Surveys

Dragonflies were recorded as part of Rougham Estate’s ongoing Pond Survey of its 37 ancient and very well-connected woodland, grass and arable edge ponds.

The Suffolk Moth Group volunteers undertook two survey events during 2021 on the Rougham Estate – a September moth trapping survey and an October leaf mining survey.  They recorded 116 species in total – and are returning earlier in the year in 2022 to increase the list. 

Over 117 species of woodland fungi have been recorded in Rougham Estate Trust woodland by volunteer surveyor Juliet Hawkins in a few autumn surveys in 2020 and 2021 – this is a fraction of the species that were present.  

Mosses and liverworts are bryophytes and they reflect habitat diversity at a big and micro-scale and the presence of rarities can reflect the health of the environment locally too. Volunteer Bryophyte County Recorder Richard Fisk carried out a bryophyte survey over targeted areas of Rougham Estate in 2019.  Of Suffolk’s total of 319 mosses (288 since 1980), 101 species ie 26% of Suffolk’s species were found in this survey of Rougham Estate habitats.  And of Suffolk’s total 79 liverworts (63 since 1980), 10 species ie 13% were recorded in this survey.  Several rare and unusual species were recorded and a few of the common species were missing.

Rougham Estate’s 37 ancient and very well-connected woodland, grass and arable edge ponds have been regularly surveyed since 2003 to prioritise those for restoration and to guide ongoing conservation management. The 2021 survey demonstrated that the open, sunny and well-vegetated ponds have a very satisfactory combined total of 49+ species of aquatic and emergent native plants. Two ponds contain Endangered Tassel Stonewort Tolypella intricata – found in two of only nine ponds Suffolk. Sampling aquatic invertebrates at the best ponds produced a good total list that included 32 species of water beetle, of which eight are Nationally Notable species and eight are Locally Important. Several ponds support priority Great Crested Newts, despite this being a relatively low pond density area with large areas of lighter soils.

Rougham Estate Trust’s arable flora sampling survey on Rougham Estate 2019-2021 has revealed where rare arable flora is holding on in today’s modern farming regime.  Over 150 wild plants are characteristic of the arable environment and together make up the most threatened group of flora in Britain, unable to compete with crops, herbicides and fertiliser.  Over 100 annual arable plant species were recorded on Rougham Estate in field corner and field margin refuges, providing reservoirs for buried, dormant seeds that can thrive again if and when conditions are favourable.

Dragonflies were recorded as part of Rougham Estate’s ongoing Pond Survey of its 37 ancient and very well-connected woodland, grass and arable edge ponds.  18 Dragonfly species have been recorded in total on the various ponds since 2003 and one pond has had all 18 species recorded there!  The best ponds are the open, sunny, well vegetated ponds, while the shadier, darker ponds that support few species will be part of an ongoing pond restoration programme to improve them for dragonflies and other aquatic invertebrates such as mayflies, water stick-insects, water beetles and water bugs.

No formal butterfly surveys took place 2019-2021 but casual observations made during other wildlife survey work indicated all but the most elusive treetop butterfly species previously recorded in the 2018 survey were observed on the estate. 

Suffolk Wildlife Trust volunteers have carried out a botanical survey of ancient, secondary and planted woodland to the south of Rougham Estate.Analysis of the sampling survey demonstrates the wide range of woodland flora present, and the value of different broadleaved woodland management possible within large woodlands.High forest, coppice with standards and non-intervention woodland management result in structural and floral diversity.

A total of 26 butterfly species were recorded by two Butterfly Conservation volunteers carrying out transect surveys in woodland to the south of Rougham Estate.  This total of 26 represents 75+% of Suffolk’s 34 butterfly species that have regularly occurred in Suffolk during the last five years ie 2013-2017.  This really good number includes four of Suffolk’s target priority species, notably Small Heath, and species with host-specific larval foodplants: White Admiral, White-Letter Hairstreak and Silver-Washed Fritillary. 

A bat survey carried out by Suffolk Bat Group volunteers in July 2018 to the south of Rougham Estate found the mix of grassland, ponds and woodland to provide good feeding, commuting and roosting habitat for at least eight of the county’s 13 bats including the Barbastelle and Leislers bats. Rougham Estate Trust is committed to improving roosting and insect-rich foraging habitat for Suffolk’s bats.

Juliet Hawkins of Suffolk Wildlife Trust is co-ordinating a series of wildlife surveys around the estate. These surveys will be used to monitor progress in future years.