S 2uihi£afimw U: Don Dorling on his appointment as chairman of the NORFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST. Rex Haney on his election to the office of chairman of the BRITISH PLANT GALL SOCIETY. Bob Ellis on his appointment to succeed Alec Bull as the East Norfolk recorder for the BOTANICAL SOCIETY of the BRITISH ISLES. The study centre at Polka Road, Wells-next-the-Sea is owned and run by the Education Department of Norfolk County Council. Society members are most welcome to attend. Christine West What bird js that ? Society member Anne Brewster is running a short course BIRDWATCHING for BEGINNERS at the Corpus ty Centre on Sat. 13 th ' March from 2-4 pm All welcome Small admission charge 130 gears $3go NNNS TRANSACTIONS Vol. 1 On April 27 th 1869 the year that the NNNS was formed, its first president, the Rev. Joseph Crompton gave his address. He mentioned the following in regard to the scope of the Society which are still very much applicable to-day. ...to take a wide sweep over all nature's works ...our variety of pursuits will be our bond of union ...not to be destructive in our hunting ...to battle with the authorities and the powers that be ...to take care we do not let public rights be trespassed upon. Also with reference to earlier studies ...to verify it and take nothing upon trust, and ... to get some new facts for ourselves. What h^f^we missed? Could Field Excursion leaders please send a short account of their day out - its highlights, any downfalls etc - to the 'Natterjack' , or maybe a 'volunteer' could be nominated to write up the event. I am sure the 'stay-at-homes' would like to know what happened where and what discoveries were made! A note to CONTRIBUTORS... Many thanks to all who have sent material to 'The Norfolk Natterjack'. Please keep it coming for the next issue in May. Due to the very unpredictable nature of my work it would be appreciated if any correspondence could be sent to the address opposite, as soon as possible, and marked with NNNS on the envelope. This will help locate material quickly when compiling the Bulletin which could well be at very short notice. TF‘ Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham Nor/olk NR26 8QD 6 S-2^4 A SXCHAK tt f* c! J J THE NORFOLK % NATTERJACK £ m m ’7a*- -• w t [\ (§ • • A • » • • - • • ; rS c s 1: y . : . NN nTe* :ursion a 1999- tTF F'rom tTi& diairmarz.,* We are on the move again - and for the first time the regular venue for our indoor meetings will be outside Norwich city centre. We hope you will understand the reasons for the change and will approve our choice. When fire robbed us of both of our meeting places - the Central Library for our main Society meet- ings and the Assembly House where the photographic group had been meeting since it was formed - we camped out at a church hall off Ber Street, Norwich. It was not a pleasant experience and the num- bers attending meetings dropped off alarmingly. So when the Assembly house was restored and reopened, we grate- fully moved in. Members returned in droves, and therein lies the problem. The Assembly House has rooms that hold a legal maximum of 50 or the far-too-large Music Room and Noverre Suite. We have outgrown the smaller rooms and, combined with the fact that they are always grossly over- heated, conditions have become impossibly uncomfortable. Many members have complained, quite justifiably. There is also, depending on what else is on in the building, a shortage of parking space. So, after I had "tested the water” at the February and March meetings and got an almost unanimous show of hands in favour, the Society's Council made the decision to move to the splendid new leisure and con- ference centre at Easton College. There we shall have ample space in rooms that should be warm, not tropical, and there is plenty of parking. The college is reached from the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass and is just a few minutes drive from either the Showground or Ringland roundabouts. A sketch map is en- closed with this issue of Natterjack. A larger-scale map with detailed advice on how to find the Easton College Leisure Centre and where to park will be provided with the next issue, shortly before the start of the indoor meetings season. ■ For many members, getting to meetings at Easton will be easier than negotiating through the city centre traffic. But there will obviously be a problem for those without cars. So now is the time to do what we should have done some time ago: set up a simple register of members with cars who are willing to give other members lifts to indoor meetings and field trips. If you are willing to join such a register, will you please send me a note that need comprise only your name, telephone number and the approximate area from which you are prepared to pick up members, for example: "David Pauli, 01603 457270, Eaton Village and Cringleford". I hope to be able to report in the next Natterjack that a good number of you volunteered and how members seeking lifts can make use of the service. David Pauli , Chairman Toad-in-the-hole Just a small hole this quarter which means, of course, that you have sent in a good deal of material for "Natterjack" which is encouraging. In this bulletin we have giant slugs, rare jungi, more home birds, requests for information and important Society news. I am also pleased to report that many members have commented favour- ably on the new style. ’FF The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society (Past Issues of transactions Professor Hinde of St. John’s College, Cambridge has delivered to me a number of back issues of the Society's Transactions. Many of these originally belonged to his uncle, Mr. F.C. Hinde, who was Honorary Treasurer of the Society from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, having served previously as our Honorary Librarian. Prof. Hinde wanted these books to find a good home and was happy for me to fill some gaps in my own run. The bulk of the copies are available for other members who are trying to complete their sets. A list of dates and Part numbers of the run follows and are now available on a first-come first-served basis on appli- cation to the undersigned at: 6 New Road, Hethersett, NORWICH, NR9 3HH Telephone: 01603 810318 Year Volume - Part Year Volume - Part 1872-73 (not shown) 1919-24 XI 1 to 5 1888-89 IV V 1924-29 XII 1 to 5 1892-94 V 4 & 5 1929-34 XIII 1 to 5 1894-99 VI (bound) 1935-38 XIV 1 to 5 1902-03 VII 4 1944-48 XVI 1 to 5 1906-07 VIII 3 1949-53 XVII 1 to 5 1913-14 IX 5 1914-19 X 1 to 5 1975 24 1 There are duplicates available for some of the years mentioned above. In addition an anonymous donor left with the Wildlife Trust a further batch of more recent issues dating from 1980 tol990 (including Bird & Mammal Reports) and these are also available if required. Don Dorling LOOK AFTER TOMORROW Among the many birds that visit our garden are several Coal Tits. They seem to have a liking for Sunflower seeds, but they prefer to take them away from the feeders rather than eat them on the spot. I have watched on the occasion and seen many seeds taken one at a time to different parts of the garden, pre- sumably to be eaten at leisure. Last March, however, while tidying up the borders I had been surprised to find Sunflower seedlings pop- ping up all over the place. In open soil, in among pot- ted shrubs and in seed trays of small plants. It would appear this small feathery mite of a bird works on the same principle as its larger cousins and like Jays, Magpies and Crows it 'puts a bit away for a rainy day', Tony Howes PLANTS ON ROOFS I am preparing a paper on the vascular plants (i.e. excluding mosses and liverworts) that grow on roofs and in roof gutters, based mainly on several years' observations, often through binoculars, in West Norfolk. But I should be interested to hear from members in any part of the county who may have noticed plants growing in these unlikely situations, particularly if they have been seen in flower. Roofs and gutters are clearly unfavourable habitats for plants. so I am making a note of these species which manage to reach the flowering stage perched aloft. Thatched roofs in West Norfolk appear to be devoid of plants. Is this because they are too steeply pitched or perhaps the material is too hostile to plant growth? There is some evidence that wheat straw used in the West Country may be more favourable in this respect than the reed straw which is (or was) traditional in Norfolk. Have members any views on this? Asbestos roofs appear to support a richer growth of plants than tiles, perhaps because of their alkalinity. Also, of course they usually have a flatter pitch. Any observations to: R. M. Payne "Applegate" Thieves Bridge Road Whatlington, PE33 OHL 2 HOME BIRDSZT Our garden, at Stanhoe near King's Lynn, unlike Geoffrey Kelly's ( Natterjack no. 64 - February 1 999) is completely enclosed with trees and shrubs and the only thing visible from the house apart from the garden and adjacent trees is some sky. We liken it to a clearing in a small wood through in fact once away from the garden, the area is largely arable. We watch from a downstairs window, usually about a half an hour at breakfast time and shorter periods during the day. We have several ponds and well filled birdbaths so entice several birds to bathe, we also feed peanuts, sunflower seeds, small seeds such as niger (Cuizotia abyssinica) and dripping in a log with holes. The list opposite, in ranking order, is the total of daily sightings through 1 998 made on 354 days, the others we were away. Birds seen over the garden rather than within are indicated with an *. Having been watching intermit- tently from the same window for thirty or more years there have been many changes, for example. Great Spotted Woodpeckers have arrived only within the last 1 0 years, but then we would have had nesting House Sparrows, Swallows, Swifts and Starlings and regular Marsh Tits. A check through some old lists would make an article in itself. Gillian Beckett A Fungus Find On March 29 th this year I found three hard and dry fruiting body stems of a fungus that I had never seen before. They were in light, sandy soil on a bank overshadowed by a hedge, on the side of the road at Drayton (A1067), near the old David Rice Hospital. After consulting the books it came down to Battarea pkalloides (later confirmed by Mike Woolner). It appears to be a very unusual and rare fungus in the UK. The interesting feature is the long, thin stem. It is very rough and woody and closely resembles a small pine tree topped by a tiny cap. The average length of the stem was 10 inches, 4 inches of which was buried in the soil of the bank. An article in Natterjack no. 60 (February 1998) states that at that time it had been recorded only on 42 occasions, so I was pleased that my walk along the Drayton Road had resulted in such an interesting find. Tony Howes llii! Chaffinch 352 1= Greenfinch 352 1 = Great Tit 352 4 Blue Tit 351 5 Blackbird 342 6 Collared Dove 331 7 Gt. Sp. Woodpecker306 8 Robin 291 9 Wood Pigeon 282 10 Coal Tit 268 11 ♦Jackdaw 237 12 Wren 226 13 Brambling 162 14 Nuthatch 148 is Long-tailed Tit 125 16 Dunnock 114 17 ■ Mistle Thrush 112 18 Chiff-chaff 96 19 Siskin 89 20 ♦House Martin 84 21 Tawny Owl 78 llHi Stock Dove 77 23 ♦Swift 74 24 Song Thrush 73 25 Blackcap 62 26 ♦Pink-footed Goose 53 27— Pheasant 20 27= Sparrowhawk 20 29 Black-headed Gull 18 30 Turtle Dove 16 31 Fieldfare 15 32 Willow Warbler 13 33 Starling 11 34 ♦Carrion Crow 9 35 Goldfinch 8 36 ♦Oystercatcher 7 37= Green Woodpecker • 6 37= ♦Common Gull 6 39= Tree Creeper 5 39= ♦Curlew 5 41 Spotted Flycatcher 3 42= Garden Warbler 2 42= ♦Cuckoo 2 42= House Sparrow 2 42= ♦Swallow 2 42= ♦Lapwing 2 42= ♦Kestrel 2 48= Goldcrest 1 48= Bullfinch 1 48= ♦Rook 1 48= ♦Jay 1 48= Redwing 1 48= ♦Skylark 1 48= ♦Red-legged Partridge 1 48= ♦Egyptian Goose (55 species recorded) 1 3 EUROPE'S LARGEST SLUG Three years ago a momentous occasion for students of Norfolk's molluscan fauna passed with barely a comment from the Naturalist community. A specimen of Umax cinereoniger, Europe's largest slug had been found in old woodland at the English Nature reserve at Swanton Novers, Norfolk. It was the first time the species had been recorded in the county and only the second record for East Anglia. Don't get me wrong. I quite under- stand when others do not love slugs as much as I do, but I was very excited having never seen this species before. Sadly I was not permitted to visit the site which I found understandable but never- theless frustrating. Umax cinereoniger is not common. It occurs in old or "ancient" wood- land in southern and western Britain. It is apparently intolerant of human disturbance and its presence is considered a good in- dicator of healthy primary wood- land. Normally reaching 20cms in length and rarely 30cms it is an impressive gastropod. At the time of the Norfolk dis- covery I was ignorant of the first East Anglian record and so it was that on 4 th September, 1997 a bright, sunny afternoon, I found myself passing Wolves Wood near Hadleigh, Suffolk. I was on my way to the Ipswich Museum to purchase Ian Killeen's work on the Land ancf Fresh water Molluscs of Suffolk. Wolves Wood is an old, mainly coppiced wood run as a reserve by the RSPB. I thought I might just have a short poke about. I did poke about and found myself five specimens of L. cinereoniger in and upon a pile of rotten logs in the deep shade of a Hornbeam grove. Believing this to be a new East Anglian site and no doubt quite carried away with enthusiasm I took one slug for the RSPB who, after kindly letting me study the animal, arranged for the find to be con- firmed by Michael Kemey of the British Museum. It was only later that day, having bought Mr. Killeen's book that I read of the two slugs found in Wolves Wood in 1987 but never seen again despite extensive searches. These specimens were all of a uniform dark, brown, grey colour with a white "foot" or "sole". On a subsequent visit I found another one with spots and stripes and a jet black mantle. It also had the diag- nostic tripartite "sole" as illustrated. In 1998 I found numerous individ- uals under Beech trees in the Forest of Dean. Both these colour types were present and some in between. It appears to be a variable species. This slug's nearest relative is the familiar and almost ubiquitous Great Grey Slug with aliases of Tiger Slug and Leopard Slug. These names refer to the beautiful markings on Umax maximus. Having studied two specimens of L. cinereoniger I feel confident in stating that in behaviour it is quite a different beast to L. maximus. Unlike L. maximus it is generally very sluggish but can be roused to action quickly by picking it up. It cares not to be handled. Again unlike L. maximus which seeks shelter during the day this slug stayed exclusively on the surface. Umax cinereoniger Wolf 1803 Both types described are illustrated showing tripartite sole, pale keel, the "hissing posture", the family's "fingerprint" folds on the mantle and some droppings. Similar species: Umax maximus. Together with descriptions of form, colour and habitat in the text, absolute diagnostic features are: Only slug to have the tripartite sole, when present. Pale keel on back extends to halfway or more between tail and mantle (L. maximus only one third). Tentacles very finely spotted with minute dark spots (lens). Mantle is uniform dark colour, 4 A curious habit which I have not observed in L. maximus, was discovered when I first gave it its' nightly misting of sprayed rain- water (I treat my slugs like VIPs!). It instantly extends the front of its' mantle, drawing in head and tentacles in a surprisingly rapid and sudden movement accompan- ied by an audible hissing sound. I don't believe this is a defence mechanism as touching or picking up does not induce the reaction. I fed each slug on a teaspoon of goldfish flakes supplemented with fresh mushroom every two days. The grow rapidly on this diet and produce copious amounts of slime and faeces. Their accommodation must be cleaned daily. Unlike humans they won't tolerate filth! On 23 rd September the first slug laid 99 beautiful, clear, spherical eggs, 3 mm in diameter on the surface of a carpet of moss. Be- tween 3 rd and 1 1 th November 67 healthy young hatched. These, after being fattened on fish flakes, were returned to the site in Wolves Wood where I am pleased to say the warden and the RSPB are taking steps to ensure the slugs conservation. When I met the warden he told me that large slugs had been seen, entwined, hanging from boughs on strings of slime in the wood. I should love to witness this, the strange mating procedure of Umax cinereoniger, an hermaphrodite mollusc. I feel sure that Norfolk must have more sites for this animal. Please keep looking. For diagnostic features please see the illustration panel on page 4. Garth M. Coupland Anglian Water Osprey Project - In Partnership with the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Following an absence of over 150 years, attempts are being made by a team at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, to re-establish the Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus) as a breeding species in England. The trans- locations project is being run in partnerships Anglian Water and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and is the first of its kind outside the USA. look out for colour-ringed Ospreys. Each year Scottish Osprey chicks are ringed with a metal BTO ring and a coloured plastic Darvic ring. The colour coding changes from year to year. The translocated chicks bear the same means of identification, but carry rings on the opposite leg to the Scottish birds. For the past three years Rutland chicks have been ringed as follows: During the past three successive summers 24 young birds have been successfully translocated from thriving populations in Scotland and released at Rutland Water. Sadly, since migration, two of the Rutland young have been recovered in West Africa. In spite of these losses the team remains opti- mistic that birds will return and believes that the project is now entering a new and exciting phase. By spring the young released in the early years will have reached maturity and although rather young to breed, it is possible that, from April onwards, some may return from their overwintering grounds to prospect for suitable nesting sites. As Ospreys like to nest close to the site where they first fledged it is hoped that returning birds may choose to settle within the locality of Rutland Water. Indeed, it is this aspect of the Ospreys ecology that has allowed similar projects in the USA to succeed. It is of course possible that return- ing birds may choose a more dis- tant site, In order to extend coverage the project team are hoping to encourage members of bird clubs and wildlife groups to 1996 red ring/white lettering left leg 1997 white ring/black lettering left leg 1998 ochre ring/black lettering left leg If you see any colour-ringed Ospreys the project team would be very interested to hear from you. Please try and record the time, date and place of the sighting and as much detail as possible about the rings. We would stress, however, that the welfare of the birds must come first and attempts at reading colour rings should only be undertaken if the birds use a regular feeding perch where the leg may be visible. All sightings will be followed up and will be treated in confidence. The project team can be contacted at: Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre Rutland Water Nature Reserve Egleton, Oakham Rutland LEI 5 8BT Tel: 01572 770651 Fax: 01572 755931 website: www.fineshade.u-net.com/rw/ If you would like to receive a leaflet about the project please forward an A5 s.a.e to the above address. 5 FIELD MEETINGS MAY - JULY 1 999 Please note that start times are variable. Sunday 16®* May Bemey Marshes 10.00 am. Full day, TG475051 This meeting was publicised at the last three meetings, including the AGM, and all the places have now been filled. Sun. 23 rd May Beeston Regis Common 11.00 am. Full day, TGI 65426 “Beeston Bog” is one of Norfolk’s premier wildlife sites and was recently designated as a Special Area of Conservation. The habitats range from acid heath to spring-fed valley mire and the great diversity of plant life supports a wide range of invertebrates, many of which are rare. This is the first of three visits to the common this year and should be a good time for butterwort, early marsh-orchid and possibly Pugsley’s marsh orchid. Sunday 6®* June Alderford Common WILDLIFE 2000 1 0.30 am. Full day, TGI 261 86 This SSSI is owned by Swannington Parish Council and managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. There are a variety of habitats here including heath, scrub, damp hollows, ponds and chalk grassland (which is unusual for this part of the county). The site is noted for newts, nightingales and turtledoves. Graham Larter is the volunteer warden. Wednesday 16 th June Marston Marsh 10.30 am. Morning only, TG217057 This is an attractive local nature reserve in the Yare Valley consisting mainly of grazing marsh with a network of dykes. With luck, there should be a good show of orchids. This meeting has been re-scheduled from last year’s programme as the visit was rained off by a storm of near tropical intensity. Pessimists should bring umbrellas. Sunday 20 th June Pigney’s Wood WILDLIFE 2000 1 0.30 am. Full day, TG298324 Pigney’s Wood was established by the North Norfolk Community Woodland Trust and since 1 993 several thousand trees have been planted on what was arable land. As well as the new wood, the site includes some existing woodland and 4.8 hectares of meadowland adjacent to the North Walsham and Dilham Canal. Many members will remember the excellent talk John Sizer gave us last September. Sat. 10 th July Snettisham Coastal Park JOINT MEETING 2.00 p.m., Afternoon only, TF648335 Bordering the Wash to the north of the car park, this area has a very rich coastal flora and habitats include shingle bank, brackish marsh and damp grassland. It is also noted for its bird life. For those who wish to make a full day’s outing, the RSPB reserve is to the south of the car park. Brian Sage is a well- known all-round naturalist. Sun.ll^July Beeston Regis Common 1 1 .00 am. Full day, TGI 65426 This meeting is the second of the three visits to the common and the summer flowers and butterflies should be at their peak. For those who are interested, there will also be a workshop on hoverflies. Sunday 18 th July Strumpshaw Fen JOINT MEETING 1 1 .00 am. Full day, TG341 066 Not only is this a fine birdwatching reserve but the meadows support an excellent variety of wildflowers and the dykes are full of aquatic plants such as water-soldier and frogbit. It is also a good place to see the Norfolk Hawker. Saturday 31*' July Coldharbour Wood 1 1 .00 am. Full day, TL.784996 This is in a lesser-known part of the Breck where there are attractive forest rides mainly on chalk. We should see plenty of Breckland plants and insects. Gillian Beckett is the BSBI recorder for West Norfolk, co-author of the new Flora of Norfolk and is currently joint president of the society. N.B. Indoor meetings from September 1 999 will be held in the Sports & Leisure Centre at Easton College. Further details will be published in the next issue of Natterjack. Bob Ellis MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Castle Museum The natural history collections at the Norwich Castle Museum will not be available for general study as from July 1 st 1999, until further notice, although it may be possible to have limited access until December. This is due to the refurbishment and reorganisation of the museum. It is hoped that the museum will re-open as early in 2000 as possible. Please contact the following at the Castle Museum if you have any specific queries on: 01603-223642 (AG1) -223643 (JGG) -223644 (AJS) -223645 (RJD) - or via their URL http://www.paston.co.uk/users/ncm A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in August. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence could be sent to the following address, as soon as possible, and marked with NNNS on the envelope. For those with access to a computer a WORD document or an ordinary text file on disc would be most helpful. 'FF' Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham . — • Nor/olk NR26 8QD Members who pay by cheque are reminded that subscriptions fell due on 1 April, 1999. Current rates are £10 for ordinary and family members and £15 for affiliated groups. Please make cheques payable to Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society and send them to: D I Richmond, From: 42, Richmond Rise, Address: Reepham, Norfolk, NR10 4LS. 6 HISTORY MUSEUM IF AOS 1909 ' 'GENERAL LIL v THE gf^|gp NORFOLK % NATTERJACK NNNS Excursions 1999-2000 FIELD MEETINGS AUG UST - OCTOBER 1999 ; tl't C7 L!FTS REGISTER: A NON-STARTER! I am disappointed but perhaps, because others have tried it before and failed, I should not be surprised. In the last issue of Natterjack, with our move to Easton College in mind, I asked members to offer to join a simple register of those willing to give others a lift to meetings and field trips. I have had not a single response. All I can now suggest is that individual members who can- not get to meetings should contact me (01603 457270) and I will try, either directly or via Natterjack, to put them in touch with members in their area. For example, I already know of a lady in Fakenham, another in Sprowston and a couple in Thorpe who will not be able to get to Easton unless someone can give them a lift. Any offers? David Pauli, Chairman Please note that start times for the field meetings are variable and that our evening .talks are now being held in the Sports & Leisure Centre at Easton College. If you have not been to the centre before, please see the accompanying map showing how to get there. Sun. 15 th August Belton Common JOINT MEETING 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TG474023 We will be joining the British Plant Gall Society, the Lowestoft Field Club and the Great Yarmouth Naturalists’ Society. Sun. 29 th August Ditchingham House Farm Estate WILDLIFE 2000 10.30 a.m. Full day, TM324915 By kind permission of Dorothy Cheyne, this is a rare opportunity to visit and record this private estate which includes Bath Hills. Sun. 19 m Sept. Beeston Regis Common 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TGI 65426 This is our third visit to the common this year and it should be a good time to see Grass- of-Parnassus and other late-flowering plants. If conditions are right we may well see some unusual migrant birds. Tues. 21 “September ‘The Otters and Rivers Project’ 7.30 p.m. Room 7, Easton College Sports & Leisure Centre Since the programme was published, Lisa Schneidau has moved on to pastures new. Steve Henson has taken over responsibility for the project and has kindly agreed to present this illustrated talk. Sun. 3 rd October Holt Lowes 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TG088383 A fungus foray with Dr. Tony Leech. Please note that we are meeting at the car park to the north-east, of the Country Park off Hempstead Road NOT in the main Country Park car park. Sun. 10 th Oct. Winterton Dunes and Church 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TG4991 98 Looking at lichens with Dr Chris Hitch who is Tuesday 19 th October ‘A view of the world through Colin Dack’s camera’ 7.30 p.m. Room 7, Easton College Sports & Leisure Centre We will spend the evening looking at a selection of Colin’s extensive and varied collection of slides. As Colin was seriously dyslexic, although it never deterred him from making a considerable and valued contribution to our Society oyer many years, we will be having a collection on behalf of the Waveney Valley Dyslexia Association and we hope to raise a generous donation in memory of Colin. The chairman of the association has been invited to speak briefly about the work of the charity. the Suffolk recorder for the British Lichen Society. Sun. 24 th October Sisland Carr 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TM345990 A fungus foray with Mike Woolner. Recently acquired by the Woodland Trust, Sisland Carr has areas of deciduous and coniferous wood on light soils as well as areas of wet carr and it should host a wide range of fungi. The car park is at the south-east corner of the wood and should be approached by the track from the south. Bob Ellis, Chairman ifee page 2 fox maps and photographic meetings The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society Registered Charity No. 291604 How To Find Easton College Sports and Leisure Centre Leave the A47 (Norwich Southern Bypass) at either the Showground or Ringland roundabout. Follow the "Easton College" sign. About a quarter of mile down the lane, follow the green college sign (ignoring a right fork to Marlingford). After another quarter of mile at the next green college sign, turn sharp right into the college drive and follow the yellow signs (complete with swallowtail butterfly!) to sports and leisure centre. At the end of the drive, turn sharp left up to the centre. There is limited parking at the front of the centre but for the main car park behind the centre bear half-right. Walk round to the front of the building to the main entrance. BEWARE THE SPEED HUMPS! WOW! - Look at tkat.... An expression we have all come out with at times. You have just seen a beautiful flower in a meadow or maybe a colourful bird in the garden, you would have liked to photograph it but lacked the know how or the camera. So why not come along to the Photographic Group meetings and see how it is done. Talk with people able and very willing to put you on the right track, we are only too happy to pass on our knowledge and ex- perience. Give it a go - come to the first meeting on:- Mondav Oct. 25 lh "Bird Photography from a Hide" by Tony Howes Monday Nov. 22 nd "An Introduction to Digital Imaging" by Joy and Mike Hancock Monday Feb. 21 st "An African Safari" by Ivan West Monday March 27 th "High Life Photography" by Norman Carmichael EVERYBODY WELCOME All meetings at Room 4, Easton College Sports and Leisure Centre - 7.30pm Tony Howes Chairman, Photographic Group Tel: 01603 436867 2 BERNEY MARSHES RSPB RESERVE May 16, 1999 This splendid day began with the bonus of a trip in the RSPB boat from Goodchild Marina, Burgh Castle, on the Waveney to the reserve landing stage on the Yare near the "Bemey Arms". It was a day, however, that was tinged with regret that, because of ill-health, Michael Seago was unable to lead us. We are very grateful to the RSPB’s Broads area manager, Ian Robinson, for giving up his Sun- day to take over at short notice. Ian took us on two long circuits through the reserve and explained the RSPB’s long-term manage- ment plan for the now-substantial area of land it has acquired. The plan is a simple one: flooding and grazing. The art is how much and when - and having the patience, and courage, to give the plan time to work.The undoubted highlight of the visit was the repeated sight- ings of a Collared Pratincole hawking for insects among the Swifts. Other birds that excited particular interest were male Garganey, a small flight of Whimbrel, Marsh Hairier, Little Gull, Yellow Wagtail, Cuckoo, and Avocet. Other birds noted, roughly in the order in which they were spotted, were: Mute Swan, Cormorant, Swallow, Great Crested Grebe, Shelduck, Heron, Common Tern, Common Sandpiper, Oyster-catcher, Coot, Goldfinch, Gadwall, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Shoveler, Sedge Warbler, Skylark, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Pochard, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Bunting, Great Black-backed Gull, and Greenshank. Hares (probably four different animals) and a Water Vole were also seen. Fran Neale \L MARSTON JVIARSH June 16, 1999 By contrast with the frightening storm that brought an abrupt end to last year’s excursion, our walk round Marston Marsh, Eaton, took place in glorious sunshine. Underfoot, following the previous week’s heavy rain, the going was very muddy in places, so - for those who visit the marsh regularly all year - it was good to see a BTCV party laying board walks across the two wettest sections of the most popular path. As always with the marsh, the variations in winter and spring weather affect the flora. This year, there has hardly been an Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata to be found but on our walk we saw plenty of Southern Marsh Orchids D. praetermissa , although mostly very small spikes. The success story of the marsh, the once very rare Green Figwort Scrophularia umbrosa, is now almost rampant and is spread- ing still further along the dykes and the banks of River Yare. Its cousin, Water Figwort S. auriculata , is also thriving but greatly outnum- bered by umbrosa. Much of the marsh was ablaze with the yellow of buttercups, including several specimens of Celery-leaved Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus. The sun brought out the odonata in force. The ponds in the stretch of marsh beside Marston Lane were alive with Four-spotted Chasers Libellula quadrimaculata and throughout the marsh we found a variety of damselflies: Common Blue Enallagma cyarhigerum , Azure Coenagrion puella, Blue- failed Ischnura elegans, Large Red Pyrrhosotna nymph u la, and possibly Emerald Lestes sponsa. But the stars of the show were the dozens of Banded Demoiselle Calopreryx splendens. David Pauli BEESTON COMMON July 11, 1999 A really fine day for a field meeting is an essential require- ment, such as it was when the society visited Beeston Common for the second time this year. A large gathering assembled in the lay-by as a pristine Comma visited some bramble blossom nearby. As we entered the back bog Ringlets and Meadow Browns flittered away. We soon came upon three fine spikes of Marsh Helleborine var. ochroleuca which lack the red pigment of the type species. Along the path many of the Marsh Fragrant Orchids were sampled for their scent and Dodder was noted on the Gorse. Common Spotted Orchids, although plentiful were getting past their best and the few Bee Orchids present this year had gone to seed. Large and Small Skippers were observed with the occasional Five- spot Burnet moth trijblii ssp. decreta. Up to now this year has been very poor for insects as wit- nessed on the numerous Hogweed and Angelica flower heads where the main occupants were Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva who were busy ensuring next seasons pop- ulation. The few Hoverflies noted were Volucella bombylans, Volucella pellucens, Cheilosia illustrata and Episyrphus balteata, also present were the small wasps Ectemnius continuous who were hunting for diptera with which they stock their nests in rotten wood. Under the trees many of the Broad Buckler ferns were infested with the Knot gall (leaf terminals twisted into a ball) caused by the larvae of the fly Chirosia betuleti. Passing Meadow Vetchling we came to a small calcareous pond from which a large number of teneral Common Darter dragon- flies took to the air as we app- roached, some of them barely 3 able to fly on their bright shining wings. A number of the Lesser Water Plantain were in flower and under the water the Stonewort Chara vulgaris still looked healthy but when pond dries out, as it does now each summer, the stonewort will exist as a model in chalk, only to collapse to dust when disturbed. We proceeded to cross the centre of the main bog passed Cross-leaved Heath, Ling, Quaking Grass and the Butterworts which having flowered existed like young lettuce leaves flat upon the path. Our two Sundews , the Round-leaved and the Greater were in flower on the Sphagnum Moss mounds. Three Lesser Butterfly Orchids were still in bloom and received much atten- tion. We passed a large patch of Meadow Sweet, to where a number of our Dryopteris specie ferns grow, including the scarce Crested Buckler Fern. On Ragwort plants Cinnabar moth caterpillars were feeding as we passed through large patches of Perforate and Slender St. John's Wort to see some Pyramidal Orchids. We climbed the dry heath to the old pill box to get a grand view of the common and our local ’mountain 1 Beeston Bump. On descending again to the bog we passed through clumps of Purple Moor Grass and a large expanse of Wavy Hair Grass. On the bog Royal Fern and Adder's Tongue, Teasel, blue, white and pink Milkwort, Twayblades and Red Bartsia were seen. Broom with fasciation or strap growth and Emperor Dragonflies by the pond and a Red Admiral butterfly completed the P /2 hr ramble. The afternoon session was spent in the Biology Department at Gresham School, Holt courtesy of Dr. A.R. Leech, where a good number of those present in the morning attended a workshop on Hoverflies bringing an end to an enjoyable summers day. Ken Durrani The Summer Wine - an algological view. As we reach Norwich after a tiring day in the field (well, a tiring morning in the field and a tiring lunch in the pub) the botanists, entomologists and molluscologists are all looking forward to snoozing in front of the television at the end of their tiring day. Not so the algol- ogists who have to spend a couple of hours in the lab. looking at the catch, making notes and boiling the diatoms in concentrated nitric acid, (to show them who's master!). This is not made easier if the lunch was par- ticularly tiring. Now that we have acquired some state of the art instruments to measure electrical conductivity and pH there is the further need to check that the calibration has not wandered off during the day. So give a thought to the algologist slaving away while the rest of the group are fast asleep in front of the tele. I sometimes wonder why I allow myself to be lured into these field days. It sounds idyllic to wander through spring woodland which has not been trodden by human feet for years. The reason for its seclusion is not that it is approached by a mile of track which is used as a testing ground for Land Rover, not that the footpath is flooded to a depth of about 1.1 wellingtons, nor the fact that the understory is young hawthorn which bears large spines. As I write two of my eight fingers are unusable due to potentially septic wounds from our last visit to the site. I know that two fingers is only 25% of those available but as I type with those two fingers it represents 100% of my capacity. Algology is not as pointless as some forms of Natural History study. It involves such practical problems as "what is clogging the Ely Ouse Essex tunnel“ and "why has the water in Hickling Broad changed?'*. Roy Baker in last February's Natterjack reported our work at Seamere. This involved a small group from UEA taking cores from the bed of the lake with a Hiller peat sampler while Roy stood on he jetty recording the scene for posterity and finding the process of coring excruciatingly funny (which I must admit, it probably was, except to those with mud all over their best shirts). Even our short core showed the mere had changed completely since the middle ages and was worth further study. We have been fortunate to interest a group from the University of London in taking a deeper core from the centre of the lake. A great deal has been said and written about algologists eating treacle sponge pudding for lunch. It is not of course a practice unique to algologists. I will not explain all the attractions of such puddings. I will just point out that in most pubs the steamed pudding can be had for £2 while the steak chasseur favoured by molluscologists costs £5.75. We pensioners have to watch every penny. (Recently we have discovered the Pensioners' Lunch which includes not only the main dish but steamed sponge pudding as well, all for £3.75). To some extent algologists are parasitic on molluscologists. The molluscologists go out in a splendid boat to dredge up Red Data book species (and masses of shirt-staining mud) and go along, not only for the treacle sponge pudding but for water quality samples, diatoms scraped from the timber piling, and mud samples from the ronds along the river (paper in preparation). They also kindly give me specimens of molluscs for me to take home and look at the gut content (diatoms are to bivalves what treacle sponge puddings are to diatomists). But what a way to spend an evening! Keith Clarke 4 THOUGHTS ON AMPHIBIAN INTELLIGENCE AND SURVIVAL Books have always led me to believe that amphibians would score poorly if given an I.Q. test. Does this speak of the I.Q. of writers who assume a newt could read the questions let alone understand them? In order no doubt to put me in my place sometimes, my mother has the habit of announcing in front of others the poor results of my own childhood I.Q. test. Whether it is because of this supposed affinity with them or whether it is because it is the truth I don't know, but over the years I have gained great respect for the depth of amphibian intelligence. This intelligence must have contributed to their survival, as amphibians, for much longer than we have been around as primates. This intelligence is also that from which our own presumably evolved if Darwin is to be believed. Yes, I know they sometimes have difficulty crossing roads but observe St. Steven’s pedestrians in Norwich on a Saturday to see just how far we have in fact evolved! The great Herpetologist, Malcolm Smith, wrote of newts coming to the surface on his arrival above their tanks to wait for food, I trained, very quickly I recall, a small band of Common Frogs and Toads to come to me across my walled pond enclosure to a certain flat stone. Here I would feed them nightly on delicious slugs, worms and various arthropods. It is of course unscientific to state that their food was delicious, however, they ate it with relish much as human children devour beefburgers at Macdonalds. I achieved this by shining a torch when I fed them at their individual stations around the pond. Over a number of nights the torchlight became the symbol of an immediate meal and they all soon began to come to the flat stone when light fell on it. Whilst thinking about training animals I considered so called intelligent mammals such as police dogs that can be trained to leap through flaming hoops. No amphibian would do that. They are not so stupid! I new a great and ancient naturalist in Sussex who for several years observed a large, female toad wlrich climbed to the top of a tall, flowering hedge to pick off the large nector-feeding moths which visited the newel's at night. How did she discover this? How did she know where to go? How did she remember each year to climb there? Toads are known to loiter with intent to feed on the occupants at the entrance to beehives. We too have our favourite restaurants. My observations of toads in captivity show that they will eat continually until earlier meals are forced, undigested out of their rear ends. We don't Tlo this but I wonder what makes us so sure of our next meal? One could argue that the examples above merely show a simple Pavlovian type of response to a stimulus not worthy of the title intelligence. 1 would say that virtually all that we do in our complex lives is simply response to stimuli. We differ from our amphibian brothers only in the complexity of our responses and their stimuli. The degree of difference between us is relative to the size of our relative brains. Intelligence should be measured in terms of quality not quantity. The quality is decided by suitability of the response to the stimulus in terms of how it increases the individuals chances of survival. I suppose the point I’m trying to make is that amphibians are not dim, just small. Perhaps also I’m trying to bring us down a peg or two, clearly a trait inherited from my mother! Whilst thinking about suivival I remember a remarkable incident from my childhood newt-keeping days. Having released some Smooth Newts after watching them breeding someone took my ” empty” tank, still full of water and left it in our cellar. A year later I found it and discovered many healthy, although small, newt larvae. These had hatched and lived on apparently nothing (or possibly each other) in that cold, dark environment. Naked and small I wonder how they survive the northern winters or the filthy water some live in. I marvel at their ability to grow new limbs after amputation. I take my hat off to them! Returning to intelligence one final observation reminded me why I love studying natural history which always throws up questions with each new experience. I was in Glen Coe one spring and found a male Palmate Newt crossing a fast flowing tributary of the River Coe some eight feet wide by means of a fallen bough. Did he know he would be swept away by the current? Did he deliberately seek out the crossing to reach the swamps and ponds beyond? Did he remember from another year the crossing point? When credited, by Man, with an instinct to walk downhill to find water why did he climb up and then over the bough? Why did he not fall from the three inch wide bridge? What incredible odds would be needed to make chance or coincidence the answer to the riddle of the newt’s bridge? Surely intelligence far greater than we credit him with was involved? Surely responses to stimuli far more complex than we believe him capable of was involved? Garth M. Coupland 5 Every two years or so, the Society and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust jointly make the above award to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to nature conservation in the county. We are delighted that this year the medal is to be awarded to Alec Bull, co-author of the magnificent new 'Flora of Norfolk ' and currently joint president of the Society. The medal will be presented at the Trust annual meeting at the new Ecotech Centre, Swajffham on Friday, October 15. We hope that Society members who are also Trust members will try to get to the meeting to support Alec on this very happy occasion. HOME BIRDSjH Our garden at Wellington, near King's Lynn, is very different from those of Geoffrey Kelly and Gillian Beckett, but perhaps for that reason some notes on the birds we have seen here over the last eight years may be of interest. The garden is small, but pretty wild, and with a number of trees and shrubs, including conifers and two large Lime trees. Arable land is on two sides, and we have a high, mainly Elm and Ivy hedge in front. Unlike the previous articles in this series, our list comprises only birds seen actually in the garden, i.e. at or below the level of the bungalow roof. We put food our all the year round, including nuts, meat, fats and bread on the ground, and nuts and sunflower seeds in suspended containers. The 25 species shown opposite have been seen each year ( 1 992 - 1 999). They are listed roughly in order of frequency, as we have kept no records of actual numbers seen. Another 23 species have been only rarely noticed. RM & SM Payne REMINDERS A reminder to those who have not yet paid their subs - £10 please ASAP to the Treasurer. Cheques payable to Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society. D ! Richmond, 42, Richmond Rise, Reepham, Norfolk, NR10 4LS. With bird records in mind could members also please remember to send their monthly records to the County Bird Recorder for the Society: Giles Dunmore 49 Nelson Road, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8DA Europe’s Largest Slug ( Natterjack - no. 65) Unfortunately part of the last sentance in the inset illustration panel on p4 was Tost’. For those who wish to add it to their copy it is as follows: never marbled or large spotted. Larger skin tubercles than L. maximus. Annual species:- 1 Starling 2 House Sparrow 3 Collared Dove 4 Greenfinch 5 Chaffinch 6 Blackbird 7 Blue Tit 8 Great Tit 9 Dunnock 10 Robin 11 Jackdaw 12 Magpie 13 Coal Tit 14 Black-headed Gull (winter) 15 Pied Wagtail (winter) 16 Rook 17 Song Thrush 18 Long-tailed Tit 19 Jay 20 Wren 21 Wood Pigeon (more frequently in recent years) 22 Common Gu|l (winter) 23 Pheasant 24 Goldfinch 25 Sparrowhawk Rarely noticed species:* 26 Mallard - occ. 2 or 3 on lawn (nearest large pond 250m away) 27 Fieldfare - Jan/Dec 1996 28 Redwing - Mar 94/w. 96-7/Feb 99 29 Siskin - Feb 94/Feb 95/Ma-Ap 98 30 Linnet - 1992-97 only 31 Mistle Thrush - Mar 96 / May 99 32 Tree Creeper - Nov 93 / Jan 99 33 Spotted Flycatcher - 1992 / 1994 34 Red-leg. Partridge - not since 97 35 Swallow - (resting in nos. on roof 36 House Martin evening 27/8/94) 37 Moorhen - Dec 1991 38 Goldcrest - Nov 92 ?overlooked 39 Green Woodpecker - Jun 1993 40 Heron - Jan 95 ( no pond) 41 Bullfinch - Jun 1995 42 Willow Warbler - Aug 1996 43 Nuthatch - Jun 97 (eating seeds) 44 Budgerigar - (escape) Apr 1997 45 Whitethroat - May 1997 46 Gt Sp Woodpecker - June 1997 feeding on nuts 47 Kestrel - taking prey June 1997 48 Turtle Dove - June 1999 6 HAWKS AMD HAWKERS HOOKED BEAK BRIGADE Earlier this year I had been given as a present a day with a falconer. After a rundown on the various birds and the different methods they use to catch their prey a display followed. The falconer put different birds through their paces. The most magical for me was a Saker Falcon, the great speed and power of this bird as it came to the lure was breathtaking, often so low that the wing tips were skimming the grass. Or again, coming in from a higher station it was moving at such speed that the sound from its wings as it passed reminded me of fizzing pop. The sheer elegance of this bird in flight was amazing, at one point the other guest and myself were asked to stand just a yard apart, the falconer then swung the lure in such a manner that the Saker came hurtling down the meadow and between us at head height. This contrasted greatly with the Barn Owl's slow, silent flight. A walk through the woods with a Harris Hawk showed yet another method of catching your dinner. Sitting it out watching for move- ment this bird followed us through the trees for about a mile, never far away, its leg bells could be heard as it flew to catch up, it was just like taking the dog for a walk. I enjoyed seeing so many different birds of prey, I had watched the diminutive Kestrel adept at catch- ing mice and voles, and the mighty awe inspiring power of the Bald Eagle capable of killing a Roe Deer. The crushing grip of this mighty bird, weighing in at IOV2 lbs., required the use of a special glove. Tony Howes LIQUIDATED! We have all heard the phrase “Red in tooth and claw” - but drown- ing? I was intrigued by a letter in The Times from 10-year-old Eleanor Batchelor from Hamp- shire. She described how she saw a bird of prey trying to drown a Blackbird in a puddle-filled pothole. It sat on the Blackbird so that it was completely submerged. Was this, she asked, a common phenomenon? Incidentally, the blackbird survived because Eleanor scared away the hawk. The letter brought this response from Chris Dowsett, of The Grange, Burgh Castle: “Eleanor Batchelor wonders if birds of prey often drown their victims. Three years ago my wife and I sailed up the River Yare in Norfolk and observed a Black-headed Gull swoop and gather up a mouse from the river bank. The gull then settled on the water and held the mouse submerged until its struggles ceased. ’’Have any members observed this ingenious if rather gruesome method of killing prey? David Paul l I think it may be more usual for gulls to drown their prey, particularly the larger species. I have seen Gr. Black- backed Gulls attack and subsequently drown Redwings as they were crossing the North Sea in October. TF' A WELCOME VISITOR My eye caught a movement near the garden pond, I stood by the window and watched, then a large dragonfly came into view. 1 went outside as quickly as possible, it was still there, hovering over the water near the lilies. Much to my surprise it was a female Emperor, the first time I had seen one round the pond in the three years since it was put in. It settled on a lily leaf and began laying eggs - I charged back inside for the camera. On getting back outside the insect was in flight again and within a few seconds it went over the fence out of sight. But with luck 1 should have a few eggs that maybe in two years time will hatch into these beautiful dragonflies. They have the largest wingspan of any British dragonfly, the male is a brilliant blue on the abdomen with a black stripe, and the female is green. This was indeed a welcome visitor. Tony Howes 1 Michael J. Seago An era in the history of ornithology in Norfolk ended on 9th July with the death of Michael Seago, aged 73. He began his interest in birdwatching in the early 1940’s with regular visits to Breydon where his particular interest in wading birds developed. He joined the Society in 1943 and was soon having observations published in the Society's Transactions and elsewhere. In 1953 it was felt that the county should have a dedicated annual bird report to be published jointly by the (then) Norfolk Naturalists Trust and the Society and Michael was persuaded by Bernard Riviere, Dick Bagnall-Oakely, Ted Ellis and others to take on the role of editor. The first edition under his leadership appeared in 1954 covering the events of 1953 and in the Autumn of 1998 the forty-fifth annual publication, dealing with the records for 1997, was published with Michael still acting as senior editor, a unique record in British ornithological recording. During this long period he was responsible for the introduction of a number of features now taken for granted in such publications, namely line drawings and photographs, the latter having been in full colour since the 1986 Report. These innovations and a much more detailed Classified List in recent years, have received national recognition by awards in the ’Best Annual Bird Report' competition organised by the magazine British Birds - joint first for the 1995 edition and a second place for 1997. The Society alone became responsible for the report after the 1992 edition and as a result of sales and Michael's ability to attract sponsorship, the ever increasing size did not result in any substantial additional costs to our funds. In addition to his role with bird reports, Michael produced two editions of his book Birds of Norfolk, first published by Jarrolds in 1966 and has been a regular contributor to the local press for almost half a century; for the last 12 years, as a member of the team writing the daily 'In the Countryside' column in The Eastern Daily Press. For the last two years much of his time and effort has been dedicated to the preparations, with a team of friends, of a definitive history of The Birds of Norfolk which is due for publication in August. It is a great sorrow to all those involved with this book that Michael did not survive to see this monumental work of over 600 pages complete with his selection of line drawings and coloured photographs, reach fruition. All his adult life Michael has been very active in supporting local natural history organisations, holding various offices with the Great Yarmouth Naturalists' Society, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, where he served on the Council for 33 years and the Society. He was the Society's President in both 1962/63 and 1993/94. At the time of his death he was a Vice President of both the Trust and the Society. He has also devoted much time and effort on conservation matters particularly those associated with reserve management and the protection of rare breeding birds. Until his retirement from a full time career at the Norwich Union Insurance Group in 1986, all these activities were carried out in his spare time. In recognition of his long and dedicated service to conservation in Norfolk Michael was presented with the Sydney Long Memorial Medal at the Annual General meeting of the Trust in 1993. He will be greatly missed by all those many people who he has in-spired and encouraged through his writings and wide circle of personal contacts to treasure Norfolk’s wildlife, particularly its birds. We extend to Sylvia and her family our deepest sympathy. Don Dorling THE NORFOLK BIRD REPORT 1953 Dr. C.P. Petch In my paper on Norfolk Botanists, (A Flora of Norfolk, Beckett & Bull 1999), I stated that the late Dr. C.P. Petch returned to his family home at the Manor House, Wolferton on his retirement. His son, Dr. Michael Petch, has writ- ten and pointed out that in fact, Dr. Charles Petch was bom and brought up in North Wooton and is buried in the churchyard there, only buying the Manor House at Wolferton on his retirement. I apologise for the error and am sorry for any distress this may have caused. Alec Bull A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in November. Could you please send all correspondence/disc to the following address, ; as soon as possible, and marked with NNNS on the envelope. 'FF' Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham Nor/olk NR26 8QD PI 8 THE: piip NORFOLK % NATTERJACK 11 mi / 2 :e c f MUSEUM 1 CT 1899 j WW3RD nLLX xiy J -• — m « • 1 i V— L 9 • ’ >n t M 1 NN NS Exc :ursion 3 1 999- ■2000 j Toad-in-the-hole Since the last 'Natterjack' I have received a letter from a member wishing to congratulate Keith Clarke for his humorous account of a diatom hunter in the field. The following is taken from that letter: "I know absolutely nothing about algology whatsoever but the amusing way in which he presented the subject was a joy to read. If only more of us could write in such a way." There's a challenge for 2000! Talking of which, how about a 'look-back' page for February. Could as many members as possible please send a couple of sentences of a particular natural history highlight or 'red-letter' day. It would be particularly good to cover as many years as possible - Date, place and item of interest with a short comment is all that is required. Any contributions can be sent the usual way or for those of you who are not afraid of the millennium bug by e-mail to.- /rancis./@virgin.net In this issue I would like to draw your attention to the ' Norfolk Bird Atlas' which is about to start in earnest this winter, the Bat Conference Report where new discoveries have been made and of course our prize crossword! Finally, my thanks to Garth Coupland who has supplied some excellent natural history cartoons which will feature when possible in 'Garth's Corner'. 'FF' FIELD & INDOOR MEETINGS NOV 1999 Please note that start times for the field meetings are variable and that our evening talks are now toeing held in the Sports & Leisure Centre at Easton College. -JAN 2000 \ Tuesday 18 ,h January ‘Identifying British Butterflies' Dr. Bernard Watts 7.30 p.m. Room 7, Easton College Sports & Leisure Centre Sunday 7 th November Holkham 1 1 .00 a.m. Full day, TF890448 Meeting at Lady Ann’s Drive, this is mainly for wintering geese with David Pauli and Eunice Phipps Tuesday 16 ,h November ‘An Exercise in Co-operation' Gillian Beckett/Alec Bull 7.30 p.m. Room 7, Easton College Sports & Leisure Centre The Presidential Address. Tuesday 21 st December ‘Three Men in a Boat' Dr. Roy Baker, Keith Clarke, Derek Howlett 7.30 p.m. Room 7, Easton College Sport & Leisure Centre This should be a very entertaining presentation by three intrepid experts on aquatic life and pub lunches. It should also be something of a seasonal social occasion. This promises to be a very instructive talk. Hopefully, Dr. Watts will be using a two-projector system to allow us to directly compare those species that are more difficult to separate. Bob Ellis, Chairman Programme Committee NOTE Change of Photographic Group programme Due to unforseen circumstances the speakers for 22 nd November and 27 lh March will now change places ■ ""watch""*! this space I — Tony Howes 01603 436867 See page 2 for Bryophyte meetings The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society East Anglian Bryologlcal Excursions 1999 - 2000 The following excursions are planned for the Autumn & Spring of 1999-2000. Beginners will be most welcome; the only equipment needed is a hand lens (xIO or x20), and some paper packets for collecting into. Meetings will only be cancelled if it snows, or there is hard frost. All meetings will start at 10.30am, unless otherwise stated. For further information, contact John Mott or Robin Stevenson (addresses below). Sunday 7 November: Tuddenham & Cavenham Heaths, Suffolk, recording for the Suffolk Flora. Meet at TL748.724, on the track leading NE from the centre of the village. Saturday 20 November: Holt Lowes. This site has much to offer, including many Sphagna and Hookeria lucens. Meet in the Holt Country Park car park TG081 .375. Sunday 19 December: The walls of Burgh Castle, followed by Waveney Forest, Fritton, Meet at Church Farm Country Club car park, TG476.051 for Burgh Castle, and then Waveney Forest picnic place TG466.007. Saturday 15 January: Colney Hall Memorial Park. Meet at Colney Hall, TGI 70.083. (We may visit Colney and Earlham church- yards afterwards). Sunday 23 January: Thursford Woods NWT reserve, and environs. Meet in the (rather small) car park at TF979.333. As parking space is very limited, please try and share cars. Sunday 27 February: Rosary Cemetery, Norwich. Meet at Chapel, TG243.084. Go east along Thorpe Road from station, and turn sharp left at the bend into Rosary Rd. The cemetery entrance is immediately on the right. Gates open at 11 am. There is room to park in the drive. Sunday 12 March: King's Lynn and environs, to 'get your eye in' on aliens such as Lophocolea semiteres, Hennediella macrophylla and Didymodon australasiae. Meet at TF665.196 (Bawsey - Mintlyn Wood). Saturday 25 March: Barton Broad and Catfield. Meet at Catfield Church, TG382.214. Sunday 2 April: East Harling Common. Meet at TL998.877, at end of rough track heading north from East Harling. Small car park on left through locked gate. Contacts: Robin Stevenson, College of West Anglia, Tennyson Avenue, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QW. Tel: (01 553) 761 1 44 x 248, or home (01553) 766788. John Mott, 62 Great Melton Road, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3HA. Tel: (01603) 810442. Flycatcher with a Headache September 1999 BANG! - I looked up from my book to see a few feathers floating down from the lounge window. This has happened on several occasions in the past, a trick of the light perhaps, mostly the bird concerned gives the glass a glancing blow and continues on its way. This window strike, however, seemed to be a head on hit, for a limp body could be seen lying on the ground. I went outside to pick it up, fearing the worst, - it was a female Pied Flycatcher - the wings were o.k. as were the legs, a drop of blood hung from the bill and the eyes were closed, but it was alive and breathing. I took it indoors and for a half an hour it laid still and unmoving, but slowly it seemed to rally. First the eyes opened, then it showed interest in my movements, finally it flew round the room a couple of times and out through the open door. May the force be with you little bird. Tony Howes The Dove and the Toad Not an unusual pub name, but a strange happening in our garden at the end of March. My notes for the day read as follows: Still hordes of young male toads. One found itself standing near a collared dove. It moved closer, the dove reacted by turning slightly sideways and lifting its wings high in the air. The toad came closer still and the dove shied away, then ran a few steps away from it into the boarder. At once the little toad, which was probably 3-4 years old, followed it with great energetic leaps. They then came down the garden towards the house for about twenty feet, the dove in front, periodically stopping and lifting its wings as before, then hurrying on when the toad got too close. At this point we thought their travel together was just a coincidence as they were making for a pond, but as it reached the bird bath, the dove turned to one side towards it and so did the toad. The dove made a circuit of the bird bath and then went back the way it had come with the same wing stretching as before, the toad still following closely behind. All of this had taken more than five minutes and eventually brought the dove back to the point where it had all begun. At this point it gave up and flew off across the garden, leaving the toad presumably victor in this odd encoimter. The toad itself, presumably quite exhausted with its leaping, then sat absolutely still for the next half an hour. If we hadn't seen it we wouldn’t have believed it. Gillian Beckett 2 Review of the Birds oj Norfolk (Moss Taylor, Michael Seago, Peter Allard & Don Dorling) When I first heard of this project I seriously wondered whether the county needed another book about its avifauna. After all, I had read Michael Seago's excellent book and as a regular subscriber to the Norfolk Bird Club magazine I thought I was well on top with my county's birds. I only had to pick up this beautifully produced tome to find out how wrong I was in my initial thinking and also how little I really did know. The stunning jacket pictures by Norman Arlott immediately catch the eye and prepare the reader for the quality of what lies inside, more than 500 pages of well written text, wonderful line drawings by a variety of artists and a series of colour photographs illustrating habitats and key species. The four main authors have called upon some 40 other amateur and professional experts in their area, to assist them in this project. This makes the book very authoritative, and it is so well edited or the aims were so well defined that each section passes seamlessly to the next. I cannot believe that there can have been many such projects ever attempted at even a national level, never mind on the smaller county scale. The introductory chapters are all masterful and give a fascinating historical, but also a very up-to- date view, of Norfolk ecology and its birdlife. There are chapters on Habitats, Conservation, Bird Ringing, Migration, and an account of the history and personalities involved in Norfolk Ornithology up to the present day. The chapter by Andy Stoddart on bird migration provides a thorough synthesis of migration patterns and weather systems on a month by month basis. This introductory section clearly illustrates how we can only understand the present by careful assessment of the past. This is the theme running through the systematic list section that forms the major part of the book. This is not the boring section we have come to expect in such volumes. Each species is handled by one author and uses a common format. First a reference to the wider distribution of the species, then its status in the UK puts us in perspec- tive before looking at what happens in the county. This begins with historical references which provide a fascinating glimpse of an earlier Norfolk, look at the section on the Great Bustard. More recent records come next, deriving from Michael Seago’s Birds of Norfolk and the Norfolk Bird Reports. However these are augmented by data from numerous, more recent surveys, plus information collated from the growing number of really informed observers throughout the county, including ringing and migration data. These provide a wealth of inform- ation that most birders will not really have had access to, well illustrated in the account of the Horsey cranes. All of this information is summarised beautifully, bringing us fully up to date. The quality and interest is there for common or rare species alike. The colour photographs are good but annoyingly are all together in one section. The line drawings are excellent and it is good to see some by Richard Richardson to whom the book is dedicated. This book is a fitting way to round off the millennium. It is a tribute to everything that has been achieved in Norfolk Ornithology over the past 400 years, by so many dedicated observers. None finer than the four authors of this excellent book and it is a fitting memorial to Michael Seago. It should also be noted that all the royalties go to conservation projects in Norfolk, so go ahead and get a copy - expert or beginner there is so much in it for everyone. FUNGUS FORAY HOLT LOWES October 3 rd 1999 Around twenty members, ranging from real experts (Reg and Lil Evans were there, bless 'em) to 5-year-old virgin forayers, met with the aims of sharing field identification knowledge and of building up a species list for Holt Lowes. This heathland and valley mire SSSI in North Norfolk is sched- uled for extensive management work including the introduction of cattle. An early find was a troop of Hare’s Ears ( Otidea onotica), a large buff-coloured cup-fungus flushed rose-petal pink. Such was the abundance of fungi that we had travelled less than 200 yards before it was time to turn back for a picnic lunch which was enlivened by the appearance of a fearless Wood Mouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus) which ate crumbs and posed for extreme close-ups. Those who stayed for the after_ noon made a moredeter ‘ mined effort and actually got on to the heath. Here the species were fewer but different. The spring-time fire had created conditions for the diverse fungi which favour burnt ground as a habitat, and the cup-fungus Plicaria trachycarpa and the agaric Tephrocybe rancida were interesting additions to the list. I estimate that well over 80 species were recorded but I won’t know until I receive Reg and Lil’s list; they always send one and it always contains many more names than mine! Tony Leech Published by Pica Press. ISBN 1-873403-86-0. £35. David Horsley 3 Recently there has been research into the homing capabilities of snails. However far you throw them, they apparently return to base. Over the last few weeks two Leopard Slugs have reappeared several times to the same spot on my terrace inspite of my remov- ing them to an anonymous locat- ion over the garden fence. i cannot believe that there is an endless supply of these slugs at that spot, so can only assume that, yes, they do home back to their favourite patch, which is only about 3 feet wide. Could Garth Coupland or others say whether they have experi- enced similar observations? Janet E. Smith An Auk With Problems Earlier this year on a visit to the Fame Islands it was evident that nesting Puffins were having a hard time getting into their burrows complete with sand eels for their young. They were coming in off the sea often being chased by a large Herring or Black-backed Gull and on occasion even a Black-headed Gull. The Puffins were often grabbed by their assailants, losing a few feathers in the process, but the sand eels were the target. It meant a quick low flight, straight to the burrow and in, if they dithered the fish were lost. This diminutive auk, about the size of a Blackbird, seems to be holding its own on the Fames at FOOL FFOGS May I ask readers who have any personal observations concerning the Pool Frog, Rana lessonae, or indeed the until-recently easily confused Edible Frog, Rana esculenta, or know of such personal observations (other than in the Castle Museum and Norfolk Record Office, which MSS have already been searched), to let me know. This appeal is linked with my current commission by the Herpetological Conservation Trust to carry out a literature/archive search for this species. There is some degree of urgency, for in order to meet my deadline re submitting the final report I would like to hear of relevant information by no later than early December 1999. Please make contact by writing initially, to me as follows: Geoffrey Kelly, Mynhome, 20 Buxton Road, Frettenham, Norwich, NR12 7NG. j&v the moment with many thousands nesting there. Having however to face these pirates is not in their best interest, this little 'clown of the ocean' needs all the luck it can get. Tony Howes Norfolk Bird AHas - a request for help This year sees the start of fieldwork for the new Norfolk Bird Atlas, a project which is being substantially financed by the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society and which forms part of its Wildlife 2000 initiative to document the fauna and flora of Norfolk at the turn of the century. Plans for this exciting new survey were originally con-ceived over two years ago, since when pilot fieldwork has been carried out both during the winter and breeding season. Unlike The Norfolk Bird Atlas, written by Geoffrey Kelly in 1986, the new one will include maps of both the winter and breeding season distributions, as well as showing relative orders of abundance for each species. So far, such a detailed county atlas for birds has not been attempted in the British Isles. The pilot winter atlas survey was undertaken during the 1998-99 winter with the aim of trying out the recording methods, instructions and recording forms on a group of 23 observers in a variety of habitats. Counts were carried out in 22 tetrads, each of which was visited on two dates, one in each half of the winter period. Initially doubts were expressed as to whether it would be possible to count all the birds encountered in the tetrad. In the event this did prove possible, even if each visit took longer than originally anticipated. It also proved to be a very enjoyable and reward- ing experience, and most observers were surprised by some of the results obtained. A total of 138 species was recorded, of which 8 were found in all 22 tetrads - Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Chaffinch. Interest- ingly these are virtually the same 4 species which have been recorded annually in over 90% of the 1km squares in NE Norfolk during the BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey since 1995; the only exception being Mistle Thrush. An additional 12 species were noted in 91-95% of the tetrads visited during the pilot winter survey - Kestrel, Pheasant, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Starling, House Sparrow and Greenfinch. It is perhaps surprising, and encouraging to find Song Thrush in this list, although only 85 Song Thrushes were found in 21 tetrads, compared with 744 Blackbirds in 22. Other species pairs which make interesting comparisons are Sparrowhawk with a total count of 21 in 16 tetrads and Kestrel with 32 in 20; Red-legged Partridge 228 in 18 and Grey Partridge 71 in 11; Fieldfare 1,985 in 13 and Redwing 293 in 16; Marsh Tit 41 in 15 and Willow Tit 9 in 4; House Sparrow 612 in 20 and Tree Sparrow 1 in 1 . This last figure really does demonstrate just how rare the Tree Sparrow has become in the county. Perhaps not surprisingly, more Woodpigeons were counted (7,182) during the pilot winter atlas survey than any other species. Other widespread species (recorded in over 50% of the tetr ads covered) with total counts in excess of a thousand were Black -headed Gull (3,886), Lapwing (3,044), Rook (2,015), Fieldfare (1,985), Common Gull (1,860), Starling (1,657), Chaffinch (1,156) and Mallard (1,027). Three species were notable for their low counts - Lesser Black- backed Gull with a total of only 7 in 3 tetrads, Siskin 99 in 9 and Redpoll 28 in 5. The new Norfolk Bird Atlas will be able to provide similar comparative quantitative data (on a larger scale), in addition to each species’ distribution, both during the winter and breeding seasons. The results of this summer’s pilot breeding season survey are still being analysed and will be available during the winter. In the meantime we are now looking for volunteers to take on tetrads for the full survey, fieldwork for which will commence in December 1999. The full survey will run for a period of 3-5 years, depending on the response from observers. The more people taking on tetrads, the quicker will the atlas appear. For the winter survey, the aim will be to record the maximum numbers of each species using each tetrad (2x2 km square) between December and February inclusive, in any of the winters during which fieldwork is carried out. Thus all casual records will be welcome, as well as those counts made during the two visits, one in each half of the winter period. The same tetrad will not need to be surveyed in full in subsequent winters. Each recording visit (the first between the start of December and mid-January, the second between mid-January and the end of February) is expected to last 3-5 hours, during which observers are asked to cover as much of the tetrad as possible, certainly visiting all the habitat types present. A preliminary visit to the tetrad is recommended to obtain permission to enter any private land. A letter of introduction will be provided for all recorders. All of the national land-owning bodies have been contacted and the National Trust, for instance, has provided a letter of introduction which can be shown to tenant farmers when seeking permission to visit their land. Details about the breeding season survey will be available before next spring and it is hoped that the same observers will be able to visit the same tetrads for both the surveys. Without exception, this project has been very well received by all the conservation bodies within the county, and, as well as the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society, financial support has been provided by the RSPB, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Cley Bird Club. To all of these the organisers are most grateful. Offers of help with the fieldwork commencing in December this year should be sent to: Moss Taylor 4 Heath Road, Sheringham, NR26 8JH, or by 'phone on 01263-823637 or e-mail at mos s tay 1 or@ btinternet .com . Please include your name, address, phone number and tetrad(s) that you would like to cover. Allocation will be on a first come, first serve basis, but it is often easier if the observer is already familiar with the tetrad or is covering it for another survey. Regular updates about the progress of the project will appear in the pages of The Norfolk Natterjack. Finally I would like to express my gratitude to Andy Wilson for extracting the data from the pilot winter atlas survey and for com- menting on a draft of this article, and to him and the other members of the Atlas Working Group - Alan Collins, Graham Coxall, Phil Heath and Mike Reed for all their hard work in get- ting this project off the ground. Moss Taylor 5 Through the Lens! ”Rex, could you do all that again - the leaf, the lens, the notebook? We’d like to film it.” I had just found a bramble leaf covered with a rust fungus, peered at it through my lens, popped it into an old film canister and made a note of the find. The request was from the crew from BBC TV Bristol who had joined us on Beeston Common (19 th Sept. 1999) to take what they called an unobtrusive part in our field meeting. I waited for their preparations to be completed and repeated the perfor- mance. “That was great. We’d just like to do it again.” We did it again. “Now we’d like to shoot it from a different angle”. That took even longer to prepare. Finding enough leg room for a large tripod on Beeston Common is not easy, especially when the whole shot supposedly depends on one of the legs being just where a particularly difficult and stubborn tussock has already established itself. So much for not upsetting our routine! Never mind. I am sure it is fair to say those of us who attended enjoyed the experience of seeing how a documentary programme is built up tiny piece by tiny piece. The crew were politeness itself and made it all rather fun. Julian Pettifer who is the presenter really did join in, showing genuine interest and wide knowledge, making time to chat to most of us. Who do you think of when Beeston Common is mentioned? Ken Durrant of course and Ken was in the midst of it all with a radio mike tucked away in an inside pocket giving his normal enthusiastic, knowledgeable and amusing account of species after species while all the while the camera rolled. The programme to be shown next Spring is looking for proof of global warming in the northward movement of species. Being observers of natural phenomenon we expressed the view that the expansion of species ranges is a very complicated topic and many factors are involved, not just one. Topical bandwagons do not feature in the Transactions of a Society such as ours! Having said that we did find one midge gall which was until recently confined to the southernmost counties of England and another which but recently crept in so we were able to add to the species list of Beeston Common. What I believe we did demonstrate was how we go about the task of recording the wildlife of Norfolk and how it contributes to our Wildlife 2000 project. That incidentally is how it all came about. The producers had seen our Wildlife 2000 page on the internet and deduced we had a positive contribution to make. I g ssga Rex Haney NATIONAL BAT CONFERENCE 1999 This year Ripon in Yorkshire was the chosen locality for this annual Bat Conservation Trust event. Whether it was the 200+ miles, or the price of accommodation that meant only four East Anglian bat people ventured north over the weekend of September 10th / 1 1th / 12th (or what) I’m not sure - certainly the programme was varied and interesting. It all started in earnest internationally on the Saturday morning with The Work of Bat Conservation International (the American/world organisation) with an account of their perceived role and wide ranging activities of their organisation. There was an interesting account of the bats of Moldova (honest - there is such a place - look it up in your atlas!) and a tantalising glimpse into the bats present on the Brandberg Mountain in the Namib Desert where an expedition from Leeds University and Raleigh International had recently been. Henry Schofield working for the Vincent Wildlife Trust had spent time tracking Bechstein’s bats in a wood while Frank Greenaway gave his customary good account - with excellent slides - on his work on tracking Barbastelles in Sussex. THE W.f. TAX 1C OH BATS WAS HOT A SUCCESS! 6 Final slot before lunch was Sue Parsons and John Goldsmith (the dynamic duo) with their PowerPoint demonstration on the Norfolk Barbastelles - but perhaps less said about that the better? Well actually it went pretty well with Ewan giving us at least 7 out of 10 The afternoon was taken up with workshops on subjects ranging from biodiversity and bats in bridges through to time-expansion bat detectors. Sunday was Colin Catto and the National Bat Monitoring Programme and Steven Betts of The Environment Agency recounted what they hope to do for bats. The final morning session was a research one with themes running through Greater Horseshoe population structure, a New Zealand bat, some Caribbean bats and the shape of echolocation calls. Sunday afternoon was education and development including raising awareness of bats, batty Holidays and making planners work for bats. There were half-a-dozen sales tables plus about a dozen poster exhibitions and table displays - some very nicely done. Mention was made several times of the current Pipistrelle species split. Apparently we should now refer to these as “Common Pipistrelle” (45 Khz) and “Soprano Pipistrelle” (55Khz) - that of course discounts the 3rd Pipistrelle now in Britain - Nathusius’ - which I’m sure will be found widely in the county - once we start listening around the county with time expansion detectors. We now have some recordings of Nathusius’ Pipistrelle and have spoken to bat workers with experience of this species - 1 hope some recording along with some bat box details and other new material will appear on the new Norfolk Bat Group web site before long. IT’S NOW AT: http://www.suif.to/NorfoIkBatGroup Apparently this species prefers a watery rural environment with older traditional buildings. Does that remind you of anywhere? (see the new Nathusius Pipistrelle U.K distribution map). The most riveting and worthwhile part of the weekend was a slight departure from normal. Conference things usually end in a flurry by 5 p.m. on the Sunday afternoon! The Sunday evening this time however, was devoted to a session on time-expansion detectors. We had an hour or so of theory then out into the field in three groups into the likely surrounding areas near water. Our group struck lucky and saw and recorded Noctule, Daubenton and 45 kHz Pipistrelles over the river just outside Ripon. Then it was back to the college to put the recordings into the computer and see their sound profiles using a programme called “Batsound”. It was new to me to see Natterers bats as a vertical line -starting at over 100 kHz and dropping to below our hearing range (20 Khz), while one of the sound files brought by Ewan showed Serotine or Noctule in amongst our barn dwelling Barbastelles! It will take me a time to get used to the idea of recording unheard noises in the dark - then coming home to feed them with wires into a computer - before you know what it was you had not heard or seen! I suppose I belong to the older school of natural history - if you cannot see and hear it in the field and name it - then it may well not exist. I expect that’s only a short step from the even older - “what’s hit is history, what’s missed is mystery John Goldsmith 7 A NATURAL HISTORY QBOSSUQtW lOti cMmsrms compiled by Malcolm Metcalf ACROSS 6. Six eyed spider Dysdera (7) 7. Young hog (5) 9. Branched horn (6) 10. Citrus aurantium (6) 1 1 . Used to frighten away an animal! (4) 1 2. Aquatic nymph (8) 14. Bay rum is produced from the foliage of this plant (8) 16. Fungus causing (4) 1 8. Wild sheep of India (6) 20. Desert (6) 21 . Cover with dewlike drops (5) 22. Cultivated plant named after Michel Begon (7) DOWN 1 . Natural division of a plant stem (6) 2. Marine bivalve molluscs (8) 3. Sand loving plants (11) 4. Flightless South American bird (4) 5. Coconut tree (6) 8. Red berried garden shrub (1 1 ) 1 3. Another name for Aardvark (5-3) 15. Another name for inchworm (6) 17. Mist or fine rain apparently falling from a cloudless sky (6) 19. Mountain wild goat (4) fttoteetw luw kiudty donated a iusoJt & v • w C-v L • tr • 4 » • • ! §:S 1 NN NS Exc :ursion s 2000- 2001 ft Toad-in-the-hole... Since the last 'Natterjack' the Society has appeared on national television, held its first ever appearance at the Royal Norfolk Show and jointly hosted a Public Open Day at Wheat/en with the Ted Ellis Trust. The latter two projects involving a lot 0 / time and effort by council member David Freak Clover at Hilhorough Whilst recording plants for an on going project to update the Flora of Stamford Training Area, I was walking across Hook’s Well Meadow, on the northern part of the area when I spotted half a dozen bright pink spikes of bloom at about 50 metres distance which were obviously something unusual. My first thought had been Pyramidal Orchids, but as I drew nearer there seemed to be a similarity with some exotic species of Bistort. I was there- fore astonished to discover that the plant was a pink flowered clover with all the flowers deflexed instead of upright in the terminal head. The individual flowers were somewhat smaller than in normal red clover Nobbs. From what I have heard both events can be deemed a success in attracting interest and new members. David deserves our thanks and a resounding pat on the back, particularly for the RNS days. Less central to the NNNS but with much involvement by some of its members is the Beeston Common Management Group who recently ( Trifolium pratense) and of a clearer pink. The leaves were like those of that plant, but the stems were somewhat elongated and I had the impression that they might even root along the stem, given time. A similar note to this is being pre- pared to send to B SB I News, the newsletter of the Botanical Society of the British Isles, along with a colour slide of the plant. Gillian Beckett has seen a specimen and has not seen anything like it before, and I would be interested to hear from any one who has. The B.S.B.I unfortunately, do not have a referee covering the genus Trifolium. Bearing in mind the above, I am actually wondering if the plant might just be a hybird T. pratense x T. repens. Any comment would be welcomed. Alec Bull were presented with a 'highly commended! certificate for its long term commitment to the valuable wildli/e site. The award was made on July 14 tK by North Norfolk District Council as part of their Environmental Awards 2000 community project. FF Transactions Vol. 33 Part l It has been noted that some of the photographs of the Sawfly larvae (between pages 50 and 51) have been printed in the wrong position . Please note that they should read as follows: Key: 1 -3 5-7 2-4 6-8 • Photo 1 should be Photo 7 • Photo 6 should be Photo 1 • Photo 7 should be Photo 6 also the heading opposite page 25 should read: Two Orchids from Holt Country Park not Two Orchard from Holt Country Park. Similarly the Bird’s- nest Orchard in the second para- graph should read Bird's-nest Orchid. The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society Number 70 August 2000 Everything.. Pink elephants I can cope with, real live flying elephants - the Elephant Hawk Moths, of course - but pink woodlice? Bright pink woodlice the colour of boiled lobster! Were the children winding me up again? Or was it just an extreme colour variation of the common woodlouse, Philoscis muscoruml This woodlouse can occur in shades of yellow, brown and even red as well as the normal grey. “If it’s got a big black line down the back it’s a common Philoscia," I shouted as I shovelled up some debris of weeds and dust off the patio. The children were supposed to be moving bags of tin cans into the car to take to the recycling centre; instead they were huddled over a damp patch on the concrete- slabbed patio. “No! It’s pink with a yellow line down the back,” one of them replied, “Come and look!” Humour them and we can get this job finished I thought as they moved apart to let me kneel down with them. I was fairly confident that I knew all the types of woodlouse living in our garden. I had got a key to the British Woodlice a couple of years ago and have found four large flat species, the Pill Woodlouse that rolls into a ball, two tiny pale grey or brown species that are normally overlooked as babies of the larger species and the blind white woodlouse that abounds in ants’ nests under the paving slabs. Now I had another species, Andronicus dentiger, a smallish one under 6mm long but a distinct and obvious bright pink with a yellow line down the back. This must be a new arrival since I had ,s in the pink! j diligently checked any odd- i coloured woodlice when I got the * key and would have investigated j any strange woodlouse. i 1 According to the key this ( woodlouse is native to southern f Britain and widely distributed, * occurring in 20 of the 59 ‘vice- * counties ’ used for recording s purposes, and living in loose col- i onies often becoming common in ! the locality. It can survive in a | variety of habitats and it should be i easy to spot even for the non-expert, i | With species like this one it makes j one wonder why it seems so t uncommon. Is it just a lack of ! people looking for it or does it need ( some microhabitat requirement we ! don’t yet understand? Often the * breakthrough in these situations | comes not from scientific research , but from casual observations from \ the public or detailed notes made by ! interested amateurs. I Robert Maidstone t Aug. ’99 Unusual Prey. During a late afternoon walk (15th May) over Beeston Regis Common 1 disturbed a male Kestrel which took flight from the recently cleared heath at the southern end of the common. As it climbed I became aware of something in its talons. It was a reptile - an Adder about 15 -18” long - at least judging by its thickness and the habitat it was more likely to have been a snake than a slow-worm although I could not make out any colouring as it flew against a low sun. One foot gripped the unfortunate animal directly behind its head whilst the other held the middle of the snake, thus preventing any kind of attack presuming it was still alive. David and Janet Mower had commented to me previously that they had seen a Kestrel carrying an Adder near Holt Lowes around 1990. I checked in various references including BWP for any listing of this unusual prey and found that in fact snakes were only reported rarely as part of the diet and then generally from southern Europe. Francis Farrow Friendly Robins The path down to Salhouse Broad from the carpark is probably 400 yards or so long, but in this shortish stretch live many robins. All of them are fairly tame and quite happy to take crumbs from around your feet, but one at least, probably two, are so confident that they will fly on to an out stretched hand and feed. Wendy and I have been trying recently to capture this on film. It has given much pleasure to see how confiding these lovely birds can be. We do have a pair of robins in the garden, they come to the bird table just outside the window, but they are very wary and leave as soon as somebody steps outside. Tony Hoivcs A casualty of war! The spectacular peregrine is a favourite with every birder but it wasn’t always flavour of the month. Actress Prunella Scales, president of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, recalling her childhood in Devon during the war, remembers a woman “whose wartime job it was to find peregrine falcon nests and destroy the eggs, because the mature birds would prey on War Office carrier pigeons”. David Pauli The Snail and the Equal Opportunities Course As a Police Officer I have had to attend two Equal Opportunities courses. I came out of the second still confused as to how I felt about the subject. I thought that the principle of equal opportunity for women, and men, was admirable but seemed somehow to almost deny the differences that exist between the sexes. On the other hand there were some Old Cops who gave the female tutor a very hard time with their rather cliche and Victorian attitude to sexual equality. Both views had validity but I felt the need to consult Nature | for an answer to my confusion, On 25th July, 1999 I was watching the mating of Helix pomatia , the Roman or Apple Snail of garlic butter and French cuisine that so repulses the average British palette. Sadly not a Norfolk species, Europe's largest snail is now rare in Britain. These were part of a small colony I had found in the chaiklands of Suffolk. They are huge, twice the size of Helix aspersa, the Garden Snail. Roman Snails are hermaphrodites and these snails may have possibly mated earlier as they sat, balan- cing on their tails, sole to sole. At 2200 hours mating commenced. Both reared up, still sole to sole and a slow and extraordinarily sensual dance began. They rocked from side to side and mouthed each other whilst gently stroking each other's tentacles. A calcium dart was then fired from each dart sac into the body of the other snail. This ; apparently increases arousal and at 2230 copulation commenced. From the side of the head the sex organs burst forth like grotesque deformities. The male organ of each plugs into the other's female organ and sperm is passed between them. Each snail will then go on to develop and lay eggs in the soil. At 2250 the sex organs were retracted and the snails lay to- gether, tentacles placid, appa- rently exhausted well into the night. Morning found them apart and feeding, equal opportunities Issue has evolved. As I was pondering on the subject of equal opportunities at the time I wondered if it could all be solved if we were hermaphrodites, equal in every way. Why are we not hermaphrodite? It appears to me that no hermaphrodite has evolved much further than an animal that lays and then abandons Its' eggs. The young are independent from the time of hatching. In order for a human to grow a brain large enough to enable It to develop into the most fantastic creature on the planet takes a long time, Some 16 years or so are needed. Who will nurse it, care for it, protect it for every minute of the day, feed it, teach it and love it? Its' parents I hope! If we were hermaphrodites how could we possibly divide the labour. After all, what man could stay at home nursing the baby when he could go out hunting with his mates? The division and differences between the sexes clearly has a purpose. The answer I was looking for was an under-standing that the roles of men and women are designed by Nature to be different but however different they may be they share equal Importance in the overall plan, namely the bringing of our young to adult-hood and indepen- dence. If the roles are equal in importance then so are the rights of each sex. It seems to me that a confusion be- tween roles and rights is responsible for the problems from which the Mind you, I really don't know what all the fuss is about. Everyone knows that female is the greater sex.. .or is it? I find that life Is easy if I capitulate to female demands at every opportunity! Is that a sexist comment? Oh dear, it seems I'm still confused. Garth M. Coupland SWALLOWTAIL SIGHTING On Monday 3rd July 2000 i was walking along the north bank of the sfaithe at West Somerton {TG464 205} when a Swallowtail butterfly flew across the path in front of me. is this an unusual sighting away from it's strong hold at Hickling and the Strumpshaw area? Colin A Jacobs From my experience Swallowtails can range, many mites from their natural habitat, however, in this case the nearest colonies are probably at Horsey Mere, approximately l'h miles away , although it is possible they also occur around the adjacent Marrham Broad. A n Atlas of Norfolk Butterflies 1984 -1988' by MR Hall does show a 'dot’ in the West Somerton tetrad. Perhaps therefore not that unusual but still a rare and beautiful sight. In 1989 a Swallowtail reached Beeston Regis, some 20 miles from its nearest know n colony. FF © Fred Ashton remembered (2) My first recollection of Fred was in the summer of 1935, when I used to visit Gunns in St. Giles street to get my entomological pins and also sometimes to purchase foreign birds for my aviary. Fred worked in a small room at the back of the shop opposite the small cages holding the Java Sparrows, Silver-bills, Cut-throats, Diamond Doves etc. No doubt any dead occupants finished up on his bench in due course . On one visit the door was open and I could see what he was doing. I think he was having a working lunch, he was eating sandwiches with his left hand whilst his right hand was rubbing a foxes skin with what he told me was arsenical soap. I thought of the old saying, “never let the left hand know what the right hand is up to”. Lesser mortals would have died a grisly death attempting such an operation, but Fred evidently was immune. explained their life history etc. They looked perfect specimens, although he would not say where he had got them from he made it clear that he had a customer for them when he had plied his trade . He was, as Reg Jones hinted in the last issue ( Natterjack No. 69), a likable character. I can visualize him now, having passed him many times in Larkman Lane, pushing his trade cycle loaded up in front and with a large galvanized pail on each handlebar full of pigswill etc. This gave him a very recog- nizable aroma as it often splashed out onto his coat and trousers. One visit in 1939 I saw Fred putting the finishing touches to, I think it was, a Snow Goose. It looked super, and then many years later " when I visited the museum in Liverpool I again saw the same goose and verified it by Gunn’s label on it. It was then in the recent acquisition section. He used to cycle miles all over the county to attend our field meet- ings and when we were having our lunch he would produce from his pockets some of the more recognizable road casualties he had picked up on his way, dead Stoats, Weasels or Squirrels seemed to be the usual. Not all those who were enjoying their cheese sandwiches were amused and a number would return their half-eaten lunch to the box and retire to the other side of their car. On one occasion he had made a detour to retrieve some carc- asses before joining us at Way- land Wood near Watton. The lunch had started and as usual about halfway through Fred rummaged in his pockets and produced a paper bag from which he withdrew two Long-eared Bats, then stretching out their wings he Despite his appearance, he was an expert at his craft. His home was full of his work, and when visiting him one had to beware of the Tawny Owl that used to sit on top of the grandfather clock and would jump onto the shoulders of visitors if they approached too close. It would then try to make a meal of ones earlobes; either through affection or hunger I do not know which! I expect it finished up on the ‘operating table' in due course. Fred told me that he sometimes made a meal of a specimen he thought was edible “a pity to waste it” he would remark. He was, as time went by, made an honorary member of the Society, as strict rules were enforced in his trade and times were getting hard for him. T _ „ Ken Durrant A seasonal occurrence In late May, my attention was drawn to a “fungus” present on the bark of the lime trees, particularly the younger specimens, which are a feature of Lime Tree Road in Norwich. The infest- ation took the form of num- erous small clusters of white cottony threads, barely one centimetre in diameter, each being capped by a hard shield-like cover, warm- brown in colour and dist- inctively ridged. They were not associated with a fungal infection but scale insects, very like those illustrated in Chinery’s Insects and labelled Parthenolecanium comL However, after photo- graphing a specimen, I ref- erred the matter to Ken Durrant who identified the insect as a close relation of P. corni - P. coyli. Each unit was a degenerate female, wingless and legless, and quite static on the bark of the tree. I gather such infes- tations have been wide- spread in Norwich this year. Reg Jones Pigmy Shrews Please note the reference by Tony Leech to AB/RB, in the May issue of 'Natterjack', as having been responsible for the destruction of two Pigmy Shrews in a second loft in Edgefield is incorrect. The loft concerned was in a bungalow in East Tuddenham, the property of A & R Bull! Broom Galls I read with interest two recent notes about galls on broom (Feb & May 2000), as the gall-former, Aceria genistae (Nalepa) (recently moved from Eriophyes), is currently being considered as a potential biological control agent for Cytisus scoparius for several countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and Chile) where broom is a serious exotic weed. A biological control agent is a natural enemy of the target weed that is both highly specific to the weed and also dam- aging under a wide range of envi- ronmental conditions. The aim of biological control is to use these agents to bring down the abun- dance of this weed in its exotic range without any risk that the agents will move on to other plant species in this environment. These activities assume that a lack of natural enemies on the weed in the exotic range may have been part of the cause of its invasion. Aceria genistae can certainly be damag- ing. It has been observed to kill plants in shady conditions in southern France. The exact host range of the species is not so precisely defined. Aceria genistae senu latu has quite a wide number of recorded hosts range forming galls on Cytisus scoparius and Cytisus purgans (including horticultural varieties and hybrids with these as parents) and Ulex europaeus. but also having been collected off, Ulex parviflorus, Genista pilosa, G. cinerea. G. Corsica, G. tinctoria , G. monspessulana and S parti um junceum. Recent work has shown that mites frcm galls on Spartium are a separate species ( Aceria spartii (Castagnoli 1978)), and causal observations have shown that when galled C. scoparius plants are in close association with Ulex europaeus, Cytisus striatus (very hairy pods) and Cytisus multiflorus (white flowers) where they have been widely planted along roadsides in the UK and in continental Europe galls are restricted to C. scoparius. Also where galls have been seen on Ulex europaeus in New Zealand adja- cent C. scoparius plants had no galls. This had led to the idea that A. genistae is either still a complex of several species or at least has a number of clearly distinguished host races. Before A. genistae can be clearly useful as a biological control agent this last conundrum needs to be solved. To address the problem we are conducting a taxonomic analysis of A. genistae collected from a number of host species and a number of localities. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who would be prepared to collect galls for us from broom or related garden varieties (if variety is known) from Norfolk. What we are after is 5 galls from 5 separate plants from a site dropped into tubes of ethanol (galls from one plant can go in the same tube). Your assis- tance would be duly acknowledged in any forthcoming publication. I can be contacted at the address below and can provide the tubes and ethanol if necessary. Any non-C. scoparius host records would also be of great interest to me. Many thanks Andy Sheppard CSIRO Entomology. European Laboratory Campus International de Baillarguet 34980 MONTFERRIER-SUR-LEZ France email: andys@ento.csiro.au Foreign Conifer Hedging! I have some good news about these fast growing “Foreign" conifer hedges, that received a lot of bad publicity in the national Press some time ago. Apart from the obvious fact that planting them only in a position that is not going to cause future problems, I have to report that the local wild bird population really approve of them! Some twelve years ago I planted a “hedge” of Castlewallan Leyland Cypress along the east side of my garden, stretching about 120ft. in length and in front of it another row of various garden conifers, making a solid barrier to the east and also as a screen to and for the newly converted barn next door. My garden is in a very rural position on the edge of open organic farmland. The “ Hedge” is more like a line of small individual trees having been planted originally at about twelve feet apart. This season I can report the following birds nesting in these conifers: From north to south: Chaffinch, then about twelve feet on Long Tailed Tits. Approx.l5ft. on a Blackbird, then Dunnock after approx another 15ft. Song Thrush 10 ft further on and Finally (I think!) Greenfinches. The great thing about these conifers is that they are virtually cat and Sparrow-hawk proof! Of course the birds aren’t daft! I feed them (two birdtables) and also have battery powered ultrasonic “Cat Scarers “ around the garden (which I hasten to add are harmless!). Roger A R Clarke THE SCOL T HEAD ISL AND The Society were invited by English Nature to spend the second week in June to study some aspects of the natural history of Scolt Head Island. The specific areas of interest focused on the diatom flora of the salt marshes and the invertebrate communities associated with shrubby seablite Suaeda fructicosa. The data from these studies will be published later but in this report we would like to write about some of the wider interests which we enjoyed on the reserve. The dunes support myriads of the lovely bee orchid Ophrys apifera. So many in the dune sand-sedge swards so great care had to be taken not to crush them underfoot. Else- where in Norfolk the bee orchid occurs rarely and in smaller numbers but on Scolt it is everywhere. There is a magnificent picture of a bee orchid in Gillian Beckett and Alec Bull's A Flora of Norfolk on page 265. Often in the same groupings we came across spikes of the pyramidal orchid Gymnadenia conopsea and the contrasting colours of the two species beautified the dunes. The flowers of pyramidal orchids only appear after five to ten years growth and during this time the plant is heavily dependent upon its mycorrhizal fungus. The muci- lage derived from the root tubers goes under the pharma- ceutical name of 'Salep' which is an Arabic word describing 'testicles of a fox'. Salep muci- lage was used in Britain to relieve itching. Sea holly Eryngium martimum thrives on the fore dunes and again one had to walk carefully so as not to destroy the delicate silver-green leaves and bright blue thistle like flowers. In their Flora Gillian and Alec write that, "First recorded when Sir Thomas Browne noted that he had received information from the 'eryngo diggers' of Yarmouth in 1668". Apparently its roots were eaten as a sweet-meat after being candified. The generic Eryngium is taken from the Greek ereugomai which means 'I belch’. The plant was once used to relieve flatulence. Sea bindweed Calystegia soldanella produced pink carpets with their trumpet-shaped flowers. The blossoms are visited by bumble bees, hawk-moths and small bee-flies. Another feature of the dunes are the stands of common polypody ferns and more extensive bushes of privet. The fresh winds over Scolt limited the numbers of moths caught during the stay but two nights trapping resulted in five Privet Hawk- moths being EXPERIENCE collected. These came to lamps on or near the dunes where privet formed a shrubby cover. In the day-time we noted a number of Painted Ladies, Common Blue and Small Heaths. Ragwort was often covered with caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth and many adults were also seen. Other moths caught included Mother Shipton, Nutmeg, Common Wainscot, Large Yellow Underwing and Sand Dart. The foreshore at Scolt is covered in places by the shells of gastropods and bivalves. The two species of razor shells noted included the colonising Ensis americanus from the other side of the Atlantic. The fleshy feet of razor shells when cooked in butter and with salt and black pepper and consid- ered by some to be a delicacy, but then so is tripe!!! Another invader of our Norfolk coast washed up on the shore is the American Slipper Limpet which was accidently intro- duced into the UK from America in 1890 and first noted in Norfolk in the mid- 1970s. Species of cockles, gapers, piddocks, buckies, whelks, mussels, scallops and oysters also littered the water line. A shell collectors para- dise!!!! We are planning to resume our studies in late August through day visits. This will mean catching and early morning tide and returning on the evening tide. If anyone would like to join us then please telephone Roy Baker (01508 570 609). Roy Baker , Keith Clarke, Derek Howlett m FIELD & INDOOR MEETINGS Aug - Oct 2000 Please note that start times are variable and that one of the meetings this quarter can only take limited numbers so that booking is essential. I Rubber boots recommended. LL Rubber boots essential. Saturday 5 th August Cranwich Heath. 11.00 a.m. Full Day. Directions: Leave the Mundford roundabout westwards on the A134 towards Downham Market & King branch. They all have leaves usu- * ally spirally around a stem. They * mostly have a nerve or midrib, this j can be any length, even protruding • out of the end of the leaf. The edge ; of the leaf can be entire or indented ; with small teeth, sometimes double > teeth. f Leaves are of many different s shapes, some with hair points i which makes the tips look white. * Cell size and shape is important in identification. Some cells are round, others long and narrow. Some leaves may have auricles at ! the bottom with cells of different shape to the main cells. To look at these features requires first a lOx lens. Some mosses you • can tell just by looking at them and ; by where they are growing. Bryum ar gentium, as its name suggests, is ; silvery. It grows on the edge of asphalt paths, even in towns. Half the secret is in knowing what grows in each habitat. ! Once you get interested you will need a handbook. The best one to f start with is E V Watson’s British i Mosses and Liverworts, Cambridge * University Press. Next you will , need a microscope. I have a binoc- i ular dissecting one with both top ! and bottom light and magnification \ of lOx and 30x. This is excellent , for a first look at a moss. I dunk the i moss in some water to clean it and ; bring it back to life. In fact you can j do this after having been dried for \ several years. This magnification is * often enough to identify a speci- men, but to look at cells you need a j compound microscope. I bought a f second hand one from Brunei Microscopes, it has 4x, lOx, 40x j and lOOx objectives, but I only use ; the first three for bryophytes. With a lOx eyepiece, this gives 40x, lOOx and 400x magnification. It has built in illumination and a measuring graticule in the eyepiece for meas- uring cell size. The best way to get into bryophytes is to go on outings with other bryo- logists. You will find a list of our meetings in this issue. You need to collect small speci- mens in a herbarium. They are collected in the field, a pinch is enough. I put them in old DL envelopes which I always open by cutting off the right hand end to get the letter out. This makes a useful packet on which you can write the name, habitat, map reference, date and who has confirmed it. When you get them home, stand the packets up on a window sill above a radiator to dry. Once dry they will keep forever. To examine the specimen, soak in a little water to revive, squeeze out the water and tease out so that you can see the different parts of the plant. After examining, they can be kept in paper packets. I use an A4 sheet of paper, an old letter will do. Fold it up with the letter inside, first a third up, then each side in one inch and finally the top down a third. This gives a packet roughly six inches by four inches which just fits in an old shoe box. Headings can be printed on the front flap with a computer, plus fold marks to make life easier. John Mott Bryophyte Recorder East Norfolk (VC27) 2000 Year of the Clouded Yellow Saxthorpe SEPT 4 • Fine sunny day. Few light showers during the morning. Checked fields on Aylsham Road Saxthorpe for Golden Plover. Noticed yellow butterflies amongst beans. This is the first year A Mitchell & Co. are growing NORTHERN SOYA for seed. Sown early May - exceptional leaf growth and beans now forming. 26 Clouded Yellows counted mainly in one area.: SEPT 5 - Dull - no butterflies seen. SEPT 6 - Fine morning - rain later. Sunny afternoon - very windy. 2 Clouded Yellows seen. Also checked fields at Heydon and Cawston - no butterflies seen. SEPT 8 - Rain early then fine but no sun. 5 Clouded Yellows seen. One resting on a bean leaf - wings closed - blends in and very difficult to see. One feeding on Scentless Mayweed. SEPT 9 - 45 Clouded Yellows seen flying over field and also feeding. Watched feeding on heartsease, Persian speedwell, corn sowthistle, nipplewort and scentless mayweed. Other plants not visited were mugwort, fat hen, black bindweed, knotgrass, redshank and corn mint. Walked across potato field to many other flowering plants as above but no butterflies seen here. SEPT 1 1 * Checked fields at Heydon and Cawston: again. No butterflies seen, SEPT 14 - 10am Fine but not sunny - very little wind. 10 butterflies seen flying across tops of beans - not feeding on weeds. Beans approx- imately 24 inches high. Many leaves with holes but not necessarily cater- pillars. No caterpillars seen. Hairy Snail on one leaf- Evidence of snails on other plants. Plants still very green. SEPT 21 - Windy, sunny - 4 Clouded Yellows seen. SEPT 27 - 7 Clouded Yellows seen. SEPT 28 - 5 Clouded Yellows seen. Anne Brewster The air was fetid as I climbed the cramped spiral steps of the tower. My torchlight stabbed into the darkness above and my boots crunched on the dry, mummified bodies of pigeons lying on the thick carpet of droppings that filled each stone step. An updraft of rank air bowed the enormous cobwebs that brushed my head. I was in a most un- pleasant place. I had been on duty in a Police riot van when we received a call to attend Gt. Yarmouth’s St. Nicholas Church where a man had been seen on the roof. With my colleagues surrounding the building I was ascending a small side tower to gain access to the roofs of England’s largest parish church. discerned a whiter sphere. This was her egg sac but the impression was of a fearsome guardian of some mystical runic treasure. I examined the contents of her lair; a bag shaped web below her tubular retreat containing mangled corpses of her prey, and was surprised to find no flies at all. The odd wood- louse and the chitinous remains of the equally fearsome woodlouse feeding spider, Dysdera crocata were the only recognizable prey. Oh! The burglar? He escaped somehow into the night. Or perhaps he made it to the top of the large bell tower where his macerated cadaver will one day be discovered in the web of an even larger and more sinister - “Queen of the Tower”. Garth M. Coupland PC 215 Acle Police Station The owners of the cobwebs were huge. They waited menacingly in tubes at the point where the sheet web met the old flint and brick interior walls of the tower. I had never seen such large spiders and my excitement quite overwhelmed my apprehension at blundering into a burglar waiting at the top of the tower. What awaited me in that small domed chamber was the sinister “Queen” of all these spiders. Much larger than the others she had pride of place by a small leaded window where no doubt the flies who fed on the death, filth and decay below gathered at the light in hope of escape from the tower. Her majesty sat upon a beautifully suspended white, cocoon-like web in the centre of which could be Tegenaria parietina, the Cardinal Spider, is one of four contenders for the title of Britain’s largest spider. The others are the Raft Spider Dolomedes plantarius, who is generally bulky all round. A female Araneus quadratus, heavy with eggs is reputed to weigh the most. Segestria florentina, of south coast walls, has the longest body length. This Queen was visibly larger than any of these. She had an enormous abdomen and a body length later measured at 22 mm. Each leg was about 50 mm long! The species is distributed through- out South arid Eastern England and unknown elsewhere on mainland Britain. It is generally uncommon and appears to prefer undisturbed buildings. It was a thrill to find such thriving colonies in all the side towers of the church. The Halcyon Bird Recently I spent a day fishing at a Norfolk Lake where the water is surrounded by willow and alder trees. During the day I had a frequent companion in the form of a Kingfisher. This jewel of the bird world would announce its passage by a shrill, high pitched call as it flew across the lake. On a couple of occasions it perched on a branch in full view. It sat very still scanning the water below, sometimes chang- ing its position to face the other way, but always intently watching the surface. I marvelled at its ability to discern small fish in the water below, for there was a strong ripple on the rather murky lake, but see them it did and several minnow size fish met their fate. This lovely bird seems to be holding its own in Norfolk, long may it do so. Tony Howes TALES FROM THE MOTH TRAP With the summer nights so full of big catches, 100 species of moths in the moth trap is easily encount- ered on many nights, I have wit- nessed 180 species at Thorpe-ness in Suffolk and 155 at Wicken Fen, but its not just moths that I have found in my traps over the past twelve years, not even the wasps, flies or those terribly smelly burying beetles that one often finds, but what about the things that really should not be in the trap. I remember the times when I lived in Shetland and it was always so disheartening to find only about ten species, if this were not bad enough imagine finding our cat inside the moth trap eating what little there was! Once trapping in North Wales I had a Tawny Owl sat above the trap not only frightening the daylights out of the moths but me as well, as I was feeling rather uncomfortable due to a car being continually driven passed me on a number of occasions with the driver looking like a mad axe man. I often have company with bats flying above the light taking incoming prey but as is usually the case mothing in late summer and autumn, especially in woodland, I am joined by hornets, not just devouring the moths but them- selves as well, I have been at Foxley Wood and been joined by 40 plus hornets in one trap! I have just obtained thick rubber gloves and a beekeepers hat and netting for future trapping in woods at this time of year! Imagine a friend of mine looking in disbelief at Fordham Wood in Cambridgeshire as a fox once took his wine rope (a rope soaked in wine, treacle, etc, to attract and dope the moths) from a fence post and disappear full pace off into the distance with it slurping from its mouth ! I was once at S wanton Great Wood at the end of August and having loaded everything back into the car the morning after, I found a slow worm hiding under the trap, initially thinking a first glimpse it was an adder, the trap and electric’s were flung some ten feet! If you think this rather amusing bare a thought for a ‘critter’ hunt in California USA and while trapping moths they had a diamond back come to light not the diamond back moth but a diamond back rattle snake!!! I must admit that a few years ago, quite odd for a moth catcher, I used to be afraid of the dark, especially those dark, creepy woods when anything could jump out on you (I am glad I can admit I have conq- uered this now!) and while at Holt Lowes one night going through the actinic trap there was a rustling in the undergrowth, it got closer and closer and then it jumped out at me it was a toad after a free meal! ! ! ! ! The same night deep in the back and beyond away from the main road and at 2am the car would not start and having to walk two miles into Holt to phone for help, the R AC found it one of there most unusual cases! Even this year I have weird and wonderful things still happen, a survey at the RSPB’s Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk with visits once a month, we have to drive three miles along a dusty and bumpy track, through reed beds to get to Botany Bay , an ‘ancient’ reed-bed where we trap, at the end of this rally I come across a ram-shack wooden bungalow. In the middle of no where is an understatement, and intrigues me that it should have net curtains, why? If you have ever seen the film “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” then this is the place! I was bursting to knock on the door to see who lived there, and event- ually plucked up courage in August with the excuse of letting them know what we were doing at ‘not to be worried’; I waited to see who would come to the door. .. I expec- ted a thin gaunt man with string vest and blood shot eyes, Hannibal Lecter maybe imagine my disappointment when a little blonde lady came with just a night shirt on!!!!! As I say, never a dull mo- ment when moth trapping with me! Jon Clifton Copper Bryony Although the chlorophyll is still there, it is difficult to imagine that the purplish colour in the leaves of plants such as the copper beech could confer any benefit on the plant. I have al- ways presumed that the character arose by mutation and would persist only in cultivation where survival of the fittest gives way to survival of the protected, so I shall follow with interest the fate of a 'copper' black bryony [Tamus communis) growing in a hedgerow near Holt. It appeared to be growing normally but has died back sooner than the typically pig- mented plant beside it. Does anyone know of other examples of this pigmentation in wild plants? Tony Leech FIELD & INDOOR MEETINGS Nov 2000 -Jan 2001 Please note that start times are variable. I Rubber boots recommended. H Rubber boots essential. Sunday 7th January l Breydon Water. 10.30 a.m. Full Day. Directions: Meet in the ASDA supermarket car park. TG520080. The plan is to walk westwards at low tide and then follow the tide back in. With luck, there will be good numbers of waders. Leader: Ian Robinson. INDOOR MEETINGS To be held at Room 7, The Sports and Leisure Centre, Easton College, Easton, Norwich. 7.30 p.m. Tuesday 21st November Millennium Conservation Forum: “Management or non-intervention” There is still an opportunity to submit written questions to the panel. These should be sent to Stephen Martin (address on back of programme) or e-mailed to srmartin@redhotant.com AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:. Tuesday 19th December ”Gal( stories and galling friends” Rex Haney By popular demand, there will again be festive refreshments provided. However, please note that members will be invited to make a small voluntary contribution towards the cost of these. Tuesday 16th January "Wildlife in the Stanford Battle Area” Alec Bull Bob Ellis , Chairman Programme Committee ® EAST ANGLIAN BRYOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS 2000 ■ 2001 The following excursions are planned for the Autumn & Spring of 2000-2001 . Beginners will be most welcome; the only equipment needed is a hand lens (x 10 or x 20), and some paper packets for collecting into. Meetings will only be cancelled if it snows, or there is hard frost. All meetings will start at 10.30am, unless otherwise stated. For further information, contact either John Mott or Robin Stevenson. (See below - on page 9) Sunday 29 October: Catfield Hall Estate. Meet by war memorial at TG38221 3. Sunday 12 November: Smallburgh Fen NWT reserve. An SSSI, calcareous mire, 8 ha. Park on Union Road verge at TG326243. Saturday 25 November: Roydon Common NWT reserve. Heath, bog & fen carr. Car park at TF677227. The track in is fairly rough, so take it steady. Sunday 10 December: Fen Covert, Walblerswick Meet at car park at 5-way junction, TM450727. Sunday 17 December: Ftoman Camp National Trust and Incleborough Hill. Meet in car park at TGi 8441 3. Saturday 6 January: Dunwich Heath. Meet in National Trust car park by coastguard cottages (charge for non NT members) TM476678. Sunday 21 January: East Winch NWT reserve. Open heath, pools, woodland. Park at side of lane off A47 at TF6981 60. Saturday 3 February: Pigneys Wood. In 1991 the North Norfolk Community Woodland Trust purchased 21 hectares of land within the parish of Knapton near North Walsham. Planting started in 1993. The wood is bordered on the NW side by the disused railway line, which is the Paston Way. The North Walsham and Dilham canal runs along the south side. Meet in car park off Hall Lane at TG 297323 on the east side. Sunday 18 February: Thetford Heath. Meet at TL849795. This is entrance to Gorse Industrial Estate. Park on edge of wide road, quiet at weekends. Sunday 4 March: NNNS meeting. An introduction to mosses & liverworts. Meet Woodland Trust car park, TM205893. Leader John Mott. Starts 1 1 .00am. Sunday 18 March: Horsey Mere, 202 ha, SSSI, open water, fen and grazing marsh, and Horsey Gap, coast. Meet in National Trust car park (fee possible?) at TG456223. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 Excursion Reports Parish Potter July 23 d 2000. Around ten members attended the Parish Potter at Wacfon led by resident recorder Robert Maidstone. The dull weather continued as we began our walk along the road toward the common. Many plant galls were found here & with five of the group members of the British Plant Gall Society many eyes made light work. One of the first galls found was the Midge Gcll jaapiella veronicae on Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys which causes the terminal leaves to be ihickened info a hairy pouch. As we were graced with the presence of Rex & Barbara Haney It was good to see the gall that inspired them into further study all those years ago. Not far from here on Salix sp we found the rosette gad of the Midge Rabdophaga rosaria. The rest of the walk to the common was taken up with the plants. One such notable plant was the pink flowered form of the Hedgerow Bindweed Calystegia sepium forma colorata. Which is locally common here & mentioned in the current Norfolk Flora. During an enjoyable lunch in the Village hall much discussion took place about Natural History and Rex remarked how pleased he was to see younger Naturalists taking on the study of plant galls. After lunch the group shrunk to four members when we went to the Wacfon village boundary with Long Stratton. We found a very good ditch here with signs of good water vole activity noted. Along the Long Stratton bank of this ditch we found the sedge Carex pseudoaxillaris The hybrid sedge of False Fox Sedge & Remote Sedge C. otrubae x C. remota. This was considered a remarkable find in Norfolk. Nearby both parents were growing in profusion and as Rex said "They have been rather naughty." Many thanks to Robert for such a good day. Colin A Jacobs SHELFANGER TOWN 11 th June 2000 On a perfect summer day twelve members attended this meeting whose primary purpose was to study the vascular flora, with particular emphasis on grasses. The venue at Shelfanger was a long narrow stretch of unimproved grassland extending over 26 acres through which runs a tributary stream of the River Waveney. Much of the area is marshy and subject to seasonal flooding and is managed by the taking of a late hay cut each year. It has been an SSSI since 1988. None of the participants had visited the site before and it was rapidly apparent that the plant commun- ities present were quite excep- tional. The first grass to attract attention was Horde urn secalinum (Meadow Barley), a species local in ; Norfolk. However, this was almost immediately overshadowed by the discovery of Bromus racemosus (Smooth Brome) in the damper areas and Bromus commutatus (Meadow Brome) on the periphery and drier parts. Thousands of plants of both species were present : and the populations would repay study for the presence of intermediates, possible hybrids, which have been reported in the south and west of England where the species grow together (see P.M. Smith, Watsonia 9 pp. 326 - 328). Apart from three casual records in the west, the most recent at King’s Lynn in 1993 by R.M. Payne, B. racemosus has never been discovered in Norfolk and escaped detection in the tetrad survey for A Flora of Norfolk published in 1999. The Shelfanger discovery is therefore one of major importance for the county. One other noteworthy grass find was X Festulolium loliaceum (Hybrid Fescue), the sterile hybrid between Lolium perenne (Peren- nial Rye-grass) and Festuca pratensis (Meadow Fescue), most © MEADOWS MEETING often found in old pasture like that at Shelfanger where both its parents were present. Leaving aside the grasses, memb- ers were particularly pleased to note four Dactylorhiza species, D. fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid), D. incarnata, (Early Marsh-orchid), D. maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) and D. praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid). Additionally the well- known population of Persicaria bistorta (Common Bistort) was much admired. After lunch the party moved on to Boyland Common, shared between Shelfanger and Bressingham, an area of grazing land on acidulous to neutral or weakly basic soils. Only fruiting specimens of Orchis morio (Green-winged Orchid) remained, but there were many compens- ations. Agrostis canina (Velvet Bent) was just showing panicle and three species of Juncus growing in the proximity of one another, J. effusus (Soft-rush), J. inflexus (Hard Rush) and J. conglomeratus (Compact Rush), were compared. We were too early to find Genista tinctoria ssp. tinctoria (Dyer’s Greenweed) and Silaum silaus (Pepper-saxifrage) in flower, but saw vegetative material of both. One interesting diversion on the common occurred when we inter- rupted a Small Copper butterfly ( Lycaena phlaeas) laying an egg on Rumex acetosa ssp. acetosa (Common Sorrel), its food plant. Afterwards we examined the egg ori the underside of a leaf, its sculp- turing through a lens plainly appar- ent, making it look like a tiny golf ball. Finally we looked at Scandix pecten-veneris (Shepherd’s-needle) at the edge of a nearby wheat field and Crepis biennis (Rough Hawk’s- beard), of which just two plants were growing on the road verge, one in flower and much photogra- phed. The grass total for the day was 32 taxa. The Society wishes to thank Mr W. J. Butler of Shelfanger Hall for allowing us to visit the Town Meadows site and Mrs M. Brown of Old Boyland Hall, Bressingham for granting permission to park cars on her land. „ ^ A. Copping List of Grass Taxa Recorded Species seen at Boyland Common only are marked with an (*) Festuca pratensis Meadow Fescue * Festuca arundinacea T all Fescue Festuca rubra ssp rubra Red Fescue X Festulolium loliaceum Hybrid Fescue Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass Cynosurus cristatus Crested Dog’s-tail Briza media Quaking-grass *Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass Poa trlvlalis Rough Meadow-grass * Poa pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass Dactylis glomerata Cock’s-foot Grass *G!yceria fluitans Floating Sweet-grass Glyceria notata Plicate Sweet-grass Hel ictot riche n pubescens Downy Gat-grass ; Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass Trisetum flavescens Yellow Oat-grass ■ Deschampsia cespitosa ssp. cespitosa Tufted Hair-grass Holcus lanatus Yorkshire Fog Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet Vernal-grass Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass Agrostis capillaris Common Bent Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent (Vegtative only) * Agrostis canina Velvet Bent Alopecurus pratensis Meadow Foxtail * Alopecurus myosuroides Black-grass Bromus commutatus Meadow Brome Bromus racemosus Smooth Brome Bromus hordeaceus ssp. hordeaceus Soft Brome Bromus x pseudothominei Lesser Soft Brome Anisantha slerilis Barren Brome * Elytrigia repens ssp. repens Common Ccuch Hordeum secalinum Meadow Barley MILLENNIUM MEETING It was the intention of the Society to add a visit in the first year of the present millennium to its list of previous recorded field meetings to Heggatt Hall, Horsted, where the very first meeting of the Society had been held in 1869, as had the meetings for our 100th and 125th anniversaries. Unfortunately due to the restrictions caused by the recent Swine Fever outbreak in the county, it was not possible to follow in our footsteps of previous occasions due to the presence of a large number of pigs in the fields that we would have to cross. We were, however, able to visit Burnt Wood on the opposite side of the estate, where our host had kindly enlarged a number of pathways in the wood which had become overgrown due to the wet weather in previous months. On Sunday August 20 th ., a large party of members assembled in front of the Hall where we were welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gurney who led us into a small dell in which grew a num- ber of American Pokeweed Phytolacca acinos and also Deadly Nightshade Atropa belladona. Emerging from the dell we were confronted with a Chinese Hankerchief tree Davidia involucrata, the leaves of which resemble large Lime tree leaves. Unfortunately the tree was not exhib- iting the showy white bracts from which it takes its name. We made our way along the public footpath via a field of Flax that had seeded and was ready for harvest. The edges of the field were bordered with Wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum the flowers of which were attracting various insects. Large White Pieris brassicae and Small White P. rapae butterflies. Hoverflies Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus and Syrphus vitripennis. Plant Bugs Sehirus bicolor and Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius. The hedge alongside the track was notable for its abundance of Spindle ( Euonymus europaes). On entering the wood Mother of Pearl moths Pleuroptya ruralis were distur- bed from the nettles. A nest of the Common Carder Bumble Bee Bombus pascuorum had been exposed on the path by the tractor wheels but was still active. Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina in various stages of growth were common along the paths. In the grassy areas Grass Moths Crambus straminella and Agriphila tristella together with the Craneflies Tipula paludosa and Nephrotoma submacal- losa took flight as we walked along, as did Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria butterflies and Silver-y Aurographa gamma moths. In cleared areas Hemp- nettle {Galeopsis tetrahit ), Climbing Corydalis ( Ceratocarpnos claviculata) and Wall Lettuce ( Mycelis muralis ) were among the less common species noted. On reaching the sunny side of the wood Dragonflies were hawking, the South- ern Hawker Aeschna cyanea and the Migrant Hawker A. mixta, one of which Plant Gall list from Heggatt Hall (Galls, listed under host plants, inducers in brackets) Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) Artacris cephclonea (mite) Eriophyes psexdoplatani (mite) Aesculus hippocastani (Horse chestnut) Vasates hippocastani (mite) Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) Phyllocoptes goniothorax [mite) Dry’opterus spp. (Ferns) Chirosia betul eti- (fly) Euonymus eu.~opaea (Spindle) Eriophyes convolvers (mite) Fagus sylvatica (Beech) Hartigioia anrulipes (midge) Eriophyes ner/isequus nervisequus (mite) Eriophyes ner/isequ us fagineus (mite) Fraxinus exce lsior (Ash) Psyllopisis fraxini (psyllid) Pseudomonas savastonoi vai. fruxini (bacterium) Galium aparine (Goosegrass) Cecidophves galii (mite) Glechoma hederacea (Ground ivy) Rondaniola bursaria (midge) Ilex aquifolium (Holly) Phytotmyza Weis (fly) Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) Phytoptus similis prunispinosae (mite) Quercus robur (English oak) And riem kolluri (wasp) Andricus fecundator (wasp) And riais antt.racina (wasp) Andricus ligmcola (wasp) Andriais quercuscalicis (wasp) Andricus quevcuscorticis (wasp) Andricus quercnsradicis (wasp) ; Biorhiza pallida (wasp) Cynips divisa (wasp) Cynips longivuntris (wasp) Cynips quercc sfolii (wasp) Neuroterus aluipes (wasp) Neuroterus numismalis (wasp) Neuroterus quercusbaccarum (wasp) Trioza remola (psyllid) Posa spp. (rose) Dipl ole pis rosoe (wasp) Puhus fruticosus (Bramble) Dusineura plicatrix (midge) Pbragmidium violaceum (micro-fungus) Stellaria holcstia (Greater stitchwort) Brachycol us stellariae (aphid) T ilia sp, (Lime) Phytoptus leJospmq (mite) Veronica charnaedrys ( Germander speedwell) Jaapiella veron.cae (midge) Also recorded: Periphyllis acericola, non-gatling aphid on Sycamore Rex and Barbara Haney kindly posed long enough for close examination. A few insects were swept from this area, the Mosquito Aedes punctor. Plant Bugs Deraeocoris ruber, Calocoris norvegicans and Lyctocoris campestris, Sawfly Selandria serva, Beetles 7-Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctatci and Exochomus quadripustulatus also a number of small flies Opomyza germinationis. Tortoise beetles Cassida rubiginosa and their curious larvae were found on die Thistle leaves, where a male wasp Cerceris rybyenis was also resting. In the afternoon a reduced party made a further excursion but the cloud had gathered and insects were scarce. The many Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus) noted earlier in the sunny glades were no longer to be seen, although we did find Heath Speedwell ( Veronica offici- nalis) along a track not previously visited. We were very thankful that the weather had held good for us on this occasion, also my thanks to those members that passed on their records for this report. Ken Durrant BRYOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS Continued from page 6 Saturday 31 March: Swannington Upgate Common. Park on road side at TGI 421 83. Sunday 8 April: Seaming Fen & Rush Meadow . Parking at Seaming is difficult; best to park on verges at TF980123, before/after the bend in the road. For Rush Meadow, park at TG9771 36 by sewage works. Saturday 28 April: Swanton Movers Great Wood NNR. Meet at ‘phone box in Swanton Novers village, TG020322. The warden, Robert Baker, will lead us into the wood. Contacts: Robin Stevenson, College of West Anglia, Tennyson Avenue, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QW Tel (01553)761144 x248, or home (01553) 766788. John Mott, 62 Great Melton Road, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3HA. Tel (01603) 810442. Across the Christmas Cross More) Compiled by Bob Ellis 7. Chrysanthemum , the corn marigold. (7) 8. dulcamara, bittersweet. (7) 10. Could be sickle or bur. (6) 1 1 . A resident woodland bird. (8) 1 2. Could be roseate or sandwich. (4) 13. Leucanthemum vulgare. (2-3,5) 1 4. A summer-visiting warbler. (1 1 ) 1 9. Ligustrum vulgare. (4,6) 22. A fruit. (4) 23. A type of carnivorous dinosaur. (8) 24. filiculoides, water fern. (6) 25. A name sometimes given to the chough. (3,4) 26. speciosa, yellow-oxeye. (7) Down 1 A type of damselfly. (3-4) 2 In botany, a name often applied to the calyx and the corolla together. (8) 3 Could precede bee, wasp or pint. (6) 4 A concoction made from dandelions, for example. (4,4) 5 A common alien goose. (6) 6 pratensis, devil's-bit scabious. (7) 9 An animal that feeds mostly on invertebrates. (1 1 ) 1 5 A culinary herb. (8) 1 6 Could be Scottish or bog. (8) 1 7 Crassula , mossy stonecrop. (7) 1 8 Could be hoary or moth. (7) 20 Silene , red campion. (6) 21 Used by fullers. (6) The Birds of Norfolk Following the success of the initial publication of the book The Birds of Norfolk last October, a reprint containing some amendments and addit- ional information, has now been published by Pica Press. This soft back version with a cover price of £25 is available from local bookshops and the Visitor Centres at the reserves of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and RSPB at Cley, Holme, Hickling, Minsmere, Ranworth and Titchwell. The royalties arising from the sales of the first edition totalled £4,100. This sum has been distributed to the RSPB for use on the Berney Marshes Reserve (£1,900), the Norfolk Wildlife Trust for its 'Securing the Future Appeal’ (£1,900) and the How Hill Trust (£300). It is hoped that buoyant sales of the reprint will result in further sums becoming avail- able for conservation projects within Norfolk. Moss Taylor (01263 823637) Peter Allard (01493 657798) Don Dorling (01603 810318) PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP MEETINGS 2000 - 2001 Room H Easton College Leisure Centre 7.30 pm Monday November 57 'Birds on the rocks' Illustrated talk by Rian Dixon Monday February 56 'Botswana and the Okavango Delta’ Illustrated talk by Hans UJatson Monday March 56 A Fensman with a camera' Illustrated talk by George Taylor. NLUT warden A Flora of Norfolk Last August I received a review of the 1999 'Flora'. The review was sent by Ryszard Ochyra, a Bryologist in the Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow who had written the account in:- 'Chronmy Przyrode Ojczysta' {Let Us Protect Nature in Our Homeland]. Unfortunately it was all in Polish and meant little to me. I did, however, visit Poland later where a friend, Maria Nowak, translated the text into English for me Copies of the translation have been sent to the authors of the 'Flora' and to 'The Norfolk Natterjack' Arthur Copping Review Highlights Situated in the south-east of England, Norfolk now has a marvellous new treatment of its vascular and bryophyte flora, thereby making it floristically one of the best docu- mented parts of the British Isles. Not only has the county a tradition of botanical research stretching back 'An Evening in the Countryside ' Wed. 22 nd November 2000 An evening event (7.30pm ) at The Playhouse. Norwich in aid of the ’We care 2000' Appeal Presentation of slides followed by a question and answer session featuring the EDP nature correspondents: Grace Corne - Rex Haney Moss Taylor - Percy Trett Tickets £5 (cheques made payable to We Care 2000 Appeal) call 01603-625321 or send SAE to We Care 2000 Appeal 1 ’ U EDP, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR 1 IRE. Please submit your question when applying for tickets more than 200 years, but it is the 1 birthplace of many eminent botanists ! who occupy an important place in the . history of world botany. i Readers interested in the history of < botany would do well to read A. Bull's ; well written account devoted to the '. botanists of Norfolk, which forms part > of the introduction to the Flora. i The distribution maps for vascular ! plants have been compiled with the ‘ utmost accuracy, being based on a j grid of two kilometre squares i (tetrads). . . . Numerous species are i illustrated in excellent coloured i photographs i ' The work has been expertly edited and , superbly produced, so reading it is a > pleasure indeed. Although its rele- i vance to a Polish readership may 1 appear slight, it serves well as a '' model for other local Floras, of which ' we are desperately short, instead of j spending money on nature projects of ; dubious value, Polish botanists would >. be well advised to concentrate on producing such local treatises which [ have a lasting place in literature, | rather than trivial accounts which end j up as forgotten pieces of paper, ! gathering dust on the shelf of some ■ official. Ryszard Ochyra A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in February. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence could be sent to the following address, as soon as possible by January 10 th , and marked with NNNS on the envelope. For those with access to a computer a WORD document or an ordinary text file on disc would be most helpful, or you can send an e-mail to: francis.f@virgin.net FF Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringharri Norfolk NR26 8QD Toad-in-the-hole... A belated 'Happy New Year 1 to all Society members and other readers. I trust the new 'Millennium' has started well. My thanks to all contributors, again a good selection, covering a variety of interests. If you are, however, 1 desperate for Bob Ellis's excellent | Christmas Crossword solution it ; can be found on the back page. Anne Brewster continues charting the Saxthorpe Clouded Yellows in the Northern Soya field and Geoffrey Kelly again puts us casual birders to shame. Thanks also to Garth Coupland's humorous contribution - does it remind you of anyone? FF Congratulations to: Norfolk Wildlife Trust 75 Years Protecting Norfolk's Wildlife 1926 - 2001 Sign ...ein up! We have enrolled 36 new members into the Society in the year 2000, ranging from our youngest member (aged 1 6) to the venerable natural history library at Harvard University. But, of course, every year we lose members, a few who, sadly, set off on the final field trip and others who don't renew their subscription, even after a reminder. So here is your chance to help us recruit even more new members in 2001. With this Natterjack is a membership application form. On the face of it, the Council of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society is an unwieldy body; if all Vice- Presidents and representatives of other organisations were to attend there could be 38 sitting round a very large table at Easton College five times a year. In practice, attendance is usually about 25 and meetings hardly '• Many of you must have friends ; interested in natural history who i would find in our meetings and : excursions find publications a mine : of useful information, not to ‘ mention the excellent company! = Even if you can't think of anyone at 1 the moment, keep the form with ; you, in your car or tucked into your j favourite field guide, and some : time this year thrust it into the hand . of a potential member and persuade '■ them that they will receive a veiy : warm welcome in the Society. David Pauli, Chairman, Membership Committee j ever last more than two hours, in ! part, due to a well-established i structure of sub-committees. 1 Twelve members of the Council j are 'ordinary' members and hold j no office. Of these, four are i elected every year and each ! remains on Council for three | years. I would always be , interested to hear from anyone i who might consider standing as ! such a member of Council. i Tony Leech The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society CLOUDED YELLOW SAXTHORPE DIARY (see 'Natterjack' No. 71) Sept 30 - 6 seen over bean field Oct 4 - 6 seen between 12-12.45. None feeding. 2 chasing each other - brief sunny spells, windy. Oct 6 - Sun shining but wind cold - visited site 10-1 0.30 - no butterflies l seen. It had been a very cold night. j Oct 6-11 - Conditions not satisfactory - j plenty of rain, wind and still cold. Oct 13 - Hazy sunshine after foggy day. No butterflies seen. Oct 15 - 1.45. Sunny and very light wind. 2 seen in 'weed' area. Rest of field not checked. Oct 17/19/26 - Sunny but cold winds. No butterflies seen over field. Leaves now dying on bean plants. Nov 1 - Richard Buxton, Park Farm, Heydon called at workshops. Remembers seeing 2-3 Clouded Yellows earlier this year. His beans have not yet been harvested owing to bad weather - recommended time mid- ! September. No butterflies seen. Nov 4 - Sunny but cold light wind. No butterflies seen. Field also not harves- ted but most of the leaves now withered. Anne Brewster The Windmill On 23 rd November, 2000 at South Walsham I watched the delicate task of a large crane gently easing the buck into position on Richard Seago's postmill. All went well despite the rain in later stages. A great shame Michael was not there to see this historic event. He would I am sure, have been very proud. Tony Howes FUNGUS STUDY GROUP A Norfolk Fungus Study Group has been set up with the joint aims of recording the distribution of the County's fungi and assisting members in the difficult business of identifying fungi. An enormous amount of recording has been done by Reg and Lil Evans, 'grand- parents' of the new Group, and one of our tasks will be to get these into the British Mycological Society's database, now accessible on the Internet. The Group levies a small subscription and is independent of other organisations but hopes to affiliate with, the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. Further details can be found on the Group's web site: http://liomepages.tesco.net/ richard.shotbolt/nfsg, or from: Tony Leech, Group Organiser. Earth Tongues Walking to my local shop to collect the daily paper I noticed little black spikes sticking out of the grass on a lawn I pass by. Leaning over the wall I was able to see there were about 100 of a fungus known as Earth Tongues. Looking back to an article in 'Natterjack' (No. 68) by Tony Leech it appears that there are about a dozen species in Britain, mostly only distinguishable by their microscopic character- istics. I looked carefully at all the lawns that I passed on this half mile walk, but no more were found. Tony Howes Fungus Foray The Meeting was billed as a Bird Of Prey Walk with the Suffolk Naturalists Society at Waveney Forest Fritton. TG 465011. on Saturday 1 1th November 2000. Although accepted as the northern most recording area of Suffolk it is also included in the Norfolk recording area. I think that this article will appeal to both county Naturalists. Blustery south-westerly winds most certainly put down the raptors | and whilst dodging rain showers we knew that the bird life would suffer. Luckily we were able to spend the afternoon looking at the fungi present and although nothing unusual was found we did gather quiet a list in two hours. Colin A Jacobs Species present were: Baeospora myosura Boletus bac'lus Bay Bo let e i Clitocybe flaccidaTawny Funnel Cap j Clitocybe nebularis Clouded Agaric ! Collybia bulyracea Greasy Tough Shank Collybia maculata Spotted Tuft Shank Coriolus versicola Many-Zoned Polypore Crepidotus variables Gimnopilus penetrans Hygrocybe russocoriacea : Hypholoma fasciulare Sulphur T uft Laccaria laccata The Deceiver Lactaris tabidus Lycoperdon pe datum Common Puffball Mycena alcalina The Bonnet Pax Ulus involutus Brown Roll Rim Pluteous pervious Fawn Pluteus Russula atnpurpurea Blackish-Purple Russula Russula emetica The Sickener Russula ocnroleuca Common Yellow Russula Scleroderma citrinum Common Earth Ball Stropharia aeruginosa Stropharia aurantiaca Trichotomopsis rutilans Plums & Custard FUNGAL FIND On March 18 th 2000 I was crawling along the verge of a narrow lane in Wacton. As I scuffled about in the dead leaves and debris under some large hawthorn trees I noticed some small - about the diameter of a pencil lead - cup fungi sitting tight on the soil surface after I had scraped away the loose dead leaves. Each fungus was pale buffy brown and around the rim of the cup was a ring of inward pointing white hairs. They were spread about, singly or in pairs, and looked quite attractive but not worth collecting being so small (even big fungi are difficult with good books) and reasonably ‘common’. Well, there were thirty or so in the area I had swept clean between my knees and the extend- ed reach of my arms, so I crawled on. A yard or so further on I cleared another patch of ground I noticed one of these fungi had been knock- ed out of the ground and had a long - about as long as a pencil thick- ness - stalk attached to a small clod of soil. Carefully I picked the fungus up by the lump of soil attached to the stalk but found the soil hard and unyielding instead of soft like the other clods, which seemed to be pieces of broken worm casts. A quick scratch with my thumb nail revealed the clod to be a half- decayed hawthorn berry with the fungus growing out from the stalk © end. Now a fungus with a specific host is easier to identify so I care- fully dug up two or three more of these, with my pencil, (handy things pencils, 1 always keep one behind my ear, somewhere!) and found they all grew on old hawthorn berries. These fungi I took home and sent a couple to Reg and Lil Evans. I duly received a reply informing me the fungus was called Monilinia johnsonii and has been rarely recor- ded in Norfolk, but more interest- ingly it is one of those fungi that have two distinct forms. One form occurs as dark brown or black patches on the leaves of hawthorn that produce spores like mildews and is the only form that has been recorded and appears to reproduce itself satisfactorily. In the second form, the ascophore stage, the fungus generally under- goes a resting period and then produces what most people would recognise as a ‘toadstool’ fungus albeit in this case a ‘cup’ fungus. This ‘double life’ has resulted in both forms being separate names and much confusion to mycologists. Robert Maidstone Observations made in my > GARDEN FROM OCTOBER 1 st 1999 * 1 to September 30 th 2000 i The garden, at Old Catton, Norwich, has been chemical free ! for about 20 years. It is designed and planted to encourage native flora and fauna and is not large. As is usual 34 species of bird have been recorded, but from having 32 pairs of nesting house sparrows in the 1960s, this 12 months has seen none. The jays are very adaptable and clever. There is a log feeder by the bird table, suspended from a branch. This log has a compart- ment drilled at each end and is filled with black sunflower seeds at one end and peanuts at the other. The jays fed regularly from the bird table, and then in early spring the male developed a new skill. Positioning himself on a nearby stout twig, he aimed himself like a missile at the log, snatching out a peanut and flying on to give it to his mate who hung about in a tall tree nearby. This became a common sight. Later, presumably having watched the tits feeding, he managed to hang upside down on the log and prize out nuts. Notably other birds do not resent or fear the jays who have raised 3 or 4 chicks this year. A sparrowhawk has a taste for the garden’s flock of collared doves, some 30 strong at present. I have never before seen a sparrowhawk mantling its prey except at raptor centre displays. This hawk performs on ours and the neighbour’s lawn. Other birds are seldom attacked judging by the feathers found where the hawk has struck and de-feathered its prey. Tawny owls have frequented and have nested in this garden or one nearby for at least 40 years. This year has seen stray visitors only, since the oak which they used, recently, has split at the crown. Formerly they nested in a cluster of 200 year old elms at the road end of the garden, along with some 52 pairs of rooks and i jackdaws. Sadly all these were dispersed by the elms dying from elm disease. Goldfinches - indeed a charm of \ them - visit the teasels but also ! display acrobatically on the i lavender seed heads. I have been ' constrained by these beautiful ' birds to leave pruning back the | lavenders until the spring. ! • Late flowering red hot pokers are i a great attraction to blue and ' great tits, rather as to house : sparrows in late summer, when the sparrows were still here. My theory about the decline of house sparrows is that house roofs are no longer available for nests and winter roosting since most are sealed at eaves level and are also very cold because of thermal layers beneath the roofs and in lofts to prevent heat loss. Is there a special nestingbox for sparrows? I have never seen one. Mosses and lichens have flour- ished in the 12 month period and have provided a new source of interest in what until recently, has been a dry garden. This has led to buying even more books for identification purposes. Newts and frogs have increased in numbers and hibernation continues to be later than formerly. The great crested and common newts often hibernate between bricks on a terraced bank in the back garden. These bricks become ever more decrepit but cannot be discarded for the sake of the newts. Fortunately in early spring this bank is where the aconites, early crocus and snowdrops grow, so the bricks are generally well disguised. As I write these notes, in November 2000, which is strictly in the next observation period, a goldcrest and long tailed tits are dancing through the trees and shrubs and the wrens are swearing at them. Mary Manning Tideline Corpse Surveys of the Past During the opening years of the 1950’s Two Lowestoft Field Club Members, Colin Ayers and the late ! Harold Jenner took part in a very ■ important survey of the tideline i corpses of birds. The survey would run from l sl October to 31 s1 March & the pair would walk the beaches from Lowestoft to Gorleston once a week usually on a Sunday. They would diligently Photo. Ray's Bream - Sheringham 1 978 record the dead birds and publish the results in the following year’s annual report. The 1951 report states 38 individual birds of eleven species were found during January l sl to March 31 st . 17 of these were Common Scoter of which nine were found to be oiled. The wind during October 1951 was predominantly in the east becoming westerly by early November. 216 birds of 35 species were found dead on the tideline. 87 Redwings, 15 song thrushes. Three Gannets and a Merlin were notable finds. Oiled birds found were the three Gannets along with one Herring Gull, four Razorbills and eight Guillemots. The 1952 report informs readers that although there was no severe weather, 340 birds of 32 species were found. Typically in the October of that year fatalities were high with 28 Starlings, 61 Redwings and 56 Fieldfares were found. As we know October is the peak period for avian passage, when Scandinavian passerines set out for the perilous cross over the North Sea. The mortality rate is commonly much higher in this month. 1953 the year of the great North Sea floods also produced 136 species including a Budgerigar! At present the groynes along this stretch of coastline doesn’t allow a good tideline, as most, if not all of i the tideline corpses are being 1 continually pushed back out with the tide. Colin is in his 60’s now and he tells me that he often found rare fish such as Ray’s Bream washed ashore. I have, during the winter of 2000 / 2001, walked this same stretch without finding any birds at all. But I will keep trying. Colin Jacobs House Visitor(s) The item entitled “House Guests” in the November Natterjack prompts me to write about our visitors?). Often, when our bedroom window is open, we have awoken to a wren singing on the windowsill before hopping inside to glean round the window frame, having checked the outside cobwebs around the window and on the thatch. We suspected that if the window was open more often, we may well have had a cock’s nest, even a brood, in our bedroom. More recently, a wren came in through the back door and presumably got a shock when the ex-weaver nest that it investigated fell to the floor in our conservatory! It left its visiting card on an item of washing that was airing there! Particularly in the autumn, our thatched roof and its invertebrate lodgers and cobwebs are very attractive to wrens, robins, great and blue tits. We often awake to watch them through the window. Rowena Langston Patience is a Viirtue ! During the British Plant Gall j Society joint meeting with the ! Norfolk Naturalists' Society on j Sunday August 13th 2000, s North Cove Suffolk Wildlife Trust f Reserve, near Beccles, one of the 1 group found a small Bug , (Heteropteran sp.) settled on the stem of Common Reed Phrogmites austrialis. By checking our field guides we were unable to determine the species but I had taken notes and was keen to identify it as soon as possible. Unfortunately 1 went the other way and started to collect references on the Shield Bugs, which it looked like, and became annoyed that I was still unable to identify it. Some three months later whilst attending an illustrated talk at a meeting of the Lowestoft Field Club One of the slides that came up was of a Ten-spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata. But not, of course the text book individual but of a variable form with a yellow and green "Norwich City" colours around the edges of the wing cases. The rest of the back was orangy brown in colour. I knew that I would find the identification some how but little did I know how ! would come across it. So in conclusion never give up the ghost. The answer is somewhere. Colin A Jacobs COMFORT A read close to my home in Thorpe St. Andrew is planted both sides with Beech trees. For several years now during the winter months, and into the spring, it has been the practice of large numbers of Collared Doves to roost in these trees, by then of course completely bare of leaves. The doves can be seen clearly outlined against the sky as you walk along the path after dark. 1 have counted as many as 60 at one time. The strange thing is that this species prefer dense conifers when nesting. There are plenty of these in the surrounding area, both garden varieties and those close by in Thrope Wood. So 1 wonder why they do not use them for roosting, they would provide far more protection and comfort during those bitterly cold nights. As my old Grandfather used to say ‘Thas a mistree Bor’. Tony Howes Fox Carcasses Wanted As part of a three-year study at The University of Bristol I am collecting fox carcasses from across Britain to obtain informa- tion on the age , sex, diet, repro- ductive output and health of foxes in this country, This data will be used to look at regional differences in population structure and output. I urgently need more fox car- casses for this, and would be very grateful for any assistance with carcass collection. To help, simply pick up any fox carcass you find (providing it is fairly intact) and call me on the number below. 1 will then arrange for its immediate collection. The only information I need is the date and location (preferably including a six-figure OS grid reference) at which the carcass was found, and the cause of death (if known). I can provide heavy duty plastic bags for packaging of carcasses. Please contact: School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Woodland Road Bristol BS3 TUG Email :C, C.Webbon@bristol.ac.uk Tel: 01 17 9287593 Shortly after receiving the above information I spotted a dead fox by the roadside at Bale and contacted Charlotte . She gets Parcel Force to collect - very efficient and it is nice to think of some scientific use being made of a roadkill. Tony Leech Charlotte Webbon HOME BIRDS - 2000 Readers may recall that a list of birds recorded on, over or from my home at Frettenham (TG240171) during 1998, appeared in Norfolk Natterjack *64. During j 2000. 1 again maintained a daily list. As in 1999. 1 actually managed to record on 343 days(20Q0, a leap year, having 366 in al 1 ). : The ‘blanks’ were as follows: January 11; February 19, 27; March 22, 30; May 10, 29; June 21, 29; August 30; September 6, 7, 16; October 12; November 7, 9, 13, 15; and December 1, 4, 5, 6, 24. There were no ; blank days in April and July. In general, daily observations were gathered over periods of between one and six hours; two hours having been the average. The 2000 daily average of 22.7 species, compared with 20.2 in 1998, can generally be ascribed to a clear increase in the local population or presence of a number of highly visible species: particularly Cormorant, gulls, Red-legged Partridge and j crows. Of the 74 species seen, 66 were also j recorded in 1998. In 2000, 25 species were observed in each month. Four more species, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pheasant, Song Thrush and Red-legged Partridge, ‘missed-out' only in February, November, November (again) and December, respectively. Habitats visible from my vantage point include gardens, a small fish-pond, rough pasture, species-rich hedges, arable farmland, a worked-our chalk pit, partly used for landfill, and the Stone Beck valley, dividing Frettenham from Spixworth and Crostwick parishes. The list provided is in ranking order, viz.: name and number of days - the suffix M meaning recorded in every month. 1 trust that I will be able to carry out this exercise again in 2002. Geoffrey Kelly \ I- Wood Pigeon 343M 1= Starling 343 M 3 Blackbird 342M 4 Collared Dove 331 M 5 Blue Tat 324M 6 Stock Dove 320M 7 Great Tit 313M 8 Chaffinch 308M 9 Magpie 290M 10 Carrion Crow 282M 11 Black-headed Gull 281M 12 Dunnock 273M 13 Greenfinch 271 M 14 House Sparrow 261M 15 Robin 233M 16 Rook 23 1M 17 Mistle Thrush 226M 18 Jay 199M 19 Pied Wagtail DOM 20 Jackdaw 165M 21 Common Gull 162M 22 Kestrel 133 23 Green Woodpecker 128M 24 House Martin 126 25 Lesser B/B Gull 125 26 Swallow 123 27 Swift 106 28 Pbeasent 105 29 Great B/B Gull 103 30 Wren 96M 31 Song Thrush 93 32 Red-legged Partridge 83 33 Lapwing 74M 34 Skylark 72 35 Turtle Dove 69 36 Yellowhammer 66 37 Goldfinch 65 38 Gt. Spotted W/pecker 62 39 Mallard 58 40 Cormorant 51 41 Redwing 49 42 Whitethroat 43 43 Sparrowhawk 33M 44 Long-tailed Tit 32 45 Fieldfare 28 46= Blackcap 21 46= Coal Tit 21 48= Herring Gull 16 48= Cuckoo 16 50 Willow Warbler 10 51= Goldcrest 7 51= Linnet 7 53 Chiffchaff 6 54 Canada Goose 5 55 Sand Martin 4 56= Teal 3 56= Tawny Owl 3 56= Brambling 3 56= Bullfinch 3 60= Mute Swan 2 60= Barn Owl 2 60= Lesser Whitethroat 2 60= Spotted Flycatcher 2 64= Pink-footed Goose 1 64= Egyptian Goose 1 64= Shelduck 1 64= Marsh Harrier 1 64= Hobby 1 64= Golden Plover 1 64= Whimbrel 1 64= Green Sandpiper 1 64= Common Tern 1 64= Redstart 1 64= Reed Bunting 1 FIEID & INDOOR MEETINGS February - April 2001 L Rubber boots recommended. Lil Rubber boots essential. 1 Sunday 4 th March Tyrell’s Wood. 1 1 .00 a.m. Full Day. Directions: Meet in the Woodland Trust car park. TM205893. This will be an introduction to mosses and liverworts. Tyrell’s Woods is an old deciduous wood with varied soil types so there should be a good range of bryophytes. Leader: John Mott. 4L Sunday 1 st April Wayland Wood. 1 1 .00 a.m. Full Day. Directions: Meet in the NWT car park. TL923996. If we are lucky, we may find the elusive Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem in flower at its only Norfolk site. Leader: Paul Newport (the NWT voluntary warden). INDOOR MEETINGS To be held at Room 7, The Sports and Leisure Centre, Easton College, Easton, Norwich. 7.30 p.m. Tuesday 20 ,h February The Presidential Address Tim Peet "Glittering prizes: a natural history of Guernsey” Tuesday 20 th March ANNUAL. GENERAL MEETING Followed by "From gannets to albatrosses via volcanoes and glaciers” an illustrated talk on New Zealand by Mike Poulton. Tuesday 17 ,h April "A celebration of the seasons: autumn" A presentation to the main Society by the Photographic Group. ADVANCE NOTICE The first field meeting of the new season will be on Sunday 6 th May at 1 1 .00 a.m. - a full day at Sporle Wood (near Swaffham) by kind permission of Mr. Kilvert-Minor- Adams. Leader: Gillian Beckett. Meet on the beet pad at the end of the farm track that runs south from Sporle Road, Little Dunham. TF856122. Bob Ellis, Chairman Programme Committee 1 1 ’ THE FIRST COUNTY FLORA I ! I I I I i i ; I I I I To produce a modem county flora is an enormous undertaking but imagine compiling one before the advent of identification guides or even Linnaeus's system of binomial nomenclature. Such was the achievement of John Ray whose Catalogns Plantarum circa Cantabrigium nascentium (Flora of Cambridgeshire) was published in 1660. Due to its rarity, and the fact that it is written in Latin, the original is inaccessible to most but in 1975 A. H. Ewen and C. T. Prime edited a translation which is still available*. The 146 page book includes a generous amount of background information but it is the 700 plus entries in the 'systematic' section which capture the browser's attention. Latin names (often polynomial) are arranged in alphabetical order and followed by Ray's vernacular name for the plant, the modem scientific name and the original comment on its distribution, often with specific localities. For those unfamiliar with Cambridgeshire the real joy of the book is in the notes appended to many of the entries. Whilst some of these are quotations from other authorities and refer to the plant's use (showing that Ray had not totally broken away from the herbals that preceded his innovative book), his own perceptive field-notes are even more interesting. I cannot imagine anyone interested in plants and their folklore not enjoying this gem. Tony Leech * From Mrs Frances Prime, Flat 13 [ Manor House, Attleborough Road, Hingham, Norwich NR9 4HP; price £5.50 including post and packing. I © LOKpS dWITS Of the twenty-two titles in the New Naturalist Monograph series, only one, Lords and Ladies by Cecil Prime, ever featured a plant. The combination of such an intriguing species and a schoolmaster author who could meld together chapters on its folklore, ecology, uses and genetics generated what Peter Marren, in his more recent book on the New Naturalist series*, described as a 'smashing book, and we should be ashamed of ourselves for not buying it'. I first read the book just before going up to university and was inspired by it. I hope that it was the science that turned me on - observat- ions and investiga- tions which were simple enough to be carried out by any amateur naturalist but which led to fascinating insights into | the plant's biology- But I am sure I was also captivated by accounts of its poisonous properties, its sinister manipulation of insect behaviour for its own sexual ends and, as a schoolboy, by the rudeness of many of its one hundred local names. The original monograph is now a collector's item and the 1981 reprint has long been remaindered but copies are still available from Dr. Prime's widow, | Mrs Frances Prime. Flat 13 Manor House, Attleborough Road, Hingham, Norwich NR9 4HP for £8.00, including post and packing. Tony Leech * The New Naturalists, HarperCollins (1995) The Flora of Roofs Society member, Ron Payne, has set his sights higher. Following the successful publication of his 1998 The Flora of Walls in West Norfolk' he has recently published a paper on flowering plants that grow on roofs. This subject - apparently a first in print - required the introduction of a suitable term (tecticolous) to denote roof-dwelling plants. Although the modest paper covers the country, 90% of the records from the eight year study come from Norfolk. In all some 160 species of plant have been recorded growing in this very inhospitable man-made habitat. The 'habitat' section not only discusses roofs but also pays particular attention to thatch and pill-boxes. 'The Flora of Roofs' is a 22-page paper and comes bound In an attractive coloured cover depicting House Leeks in flower on an asbestos roof. If I should have any criticism it would certainly not be on subject matter but the misspelling of my name! Having said that it is a booklet that can, and I am sure will, have a few botanists looking up instead of down this year. The paper is available at a cost of £3.00 (including postage) from Mr. R.M. Payne, 'Applegate', Thieves Bridge Road, Watlington, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 0HL. Francis Farrow The Flora of Roofe DAzai czNaiizijach eacUn, Photography Group Slide evening 23 October 2000 Having been an (albeit very dormant) member of the NNNS for many years, I recently re- awakened, and one of the first meetings I attended was the above slide evening. As an amateur photographer myself, I was delighted that I had gone along. The standard of photography was (as I had expected) high, with just discernible differences between those who were, say, botanists first and photographers second, and others who were photograph- ers first and perhaps entomolo- gists second. I came away with the feeling that it was just a crying shame that very few non-photographer mem- bers had come along, because they missed many images that were inspirational - not only to other photographers, but to any- one with an interest in natural history. As an objective observer, please do consider my recommendation to go to any other such evenings which may be arranged in future. Jane Cushan GUtiStmSS ClrOSSWQta Solution Across Down 7. Segetum 1 . Red-eyed 8. $OLANUM 2. Perianth 10. Medick 3. Cuckoo 1 1 . Nuthatch 4. Root Beer 12. Tern 5. Canada 13. Ox-eve Daisy 6. Succisa 14. Whitethroat 9. Insectivore 1 9. Wild Privet 15. Tarragon 22. Plum 16. Asphodel 23. Allosaur 17. Tillaea 24. Azolla 18. Mullein 25. Sea Crow 20. Dioica 26. Telekia 21. Teasel PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP MEETINGS 2001 Easton College Leisure Centre 7.30 pm ROOM H Monday February BE 'Botswana and the Okavango Delta' Illustrated talk by Hans UJatson This is not dne to miss. Hans is a very good naturalist and excellent uuildlife photographer. He will take us round this remarkable area right in the heart of Africa, showing some of the animals and birds that live there. Monday March 36 A Fensman with a camera' Illustrated talk by George Taylor, NLUT warden George spends his working hours out in the Fens He is in daily contact with the 'great outdoors' He will share with us some of his vast experience working In an environ- ment most of us only dream about. ROOM 7 Tuesday April 17 'A Celebration of the Seasons: Autumn' Photographic Group Lecture This annual event gives the society photographers an opportunity to show us their work based on a theme. Last year we saw the glories of Summer, this time Autumn will be the subject. The season of mellow fruitfulness, mists, damp leaves etc., you can almost smell the richness of it all. Come and see how a camera can be used almost like an artists brush, creating works of art Norfolk Wildlife e-mail discussion group For those Norfolk wildlife enthusiasts who have access to the net (not the one you catch insects with - the other one!), here’s an invitation to join a newly set-up discussion group, Norfolk Wildlife. The idea is that if you have any comments, questions, recent sightings or amusing anecdotes with relevance to any sort of wildlife in the county then you send an e-mail to the group. Everyone else in the group then receives that e-mail and can reply or not as they wish. You can either choose to receive all e-mails as soon as they are sent or receive a daily digest of the day’s messages. The group is absolutely free to join and you can leave the group at any time you wish. The group is similar to those set up at a national scale for discussion of various topics (e.g. there is one con- cerned with UK Moths) but it is hoped that a more local group will be of interest. The more people who get involved, the more useful the group will hopefully become. You don’t have to be an expert (although a few would be useful!), just to have an interest in Norfolk’s wildlife. The group is mod- erated by Andy Musgrove (who works at the British Trust for Ornithology in Thetford although the group is not a BTO project). If you think you'd be interested then please e-mail Andy at: andy.musgrove@bigfoot.com. A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in May. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence could be sent to the following address, as soon as possible by April 1 st , and marked with NNNS on the envelope. For those with access to a computer a WORD document or an ordinary text file on disc would be most helpful, or you can send an e-mail to: francis.f@ virgin . net FF Francis F arrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham Norfolk NR26 8QD THE i^iif NORFOLK Pf \ NATTERJACK NNNS Excursions 2001-2002 Toad-m-the-hole... As I write this column we are approaching Easter and there is a relaxing of the restrictions in the countryside imposed by various bodies as a protection measure against the current foot and mouth outbreak. Although it is to be welcomed that as naturalists we can once again access our favourite haunts, we should not become complacent, but take what care we can when out and about. Not everything is ‘back to normal’ and the situation may be different by the time you read this. Please check with organisers if you are not sure that a planned event is taking place. In this edition o/ ‘Natterjack’ there are various contact numbers available including the NNNS website. Unfortunately we have ‘lost’ the Royal Norfolk Show which saw our debut as exhibitors last year. Alternative venues are been investigated but as yet there are no firm details as to which shows will actually take place. In the meantime investigations within the garden can prove /ruit/ul as many of the contributions to this Bulletin show. My thanks to those that have sent material and please lets have more for August. By the way we are told that ‘one swallow doesn’t make a summer’ but I saw my earliest to date on 31st March at Sheringham. The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society WELCOME BACK DAVID After accepting nomination at the last minute, David Pauli was elected, unopposed, at the AGM as chairman of the Society. David modestly pretends to know little of natural history but is an experienced chairman, having been at the helm from 1997 to 2000. In addition, he has nobly agreed to continue as chairman of the membership committee, good news as he has enrolled no fewer than 36 new members over the last year. Retiring chairman Keith Clarke had only agreed to a single year of office and was NNNS PROGRAMME 2001-2002 You should have received the new programme card with this edition of 'The Norfolk Natterjack'. Please note that some meetings may well be affected by the Foot and Mouth restrictions. If in any doubt, please check with the : warmly applauded for dis- = charging his duties with a ; gentle hand and much | humour. ; Three new members of ! Council were elected to i maintain the quota of non- • officers at twelve. Two of ; these, Colin Penny and j Rosemary Carpenter, have ; served previously but Alan ; Dixon comes aboard as the ! new boy. We bid farewell to ; David Nobbs, Tony Howes and : Tony Brown all of whom have ; made significant contributions I during their three-year stint on ; Council. Tony Leech (Hon. Sec.) leader of the meeting or Stephen ! Martin (01603 810327) or Bob ; Ellis (01603 662260) a few days i before the event. We will also > endeavour to post relevant | information on the web site at: i www.paston.co.uk/users/golds ! /nnnshome.html i i i See also page 6 regarding the ! wildiower field days Island Inspiration i i I would be the first to admit that I | am an infrequent visitor to meet- i ings of the society, more likely to ! be seen on an excursion than at a j lecture. However, with distant j memories of a day trip to Guernsey i on my honeymoon 21 years ago 1 whilst staying on Jersey, I travelled { to Easton College on February 20th ! for this year’s Presidential Address, f Tim Feet’s presentation ‘Glittering j Prizes: a natural history of j Guernsey’. i i Our visit to Guernsey all those years ago had relatively little i natural history content and 1 now ! realise that we did indeed miss some glittering prizes, but perhaps f honeymoons are not the place for f that sort of activity \ Our intention to re-visit has been t heightened by the delights Tim Peel: shared with us, timed, of course, to see not only the albino j Early Purple Orchids but also the > swathes of Lax Flowered Orchid in * the meadows owned by the local { society. It is now apparent that i there are so many other reasons for ! going that one visit may not be enough ! * s Tim Peet’s modesty could not hide * his vast knowledge of Guernsey, j interspersing natural history t attractions with geography, history ! and local anecdotes, all delivered , with humour and an obvious s respect for the island. Whilst 1 appreciating that Guernsey, at only j about 45 square miles, is not a ( large area of study compared to, i say, Norfolk, 1 was left wondering ! how many of us knew a similar , sized area so intimately - perhaps f even the parishes we live in? * i Many areas of interest were s covered: both flowering and i flowerless plants; butterflies and ! moths; birds; and mole crickets, which I now know how to eradicate, if they should ever present a problem when growing my Jersey Royal potatoes under glass! We could not fault the presentation and found it ending all too soon. The Society is surely fortunate in having Tim Peet as not only a member but also a benefactor and President. His views on natural history are refreshing in their common sense and apparent lack of elitism. I am sure it is through such people, who know their areas of study well, that the correct way forward for habitat and species conservation will to be found. On leaving Easton College I felt I had not only been informed, but both entertained and inspired. If so much could be done on a small island where the pressure on available land for development and agriculture is so high (the geographical limits being apparent), what strides could be achieved in Norfolk where there is still, at the moment, space to breathe. Pressures on our wonderfully diverse county are increasing untempered by ineffectively applied protective legislation. Our society should be in a position to influence that change, in a metered and planned way, rather than simply witnessing and recording declines. If I had one criticism, it is not of the lecture itself, but the overriding impression it left me with. The local society on Guernsey not only studies natural history, it seems to be interested in integrated aspects of the life and history of the island; its members also work hard on managing sites, and have raised enough money to build its own headquarters in partnership with another body. It matters little how well read we are, how much research we i conduct, or the papers we write, ; can we really call ourselves ! ‘naturalists’ if we do not get out • there and get ourselves dirty, • spending time improving habitats ; and, very importantly, fight to maintain the diversity of natural : life? Research has its place, but it ! cannot clear scrub, dig out scrapes, j rebuild hibernation tunnels, or : influence development in this : county with so much to treasure. I ; feel it is really the ‘doing’ that ; makes the difference in this life and • certainly on Guernsey they appear : to be "dewin’ wholly well” Sue Goldsmith Wight - The Isle of Yesteryear Last Autumn Wendy and I spent a : week on the Isle of Wight, our first visit - it was like the Norfolk of my youth. Not much traffic, even main roads had little in the way of heavy vehicles, it was so peaceful and quiet. We had a cottage near the beautiful village of Godshill. All around was abundant wildlife, large flocks of finches on the stubble fields, House sparrows were chirping all around the build- ings. Red squirrels were seen, the first wild ones for twenty five years. On Irwo occasions we saw Humming Bird Hawk moths, both were feeding on flowers in private gardens. There was a Badger set in the woods behind the cottage, and the calls of Rook and Jackdaw echoed over the land all day long. The downland looked very inviting, and I could imagine in high summer those grassy slopes being alive with flowers and Butterflies. Truly a magical place and one we shall return to in the future . Tony Howes Garden Birds Geoffrey Kelly’s previous list of birds seen from his house at Frettenham inspired one of us (Rita Bull) to follow suit during 1999. We had always kept a song chart, and by always, I am looking back to the late 1940s, so this did not entail a great deal extra, though it was found that not all birds heard singing were actually seen every day, so the number of bird species in the garden was probably higher on many days than the actual list. The list was actually started on March 1st 1999 and with an 8 day period missed in late June gave a maximum possible of 298 days. During 2000, the maximum number of days was 366. We do not have the advantage of near neighbour's gardens to draw birds in, the nearest being about 400m distant. On either side we have arable. We have an orchard with an area of mixed evergreens at the top and beyond that a hedged section of former road and about two acres of mixed hardwoods planted about 18 years ago. There is a good garden area with trees and shrubs and a very small pond which attracts newts and also frogs to hibernate but not breed. Below the house is about an acre of sheep grazed pasture and then a Poplar plantation and joining it an area of rough marsh, then the River Tud and beyond this an amenity area with a very nice pond dug about 20 years ago. Until 1995 we had grazing land with cattle on one side of us, and until that time we had up to four pairs of Starlings nesting under the roof every year and possibly as many as a dozen pairs of House Sparrows, though these latter had already started to decline before the cattle went. Until that time, how- ever, both would have been in the ’top ten’ seen every day. As it is, I seven of our top ten in both years ! were the same as Geoffrey Kelly’s. 1 The three not in were Collared | Dove 15th with 226 in 1999 and 16th i with 250 in 2000 and Stock Dove i with 189 in 1999 in 17th place and ! 14th in 2000 with 290. Starling , however was only 24th with 123 in f 1999 and 26th with 105 in 2000, * and most of these sightings would | have been simply flying over. i i Our top ten had 9 species the same | in both years, with Carrion Crow , pushing Pheasant lower down the i scale in 2000. The three species ! which replaced those above in i Geoffry Kelly’s list were Robin i with only one day missed in two * years, Dunnock 9th on 285 in 1999 | and first equal with 366 in 2000, , and Greenfinch recorded every day s in both years. ! | Others much reduced by comp- i arison, House Sparrow 22nd with i 134 in 1999 and 28th with 86 in | 2000. Ours are visitors from that i nearest house. Especially also, i Skylark which has practically ! disappeared locally. 40th with only | 47 sightings in 1999 {and in 2000, t 59th with only 4 sightings all year, ! and not even singing within earshot. i Silent Spring? Very nearly! f Alec and Rita Bull. " ARE WE INADVERTENTLY KILLING OUR GARDEN BIRDS? As a veterinary pathologist with many years experience of diseases of birds (both wild and captive), I should like to draw to the attention of people who feed garden birds the dangers of causing them fungal infections. It is not a good idea to fill up and particu larly top u p, peanut holders, especially during periods of wet weather, because the nuts quickly absorb moisture. This encourages the growth and multiplication of fungi that are capable of causing disease in birds. Damp nuts tend to stick to the bottom of peanut holders and go mouldy. Ali food containers should be regularly and thoroughly cleaned, sterilised with boiling water and stale food removed from feeding areas. It is advisable not to feed birds continuously in the same place, unless food containers are situated over a concrete area that can be scrubbed and disinfected, thus helping to prevent the spread of infectious agents.Contrary to a statement in a document recently circulated by the RSPB., slightly mouldy bread should NEVER be fed to birds. Indeed, stale bread that appears not to be mouldy can still harbour fungi not visible to the naked eye. The RSPB has informed me that action will be taken to correct this statement Food for birds should always be provided ir small amounts at a time and not be replenished until everything has been eaten. This also helps to prevent the spread of other diseases such as salmonellosis. Dr Ian F. Keymer VISITING COUPLES ! i i The Norwich residential suburb of * Eaton Rise is located adjacent to the Yare Valley and bound around two sides by a golf course and copses which have grown out of ! marlpits. ! The writer’s garden abuts on to the = golf course from which interesting | species of wildlife traffic. High- ] lights of such visitors in this past i month have been a pair - dog and 1 vixen - of fox and a pair of muntjac j deer. The fox visit occurred around \ 09:30 hours and they both came ! within five yards of our lounge windows. The physical condition ; of both animals appeared to be i quite splendid. After an investi- gation of the garden over a period of about three minutes they then moved at great speed into a neighbours garden. The strong urine scent these animal left behind was to be preferred to any domestic feline! The muntjac pair - male and female - have become very regular visitors (between 07:00 and 09:00 hours usually). These, unfortunately, we must restrain from entry since they browse on the emerging and more tasty leaves and shoots of num- erous plants including bluebells, crocus, kniphofia, bergenia etc. The bird life to be seen is a continuous source of interest. All three species of woodpeckers are seen, a sparrowhawk dismembering a wood pigeon, daily close ups of families of jays and magpies, pairs of bullfinches, goldcrests and nesting of robin, blue tit, great tit, song thrush, collared dove, blackbird and long-tailed tit. It was with sorrow and anger that we noted the destruction of the nest of a long-tailed tit bearing nine eggs - probably by a neighbours cat. The building of the nest of the long-tailed tit in a berberis some three yards from our lounge window, had occupied our delighted attention over a period of about a month. The beautiful nest structure was dragged out of the bush and the eggs left uneaten below. Grass snakes - pairs we presume - have been observed near the compost heaps whilst their egg shell and very young grass snakes have been seen near this compost. It is possible that at some future date our members will read in this publication Garden for Sale with House included'. Gordon Livingstone THE LITTLE FELLOW For the last two weeks Wendy and I have travelled most days to see her sick father at Adden- brooks Hospital in Cambridge. Some of the route passes through the Brecks, so when Wendy was driving I have been looking out for deer. Only two Roe have been seen so far and one Red but the tiny Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) seems very numerous. Often a count of six seen on one journey, usually just a few yards into the woodland, even travelling at seventy m.p.h. the eye can pick them up fairly easily. Based on these sightings and those nearer home this small deer must be well established in Norfolk and Suffolk woodlands at the moment, probably our most numerous species now. We often see them in the mixed woodland at Thorpe, especially where bramble and low scrub abounds. Apparently all these animals are descendants from a few escaped from Woburn Park in Bedford- shire. The male has small antlers but long canines that make it look a bit like Christopher Lee on a bad day . When disturbed they often give . a sharp bark of alarm. I would ; not imagine that they do much 1 damage as they seem to eat | mostly low shrubs and bramble i leaves. I find these animals a f pleasing addition to our * woodlands. T ony Howes March 2001 50 ’Years %o An extract from the NNNS Transactions of 1951 BANANA SPIDER A female of the large poisonous spider Ctonus torus (Perty) was found with bananas in a Norwich warehouse in May, 1951 . It produced an egg - cocoon in Ju ly and the yo ung emerged in great numbers early in Septem.be r , after which they were deposited at London Zoo. This species has been recorded as native in Brazil and Paraguay. RM Barnes © Missing 'Squiggie' FUNGUS STUDY GROUP According to my copy of the Little Oxford English Dictionary the word ’squiggie’ denotes: a) wavy or curly line b) wriggle I expect by my omission of a) from the last ’ Natterjack I caused b) as frustrated attempts by members to logon failed! My apologies to those of you who suffered from the missing squiggie (insert before richard) Please find the correct version of the Fungus Study Group site below: http://homepages.tesco.net/ ~richard.shotbolt/nfsg I have tried it and it does work:! FF Editor AN APPROPRIATE HOST FOR JEW'S EAR | i The Jew’s-ear fungus must be s familiar to almost all naturalists; it i is common, distinctive and has a ! vernacular name which - at least as , far as the ear part is concerned - is i appropriate. It can be eaten, * although not strong in the flavour j department, and has a long history t of use in Chinese traditional i medicine and in Western herbal * treatments (for the usual wide range of unconnected conditions), t Its normal host is elder on which its pinkish-brown gelatinous lobes can be found at any time of year. This is the association which explains the name of the fungus (a mistranslation of the mediaeval Latin, auricula Judae - Judas’s ear) for on this tree Judas Iscariot is said to have hanged himself. The scientific name of the fungus reinforces this with Auricularia (a little ear) auricula- judae. Another legend has it that Judas hanged himself not on elder but on C ercis siliquastrum , known, in his honour, as the Judas-tree. This member of the pea family sprouts clusters of pink flowers directly from the bark and is commonly grown in gardens but, like elder, occurs naturally in western Asia. Jew’s-ear fungus is, in fact, quite catholic in its tastes, occurring on, amongst other woody hosts , sycamore, ash, oak, elm, willow, beech, hazel, and alder. In a study in the north-east, only 62% of the finds were on elder, with 20% on sycamore, 9% on wych elm and the remainder on five different species. Nevertheless it came as a surprise when a friend recently presented me with a piece of a Judas-tree branch bearing a Jew’s- ear fungus. Tony Leech Although not such an appropriate host as the above I recently found Jew's-ear on another plant other than Elder - an old woody Buddleja trunk in the garden. FF A no t so common 'Grey Mould' During a spate of correspondence about snowdrops on the Norfolk Wildlife e-groups I remembered seeing a grey mould on some snowdrop plants that I had been moving around in a garden at Tibenham earlier this year. I had found the mould in the centres of the largest and densest clumps of snowdrops. It was attacking the base of the leaves causing them to rot off at ground level. I had thought little about the mould at that time, just throwing the affected bulbs away and replanting the rest. I had assumed that it was the common grey mould that attacked many species of plants in the garden. However, on checking in Ellis & Ellis ‘Microfungi on Land Plants’ I found the mould was Botrytis galanthina, a species specific to snowdrops. They suggest this species is f ound predominantly in northern England but since I can remember seeing it in several other gardens locally over the years I wondered how common it really was - so I looked on the British Mycological Society website. On their species database they had recorded - three records ! Maybe those ‘ stay-at-home’ naturalists amongst us could be making as good a contribution to wildlife recording as those who spend half the day travelling to the wildernesses of Norfolk. Robert Maidstone SLATER DAY With the current restrictions on visiting the countryside, I have been turning my attention more to what is still accessible - in my case, the sea and beach. I visit the Quay here at Wells regularly, and occasionally you get a "Slater day". The Sea Slater Ligia oceanic a is a very large woodlouse, sometimes 50mm long, but of the same shape and proportions as the familiar woodlice of the genera Oniscus and Porcellio. Being inhabitants of rocky coasts, they are not exactly common in Norfolk. I imagine they must always be here on the Quay, but you only see them in particular weather conditions, basically dull and damp. Even then you can't rely on their being around, but when they do appear it can be in impressive numbers. The large Victorian dressed stones forming the quay edge, and especially the cracks and gaps between them, are presumably the slaters < home, but they are truly amphibious, apparently happy to be crawling on the "rocks" or swimming nearby. I like them; they seem as truly inhabitants of the quay as the gulls, swans and mallards, and the Turnstones which now regularly appear in winter - up to 19 on one day this year, by the way. If any of you have come across Sea Slaters elsewhere in Norfolk, I should be interested to hear. Strangely enough, I have never seen one at West Runton, our nearest approach to a rock-pool coast. Paul Banham CD Thirty odd years or so ago 1 had permission to walk and birdwatch over a farm at Postwick in the Yare Valley. Part of this walk involved the twenty yard buffer zone of willow scrub and sedge between the river and the grazing marshes. I remember well that Water Rails ( Rallus aquations ) were a common sight and sound in those days, the pig like squeal would often erupt from the margins of the swamp ahead as I walked through the tangle of bushes and sedge. This was brought home to me last week when I walked round Strumpshaw Fen late one evening. Suddenly there it was - that peculiar high pitched, injured pig like squeal, followed by a few low grunting sounds, they were coming from an overgrown sedge and reed bed. I stopped and listened a few minutes and there it was again, it brought back memories of those nearby trips many years before. You can imagine primitive peoples hearing this blood curdling sound coming from the swamps as they passed by. They would probably pull their cloaks a little bit tighter as they cast a nervous glance in that direction and hurried on their way, fearful of the "Swamp Devils' that lived there. T ony Howes February 2001 Know that Wildflower 1 The Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society has arranged a series of four field meetings over the spring and summer designed as an introduction to the identification of wild flowers. They are open to members and non-members of the society, but the aim is to encourage as many people as possible to attend, not only ‘beginners' and those ‘starting ouf, but also those botanists who have experience and knowledge that they would like to share. Enclosed with this issue of Natterjack is a leaflet giving details of all the times and venues, so please make a note in your diary and then pass the leaflet on to anyone that you think may be interested, or pin ft up in your workplace, library, school, college etc. The first meeting is scheduled for Sunday 13th May, at 10.30 am at Foxfey Wood NWT reserve. In view of the uncertainly over access due to foot & mouth restrictions, there will be an answerphone messsage on 01263 587 499 from Monday 7th May onwards giving an update on access (and possibly an alternative venue; similar messages will be posted, if necessary, in the week before the following meetings). Simon & Anne Harrap Stigmella aurella in Norfolk (The Bram ble Pigmy) All records please to: Jen -Clifton, Kestrel Cottage, Statior Hirtdolveston, Norfolk, NR20 5DE, jon,clifion@btinternet, One of Norfolk’s most widespread moths is the Nepticulid leaf mining moth Stigmella aurella, but a quick look at the attached distribution map shows that there have been very few records sent in, so may I ask any recorders to submit their sightings to me at the address above (and I will forward them to our county recorders). The larva of Stigmella aurella mine the leaves of bramble in a long and twisting whitish gallery which is very distinctive and noticeable. It is thought to be continually brooded so can be seen throughout the year, especially in the evergreen varieties, so its presence can be found with ease. I found this was just the case while on the way home from work. In just two days stopping the car in a different 2km grid square near a patch of bramble and on inspection I had found the mines within seconds.... its as easy as that! (you can see where I live by looking at the map!) you have probably got it in your garden so go out and look. The only other species to watch for on bramble that feed in this way are Emmetia marginea but its mine is whiter and broader than S. aurella and Stigmella splendidissimella which usually prefer dewberry to bramble, so in winter this is no problem as dewberry are deciduous and will not be present. Jon Clifton Blackbird Delight! It’s 6am on a grey and drizzly morning but I’m full of the delights of Spring! For the third morning in a row I have been woken up early by the Blackbird singing just outside the bedroom window. What a marvellous way to start the day! I don’t mind that it’s early and I could have had another hours sleep at least! At this time of the year like so many of us, I am looking forward to hearing the first Chiff- Chaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap etc., but the lovely mellow sound of the Blackbird to me is Spring at it's best! i What a great English sound that is! I i just had to get up and tap this out to 1 express my delight. Whilst I waited for j the kettle to boil for the inevitable cup i of tea I had a look out of the back door i to be greeted by the Song Thrush I singing from nearby. What more do ! you need! ! ! As always this Spring I | have waited to record the first Chiff * Chaff etc: (Chiff-Chaff: 23.3.01; i Willow Warbler 5.4.01; Blackcap: * 6.4.01.) but the Blackbird “insists” on 1 being recorded! Roger Clarke P.S. If you fancy taking part in a newt survey - see back page Newts on South Norfolk Commons A biodiversity project focussing on the common lands of South Norfolk is being proposed by a partnership that includes Norfolk Wildlife Trust, English Nature and South Norfolk Council. Details on this project will be circulated to other prospective partners in the near future and a scoping is planned for the coming months. Amongst the information needed to inform the project, is a better idea of the distribution of great crested newt on the South Norfolk Commons. Funding for this part of the project has been kindly offered by the Herpetofauna Conservation Trust. The proposal, at present, is to survey ponds on South Norfolk Commons in the spring and early summer of this year. If you are interested in taking part in the South Norfolk Commons survey work, and being a part of the volunteer survey team, then please contact me. Helen Baczkowska, Biodiversity Project Officer, Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Tel: 01603 625540 THE LAST GUARDIAN With Billy Bishop (Cley), Ted Eales (Blakeney Point) the name Bob Chestney (Scolt Head) was synonymous with wild birds and their early protection along the north Norfolk coast for many of us. Their annual bird summaries as respective wardens were regular features of the Bird and Mammal Reports of the 50s and 60s. It was, therefore, with saddness that I read in the Eastern Daily Press of the death of Bob Chestney on March 31 st , aged 75. Bob Chestney was unforgettable - the first sighting was usually of this wind burnt red-brown character in shorts and wild hair appearing through the dunes and coming up to enquire what you were about. Having satisfied himself that you were not going to harm his birds he settled into jovial mood and a teller of tales - some of the rather tall variety! During an NYN excursion in 1969 Bob regaled the young nats with stories of the 1953 flood and how afterwards the samphire had to be carried over the shoulder as it was the size of a small Christmas tree! My visits to Scolt over the years have regrettably been infrequent yet I will not forget those early days watching the Sandwich Terns and hearing their raucous calls over the wind, whilst listening to Bob's tales. He was a countryman, a naturalist who inspired and above all a true guardian of our natural heritage. Long may we remember him as the man of Scolt Head and its terns. Francis Farrow MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Members who pay by cheque are reminded that subscriptions fell due on 1 April, 2001. Current rates are £12 for ordinary and family members and £15 for affiliated groups. Please make cheques payable to Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society and send them to the Treasurer: D I Richmond, 42, Richmond Rise, Reepham, Norfolk, NR 10 4LS. Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society subscription form: From:.... Address: A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in August. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence could be sent to the following address, as soon as possible by July 1 st , and marked with NNNS on the envelope. For those with access to a computer a WORD document or an ordinary text file on disc would be most helpful, or you can send an e-mail to: francis. f@virgin.net FF Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham Norfolk NR26 8QD S'. '2/1 G A THZMaTI i 1 HISTORY &?(. UM f 20 AUG 200 1 T o ad-in-the-lko le. . . We are now well into summer - perhaps someone can tell the weather! Yet despite the changable nature of our local climate the excursions have been held, attended and enjoyed as the following pages will reveal. My thanks to all who have contributed to those reports and to the other authors of articles. Please keep on sending in your observations and natural history notes. FF Village shows the way A village south of Norwich has set the rest of Norfolk a good example by producing its own "Wildlife 2000 ". The Natural History ofShotesham in the year 2000 is, like this Society's ongoing magnum opus, a snap- shot of local wildlife at the millen- nium. It has been compiled by Frank Mitchell from records of birds, flowers, mammals, butter- flies, dragonflies, amphibians and reptiles supplied by no fewer than 40 villagers - a splendid co- operative effort. And, having started, they intend to continue with some detailed recording of particular areas. What a good example for other communities! David Pauli The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society NNNS FIELD MEETINGS I would like to apologise to anyone who failed to find the meeting point for the excursion to Life Wood. There were signs posted at the relevant junctions but we should have stated that this would be the case in the programme, so that members could be looking out for them. This was especially true as a housing estate is such an unusual place for us to congregate! Some additional notes and reminders on the forthcoming programme: Natural History Day Ted Ellis Trust ~ Wm&atoen Events from 10.G*0 am Computers and Wildlife at Gressenhall. Saturday October 13 th The new Norfolk Biological Records Centre will demonstrate some aspects of the work on biological recording in a morning or an afternoon session. The room size will not accommodate too many people at one time so, please would interested people write briefly to John Goldsmith at NBRC, Union House, Gressenhall, Norfolk. Nli20 4DR or e-mail john.goldsmith.mus@norfolk.gov.uk expressing aa interest for either the morning or the afternoon. If demand exceeds supply, John has agreed to repeat the session at a later date. Bob Ellis, Chairman Programme Committee Founded 1869 Registered Charity No. 291604 ( Number 74 August 2001 A IBittern’s W orld Much has been written in recent time about the rejuvenation of Broad! and reed-beds, one of the objectives being to encourage the return of the bittern in significant numbers. This is a bird which has enjoyed varying fortunes over the years. It was relatively common in the early part of the 19th century but by the end was regcirded as being virtually absent as a breeding species. Recolonization, presumably from the Continen t, took place at the start of this century , the first nest being found near Sutton Broad in 1911. From ithat point, numbers increased, reaching a peak in 1954 with an estimated sixty ‘booming’ males in residence during the spring. Bittern populations are usually expressed in this way since, due to the secretive habits of the bird, it is not possible to count nests. Nevertheless, cock birds sing in spring, the song being the ‘boom’, more a grunt-like ‘Bwump’ of considerable carrying power and quite unmistakable. The bittern’s association w ith reed- beds is almost absolute. Unlike its close relation, the heron, which is often seen in the open on marsh- land or wading in shallow water, the bittern tends to remain hidden within the reed-bed, occasionally venturing to the margins where a thinning curtain of reeds borders a dyke or a stretch of more open water. Thus, for much of the time, the bird will be moving through the congested fen, scanning the sodden litter at ground level for aquatic insects, wonns, frogs and, where there is sufficient water, fish. The posi tion of the eyes facilitates this role. They are set at an angle on the sides of the head, looking down at the terrain over which the bird is progressing. Consequently, when the bird wishes to view any object immediately towards the front, as when it is disturbed, it freezes, raising its bill skyward so that both eyes, can now be focussed, not on the ground, but on the intruder. At such times, the striped, extended neck blends with the background of vertical reeds, the position often regarded as a typical bittern pose. March onwards, nests are built within the dense cover of the reed- bed. A nest consists, for the most part, of strands of dead reed, crisscrossed to form a loose mound, the summit, where the eggs will rest, being almost flat. The appearance of the nest changes during incubation. Initially, the fragments of reed are their natural fawn colour. Later, they become coated with a greyish pow der, the powder having been deposited from the powder-down feathers on the breast of the sitting bird. The normal use of this talcum-like material is in preening. If a bird has been feeding on a frog or an eel, some slime may have soiled the feathers and the powder is used to dry off the offending smear. On the nest, it is possible, with experience, to estimate how far the incubation has proceeded from the density of the powdery coating. The eggs, pale olive-brown in colour, are laid at interv als of two or more days. The female starts sitting as soon as the first egg has been produced. As a result, the chicks do not hatch at the same time and, say, in a family of four, the eldest chick may be a week older than the youngest. The difference in size is very obvious . The cock bird appears to play no part in the incubation nor does he assist in rearing the chicks. Consequently, the hen must leave her brood from time to time to obtain food tmd on such occasions she may fly to another reed-bed where supplies are more readily available. She may be away for an hour or two but the chicks are already clothed in down and do not chill quickly. On her return, she feeds her family by regurgitation, producing, in the early stages, partially digested food. Inevitably, the larger chicks tend to compete more effectively for what is on offer and sometimes the youngest may not survive. How is death dealt with? Certainly on one occasion, recorded photograph- ically, the hen, having fed the active chicks;, picked up the dead one and swallowed it. It was re- cycled! One has doubts about whether this is the usual way in which a corpse is disposed. Young bitterns, like young herons, are incapable of flight before they are around eight weeks old. Never- theless, they tend to wander from the nesting platform after little more than two weeks, being led through the jiungle-like fen vegetation by the hen, feeding as they go. It may be that, at first, they return each evening to the nest where they can be brooded during the hours of darkness but it is not long before they spend all their time at large in the reed-bed pur- suing their mysterious ways. Later in the year when the youngsters are fully mobile some dispersion occurs but no matter how far they travel another reed-bed will be their final destination. Reg Jones A Bee Or chid Bonanza A great many Norfolk parishes were enclosed by Act of Parliament in 18th and 19th centuries (in fact, there were over 300 Acts, placing Norfolk third in the national league table of enclosures). In the county these acts mostly served to complete up the process of the abandonment of medieval open-field systems, and to bring commons and wastes into cultivation. We can lament the passing of the great areas of heathland with their associated mires, but the Enclosure Acts did prod uce one benefit for 21sl century naturalists. In many parishes the Acts set aside one or more Surveyor's Allotment. These were small pieces of land designed to provide material for road repairs. Naturally, as material was excavated many became pits, and inevitably these were used to tip rubbish. In the end, many such pits were tidied up with a capping of rubble or soil and came to be forgotten about. Some were incorporated into fields or gardens (incorporated being a euphemism for stolen) whilst others were simply bits of waste land that no-one had responsibility for. It would be an interesting exercise f or every member to try to locate the Surveyor's Allotments (if they exist) in their parish. It is easy to do, just make an appointment to view the Enclosure Act and Map for your parish at the records office in Norwich. These maps are a source of endless fascination, and will have the Allotments clearly marked on them. They can then be located on the OS map and tracked down on the ground. In our parish there are three surveyor's allotments. One has become the village pond, one is more or less incorporated into a plantation, and the third lies forgotten behind a hedge . It was filled with rubbish and capped, but held a pleasant surprise for us. We first visited in May 1997 and found around 20 orchids. They had no flowers yet and were rather Rabbit-chewn, but aroused our interest. A return visit in June revealed that they were Bee Orchids Ophrys apifera, and there were ten robust and perfect spikes on show, a real discovery. Naturally, we continued to monitor this little forgotten comer. In 1998 we counted 40 spikes, and in 1999 found the astonishing total of 400 spikes. After this, things declined, with around 60 in 2000 and just 35 this year. All this in an area of around 50 m by 25 m. There were a variety of other inter- esting plants too, and common grassland butterflies, making it a haven for wildlife. And, we know for sure that this is not am isolated case. We rent (from the District Council) another Surveyor's Allotment in Holt, in order to look after its wildlife interest. It has Bee Orchids too, as well as hundreds and hundreds of Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii. Keel-fruited Com Salad Valarianella carinata (a Norfolk rarity), and Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii and Toothed Medick Medicargo polymorpha well away from the coast (perhaps brought in with the soil cap many years ago?). The lesson is clear. Surveyor’s Allotments are well worth knowing about arid can have considerable conservation value (as they are set aside by Act of Parliament, they cannot be sold, but the threat, as usual, is likely to be neglect; the Parish or District Council are the people to talk to about management etc, and if they are good, they may qualify as County Wildlife Sites). Simon & Anne Harrap Glow Worms In August, lost year, I went with a small group of people to a fen near South Walsham. The object of the outing was to find and count glow worms that had been S€?en here before in fair numbers. We were successful as over twenty were found. They were mostly seen in a part of the fen that had btsen cut a few weeks previously, but some were found in thick sedge and reed. The small greenish light emitted by the females could be seen several feet away. As we had arrived at the site just before dusk it was interesting to see other denizens of this area. A hunting barn owl was seen flying over the fen edge as was a single woodcock. Several pipistrelle bats were flitting alongside a row of trees, a water deer went crashing off through the reeds. A fox and a tawny owl were both heard calling in the wood close by. In all a very interesting experience. Tony Howes GOLDEN DAYS Out of the Blue Whilst sitting, enjoying the sun, in my garden at Twyford, Dereham, on the afternoon of June 28th I was amazed to see a Swallowtail butter- fly fly in and alight for a minute or two on Thyme ( serpyllum ) flow- ering in the Alpine patch. It then flew over to my neighbour’s gar- den and fed on the perennial Wall- flower still in bloom. Unfortun- ately it then flew away east. The weather was warm and sunny with a fresh west wind. I had a good look at it to make sure that it was the English one — con- firming it with one of my books. It was quite 'old‘ looking and not at all fresh. My neighbour tells me that about ten years ago he had one in his garden. Is it known that these butterflies fly at such distances from their normal habitat or could it have escaped from a Butterfly Farm? I have contacted Pensthorpe Wildlife Centre a couple of miles down the road from here but they have none. Roger Clarke. ‘J(en replies Our Swallowtail butterflies Papilio machaon spp. britannicus have been reported several times outside their area of the Broads. Such sightings when they do occur have been mostly females though. For example in 1 989 a female Swallowtail was witnessed, by Society member David Mower, laying eggs on Angelica on Beeston Common in North Norfolk. The males, however, rarely leave the humidity of Elroadland, for if they do their genitalia becomes hardened and this prevents them from mating. The continental form Papillio machaon spp. gorganus = bigeneratus is a renowned wanderer and has been recorded over many decades appearing in this country, mostly in the southern counties. Unless witnessed by an expert it is always uncertain to be precise as to which spp. it belongs. A quick check if one can be seen with open wings is as follows: If it is britannicus the ground colour is a bright yellow. The dark band running down the outer edge of the front top wings is broad and even broader at the hind end, whereas in gorganus the ground colour is a much paler yellow and the dark band much narrower, almost parallel sided and even thinner at the hind end. There are also other minor differences, however, these require more expert examination than can be given in the field to be absolutely certain. Ken Durrant Seaweed Surprise A couple of years ago (Transactions, 2000) I wrote of discovering Channel Wrack Pelvetia calaliculata growing attached to lumps of concrete in Wells. The unusual thing about this was that I had only previously seen this seaweed in Norfolk in its "free" form, caught up among the stems of saltmarsh plants at Blakeney Point. Subsequently I sent out a challenge to members of the Norfolk e-mail naturalists' forum to watch out for it. No response - I don't think many people can get worked up about Marine Algae! However, on a recent walk to inspect the improved sea defences at Overy Staithe, I noticed a flourishing growth of seaweeds on the concrete lump groynes reaching out into the harbour and, lo and behold, the top level consisted of abundant clumps of Channel Wrack! (the next one down was Flat Wrack Fucus spiralis, by the way. I couldn't see what was below that, as the tide was in). These groynes pre-date the recent work on the sea wall, so how long these particular species of Algae have been there I don't know. It does seem, however, that the "true", attached fonn of Channel Wrack is now well established on our coast. Paul Banham I often take the camera with me and just wander about the countryside to see what insects I can find, this is very enjoyable on a warm sunny day. Time passes so quickly, it is pure joy just peering into tushes and looking for movement around you. Some of these finds have been imprinted on my memory like bright jewels and I look back on them with great pleasure. The day at Upton when 1 saw my first Yellow Winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum, a rare vagrant that turns up only very occasionally. Then the hot sticky day when I was walking down a fen path and saw a large dark butterfly coming towards me. I had on a blue sun hai: at the time, as the butterfly reached me it circled my head a couple: of times before continuing on its way, leaving me delighted and amazed at the sight of my first ever Camberwell Beauty. The short-winged Conehead I first saw at eye level in a reed bed, I took its portrait and only found out later what it was. Then ihere was the day on Postwick marsh when I was concen- trating on keeping a Swallowtail butterfly in sharp focus on a buddleia stem, and then seeing out of the comer of my eye a Humming Bird Hawk Moth feeding from the same spray. Not all sightings are identified. Several times in recent years I have seen a large yellow insect in flight at Upton Fen, I think it is a Hornet dear -wing moth, one day I hope to spot it settled before it sees me, then I shall have another bright jewel to add to the collection. T ony Howes Animals Extinct in Historic Times (1880), recorded that beavers were released by a Mr Barnes in Southerley Park, near Wangford, Suffolk. They prospered, so much so that their dams were destroyed because they were an eyesore. They moved downstream where they were killed because of the damage they did to forestry. What if beavers were reintroduced to the Fens, thrived i and spread to rivers like the Little Ouse, the Nar and the Stiffkey? The effect might be beneficial in - improving wetland habitats. Or it might not. It \ took ten years and huge sums of money to rid East Anglia of the coypu. Muntjac are now a major pest. Mink are causing devastation to native wildlife. Various aquatic arrivals - Asiatic clams, crayfish, North American bullfrogs - are becoming a major problem. risk too far? Beavers in the Fens? Am I alone in being just a little bit anxious about the current moves to reintroduce this delightful but potentially destructive creature? Some have already been released in Scotland. Kent Wildlife Trust has nine in quarantine in a sanctuary, destined for an ancient vwetland in the county. The Trust wants beavers to be reintroduced to suitable sites across Britain - and high on the list of possible locations is the Fens. Fossil discoveries show that beavers were once abundant in the Fens but became extinct a thousand years ago. Professor Stephen Harris, chairman of the Mammal Society, is all in favour of bringing back the European beaver - “not the dam- building Ameirican kind”, he wrote in an article in The Times. “in the Fens” wrote June Southworth in the Daily Mail, "there was so much still water that the rodent had no need to fell trees and build the dams for which is it famous - a fact that should allay the fears of present-day landowners if the beaver is to make a comeback”. But that was centuries before the Fens were drained. Conditions have changed dramatically. European beavers do build dams - and fell trees to do so. There is a record of a beaver dam in Russia 400ft long, more than 3ft high and up to 3ft wide. The return of the beaver has also been welcomed by Anthony Legge, professor of environmental archaeology at London University. But, in a letter to The Times, he noted that J.E. Harting, in his British Agreed, they are introductions, deliberate or accidental, rather than reintroductions. But the natural predators of those once-native species are themselves extinct. Dare we take the risk? Perhaps I am just being paranoid. But isn’t it ironic that, while Professor Harris is commending an EU Directive “instructing all countries that they ought to consider reintroducing once-native species”, the Broads Authority will be taking part in a Government- sponsored investigation into the ecological damage caused by alien plants and animals. I hopes to read your views in future issues of Natterjack. David Paul! 'i" • i ~ t ~ y. ■ EXCURSION REPORTS Sporle Wood, May 6, 2001 There was great relief when we heard from Mr Kilvert, owner of the wood, that we would be able to hold our field meeting as planned.. Thus it was that about 30 members, eager to get out into the wild once more, arrived for this meeting. The fact that the wood had scarcely been visited before (except by intrepid Flora Recorders) also attracted experts in many fields. Sporle Wood is at the south-westerly limit of the Central Norfolk woods and has been known since medieval times when it was owned by the Paston family. A description of it in 1472 shows it to have been consid- erably larger than it is now, but it is safe to say that the section which remains today has never been completely cleared though the lack of really old trees meant there were not many of the rarer mosses or liver- worts. We began by walking tine track outside the northern edge of the wood where the ditch bank was carpeted with dogs mercury and we could glimpse bluebells within. Once inside, the party split up, but those who remained with the leader had the advantage of the presence of Mrs Kilvert who was able to tell us something of the present manage- ment and use of the wood. One part of the wood had, in the past, been planted with larch, but four years ago these were cleared and new young hazel planted in anticipation of later coppicing. Four years ago when the leader visited the wood this area was almost completely carpeted with wood millet jpass but now it was botanically the richest area and the grass has given way to carpets of bluebells, many early purple orchids, yellow archangel, hairy St. John's wort and a small colony of wood goldilocks wliich had been missed when recording for the Flora! We were interested that very few of the many plants of wood anemone were flowering and a closer look showed that almost every flower had been eaten. Several possible culprits were suggested including pigeons, pheasants and muntjac, all plausible but none could be proven. I wonder if anyone has noticed this in woods elsewhere? The lateness of the season hampered those looking for insects but blackcaps, chiff-chaff, willow warblers and marsh tits were singing and we felt that spring at last was really with us. Gillian Beckett Willd Flowers Revealed at Foxley Wood MWT Reserve Sunday 13 th May 2001 Leader: Rob Yaxley After worries about access due to foot & mouth and the extremely wet condition of the wood, in the event this was an extremely successful meeting, with 60-70 people present for the morning season (although rather fewer stayed on until the afternoon). We broke up into smaller parties, each led by an experienced botanist (although some were more experienced than others!) and quickly began to find some of the things which make Foxley such a wonderful place. Many of the spring flowers were showing well, including Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria, Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Bugle Ajuga reptans, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys and a tine showing of Elluebells Hyacinthoides non- scripta and Eiarly Purple Orchids Orchis mascula. In some recently cleared coppice there were some rather weedy Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia and, most interestingly, some large patches of Orpine Sedum telephium too. One of Foxley J s specialities, the Wild Service-tree Sorbus torminalis , was not yet in bloom, and best identified by the plastic bag tied around its trunk, but Midland Hawthorn Crataegus laevigata was in flower, and there was a debate over the identification of some trees which seemed to show variable numbers of styles. Indeed, the aim of the clay was to introduce people to wild flower identification, and there was much poring over field guides and keys by both beginner and expert alike (we particularly liked the comparison of leaf shape and texture between Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis and Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca). CD In the afternoon more time was spent on grasses and sedges, with Hairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa and Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica being notable, but the real stars were Thin-spiked Wood Sedge Carex strigosa at its only Norfolk locality and the rather localised Pale Sedge Carex pallescens (although neither was in flower let alone fruiting, and C. strigosa especially generated some scepticism). Rob showed us a very limited area of acidic podsol in the centre of an otherwise rather calcareous wood, with Molinia as well as Common Sedge Carex nigra and Pill Sedge Carex pilulifera. We also managed to find Narrow Buckler Fern Dryopteris carthusiana, a species which our leader had yet to identify at Foxley. All this against a background of Willow and Garden Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, and it was a great day out. Simon & Anne Harrap Catfield Hall Saturday 16 th June 2001 J t Torrential rain, thunder and j lightning directly overhead, the i bent fenland reeds sodden with '• water and a warm humid * atmosphere, yet twelve hardy J naturalists assembled for the field s meeting. We all first needed to j spray our boots and cars with i disinfectant because of the fears of ! foot and mouth disease before we j ventured onto the fens. The j weather broke kindly for us as we t walked from our cars towards > Middle Marsh where swallowtail i butterflies were feeding on the ! thistle heads. After the heavy rain 1 overnight and durin g the morning ( it was a surprise to see so many , swallowtails active and even alive, i The break in the weather was not i to last and as the party split into ! the botanists-entomologists mov- 1 ing into the reed beds and the ! freshwater group following the dyke pathways the rain fell to mon soon levels. Trees for shelter always seemed to be on the other side of the dykes and we all got very wet. An experience we were to meet again after lunch. Caterpillars of the Garden Tiger moth Arctia caja L. were found on Marsh Fern and of the Emperor moth Saturnia pavonia L. on bog myrtle. Emperor Moth (female) Four species of leech live in the dykes and Broad: Piscicola geometra (L.) and Hemiclepsis marginata (Mtlller) are ecto- parasites of fish whilst Theromyzon tessulatum (Mtiller) is a parasite of waterfowl where it enters the nostrils and inserts its proboscis through the wall of the nasal and buccal cavities. The fourth leech Erpobdella octoculata (L.) is common throughout Norfolk. It is a carn- ivore of small insect larvae, waterfleas (fourteen species recorded at Catfield) and aquatic worms. An important discovery of mayfly larvae of Caenis robusta Etn. in the dykes and Broad brings the Norfolk records for this species to four. It has been noted in the adjacent fens at Catfield owned by Butterfly Conservation, at Wheatfen Broad and Scoulton Mere. The larvae are comp- aratively large and can be described as frequent in the Catfield waters. The fens proved to be alive with dragonflies and damselflies. The dykes and Broad are rich in aquatic and marginal vegetation and the many sheltered sites are of critical importance in maintaining the diversify and number of species. The list recorded includes the Azure, Variable, Blue-tailed, Red-eyed and Large Red damselflies. The Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, and the Norfolk Hawker, which is largely confined to the Broads where it favours clean dykes and water soldier plants, have been observed at Catfield. The Hairy Dragonfly, although generally scarce in the' UK. is plentiful near dykes with well vegetated margins. On this field visit both the Common Darter and Four- spotted Chaser were seen. The fens proved to be rich in ferns. The Royal Fern Osmunda regalis L. is; a fera of acid soils and some clumps were noted where the fern had grown to a large size. Marsh Fern Thelypteris palustris Schott is common in the fens, whilst both Male Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott) and Broad Buckler Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffin) Gray ferns are widespread but occasional. An important discovery of two clumps of the Red Data Book Crested Buckler fern Dryopteris cristata (L.) Gray on mounds of Sphagnum is considered by Bob Ellis to show the Catfield fens as the best site in Norfolk for this rarity. Six species of bog mosses in a single site is rare and this clearly indicates the importance of the fens of this part of the River Ant valley. Sphagnum subnitens, S. fimbriatum, S. palustre, S. squarrosum, S. capillifolium and S. fallax. Roy Baker o Kelling Heath Wednesday 20 th June 2001 The aim of this evening meeting, which we were leading, was to hear, and hopefully see, Nightjar. We had near-perfect weather, warm, still and not a cloud in the sky, and started off by looking around the heath itself, which straddles the road between Holt and Weybourne. A great deal of work has been done in recent years to restore the heath (mainly by the County Council) with remarkable success. We admired some vast sweeps of Wavy Hair Grass Deschampsia flexuosa and areas of Heather Calluna vulgaris and Western Gorse Ulex galli where, until recently, the ground had been dominated! by Bracken Pteridium aquilinum and Silver Birch Betula pend u la. In the couple of hours before darkness some serious botcinising took place. The alien Pim-pirri Bur Acaena anserinifolici was ad- mired, and then it was noses to the ground as we walked along the broad tracks through parts of the area. Heath Grass Danthonia decumbens was common in some areas, and another speciality was Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea, now turned a beautiful red. Sharp eyes spotted the white flowers of Bird's -foot Clover Trifolium ornithopdioides and also the rather larger (but still tiny) Bird's-foot Ornithopus perpusillus. There was also a useful comp- arison of Small and Common Cudweeds Filago minima and F. vulgaris. Even mosses got a look- in, with another alien, Campylophus introflexus, colonising bare ground and changing colour from silvery- green when viewed obliquely (due to the /Stars of scattered hairs at the leaf-point) to a rather drab grey-green v/hen viewed from above. At last, it was dusk, and a Night- jar began calling, almost on cue, at 21 50 hrs. For a while this male seemed glued to his tree and well out of sight but eventually he appeared, wing-clapping and calling in flight, and some of us even saw him sitting, silhouetted, on a pine as the light really faded. His mate was also in evidence,, flying Kestrel-like around us, cind back at the cars we heard a second churring male to round off a fantastic evening. Simon & Anne Harrap Cley to Blakeney Point Saturday 7th July 2001 More than 20 hardy souls braved the m ist and the tiireat of rain to walk from the Wildlife Trust car park at Cley to Blakeney Point, ably led by Alec Bull. This was the second of the society’s series of walks entitled “Wildflowers Revealed”. As the tide was still fairly high, we decided to tramp the shingle and botani se on the way out, leaving the option of the less arduous walk along the beach for the journey back. We soon came across a splendid show of yellow-homed poppies Glaucium flavum and then, between scattered patches of sea-sandwort and shrubby sea-blite, we admired a colony of sea pea Lathyrus japonicus in full bloom. This species was first introduced at Blakeney by F.W. Oliver in 1912 but the colony was lost and following the 1953 floods Ted Ellis scattered seed on this shingle bank at Cley where it still persists - after nearly 50 years and many a storm and surge tide. Accord- ing to Petch and Swann, the seed introduced in 1912 came from Chesil Beach but does anyone know where Ted acquired his seeds? We soon paused to look at some of the plants of the salt-marsh - common sea- lavender, sea wormwood, sea purslane. annual sea-btite, sea arrow-grass, cord- grass and reflexed salt-marsh grass. Much of the sea-lavender here was sporting the rust Uromyces limonii with its rings of tiny bright-orange cluster-cups (aecia). Continuing along the shingle, we passed a magnificent specimen of sea- kale Crambe maritima, the same plant that Alec has known since it was a seedling many years ago. Trudging on, we reached ‘Hall-way House” and in areas here the silt, sand and gravely shingle form firmer patches which support a rather special flora including the pretty little sea heath Frankenia laevis, sea pearlwort Sagina maritima, now in seed, arid the strange curved hard-grass Parapholis incurva. Along another long stretch of shingle known as “The Marrams”, though there is little sign now of sand dune or marram grass, we compared the sticky groundsel with the heath gr oundsel and examined different species of orache. When we reached the area of dunes known as “The Hood” we took a well- earned rest and a break for lunch, but botany was never far from our minds. Here we saw a wonderful spread of grey hair-grass Corynephorus canescens and. amongst the sand-sedge were some seed- heads of smooth cat’s- ear Hypochaeris glabra. On the seaward side of the dimes, the deep- pink, white-spoked trumpets of sea bindweed Calystegia soldanella inspired one member of the party to stop and sketch. Onward then to Blakeney Point itself and here our long walk was well rewarded by the sight of what I think of as the jewel of the North Norfolk: coast - for in Britain it can now only be found in a few places between Holme and Blakeney Point - matted sea-lavender Limonium bellidifolium. Not only is this a “Red Data Book plant” but to my eye, when in full flower as it was on this occas- ion, it is one of the most attractive of our native wild plants and it is a minor miracle that something that looks so delicate is adapted to survive in what, to a small vascular plant, must be a very harsh environment. Here it is joined by more of the sea heath and another rare sea-laverider Limonium binervosum ssp. anglicum. Although a few robust members of the party returned along the shingle, many of us chose the easier route along the now exposed beach. As we traipsed back, we were distracted by some bryozoans washed up on the strand line, were entertained by tittle terns fishing off-shore, and were briefly observed by a solitary seal. Finally back at the car park, you might have thought that our day was concluded - but no, Alec led us down to “Half-moon Pond” where we saw lesser pondweed Potamogeton pusillus and then spiral tassel-weed Ruppia cirrhosa with its long twisted peduncle bearing an umbel of shorter- stalked fruits. On the borders of the pond we examined long-bracted sedge Carex extensa and frog rush Juncus ambiguus. This latter plant was first reported here by Mr. K. K. Harrison in 1998, unfortunately just too late to appear in “A Flora of Norfolk". The margin of this brackish lagoon is its only known locality in the county and the presence of several locally rare plants in this one small area led to a debate about what will happen to the pond when the new sea defence across the marshes is commissioned.. If the pond and its margins were to disappear under the spread of the shingle bank it could lead to a county extinction Juncus ambiguus, a vice-county extinction Carex extensa and the loss of a good colony of the nationally scarce spiral tasselweed (one of only four or so sites in the county, as far as I know). If this were to happen it v/ould be a sad loss indeed, but this outcome is far from certain. All in all, we saw almost 90 different species of plant, three of which are listed in the Red Data Book Corynephorus canescens, Limonium bellidifolium and Limonium binervosum and eight of which are considered nationally scarce ( Festuca arenaria, Frankenia laevis, Hordeum marinum, Limonium humile, Parapholis incurva, Ruppia cirrhosa, Sarcocomia perennis and Suaeda vera ). Several more are locally scarce. I’m sure this illustrates just what a treasure our diverse local flora is. Many thanks to Alec for leading such an enjoyable and botanic- ally rewarding excursion. Bob Ellis Joyce Robinson It is zvith sadness that we report the passing of Joyce ‘Robinson after a short illness follovnng years of incapacity dm to arthritis. Joyce served this Society as ‘Excursion Secretary for 17 years in the days when we met every two weeks throughout the spring and summer at sites over Uforfolf and the Bordering counties. Joyce was Bom in OfprfoBk. and she knew the county intimately. It was this knowledge which she shared zvith us in planning and guiding the field visits for nearly two decades. She continued to Be active in the Society for many years and in recognition the Tfprfolk, and Norwich Tfamralists 'Society honoured Joyce zvith a lifetime position as Vice- President. Roy Baker TED ELLIS TRUST An invitation Mark Cocker , author, broadcaster and environmentalist will be in Norwich on 9 October to give an interactive, illustrated talk entitled 'Birds Britannica — Folklore in Norfolk and Beyond .. .. The evening is being presented by the Friends of the Ted Ellis Trust at 7.30pm at the Friends Mating House, Upper Gloat Lane, Norwich. Admission is £2.50 including refreshments. City centre caiparks are available. Further details may be found on: www.tedellistrust.org 41 k A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next Natterjack will be in November. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence or disc could be sent to the following address, as soon as possible by Oct. 1 st , or by e-mail to: fiancis.f@virgin.net FF Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringham Norfolk NR26 8QD < 3 - r\ THE NORFOLK NATTERJACK T am F THi HSTC r 8 ! E NATURAL )RY MUSEUM JOV 2001 « trx [EN£ CHA D ARY • • i \ « • • r • ft ! * 1 w ft ior A- is j hi ;; ” NM InTIxc r • ^ursion 8 2001- 2002 J To ad-im-the-ho le. . . According to the numbering when I took over as editor we have reached our 75 th edition oj 'The Nor/olk Natterjack' (although the initial bulletin was known simply as 'Natterjack'). A bit of a milestone anyway and one that can only have been reached by members sending in their notes and reports. My thanks for your continued support and especially to those that have contributed to this edition. May I also take this opportunity to wish all readers a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. FF RESEARCH; County Wildlife Sites Helen Baczkowska, NWT Bio- diversity Project Officer, has passed a request to the Society for any members interested in monitor- ing two CWS. These sites are on land owned by Watton Produce, a large vegetable-growing farm which has some land in conversion to organic and areas in a Country- side Stewardship scheme. Mr. Negus of Watton Produce, near Attleborough is keen to know what wildlife exists on the farm, espec- ially the CWS and to see if it is possible to set in place some monitoring for the future. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The sites are Shropham Grove (TL 980924) and the River Thet Valley (TL991913). The former is coppiced wood- — land with some standards and adjacent to more disturbed and open woodland with recent plantings. Standards are largely oak Quercus robar and hornbeam Carpinus betulus. The river valley site is mainly marshy and damp grassland with areas of woodland and scrub. The site is cattle grazed to a short turf in places. In the alder Alnus glutinosa woodland wood avens Geum urbanum and water chickweed Myosoton aquaticum have been recorded. Members are requested initially to contact Robert Maidstone, chair- man of the research committee, for further details at: 38 Hall Lane, Wacton, Norwich, NR 15 2UH. Tel: 01508 531287. The quarterly bulletin of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society Rcgistcied Charity No. 291604 Scarce Bug Find During August my friend, Mike Hall, rang me to say that he had found a large plant bug in his moth trap at Scole, near Diss. From his accurate description I felt sure that it was one of our scarcer species. He said he would forward it on to me to verify. A letter arrived containing two specimens, for he had caught another the next night. They were as expected, Ledra aurita L. The Eared Plant Bug. When I rang to thank him he then said that he had been moth trapping on Kn.ettishall heath just over the border in Suffolk and had seen at least half a dozen specimens there. We hope that this scarce insect is on the increase. It feeds on oak, but is practically camouflaged and hard to see naturally. Ken Durrant Rarities still turning up Each year I receive a number of collections of insects from ultraviolet fly killers situated in cafes and other establishments. One such collection arrived from the cafd at Sheringham Hall car park via the National Trust warden, Keith Zealand. I managed to produce a list of 29 different insects on this occasion including a choice find, a large black hoverfly, minus head but identifiable by its large expanded hind femurs. It was the bee mimic, Brachypalpus laphriformis Fallen, an extremely rare insect cnly recorded from ancient forests, like the New Forest or from Southern Wales, where it has been found on dead beech trunks. Maybe this will turn out to be the first Norfolk example, but from such a most unlikely source. Ken Durrant Observations of the hoverfly Volucella inanis in west Norwich The first recorded occurrence of the ' hoverfly Volucella inanis in Norfolk j was in August 1999 when a female ‘ visited my Norwich garden as repor- ! ted in the Transactions 2000, p. 29. To judge from a couple of sightings made in 2001 it would seem to have consolidated its presence in the suburbs of west Norwich. On 5 August I came across a male on flowers of water mint in the Yare Valley close to Earlham Park and two days later a female arrived again in my garden where it spent a considerable time on marjoram just as its predecessor had done two years previously. It also briefly visited field scabious flowers. On the face of it there seemed no connection between the sightings - one in a suburban garden and the other on open marshes. But I did find a link. No more than 5 metres away from the marjoram I have meadowsweet and great willow- herb flourishing (especially so with this years rain) and the willow-herb also grows around a pond in an adjoining garden. As to be expected both plants occur in great quantity on the Yare marshes in the area inanis was found. This seems too much of a coincidence and I feel sure that the insect in my garden originated from the marshes some 2 miles distant and that the occur- rence of these two components of its habitat there acted as a stimulus to investigation. With its willingness to visit gardens this striking and distinctive hoverfly should certainly attract attention and I dare say there will be further records when people become aware of the likelihood of its presence. It can only really be confused with the much larger Volucella zonaria and both are shown illustrated in Chinery’s Guide to Insects of Britain and Western Europe which will aid recognition and comparison. The respective winglengths are 12.25- 14.25mm for inanis and 15.5-19.5 for zonaria 10 mm 1 ! Both species are dependent on ; social wasps, the larvae of inanis | being ectoparasites of wasp larvae, i Vespula germanica and Vespa i crabro (hornet ) are recorded hosts i and generally speaking a good wasp : year will mean a good following | year for the hoverflies. I Both species too have a very similar. : distribution pattern, their stronghold i being in the South-east and partic- ' ularly the surrounds of London ! where they often frequent parks i and gardens. i The spread of inanis may be i matched by zonaria which has | already been recorded at Shering- ; ham by Ken Durrant in 2000-so both ! species are worth looking out for. ; It will be interesting to see how i quickly inanis disperses across the ! county. Its first recorded appear- ! ance in Cambridgeshire was at j Chippenham Fen in 1999 raising the \ possibility that humid sites such as : fens and marshes may have a high 1 importance as the insect moves ; northwards. | Will it become a familiar sight on • fen flowers in Broadland? Only time s will tell. Stuart Poston \ See also : \ "A day to remember " on page 3 . A day to remember On August 8 th , being a nice sunny and warm day, Francis Farrow and I took a stroll over Beeston Common to see what we could find, as the weather in the past weeks had generally been dull or too wet and windy. Certainly the orchids were late in flowering but were also quick to disappear, in early June we could show interested people eight differ- ent species but by late July it was an effort to find three. Tire three insectivorous plants, butter wort, Pinguicula vulgaris and the sundews, Drosera rotundifolia and D. longi- folia -(anglica), however, had done extremely well due to the wet spring. Many of the flower heads of wild angelica, a feature of late summer, possessed collections of hcverflies, mainly Eristalis spp, and flies such as the parasitic Tachinids, Tachina fera and Ericampocera succinct a, also the sexual dimorphic Grapho- mya niaculata together with many small black wasps of the C rosso- cerous and Tiffs a species. The piece de resistance of the visit, however, came when we arrived at one of the many patches of Canadian goldenrod, Soli dago canadensis , which was still in full flower. This particular patch was sheltered by shrubs from the gentle breeze and was literally taken over with num- erous Bee Wolf wasps, Philanthus triangulum, all males. It was poss- ible to see at least 10-12 everywhere we looked. Considering that this wasp has only in recent years been found in East Anglia it was surpris- ing to find such a number. . CD The Hat nick A trip in August to Strumpshaw R.S.P.B. reserve was high-lighted by a fine osprey seen there. It's not unusual to see this lovely bird in Norfolk, several are recorded passing through on migration each year, often staying for a few days, especially on coming south from Scotland. This year a pair have nested in the English Lake District, another pair at Rutland Water, so who knows - maybe they will be back breeding in Norfolk before very long. There is no lack of suitable nesting locations for them and fish are plentiful. It's 200 years or so since ospreys last nested in England, providing they are left unmolested by the egg collectors they could have the same success as the red kite. It would be superb to have the 'fish hawk' back breeding on the Broads. The bird at Strumpshaw was seen to catch a small pike in front of the 'brick hide' and later another small fish, probably a roach, was taken. At one point the osprey, while perched in a dead tree, 'had its collar felt' by a female marsh harrier as it circled the tree a couple of times. Two su per birds in view at the same time , what more could one ask? - Well - in another dead tree at the very back of the marsh a third bird sat waiting for the sun to come out so he could have his lunch of dragonflies. Another welcome surprise came just as we were about to leave the common, I took my first Norfolk example of the hoverfly, Volucella inanis from a bramble leaf but suffered a few large holes in my net for the effort, but it still counts as one of those special days to remember. A hat trick of raptors in the binoculars, osprey, marsh harrier and the elegant hobby - Heaven. Tony Howes Goose- watching in Wells. *JEL* When I moved to Wells from central Norfolk in 1969, the tradit- ional great flocks of Grey Geese were just a folk- memory, preser- ved by the few surviving pre-war wildfowlers. However, much to everyone’s surprise, they began to re-appear in the late eighties, and in recent years the numbers of Pink- feet have been, if not astronomical, at least enormous, counted in tens of thousands. As they roost on the Wells/Warham beach, and feed inland, thei r early-morning flight- path often takes them over my house, when the sky can be quite filled with their strung-out lines, generally in the traditional V shape. They seem to be only too keen to waste energy on “talking” to each other with their bi-syllabic call, quite difierent from the “grunt” of the Brents. My early-morning cycle rides to the beach ( Transactions , 1998 p.304) sometimes, especially on dull days, enable me to see them still massed on the sand near the tide-line, where they form exten- sive dark blocks. I assume, though I have never seen it, that they stay there at night even when the tide floats them off. Although many of them feed on sugar-beet fields over much of N. W. Norfolk, there are generally plenty to be found on the permanent pasture either side of Lady Anne’s Road, Holkham, where they are joined, from December onwards, by a few hundred White-fronts. For the last couple of years they have got very tame, happily feeding within a few metres of the parked cars. There are generally Brents as well, and three times in recent years there has been a single spectacular Red-breasted Goose with them, apparently under the impression that it, too, is a Brent. Ken Durrant Paul Banham ! Blacker than black NORFOLK BIRD ATLAS i \ By the end of the summer 2001, two ] years of fieldwork had been j completed for the Norfolk Bird Atlas, j Despite the understandable and i necessary restrictions imposed by the i foot-and-mouth crisis, ari encour- 1 aging amount of fieldwork was ! possible during the late winter, * spring and summer of 2001. j Hopefully full access will once more j be possible in most parts of Norfolk ( during the forthcoming winter and \ summer. I l To date, 341 tetrads have been 1 surveyed in both the early and late * winter periods. Thus 23% of Norfolk * has been covered for the Winter j Atlas, although coverage has not , been uniform throughout the county. | As has been found in many' previous j bird surveys, for example those f organised by the BTO, good * coverage has been achieved around ! the coast and inland in north-east ! Norfolk, where large numbers of S observers live, but is very patchy in f parts of south-east, north-west and j west Norfolk. There are large areas { in these parts of the county where no i fieldwork has yet been carried out. ; : Unfortunately, coverage during the ! summer months has proved more * difficult and as a result completed ; forms, with data from two breeding . season visits, have only been . received for 219 tetrads. However, it ■ is known that others have been • visited but the recording forms have ! yet to be sent in. Again, as in the * winter, certain parts of Norfolk have 1 received very poor coverage. It ! seems likely that the original target ! of completing the fieldwork in five years will not be met, but it is still j hoped to complete it in a reasonable \ period of time, so that the results are | meaningful. i ! Every single record that has been submitted is now on the database, and the figures from any completed recording sheets are now entered within a day or so of them being received. These are then instantly available for analysis. There can't be many other bird surveys in the country where the information available is so up-to-date! At the time of writing this article, the Winter Atlas database contained 26,725 entries from 'set' visits and 3,904 supplementary records; while the Breeding Atlas database contained 12,479 entries - and they've all been checked! By asking observers to actually count all the birds (or in the summer the number of pairs) that are found in the tetrad, it is possible to produce much more than simple distribution maps. The relative abundance in different parts of the county will also become apparent, as will any changes of distribution and abundance between winter and summer. Although different tetrads are being surveyed each year, for the common and widespread species, it should also be possible to obtain some year- on-year comparisons. For example during the breeding season the percentage of occupied tetrads by individual species can be compared, as well as the average number of pairs per occupied tetrad. Figures obtained during the summers of 2000 and 2001 suggest that the numbers of House Sparrows and Starlings have increased markedly between the two years (both over up 30%), whereas Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit and Yellowhammer have all shown a reduction in the average number of pairs per occupied tetrad of over 30%. Whether these trends will be demonstrated nationally or are even significant remains to be seen, I would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to join the band of over 200 observers that have already helped with the fieldwork for the Norfolk Bird Atlas. I can be contacted at: 4 Heath Road, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR 26 8JH or mosstaylor@care4free.net Moss Taylor The strangest things don’t always happen in the strangest places. In fact my observation only happened during early September this year. While on holiday on the west coast of Scotland, on a damp afternoon, I visited Ullapool. I crossed the road through a housing estate where several of the inhabitants had roaring fires. By the colour of the smoke I would have guessed it was peat they were burning. However, perched on the chimneys around the smoking pots were rooks, jackdaws and hooded crows. Each in turn jumped onto the smoking pot and opened their damp wings fully over the thick black smoke. They then jumped off and preened themselves before jumping back on again. Every house in the row with a fire had other rooks etc., doing the same thing. Were they drying their feathers or simply ridding them- selves of mites or the like? They must be truly the blackest birds in Britain. The lady of the house who saw me videoing her chimney, came out in despair looking up. I informed her I was filming the birds on her chimney pot. She replied “Thank god I thought the chimney was on fire!” G. Morris Mammal record! On The 8 fh May 2001 on arrival at Wheatfen 1 was met by the warden, David Nobbs, "Would you like to see a Yellow- necked Mouse" he asked. Of course I replied "Yes". He then produced a freshly dead specimen on a saucer. "Who found that?" I asked "The Wheatfen cat" he replied. So we now have a new Mammal recorder in more than one way. Colin Jacobs Boxing for the Future Bam owls s©3m to be holding their own in Norfolk at the moment. Nevertheless they are far from common and it’s always a great pleasure to see one, usually at dusk, as it beats slowly along a field edge hunting for voles and mice. I was therefore very pleased when I found one of my nest boxes had been taken over by a pair this year, it had five eggs in mid May and on checking again mid June all had hatched successfully. This part of the Yare valley does not have many old hollow trees and the old fashioned bams and outbuildings beloved by these beautiful birds are getting scarcer as time goes by. I think erecting nest boxes might be one of the ways forward to help these c-wls, placed in a tree on the edge of the grazing marshes they are often used to roost in for a year or two. This is easily checked by the pellets they leave behind, if they are undisturbed then they may breed there. They make no nest, laying the eggs directly on to the carpet of pellets. Apart from barn owls these boxes may also be used by kestrels, stock doves and tawny owls. Tony Howes Eight legs moving north On a very dull morning (30 t1 ' 1 Aug '01 ) while walking over Beeston Common I spotted a harvestman sitting on a willowherb leaf. It was unusual in that it was resting with its legs stretched more or less at 90° to its body. Luckily it was still there in the after- noon when I managed to take its photograph. It turned out to be Dicranopalpus caudatus Dresco - a species rarely mei with in Norfolk but one that is probably moving north with climate change. It was first recorded in Bournmouth in 1 957 (Sankey and Savory - British Harvestmen, 1 974). Francis Farrow © EXCURSION REPORTS Strumpshaw Fen Sunday 22 nd July, 2001 Leader: Bob Ellis Once again we had a good turnout for the third of the “Wild Flowers Revealed” meetings, with about 25 people attending with a mix of members of the society and new faces. We divided into two main groups and set off along the footpath leading down to the fen, looking at the wayside flowers on the way. The first plant to catch our attention was butcher’s broom Ruscus aculeatus, which unlike most other plants has no true leaves but has leaf-like structures that are really flattened stems. A corner of a barley field provided us with quite a few arable weeds such as fools’ parsley, fat hen, field forget-me-not, redshank, wild radish, wall speedwell and field pansy. Moving on into the fen, we soon came across the broadland specialities such as marsh sowthistle Sonchus palustris overtopping the surrounding vegetation; marsh pea Lathyrus palustris entwining the reed stems, a delicate relative of the garden everlasting pea; milk-parsley Peucedanum palustre the food plant of the swallowtail butterfly - and there were the caterpillars to prove it; cowbane Cicuta virosa a very poisonous plant found mainly on the banks of streams and dykes of broadland and marsh fern Thelypteris palustris, which is nationally scarce but can be abundant locally. We all stopped to admire the unusual flowers of the marsh cinquefoil Potentilla palustris whose wine-red sepals are much larger than the petals. In the Isle of Man this plant is called "bog strawberry". Also seen in this part of the fen was common skullcap Scutellaria galericulata which produces a volatile oil called scutellarin, reputed to be one of the best treatments for nervous disorders; orange balsam, a native of North America where it is known as “jewel weed”; ragged robin Lychnis flos-cuculi whose specific name is Latin for “cuckoo flower”, one of three British flowers known by this name. Along the riverbank we encountered a good stand of golden dock Rumex maritimus. After lunch, we moved on to the wild flower meadow, soon finding red bartsia Odontites vernus a semi-parasite of grasses, a plant that was once considered a cure for toothache. Odontites comes from the Greek word for tooth. Nearby was another partial parasite of grasses, yellow-rattle Rhin- anthus minor, the generic name coming from two Greek words meaning “nose” and “flower", relating to the shape of the corolla. We were a little late for orchids, but we did see marsh helleborine Epipactis palustris, southern marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praeter- missa and common spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. In Somerset, common spotted-orchid is also known as “dead man’s fingers”, referring to the flattened underground tubers which res- emble fingers on a hand. In the dyke crossing the meadow there were lots of water-soldiers Stratiotes aloides, another of our broadland specialities. These aloe- like plants sink to the bottom of the dykes at the end of the summer, by accumulating an encrustation of limy matter on their leaves. Also in the dyke was frog-bit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, this is another plant that avoids the ice in winter by growing special buds and seeds which sink and become buried in the comparatively warm mud. In the same dyke were flat-stalked pondweed Potamogeton freisii and lesser water-parsnip Berula erecta. Continued on page 6 Struinpshaw continued: There were several sedges on the meadow, some of which would have remained just sedges but for the expertise of Bob. There were 1 1 in all including: fibrous tussock- sedge Carex appropinquata, tufted- sedge C. elata, glaucous sedge C. flacca, tawny sedge C. hostiana, carnation sedge C. panicea and greater tussock-sedge C. paniculata. Some dragonflies were on the wing including brown and southern hawkers and emerald and blue- tailed damselflies. Also noted were short-winged conehead and dark bush cricket. Although Strumpshaw Fen is managed primarily for birds, we saw very few on the day, but we did hear a quick burst from a Cetti’s warbler and saw a marsh harrier quartering the reed beds. However, as we found a grand total of over 230 species of plant, we didn’t have much time to look for birds! Bill Mitchell GRIMSTON Saturday 1 1 th A ugust, 200 1 Leader: Gillian Beckett More than 20 people gathered at Grimston for a closer look at arable and wayside plants with Gillian Beckett - the fourth ’Wildflowers revealed' meeting. When we met on the verge which Gillian had chosen for us to explore, we found that it had been recently trimmed, so we moved on to another a short distance away. The road dipped down to our new parking space and Gillian explained that in this area the richest flora is to be found on slopes where erosion has left the chalk closer to the surface. With us we had a good number of people who really knew their plants and we split into small, rather fluid groups, with people drifting from one to another if something caught their eye. Although this was the 'second choice' verge, we were rewarded f with a very diverse flora. The more i experienced botanists were able to * point out the differences between 1 species which might cause j confusion to the beginner. All three j "possible" sowthistles were there - ( Perennial |- Sonchus arvensis, f Prickly - S. asper and Common - S. • oleraceus. We also found ribwort, ! greater and hoary plantains - j Plantago lanceolata, P. major and , P. media, respectively which we ; were able to compare. Common s knapweed Centaurea nigra and ! greater knapweed C. scabiosa also j grew close enough together to allow ; easy comparison. j The gateway and unsprayed corner s of a sugarbeet field proved to be a * wonderful hunting ground and we ; could have quite happily spent a j few hours there. 'Gems' from this J spot included the beautiful little i venus - looking - glass Legousia i hybrida, night-flowering catchfly ! Silene nocti flora and Flixweed 1 Dascurainia sophia, with its finely ( divided leaves. These were special , treats for those of us from the heavy i soils of East Norfolk where those < plants are rarely found. These less 1 widely distributed plants were j growing alongside an enormous , number of more common (but none- | the-less lovely) species such as i scarlet pimpernel Anagallis f arvensis, field pansey Viola ! arvensis, white campion Silene alba j and pineapple weed Matricaria ^ discoidea. We were able to f compare cut-leaved dead-nettle t Lamium hybrid urn and red dead- * nettle L. purpureum. Eventually we dragged ourselves j away from this little patch and * walked the length of the roadside i verge to the top of the hill before J returning to the cars for our lunch. 1 This verge produced Canadian j fleabane Conyza canadensis, a l plant, introduced from North ; America, that was first recorded in f Norfolk in 1882 near Thetford and s has now extended its range to such 1 an extent that it seems to turn up * almost anywhere, even Blakeney ] Point! ; After lunch we drove off and parked at the begining of a wide track which leads through farmland to an area known as Massingham Heath. We found many interesting plants on and beside the track. Many of these were 'firsts’ for a lot of us. We discovered small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, another speciality of light calcareous soils, and we were able to compare it with the field scabios Knautia scabiosa which we had seen on the roadside verge. Further on a cornfield had a sign stating that it was 'Organic' and we were interested to see that the crop had been undersown with a large cultivated form of the common vetch Vicia sativa ssp sativa - presumably as a nitrogen fixer. There were plants of interest all along the track and it is only possible to mention a few. The long-headed poppy Papaver dubium, musk mallow Malva moschata, harebell Campanula rotundi folia, large thyme Thymus pulegoides and the common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium were among our more note-worthy finds. The excitement of finding new things stayed with us right to the end. On the way back, in the corner of a stubble field we were delighted to find annual wall rocket (who called it stinkweed?) Diplotaxis muralis, small toadflax Chaenorhinum minus, grey field speedwell Veronica polita, field madder Sherardia arvensis and the diminative dwarf spurge Euphorbia exigua. As we gathered at the cars someone produced a tiny bit of catmint Nepeta cataria, a scarce plant, which seemed to be the 'icing on the cake'. Our thanks go to Gillian for a really memorable day during which more than 1 50 species were identified. Janet Negal SNETTISHAM RESERVE | Sunday 16 ,h September, 2001 i i Leaders: Frances Schumann 1 and David Lake i The meeting at Snettisham RSPB i Reserve was timed for an evening * high tide of 6.8 metres, Ihe lowest 1 high tide which will usually cover ( the mudflats and push waders onto ( the pits, and we hoped to see one i of this country's greatest wildlife i spectacles. The Wash is the most * important estuary in the UK for * wildfowl and waders and at peak | times more than 100,000 birds can , be found on Snettisham Reserve i making it the most important part of * the Wash. The forecast all week 1 for Sunday had been to expect 1 bursts of heavy showers, but in the J event, luckily for the 9 participants, s the rain kept away. \ i The Reserve consists of a string of 1 disused gravel pits, the foreshore, j and an area of marsh at the j southern end, some of which is i grazed, with hides overlooking the f southernmost pit. Water levels in 1 the pits remained high until late ! May this year, a recurring problem j of recent years, which affects the t ability of terns and black-headed t gulls to breed on the islands, and it « is hoped that this autumn an 1 additional large diameter pipe will ! be installed to help control water j levels. , i Along the shore yellow horned- t poppy Giaucium flavum and 1 Viper's-bugloss Echium vulgare, * were still in flower. As we walked j towards the hides the flocks of t waders were building up on the t mud, oystercatchers, large < numbers of knot, some still in * summer colouring; a flock of grey 1 plover collected in an area to the J north of the old pier, and hundreds ( of golden plover to the south. A i small flock of linnets foraged in the * debris along the tide-line. Large ! numbers of teal were out on the 1 mud, with wigeon and shelduck. J As the tide advanced and less and « © less mud remained available, flocks of oystercatchers came flighting in and over the pit banks onto the roost banks and spits of the southernmost pit. Suddenly a vast cloud of thousands of knot (10,000?) came nearer, wheeling and re-forming, like clouds of smoke, seemingly with bar-tailed godwit bounding one edge of the flock. The vast bulk of the knot soon disappeared, perhaps to Gore Point at Holme and not onto the pit roost banks, parts of which, although cleared of some vegetation, were still grass-covered. There were many highlights that afternoon: the first sighting this season (for me) of pink-footed geese - 32 - with their soft ‘talking’ calls; a marsh harrier far over along the sea-bank; grasshoppers in the long grass by the footpath - one at least was a lesser marsh grass- hopper Chorthippus albomarginatus, and a common lizard slithering away. The view from Shore hide onto the furthest pit gave oystercatchers and cormorants, several hundred redshank, and large numbers of black-tailed godwit. We found 1 scaup there, said to be one of 3 or 4 around at the moment, a single great-crested grebe, many little grebe, only 1 gadwall, a striking leucistic redshank, and 2 adult common terns which had nested on one of the islands, with 2 young chicks: then as we returned to the shore, the fine sight of a flock of hundreds of golden plover, still partly coloured in summer plumage turning and glinting in the sun. After the long walk back we approached the area of rough grassland and a barn owl hunted over the grass and then perched on a fence. The final count of species was 57, none rare, but we felt well rewarded by the sight of large flocks of waders tumbling and wheeling against the sky. Frances Schumann Natural History citWheatfen With fine weather, which seems to have been a sparse commodity for much of this year, and a good attendance, the Natural History Day (29 th fuly 2001) at Wheatfen was a great success. Ken Durrant’s wonderful display of insects was particularly popular. Many thanks Ken. Thanks: too to Robert Maidstone (wasps etc.), Frauds Farrow (mayflies), Rex and Barbara Haney (galls), David Richmond (grasshoppers and crickets) and Derek Howlett (moths) for their fine displays. Also to David Pauli for running the society “stand”, Roy Baker for pond dipping, Alec Bull, Paul Banham and David Lester for leading walks and everyone else who pitched in. It was particularly good to see such a m ixture of long-standing members, new members and non -members and also to have young people showing such an interest, I'm sure the day did a great deal to promote the study of natural history, as well a serving as something of a social event. One spin-off from this gathering of naturalists was that several new records were made from the reserve, which must already be one of the best-recorded places in the county. One such record was a ditiscld beetle, found by Geoff Nobes, the t glories in the name of Stride tarsus d uodecimpust ulatus. David Nobbs Sr Bob Ellis Stop press.... August 29 lh 2001: The 'Eastern Daily Press' reported the first Norfolk sighting of Small Red-eyed Damselfly from a North Norfolk pond. October 6 ,h 2001: The 'Daily Express' reported the: discovery of a bee new to Britain - Bombus hypnorum - which was found on the northern edge of the New Forest. EAST ANGLIAN BRYOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS f 2001 N \ 1 V A \ to 2002 The following excursions are planned 1 for the Autumn & Spring of 2001 - 2002. Beginners will be most welcome; 1 the only equipment needed is a hand 1 lens (x 1 0 or x 20), and some paper 1 packets for collecting into. Meetings will j only be cancelled if it snows, or there is ( hard frost. All meetings will start at 1 0.30 am, unless otherwise stated. For , further information, contact one of the j names below. f i Sunday 28 October: Btakeney Parish * mainland, ditto first meeting. Meet at t Blakeney Church, access from the i Blakeney to Holt road, TG 033 436. We i can then go south to Wiveton Downs in > the afternoon. * Sunday 11 November: Knettishall 1 Heath Country Park, meet in car park 1 by toilet block, TL 956 807. Sign posted * from A1 066 at TL 957 820. Wednesday 13 March • Wednesday 20 March: BBS Spring Meeting, Isle of Wight Sunday 24 March: Swannington Upgate Common. Park on road side at TG 142 183 30/31 March, Easter Saturday 6 April: Seaming Fen, NWT reserve & Rush Meadow. Parking at Seaming is difficult; best to park on verges at TF 980 1 23, before/after the bend in the road. For Rush Meadow, park at TG 977 1 36 by sewage works Sunday 21 April:, Swanton Movers Great Wood NNR. Meet at 'phone box in Swanton Novers village, TG 020 322. The warden, Robert Baker, will lead us into the wood. Robin Stevenson, College of West Anglia, Tennyson Avenue, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QW Tel: (01553) 761144 x 248, or home (01 553) 766788. Email: crsl 942@tiscali.co.uk Saturday 24 November: Weeting Heath, NNR & NWT reserve. Meet in car park at TL 756 881 . Sunday 16 December: Honing Common. We briefly recorded here this year but there are four commons and possibly Crostwick Common as well. Meet on triangle of grass at TG 328 274. * Richard Fisk, 1 Paradise Row, * Ringsfield, Beccles, NR34 8LQ. 1 Tel: (01502) 714968. | Email: richard.fisk@btclick.com | John Mott, 62 Great Melton Road, . Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3HA. , Tel: (01603) 810442. i Email: jmott@lineone.net Saturday 5 January: Winterton Dunes, meet in Winterton Beach car park, TG 499 1 98. Parking fee. Sunday 20 January: Hickling Broad, NNR & NWT reserve, meet ir car park at TG 428 222. Saturday 2 February: Blooms of Bressingham, Bressingham. Meet in the car park, TM 081 808. Sunday 17 February: Horsey Mere & Horsey Gap, National Trust, meet in car park at TG 456 223. (fee oossible?) Saturday 2 March: How Hill Trust reserve, meet in the top car park behind the house at TG 373 1 90. Sunday 10 Miarch: NNNS meeting, 1 1 .00 am. Full-day field meeting for mosses at Hockering Wood. Meet at entrance on ‘one-way’ lane at north edge of wood, TG 072 1 50. Leader: Robin Stevenson. NNNS INDOOR MEETINGS Nov 2001 - Jan 2002 To be held at Room 7, The Sports and Leisure Centre, Easton College, Easton, Norwich. 7.30 p.m Tuesday 20 November "Climate change and nalu re conservation” Irene Lorenzoni and Trudie Docherty T uesday 1 8 December “Forty years of Survival" Mike Linley : Test we re freshments zt 'it'f be -provided. : tPfease note that members- wiOf be invited te> make a small' vaCuniaty contnhutipn : towards the cost oj these. Tuesday 15 January “Madagascar: a world apart" Simon Harrep The second report of the Holt Lowes Wildlife Group is now published. It includes articles on birds, reptiles, liverworts, glow- worms, fungi and soil and water pH measurements, and updates on dragonflies, moths and flowing plants, as well as a selection of colour photographs. Copies are available, at £5 including p&p (cheques payable to “Gresham's School Natural History Society”), from Dr. A.R. Leech, Gresham's School, Cromer Road, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6EA (copies of the First report, at the same price, are also available). Simon Harrap 50 ITCSMRS 2L0WD (Transactions Vol. XVII, page 221) Salt-marsh Horse-fly During the second week of August 1951, the large horse-fly Tabanus nigrifacies (Gobert) was I common at Scolt Head Island. I The females attacked visitors I incessently during sunny weather I and the males were seen to visit | flowers of common sea lavender! on the flats. This species had not been recorded previously from Norfolk and it may be a recent colonist. E. A. Ellis A note to CONTRIBUTORS. The next 'Natterjack' will be in February. It would be much appreciated if any correspondence or disc could be sent to the editor at the following address, as soon as possible by Jan 7 th 2002, or by e-mail to: francis.f@virgin.net Francis Farrow 'Heathlands' 6 Havelock Road Sheringharn Noijolk NR26 8QD