Our Grazing Manager, Jane Barber, recently went on a trip to Dartmoor to source potential ponies for grazing our reserves and make long term contacts with breeders. This is Jane inspecting a five year old pure breed registered Dartmoor gelding called Fawn. Unfortunately, Fawn was not for sale to us as he will be going into the riding market, a pity as Jane was very taken by him! 

Some small waxcaps have been appearing in the short grass around Carlton Marshes this week. Waxcaps are colourful fungi that are relatively scarce, growing on unimproved grasslands and historic pastures. 

When you have an itch it needs a scratch, whether Exmoor or Beltie! 

The Waveney Valley Wildlife Group’s first quiz night happened this week at Carlton Marshes visitor centre, and was a great success with over fifty attendees. Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with food, drink, a raffle, friendly banter and rivalry. The overall winning team (The Kernals) received a trophy, which they will display at the visitor centre. The Waveney Valley group do a wonderful job of organising a variety of events in aid of Suffolk Wildlife Trust. If you’d like to volunteer for a local wildlife group, you can find out more here https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wildlifegroups 

More ponies arrived at Carlton Marshes this week to help with the important task of conservation grazing. Our farrier also paid a visit, and everyone got full marks for healthy hooves. Warden Andy Hickinbotham assisted; utility kilted for the occasion! 

Intern Anneke Emery has solved the mystery of what keeps setting off the floodlight at Bradfield Woods - bats!  

Warden Lewis Yates and his team replaced a bench which had developed a wobble at Carlton Marshes, -now visitors can perch and enjoy the views without the risk of falling into the reeds!  

Thanks to RSPB Berney Marshes who lent their rotavator to the North East reserve team this week. The team have been busy creating some awesome muddy edges for wintering waders and next spring's wader chicks to feed. 

The exceptionally mild weather has resulted in some unusual flowering times, like this hawthorn in flower at Lackford Lakes. 

Our wonderful Carlton Marshes volunteers have done the last of clearing our fen cuts for the year. This rotational cutting and clearing helps maintain a high level of floristic diversity. It won't be long before it's too wet and soft underfoot to do this work, and we couldn't have got it done in time without their help – thank you! 

Visitor Officer Hawk Honey took a cast of a redundant ivy bee nesting tunnel recently. The resulting cast shows the nest to be 50cm deep! The second below shows remnants of brood cell material, which is where the brood cells start.