Blyth Valley and Southwold Wildlife Group: November report

Throughout the autumn and winter, the Blyth Valley and Southwold Wildlife Group organise monthly meetings where they invite guest speakers to present on various topics of interest. Here, Penny Mansfield reports on their November meeting.

The Broads and its wildlife

In November, the Blyth Valley and Southwold branch of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust welcomed Tony Brown to talk about the many facets of Broadland wildlife. Tony is a naturalist and keen photographer, and we were treated to a fascinating presentation of the rich variety of Broadland flora and fauna. Some species have been brought back from dangerously low numbers to become part of our regular sightings, such as otters, bitterns, marsh harriers and avocets. We looked at rare sightings of black terns, and an American wood duck. We could see details of the unusually large feet of moorhens, the stunning display of the ‘eyes’ of the emperor moth, and the intricately detailed feathers of the barn owl, complete with its prey, a wood mouse. Tony had many wonderful anecdotes to tell, but the prize goes to the stowaway stoat, which refused to leave his dinghy until the boat was turned upside down on the shore.

We all enjoyed seeing the beauty and richness of the wetlands that are part of our local area, and which we can visit now with a clearer eye of what to look out for.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, January 11th, 7.30pm at the Southwold Arts Centre, Cumberland Road IP18 6JP. Hannah Nutt will talk about the work of the World Land Trust. Admission is £4 to include refreshments, under 25s free. There is no need to book: just come along, all are welcome.

Penny Mansfield. Contact us at swtblythvalley@gmail.com.