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“The fluting song of woodlark; the intensity of purple heather; the spooky churring of nightjar on a summer’s night – heathland heaven!”

These heaths represent one of the largest continuous areas of Sandlings heathland left and are at their most colourful in August and September. Scattered mature scots pine, oak and birch mix with fine-leaved grasses, heathers and patches of bare ground, gorse and bracken to produce a fabulous place for wildlife. Birds like stonechat, nightjar, woodlark, redstart, tree pipit and winter visitors like hen harrier, crossbill and flocks of finch, provide interest all year round. This is one of the few sites for the delicate silver-studded butterfly. Species such as green tiger beetle, adder, fallow deer and pipistrelle, long-eared and noctule bat combine to give this heathland added appeal.

Management

Grazing is critical to maintaining open heathland and the Trust uses a mix of sheep and ponies to do this job. The Trust has a flock of rare breed Hebridean sheep as well as a few Welsh mountain sheep. These hardy breeds cope very well with the poor heathland grazing and will control the growth of tree seedlings.

Exmoor ponies were first brought on to the heaths in 2006 and since then have proved to be an excellent animal for heathland grazing. Again they are well adapted to the poor quality grazing and will supplement their diet with a mixture of heather and shrubby species.

Volunteers

Local volunteers play a major role in helping to maintain the heaths. Workparties are held throughout the winter both at weekends and during the week clearing trees and scrub from the heath in order to maintain the open conditions that are so important for many heathland species. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust Sandlings Team work with a variety of specialist machines undertaking the larger restoration projects. A large capacity woodchipper and a timber forwarding trailer with a crane are essential for restoring open heath from woodland and scrub.

Other Trust reserves nearby: Simpson’s Saltings, Bromeswell Green

Pony gather Rendlesham Forest.

Funding from the SITA Trust has enabled the Sandlings Team to trial temporary grazing using electric fencing and Exmoor ponies. It will be possible to graze some sites for the first time . The ponies will become a flying herd so we need to test the system of gathering, handling, and moving them. It is also an opportunity to check the condition of the animals.

Dartford Warbler

The recent run of mild winters has allowed Dartford Warblers to expand their range and increase in numbers. While very much a heathland bird they are now breeding successfully on all the commons. They can often be seen perched on the tops of gorse bushes.

Nightjar

Nightjars are another specialist heathland bird. Arriving in late Spring they will nest on the ground in areas of open heath with scattered trees. They are best found at dusk when they can be heard making their unique churring call.

Woodlark

Woodlarks like open ground and especially areas that have been disturbed by tree clearance or other management work. Like the nightjar they are ground nesting but this makes them very prone to disturbance by dogs.

Silver Studded Blue Butterfly

Silver Studded Blue butterflies need short open heath in which to breed. The caterpillars are reared by black ants that are only found in very open areas.

Small Copper Butterfly

Small Copper butterflies are quite common and widespread but favour heathland habitats

Grayling Butterfly

The Grayling butterfly is restricted to heathland with areas of fine leaved grasses. The butterflies will lay flat on the ground to try and avoid detection.

Exmoor ponies in the snow.

The Sandlings ponies weathered the harsh winter well protected by their thick coats.

Releasing the ponies at Parsnip Heath

The ponies were moved to a new site with better grazing to give them a boost after the long period of snow cover. We also practised dismantling, loading, moving and rebuilding the handling system.

Creating a Living Landscape for Suffolk

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