Biodiversity Projects
Autumn 2024
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As we move into autumn, volunteers have cut and cleared the meadow at the Biodiversity Project and carried out similar work on the playing field meadow area. Mike Jackson has been busy compiling an attractive photobook showing volunteers at work since the Project’s inception in 2010. This also serves to chronicle how the site has developed over the years and includes notes about some of the many volunteers who have helped shape it. Copies have been made available to volunteers and a copy lodged with the Massingham Historical Society for their archives.
If anyone would like to see a copy or obtain further details, please contact myself or Mike Jackson.
Tim Baldwin
Summer 2024 on the Heath
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Massingham Heath (Grimston Heath on the OS map) has provided interest throughout the summer and few people can have escaped seeing the wide range of wild flowers growing across the grassland. Not all have the drama of the poppies that appeared in July but the range of species to be found is impressive. For example, in a field adjacent to the poppies in early August it was possible to count as many as 46 species in flower at the same time! Most of the grassland here is calcareous owing to the underlying chalk and many of the species, which will only thrive in this habitat, are increasing year on year. This in turn provides an opportunity for other species which rely on these plants to find a home here. An example is the brown argus butterfly which has appeared for the first time this year. This follows from its food plant, the yellow flowered rock rose, which is becoming established and spreading.
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Another new find this summer has been the very striking wasp spider. This is a large species of orb web spider which has colonised Britain from the south, slowly spreading northwards and until recently was mainly found on the coast in Norfolk. As in many spiders, this female is much larger than the male which runs the risk of being eaten as part of the mating process!
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Although most of the grassland is calcareous, there are three acidic areas that are all County Wildlife Sites and have been largely covered in bracken until the grazing Konik ponies and Bagot goats got to work. They have helped to clear and weaken the bracken by both trampling and grazing, so allowing heather to begin to regenerate. It is easy to find when flowering, but plants are still scattered for now. Just give it a few years and it will again be a feature of the local landscape on the ever changing heath!
Tim Bladwin
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Biodiversity News – September 2024
Elephant Hawkmoth
The walk around the village arranged by Project volunteers in late July served to highlight just how much wildlife we have. Visiting three ponds, the range of damsel and dragonfly species was noted by many, with up to six species being seen on the day and up to ten in the weeks since. These insects spend their larval stage in the ponds and rely upon the stems of water plants which they climb like a ladder, after which the larval skin splits open and the adult insect emerges. They have benefitted from the increase in true marginal plants at Scotsman’s Pit and those fishing the pond report that they have enjoyed seeing them too.
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A moth light trap had been run at Abbey House overnight and this produced over 65 individual moths of 23 different species. Most were common garden and woodland species but far from ordinary to look at! We also looked at life in the ponds and found two species of water boatmen, damselfly larvae, water beetles and small crustaceans. In the evening a group met to look for bats around Scotsman’s Pit, and the church, equipped with several sonic bat detectors. This enabled four species to be identified – common and soprano pipistrelles, noctule and Daubenton’s bat. A final point of interest was a sparrowhawk perched on the church roof and no doubt aware of the emerging bats!
Tim Baldwin
Biodiversity News – August 2024
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During June we were pleased to have a new oak sleeper bench installed to look over the pond from
the green. This view will be kept open with lower growing marginal plants along the pond edge here.
Some have been planted from elsewhere but it has also been interesting to see some colonise,
showing that seed had lain dormant for some time and has now taken advantage of the newly bare
ground which suits them. Examples include celery-leaved buttercup, pink water speedwell, redshank
and trifid bur marigold – this is not a common plant in Norfolk and rarely occurs away from rivers.
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With a healthier pond, there is now more life to be seen in and around it. From the new bench in just a
few minutes last month I noted three of the larger dragonfly species, including this broad-bodied
chaser.
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The meadow has given a good display this year, starting in May and held up well until some heavy rain in mid-July.
We are grateful to both the Parish Council and the Village Fund for funding which has enabled us to provide the new bench.
Tim Baldwin
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Biodiversity News – July 2024
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Village Wildlife Walk and Activity Morning – Sunday 21st July: Meet at The Well at 10.00
Visiting Scotsman’s Pit, the Abbey Road Woodland, Post Office Pond and the Biodiversity Project including a moth trap reveal on the green and pond dipping.
Information and guides at the Biodiversity Project.
Interest and weather permitting, there will also be an opportunity to return for an evening live moth trapping and bat session.
All welcome, contact for further details:
Tim Baldwin 07748 997723 call or text
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Biodiversity News – June 2024
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Spring growth has been very rapid this year with high moisture levels in the ground and the area has quickly recovered from the effect of the winter flooding. It has not been without its effects however: some erosion of the pond bank on the south side and a sudden increase of nettle growth in the area near the viewing platform. Volunteers have been busy replanting the pond margin, keeping the paths clear and pulling some of the nettles, hopefully to avoid them becoming dominant. More welcome has been the best showing of ragged robin for some years beside the path on the north side of the pond. The next working party morning is on Saturday 15th June at 10.00 a.m
Tim Baldwin
Biodiversity News – May 2024
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School Pond is in good health after last year’s dredging and looks larger as well as being considerably deepened. Plans for this year include keeping this open view of the pond from the green by restricting the area that is allowed to grow taller as the season progresses. The next working party morning is on Saturday May 18th at 10.00 when any new volunteers will be most welcome to join us.
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Toad Patrols 2024
Once again, toad patrols were organised locally this year and successfully saved a considerable number of toads as they migrated to and from local ponds. The season began early in February with a mild spell, numbers peaking in the middle of the month and then pausing during colder weather in early March. The migration continued with fluctuating numbers until ending towards the end of the month. This year the totals at Hall Farm (2455) and Great Massingham (86) were similar to last year but at Lily Pond in Church Lane there was an increase from 348 to 608.
Casualties were a small proportion of the totals, on average about 10%, and as toads were often picked up from the path of approaching vehicles, they would undoubtedly be higher without these patrols. Many thanks to the 15 or so volunteers who took part over the 8 weeks of the season. We were fortunate to have a good number of new volunteers this year and can look forward to having an enthusiastic crowd to draw upon next year.
The adult toads have now left the ponds and will be returning to their “home ranges” in hedgerows, woodlands, gardens and other areas that provide shelter and damp shady conditions. The spawn in the ponds would have hatched by early April and the tadpoles will develop until they emerge as tiny toadlets in late June – early July. They tend to leave the ponds en masse over a period of 2-3 days, usually in the early hours of the morning when traffic is hopefully very light. Few people witness this but it can be a spectacular sight with the toadlets moving in a seething mass.
Tim Baldwin
Biodiversity News – March 2024 – Toads on the Roads
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The return migration of toads to their local breeding ponds began early this year, triggered by mild temperatures in early February. Toads instinctively return to the ponds of their birth after spending the year in a home range that may be as much as 2km or more away. It is unfortunate for them that our roads happen to be in their way. When close to the pond this can result in large numbers attempting to cross or even walk along the road, often with disastrous results for them! This is where Toad Patrols can help. Toad Patrols are run nationally by Froglife (Toadwatch in Norfolk) and are manned by registered volunteers who are given appropriate training and covered by insurance.
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Toad numbers locally show fluctuations from year to year. A few years ago the ponds along Weasenham Road were quite busy but numbers there have dwindled, whilst Scotsman’s Pit is showing something of a resurgence.
Toads are crossing Abbey Road and Walcups Lane to reach the pond from dusk onwards at the moment and numbers are higher when conditions are mild and damp. You may see patrollers out along here moving toads from the road to the pond. Please drive considerately and look out for toads! The real hotspot locally is at Hall Farm along Church Lane in Little Massingham. Here there can be many toads on the road with several hundred being moved on busy nights. Although most are concentrated near to the pond, they are also found along Mad Dog Lane and back along Church Lane towards the church where there is a second pond known as Lily Pond. This is also patrolled. The total number of toads saved by volunteers at our three local sites passed 1,000 after just two weeks of patrols this year and last year’s total for Hall Farm was over 2,500 and the highest in Norfolk!
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We have been pleased to welcome several new and enthusiastic volunteers this year and expect to have good coverage through the season which usually extends into early April. If anyone else would still like to get involved please contact Ptolemy McKinnon by email to massingham@toadwatch.org
Alternatively if you would just like to come along to Scotsman’s Pit one evening to see the toads and learn a bit more about them, please contact me on 01485 520813. www.toadwatch.org / www.froglife.org
Tim Baldwin