Wild news from our reserves – 4 August 2023

Catch up on the latest news from our reserves. This week’s highlights included a spoonbill, mating common blue butterflies, and a hornet mimic hoverfly.

Lound Lakes wonders

We are lucky that our wonderful volunteers at Lound Lakes are also talented photographers. These stunning images show some of the wonderful summer wildlife seen recently, including mating common blue butterflies, hare’s foot clover, hornet mimic hoverfly and a painted lady butterfly.

Mating common blue butterflies – Rob Quadling

Hornet mimic hoverfly - Roy Richardson

Hare’s foot clover - Roy Richardson

Painted lady - Roy Richardson

Fruiting trees feed wildlife

Donated trees of mulberry, rowan, and medlar are coming into fruit in Fen Barn Garden at Lound Lakes. The species were picked as both flower and fruit attract and feed insects, birds, and small mammals.

Mulberry – Andy Hickinbotham

Rowan – Andy Hickinbotham

Medlar – Andy Hickinbotham

Thrilling bird life

Visitors to Trimley Marshes have been thrilled by recent sighting including, cattle egret, spoonbill, hobby, and kingfisher.

Spoonbill - Mike Gavin

Cattle egret - Mike Gavin

Favourable conditions

The North East wardens have been busy topping the marshes at Castle Marshes today. This, in combination with cattle grazing, will keep rush under control and create a habitat structure favourable for wintering wildfowl and breeding waders next spring.

Wardens Gavin and Frances have been busy topping the marshes at Castle Marshes - Lewis Yates

Water soldier for raft spiders

The ditches at Castle Marshes look great with plenty of water soldier which is the preferred plant for fen raft spider maternity webs. The spiders have expanded their range at Carlton Marshes again this year, and we hope survey work happening soon at Castle will show a continued increase in numbers too.

Ditches at Castle Marshes with plenty of water soldier which is the preferred plant for fen raft spider maternity webs - Lewis Yates

Bracken management

Bracken needs to be managed across our reserves because, if not controlled, it will dominate and open habitat will be lost along with important species.

Our teams have been busy with bracken bruising at Lound Lakes using a bracken roller which helps to control the spread of bracken by crushing the plant's fronds and bruising its stems.

At Snape Marshes the wardens and volunteers got stuck in the cutting and raking excess bracken.

Before bracken bruising at Lound Lakes – Andy Hickinbotham

After bracken bruising at Lound Lakes – Andy Hickinbotham

Warden Rachel cutting and raking bracken on the heath at Snape Marshes today – Ella Broom

Animal detectives at Martlesham Wilds

This week saw our very first family activity at Martlesham Wilds nature reserve! The families became animal detectives and looked for signs of creatures that live here. It was very apt that they found a poo in the shape of a question mark for who's poo?! The footprints next to it were a little clue!

The children were absolutely delighted to find a wasp spider & a baby toad which were briefly observed in the bug box before being released.