NEWS
New Bridge! - You may have noticed a spectacular new foot and cycle bridge over the river on West End Road in recent weeks. This bridge has been built by the developer of the new housing on the old Compair factory site on Ranelagh Road, to provide a more direct, sustainable, transport link to the town centre. The River Action Group has been encouraging planners and developers to bring forward improvements in the river corridor for the last 10 years or more, and this bridge is just one example - a major access improvement.
At the other end of the path - adjacent to the Boss Hall industrial estate, the recent work carried out by Greenways and IWG (with funding from the Suffolk Environmental Trust) has been followed up by the completion of the new tarmac cycleway - another piece in the jigsaw! In the coming months, new cycleway should be laid alongside the river from the A14 bridge to Sproughton village.
New Developments around Ipswich - Despite the continually talked about "downturn" in the economy, there are still several large new developments being proposed which will impact on important wildlife habitats or provide opportunities for creating new green spaces or access routes:
Two areas of land to the north of Ipswich (between Henley Rd and Westerfield Rd) are currently being discussed for new housing developments. When planning applications are made, there will be an opportunity to encourage the developers and planners to provide new accessible green space in a part of the town that is currently deficient. There is also a very good chance to greatly increase the biodiversity value of the area (currently the land is mostly intensive arable farmland with valuable hedgerows and a few ponds and ditches), from the relatively low value at present. Arguably, a large development on green field land here would be much less damaging to wildlife than the alternative of building dozens of small developments in every little patch of land within the town, including large gardens and allotments etc.
Tesco are looking to build a new superstore and housing development beside the river, upstream of Stoke Bridge (the old B&Q site) towards Princes Street. IWG and the RAG are very keen to ensure that if such a development were to go ahead, there should be a significant green corridor/linear park alongside the river to improve the setting for path users as well as making a positive statement about the town at one of the main entrance points.
The RAG and Greenways are also looking at a series of development proposals for the old Harris Bacon Factory site between Hadleigh Road and the river. It is hoped that development here will enable access to the riverside and a new bridge across the river allowing residents to the south to access the river path on the northern bank, and residents to the north (who are underserved by open space) to get to Chantry Park.
Over in Martlesham, BT are looking for a very large new development around their laboratory site - opportunities here for substantial new green space (and heathland creation) seem so far to have been overlooked.
The River again! - The Ipswich Society have very generously agreed to provide £2,000 of funding towards replacement information boards along the river through the town. The Greenways Project is working on the boards - one about the Sarsen Stones near Stoke Bridge and two in the Old Cattle Yard site behind West End Road - and they should be on site during spring.
Greenways Annual Report - The annual report for 2007/08 has recently been published, and includes information about the sites worked on and other achievements over the last three years. If you would like a copy, please contact the Project on 01473 433995
Early last spring, a small group of volunteers spent many evenings and very early mornings patrolling up and down Bobbits Lane with buckets and torches, catching and moving over 4,400 toads as they made their way from Spring Wood, Millennium Wood and Kiln Meadow - where they had spent the winter - toward the wet meadows across the lane to breed. In one evening alone the volunteers moved over 1,000 toads. This year, the toads will march again, and more volunteers are needed!
In the spring of 2007, the migration numbered just over 1,700, whilst in the year before we counted fewer than 900, and around 400 the year before that. The population has been just about doubling in each of these years: will this trend continue this spring? Can we expect 9,000 toads this year? The simple answer is that I don’t know. The population is expanding because there is suitable habitat for them – largely, I believe, because of the creation and management of the large areas of shallow water and long wet grass in Bobbits Lane Local Nature Reserve a few years ago - but the toads will eventually find a limit to their population growth, probably because they will have occupied all the available feeding grounds in the summer, or because they will be unable to find enough hibernation sites during the winter. With the cold snap that we have seen this January, good hibernation sites may have been quite critical, and the numbers migrating may be lower this spring. Several artificial toad hibernation sites have been constructed by volunteers around Bobbits Lane in recent years, but these will provide a good winter home for only a small proportion of the huge colony that we now have.
We do not know exactly where most of our toads spend their winter. It is clear that they are not crossing the A14, and over half of them seem to arrive at the lane from Millennium Wood, where they probably hibernate, but the others – which, interestingly, include a disproportionate number of females – may hibernate in Spring Wood or Kiln Meadow or both. We would really like to find out more about this, and why the females seem to cluster as they do, this year. in order to carry out any such investigation, we’ll need more volunteers when the toads do move, of course.
Among our native amphibians, only toads migrate to their breeding ground in such large numbers. They prefer to breed in large ponds - where the tadpoles will form shoals in the deeper water – unlike frogs or newts which tend to breed in smaller, shallower ponds and ditches, and so do not occur in such large populations. However, the numbers found at this site over the last couple of years are truly outstanding. This colony forms the largest recorded toad road crossing in the entire UK according to the national organisation Froglife, which co-ordinates toad crossing patrols, and the colony was even featured on the BBC’s “World on the Move” series on Radio 4 last spring. It is certainly the largest known toad colony anywhere in Suffolk.
The lane is not heavily used by traffic, but what there is can wreak havoc among the vast numbers of toads as they cross. Altogether, almost 370 toads were killed by traffic last spring, despite the best efforts of the toad patrollers. One major source of traffic in the lane is the Anglian Water sewage works at the end, to which tankers will come both morning and evening. The double-wheeled rear axles of these enormous vehicles can be particularly devastating. Fortunately Duncan Sweeting, a member (and now chair) of Suffolk Amphibian and Reptile Group (SARG) works at the plant and, thanks to AW’s co-operation, is able to adjust the timing of the tankers’ arrivals to avoid the worst carnage during the migration season. Another, growing, cause of traffic along the lane is SatNav. More than one of the major satellite navigation systems for vehicles seem to have Bobbits Lane incorrectly shown as a link from Stoke Park Drive and Ellenbrook Road to the junction of the A137 with the A14. There is a bridleway link to this junction, but no access for motor vehicles. More and more frequently, cars will drive along the lane, realise that they can’t get through and then drive back again – posing a hazard to the toads twice!
Unlike frogs or newts, once they have passed the tadpole stage, toads spend very little of their lives in water, only returning to it to breed. They hibernate during the winter in soft ground, or in crevices under logs, stones or piles of dead leaves, waiting for the temperature to rise as spring returns. Once the temperature reaches around 6°C in late January or February, they will begin to move from their chosen hibernaculae and start the annual migration toward their breeding ponds. Last year a few dozen toads moved at the end of January, but the migration began in earnest in the last week of February and continued right through March until the early days of April. They prefer to move in mild damp conditions, and really large numbers are best found after rain on a mild evening. A few may move during daylight, but the vast bulk of them wait until after sunset. A surge of toads can then be found making their way towards the ponds for a couple of hours after which the numbers decline a little. They will move throughout the night however, if the weather is warm enough, and can still be found in large numbers on the road in the early morning before the sun rises, when the traffic builds up once more.
As volunteers are moving the toads, there is a chance to note the number of males and females found – the sexes can be told apart quite readily with a little practice. Around 15 males were found last year for each female, and this is not unusual among toad populations, partly because females take a year longer to mature than males, and partly because females will only migrate to breed if they are in good condition and able to produce spawn – possibly only once in their lives - whilst males will return almost every year. Some of the males will also spend quite a bit of time waiting for a female in open areas near the breeding ponds (they would find an open, damp road surface ideal for this!) whilst the females travel directly to the ponds. This behaviour, of course, makes the males more visible to volunteers – and vulnerable to cars.
Once toads emerge from the pond in which they were spawned, as miniature adult toads life is dangerous, and around one in every two toads will die or be killed each year in the UK, so it is uncommon to find a toad much older than about 6 years. In some parts of the world toads of the same species as ours (the Common or European Toad, Bufo bufo) seem to have a better time of it, however, and will grow significantly older - and larger - than they do here.
Although early spring sees the annual migration towards the breeding ponds, there is no corresponding migration back the other way: the adult toads disperse individually from the ponds to feed over the following months to return en masse the following spring. Later in the year, the tadpoles will emerge from the pond as fully formed toadlets and for some weeks can be found in great numbers in the grass immediately surrounding the ponds, before they too disperse.
- Dave Fincham
Spring Wood
So where were you at lunchtime on 21st December? Some of us were in Spring Wood, tucking in to homemade leek and potato soup (with chunks of best brie melting in it) and a surfeit of mince pies. This is how the work party celebrates Christmas/Yule/Midwinter Solstice (select festival of choice) after a few hours working hard on this year's coppice plot, cutting hazel, making beanpoles and pea sticks, and producing the most esthetically pleasing deadhedge in Suffolk.
The wood was deep in midwinter hibernation, but very soon we'll be noticing the first signs of Spring – great tits, primrose plants popping up, catkins etc… Then we'll suddenly panic about whether we can finish the plot in time, and have we got enough deadhedge material, will we sell all the beanpoles? We always do finish of course, and then switch to the summer tasks of path maintenance and a little light litter picking.
The work party meets monthly, on the third Sunday every month and, as the warden – Ray – reminds me, he's never cancelled a session yet. Though as I write this, on the third Saturday of January, a high wind is threatening so we'll see. If you'd like to join us, then ring Ray on 01473 259104 beforehand so he can arrange to meet you – Spring Wood isn't huge but people have got lost trying to find the work party.
However, even if you can't make the work party do visit the wood in April/May to see the wonderful display of spring flowers, starting with primroses, anemones, sorrel and going on through the season to bluebells, stitchwort, wood spurge, archangel and red campion. If you're very lucky you might even hear a nightingale above the noise of traffic from the A14. If you are part of a group, or can organise an interested group, Ray is willing to do guided tours of the wood too.
- Jen Jousiffe
Kiln Meadow Update
The major news is that IBC have decided not to sell the land at the moment, mainly because of the economic situation. They are likely to reconsider their options in the spring or summer. However they did say that they would carry out detailed wildlife surveys in the meantime. They had previously commissioned a Phase 1 survey. We obtained a copy of it and have had a trained ecologist prepare a critique.
Several months ago SKiM campaigners initiated a complaint about Babergh's handling of the outline planning permission to the local government ombudsman; this is ongoing. Our concerns are that Babergh District Council, whilst having wonderful policies about wildlife in their documentation, appear to have ignored these policies completely when considering the planning application. Some Babergh councillors and a local county councillor are very concerned about this and have been supportive of our campaign.
Going forwards, what we need to do is to monitor carefully the toad migration when it happens. As part of our campaign we have discovered that very little is known about toad migrations, so perhaps careful observations on our part will add to our knowledge. Therefore we need to have as many of us as possible helping with toad patrol. No experience necessary: buckets, torches and hi-viz jackets provided. To apply for this interesting activity contact Dave Fincham. Another thing we can all do is to report any interesting observations of wildlife especially Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species to the Suffolk Biological Records Office. Sightings of rare wildlife in Kiln Meadow would be particularly valuable for building our case.
The campaign continues, though it may be somewhat less active for a few months. We have an e-mailing list and we will let everyone know of future developments. Contact IWG if you wish to be added to this list.
- Jen Jousiffe
Focus on Local Nature Reserves:
Located right in the heart of the town, Alderman Canal was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1996 along with 4 other sites around the town. The area, although small, includes a wide range of habitats from wet grassland and reedbed to scrub, open water and even a plantation of cricket bat willows.
The area of reedbed was greatly increased in the late 1990s when a substantial area was scraped to allow a depth of about 4 inches of water to stand. The reeds and other habitats support a huge number of plant and animal species from Southern marsh orchids and Emperor dragonflies to Water voles and Otters.
Adjacent to the LNR, the rest of the recreation ground spreads across to the Ipswich Town Football Club ground, and sports a very impressive children’s play area, along with benches and short grass areas, now popular with lunching office workers.
The LNR extends westwards (the other side of Bibb Way) to join with the River Gipping near West End Road bridge. It is likely that this section of the site will alter dramatically in the coming years as the adjacent industrial units are to make way for new residential development – bringing with it the hope that there will be the opportunity for more greenspace to improve the setting of the watercourse.
The LNR is managed by Ipswich Borough Council and the Greenways Project in partnership with Ipswich Wildlife Group. Volunteers contribute to the management by cutting scrub, picking litter, mowing grass and reeds and constructing habitat piles etc. We are very keen to support the formation of a ‘Friends of Alderman Canal’ group, to look after the site and its wildlife and help to generate income for improved management. If you are interested in being more involved in this very urban, but very special wildlife site, please contact the Greenways Project for more information. The management plan for the site is available on the Greenways Project website or by requesting a paper copy.
Alderman Canal LNR is situated between Handford Rd and Alf Ramsay Way, and is easily walkable from the town centre.
Features on other Local Nature Reserves:
Contributions: If you have any news items, short articles (up to 500 words or so), details of up-coming events, or photographs of local wildlife that you think would interest other members of the Ipswich Wildlife Group, please We cannot offer payment, unfortunately, but would be glad to print any contributions.