Warden Joe Underwood and the team at Trimley Marshes welcomed AXA to the reserve – they did a fantastic job re-painting four hides. The hides get regularly battered by wind and salt spray, so their help to protect them was much appreciated. Wild work days are a great way to get work teams out together doing something brilliant for wildlife and to support the work of Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Thanks team! 

If you, or your business, would like to try a Wild Work Day, find out more here:

Business volunteering

It has been such a pleasure showing visitors our new reserve-to-be, Martlesham Wilds. Rowan Tomsett took these photos of Charlie hosting a guided walk this week. It’s heartening to see how well nature is already doing on the land and how much scope there is to provide lots of new space for wildlife to thrive over the coming years. 

We are now just over half-way to our funding target. If you’re able to help in any way you can, please find out more here...

Martlesham Wilds

Rowan also found this reed cigar gall. The gall is produced when a species of frit fly chemically induces a mutation of the plant material through its saliva. This architecture provides a safe place for the fly larvae to eat their way out and emerge as adults. This structure also provides habitat for various species of wasp, bees and beetles. Keep a look out amongst the reeds next time you’re out and see if you can spot one... 

Assistant Warden Frances Lear found this lovely nursery web spider at Darsham Marshes. The nursery web spider is a common spider of grassland and scrub, and is often seen sunbathing among brambles and stinging nettles. The adults are active hunters and do not spin a web to catch food, instead using a quick sprint to capture flies and other insects. The female carries her large, round egg-sac in her fangs. When the young are about to hatch, she builds a silk sheet among the vegetation to act as a tent, sheltering them until they are old enough to leave on their own. 

Valley Fens Warden Richard Young snapped these delicate heath speedwells at Redgrave & Lopham Fen.