FAQs and useful contacts

If you have any information about wildlife crime or believe you have witnessed a crime taking place, please contact the Rural Crime Team on 101. If a crime is in progress, always dial 999. 

More information can be found on the Suffolk Police website here. 

Apart from barn owls and swifts our advice is always to leave a bird where it is if it appears uninjured. It is very likely that the parent bird will still feed the chick on the ground. However, for very young birds that have recently fallen out of the nest, quickly pop the chick back in and watch from a safe distance. Parent birds will not be affected or reject their young by the smell of humans. 

If the bird is injured, or you are unable to get the casualty specialist care within an hour or two, speak to an animal welfare organisation like the RSPCA for advice. You may need to transport the casualty yourself. Make sure you wash your hands well after handling any animal! 

Vets aren't obliged to treat wildlife for free, and typically aren't trained in the care of wildlife, so it is a good idea to call around local practices before visiting and find out if your vet has links with local wildlife rescue groups to make sure the animal is taken care of after being treated. 

The RSPCA  pages carry more detailed advice on what to do with injured birds and other wildlife. Help Wildlife also have a useful map to help find your local wildlife rescue service. 

For further advice: 

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-advice/injured-bird-advice   

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) 
01842 750050 
info@bto.org 
www.bto.org 

If you find a barn owl chick out of its nest or a grounded swift please contact us (swt)  

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so if one is out during the day, it is likely to be unwell, however if they are walking quickly and in a purposeful manner it could be feeding young or fattening itself up ready for hibernation. 

If you have found a nest of young hedgehogs, leave the nest immediately, do not touch the young or the nest as the adult may kill the hoglets if their nest has been disturbed or if they can smell humans on them.  

If you have found a small hedgehog and it appears well and it is summertime- leave it be as it will have time to fatten up before winter. Ideally, they should be a minimum of 450 grams to survive winter. Small hedgehogs can put on up to 10 grams a day. 

Hedgehog rescue advice and local contacts: 

https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/hedgehogwelfare   

Suffolk Prickles | Paula Baker 07469 177 090 07469 177 090 

https://suffolkprickles.org/   

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society 

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgehog/   

Our friends at Hedgehog Street are recording hedgehog sightings, please add your records to their map . 

Please contact The Bat Conservation Trust’s National Bat Helpline  

 National Bat Helpline 0345 1300 228 

See Bat Conservation Trust advice sheets on their website: 
Advice - Bat Conservation Trust 

If you think you may have a bat roost, a visit by a local Natural England Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor is considered necessary, Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) will organise this for a donation to BCT. 

If you have found a grounded or injured bat, contact Suffolk Bat Rescue: 
Suffolk Bat Rescue | Facebook 

Adrian Hinchliffe 
Suffolk Badger Group 
Adrian@wondersofwildlife.co.uk 

We have a surplus of tadpoles.. do you want some? 

Producing many tadpoles is nature's way of ensuring that some survive for the future. It is not necessary to move them, in fact we would discourage this as this increases the risk of transferring disease from one pond to another. 

My pond is half empty, shall I top it up?” 

During the summer months it is natural for the pond level to decrease. This is not something that necessarily needs correcting as many animals and plants need areas of exposed mud and silt to set seed or lay eggs. If you feel the water is very low and that the pond needs to be topped up, try and use rainwater from a butt and refill gradually to prevent a massive change in the pond’s temperature. Tap water is not recommended as its characteristics can unbalance the chemistry of the pond and cause algal blooms. For more information on ponds see here. 

I want to clear or fill in my pond 

Ponds are great for wildlife and so it is a shame to fill one in, however if you need to work or fill in a pond always avoid doing this type of work during spring or summer as this is when most ponds are active with wildlife. 

https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/pond-restoration-and-management   

As well as being good ‘pest’ controllers in the garden, feeding on caterpillars that may otherwise feast on your flowers, fruit and veggies, common wasps are important pollinators. 

Wasp nests are only temporary, so try not to worry. The nests are a one off made from wood pulp and will perish over the autumn/winter. 

If left undisturbed, the wasp nest is beneficial for your garden.  

Please record your sighting for the Suffolk stag beetle survey with Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service here 

https://www.suffolkbis.org.uk/record/stagbeetlesurveyform

British Trust for Ornithology is responsible for the bird ringing programme for Suffolk and will be happy to take your sighting. 

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) 
01842 750050 
info@bto.org 
www.bto.org 

Please report to Waterlife Recovery East with the location? https://waterliferecoveryeast.org.uk/

Don’t panic, adders do not lay eggs and are very unlikely to visit your garden. What you have found are almost certainly grass snake eggs.  For descriptions of reptiles and the benefits they can bring to your garden see here.  

To record your sighting, click here https://www.suffolkbis.org.uk/record

For swarm issues, please contact Suffolk Beekeepers Association  

https://www.suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk/swarms.php   

Please do not approach or touch any animals, even if they’re alive and distressed. Stand at a distance, call CSIP and describe the situation from further away.

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (ukstrandings.org)

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme » How to Report a Stranding (ukstrandings.org

Our advice to pet owners are:

• Avoid these products if you can: ask your vet for a product which does not contain these ingredients; fipronil and imidacloprid.
• Use any flea and tick treatment sparingly – only use them when your pet has an infestation, not as a year-round prophylactic.
• Do not wash pets which have had recent treatment (within the past month), or if you do, wash them on your own lawn, away from any drains or pathways into water bodies or sewers.
• Do not or allow dogs to jump into water bodies (rivers, streams, ditches, ponds) when recently treated (within the past month).
• Persuade your vet to avoid selling the products with these ingredients.

Apart from barn owls and swifts our advice is always to leave a bird where it is if it appears uninjured. If the bird appears stunned, then monitor quietly for a couple of hours as they will often recover naturally. If you are still concerned, or the bird is clearly injured or trapped, then contact the RSPCA  or a local rescue that deals with birds  map. We do not offer a bird rescue or recovery service.

For barn owls please contact https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-contact-directory/barn-owl-contacts-east-england/

For swifts please contact

Framlingham – Zoe 07955 513713 – mid/east Suffolk

Feltwell, nr Thetford – Claire 07773 226963 – west Suffolk

Bird flu

• Due to Avian Flu (bird flu) we advise not to touch or pick up a dead or visibly sick wild bird.. For more details on bird flu please refer to the Defra website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

If you find any of the following, please report them directly to the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77 - please select option 7). 

3 or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks)

1 or more or birds of prey

5 or more dead birds of any species,

For further advice: 

The RSPCA  pages carry more detailed advice on what to do with injured birds and other wildlife.

Defra https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds 

Q: Someone is felling trees during the breeding season. Birds and bats are protected by law, so is that illegal? What can I do?

A:  Tree felling during the bird breeding season should be avoided and only conducted where there are over-riding reasons of health and safety (e.g., diseased trees which are an imminent threat to people around them). To check whether the tree felling is legitimate there are a number of checks you should make:

Planning permission. Planning permission should have included consideration of any tree felling required and an ecological assessment should have been carried out. Check on the planning authority’s website for the detail of the permission that was given, which will include any conditions relating to trees and any ecological assessments undertaken in support of the application. Contact your local authority.

Conservation Areas. Trees in conservation areas are afforded protection and will require permission before felling. Contact your local authority.

Tree Preservation Orders. Some trees are protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), in which case permission would be needed from the local planning authority for any felling. Contact your local authority.

Felling licence. If not covered by planning permissions, Conservation Areas and TPOs, felling of trees over five cubic metres per calendar quarter requires a felling licence in most cases. The Forestry Commission deals with these, and any potential offences. Please see the Forestry Commission website here.

Protection of birds under Wildlife & Countryside Act.  Please see here

Certain rare species of birds have special protection as they are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. If this the case, it is a criminal act, and you should contact the police. For the police to take any action though, they would need to be reasonably certain that a schedule one bird was present. 

Protection of bats under the Wildlife & Countryside Act and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017). Because all bat species in the UK are threatened and declining their legal protection is more stringent; they are a European Protected Species. It is an offence to disturb a bat intentionally or recklessly in its roost, deliberately disturb a group of bats, or to damage or destroy a place used by bats for breeding or resting (roosts) even if bats are not occupying the roost at the time. Anyone felling trees must assess their use by bats beforehand. Any reputable tree surgeon or forester will conduct an assessment prior to felling, if necessary, employing an ecological consultant. The Bat Conservation Trust may be able to advise further on potential offences. Locally there is a Suffolk Bat Group which might be able to advise you on the suitability of trees in the area for bats. If you have reasonable grounds to suspect bats may have been harmed, you should contact the police.

Advice on what to do if you are concerned about tree works affecting bats and how to report potential offences, click here.

Bats-Trees.pdf. 

Suffolk Bat Group | Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bats-protection-surveys-and-licences 

It was a water vole that was named “Ratty” in the famous The Wind in the Willows stories. The water vole is in serious decline, and it is a priority species in the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Therefore, it can be considered to be lucky to have these creatures in your garden. If you are lucky enough to spot a water vole in Suffolk, please submit your records to the Suffolk Biological Records Centre: https://www.suffolkbis.org.uk/record

Find out more about water voles here: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/water-vole

Water voles have full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (amended) which means that it is illegal to kill or disturb the shelter of a water vole.

If you have a pond, ditch, or watercourse on your land that is being used by water voles, you can help them by:

• Leaving at least 2 metres of bankside vegetation or grass to provide food and cover for feeding water voles.
• Leaving grass long in your garden to provide cover for water voles and other wildlife.
• Managing woody vegetation and trees on the banks to prevent overshading and encourage grasses and herbs to grow, providing food and cover for water voles.
• Not cutting bankside vegetation too short - this results in slower regrowth and so water voles will lose cover for longer.
• Cutting alternate banks each year to leave a refuge for the water voles to escape to.
• Reducing disturbance to the voles during their breeding season by carrying out habitat management at the end of the breeding season in late September or October. Works can also be carried out by early February ahead of the breeding season.
• Carrying out any desilting work in the centre of the waterway, leaving the banks intact.
• Carrying out any work using heavy machinery on one bank, to limit disturbance.

Please note, you may need permission from the Environment Agency if you plan on conducting work on a river or its floodplain.

If you would like further advice or would like to arrange an advisory visit to your site, please contact Wilder Rivers Advisor, Alice Wickman or call us on 01473 890089.

Caring for a downed swift is a difficult task, both time-consuming and high-risk. There are a few dedicated specialist carers who can help and have successfully released many birds over the years after rehabilitation. Visit swift-conservation.org for more information.

Here are some dos and don'ts:

• DO put the bird in a quiet, warm safe place away from disturbance. On a tea-towel in a ventilated shoebox is excellent.
• DO offer the swift a drunk by wiping a wet cotton bud around the edge of the bill and keeping away from its nostrils.
• DO phone your nearest swift carer ASAP to arrange collection  or delivery of the bird. Visit swift-conservation.org/SwiftFirstAid to find a swift carer.
• DO NOT attempt to feed the bird.
• DO NOT throw the bird up to help it fly, this generally causes more stress and injury.