). There appears to
be some shifting of range within
the sites but despite the threat of
30
reducing coastal habitats no large
reduction in range can currently be
seen. There has not been a focus on
the monitoring of brackish ponds of
the Stour Estuary as recommended. There has been progress made
on the estuary and brackish ponds
of the Alde-Ore, where N. vectensis
has been found (Abrehart &
Jackson, 2013).
Reintroduction studies carried out
in Norfolk in 2010 by Natural
England were inconclusive in
assessing the possibilities of
re intro ductio n due to the
difficulties of including a control
site and further work needed. More
positively, N. vectensis has been
seen in rivers, ditches and pool
across coastal and estuarine sites
in recent years. This wider habitat
range combined with its mobility
could provide some resilience to
the loss of the coastal lagoon
habitat shown in recent
White Admiral 94
F ig .2 Sig htings of N. vectens is on the Suffolk C oast
monitoring. This may be due to the
biology of the species which is
known as an estuarine and coastal
generalist elsewhere rather than
the lagoonal specialist we believe it
to be here (Tarrant, et al., 2015).
The managed realignment of
coastal habitats is a hot topic and
there may be more creation of
these habitats in the future which
could benefit N. vectensis. As far
as I’m aware there is currently no
species specific policy, other than
its licensing.
the Suffolk saline lagoon BAP,
regarding the starlet sea anemone;
we have seen continued monitoring
of this species through saline
lagoon monitoring which goes some
way to meeting the monitoring
objectives of the BAP, recordings of
many sightings will be made
available through NE’s marine
monitoring reporting, researching
reintroduction would need further
work and species specific policies
and habitat creation is currently
unexplored.
To conclude the brief update of the
progress behind the suggestions in
Jenni Fincham
References:
Tarrant, A. M. et al., 2015. Current directions and future perspectives from the third
Nematostella research conference. Zoology, pp. 135-140.
Abrehart T.R. and Jackson R.L. 2013. An NVC of the Alde‐Ore Estuary SSSI, Suffolk. An
ecological survey including floral and fauna observations undertaken for Natural England by
Abrehart Ecology.
Bamber, R., 1997. Assessment of saline lagoons within special areas of conservation, s.l.:
English Nature.
White Admiral 94
31
The Dawn Chorus
Despite the inclement weather we have had
The hail, the sleet, the arctic spell
And of a sudden an incidental Mediterranean bout
One phenomenon has been constant
Regularly early each morning as the light gathers
The sound of the birds has been reaching a crescendo
Songs of all kinds of birds merging together
In amongst them one can decipher
Calls of blue tits, great tits, green finches, blackbirds and
The loud and clear distinctive song of the song thrush
All it would appear delighting in the new day
Amongst the chirps and chatters and twitters
One hears the loud and mighty rising ‘teee’ and falling ‘cher’
Teee cher, teee cher, teee cher of the Great Tit
Then amongst the chorus enters the sonorous and
Boisterous and repeating high-pitched whistles of the Song Thrush
And from somewhere on the top of a tree
The slow richly melodic song of the garden Blackbird
Joins the throng of vocalisations and from the right
Enters the characteristic, one could make these out anywhere
The energetic disjointed sequence of notes of the Chaffinch
The identifying double note (an easy give away)
Chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff enters the chorus
And in the distance the Woodpigeon makes its mark
Starting with a flat ‘cooh’ and a rising ‘coo’
Cooh-coo, cooh-coo, cooh coo, cooh
The contemplative and melodic song of the robin is easily heard
And from very nearby, a fast warble and trill of the wren
As if not to be forgotten makes its presence felt
All of them it would seem expressing the joy of the new day
By Rasik Bhadresa
32
White Admiral 94
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society Bursaries
The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers six bursaries, of up to £500 each,
annually. Larger projects may be eligible for grants of over £500 – please
contact SNS for further information.
Activities eligible for funding include: travel and subsistence for field
work, visits to scientific institutions, scientific equipment, identification
guide books or other items relevant to the study.
Morley Bursary - Studies involving insects (or other invertebrates) other
than butterflies and moths.
Chipperfield Bursary - Studies involving butterflies or moths.
Cranbrook Bursary - Studies involving mammals or birds.
Rivis Bursary - Studies of the county's flora.
Simpson Bursary - In memory of Francis Simpson. The bursary will be
awarded for a botanical study where possible.
Nash Bursary - Studies involving beetles.
Applications should be set in the context of a research question i.e. a clear
statement of what the problem is and how the applicant plans to tackle it.
Criteria:
1. Projects should include a large element of original work and further
knowledge of Suffolk’s flora, fauna or geology.
2. A written account of the project is required within 12 months of
receipt of a bursary. This should be in a form suitable for publication
in one of the Society's journals: Suffolk Natural History, Suffolk Birds
or White Admiral.
3. Suffolk Naturalists' Society should be acknowledged in all publicity
associated with the project and in any publications emanating from
the project.
Applications may be made at any time. Please apply to SNS for an
application form or visit our website for more details www.sns.org.uk/
pages/bursary.shtml.
Order your copy of the Dragonfly Atlas here:
www.sns.org.uk/pages/Dragonflies.shtml
Suffolk
The
Naturalists’ Society
w w w. s n s . o r g . u k
Stoat taking kits by Hawk Honey at Lackford Lakes
The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, founded in 1929 by Claude Morley (1874 -1951),
pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology. It is the seed
bed from which have grown other important wildlife organisations in Suffolk, such as
Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group (SOG).
Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still the Society’s primary objective. Members’
observations go to specialist recorders and then on to the Suffolk Biological Records
Centre at Ipswich Museum to provide a basis for detailed distribution maps and
subsequent analysis with benefits to environmental protection.
Funds held by the Society allow it to offer substantial grants for wildlife studies.
Annually, SNS publishes its transactions Suffolk Natural History, containing studies on
the County’s wildlife, and the County bird report, Suffolk Birds (compiled by SOG). The
newsletter White Admiral, with comment and observations, appears three times a year.
SNS organises two members’ evenings a year and a conference every two years. Field
meetings are held throughout the year often in conjunction with other specialist
organisations.
Subscriptions: Individual members £15.00; Family membership £17.00; Student
Membership £10.00; Corporate membership £17.00.
Members receive the three publications above.
Joint membership with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group: Individual members £30.00;
Family membership £35.00. Joint members receive, in addition to the above, the SOG
newsletter The Harrier.
As defined by the Constitution of this Society its objectives shall be:
2.1 To study and record the fauna, flora and geology of the County
2.2 To publish a Transactions and Proceedings and a Bird Report. These shall be free to
members except those whose annual subscriptions are in arrears contact:
2.3 To liaise with other natural history societies and conservation bodies in the County
2.4 To promote interest in natural history and the activities of the Society.
For more details about the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society contact:
Hon. Secretary, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o Ipswich Museum,
High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH. Telephone 01473 400251 [email protected]