STOKE HOLY CROSS JUBILEE MEADOW
The Swifts are back. Find out more about our new community project "Helping our Swifts"
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What you may see on the Meadow
The Meadow will look at it's best in spring and early summer when most flowers will be out however it will take years for the meadow flowers to establish and flourish and to spread from the initial planting areas. As summer progresses The Meadow may look overgrown and unloved while we wait for the wildflower seed to set before cutting in late summer. Grass will dominate again through winter. Even when the flowers aren't in bloom, the Meadow will still be valuable for wildlife and there will be things to see
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Nothing is ever guaranteed with wildlife watching but here are some of the things you can look out for when visiting the meadow. You can also see photos of some of the sightings from the Meadow in the Wildlife Gallery
Growing on the Meadow
In May 2022 Gemma Walker from the NWT lead a plant survey on the Meadow to record what we already had growing before we attempted any management work. The survey identified at least 40 species and you can see the list by following the link below. The abundance of each species is shown in the report under 'Incidence' using the DAFOR scale: D(ominant), A(bundant), F(requent), O(ccassional), R(are)
In May and June 2023 members of Meadow Makers undertook a partial survey to see what had changed over a year and this was followed in late July by a survey conducted by two experienced botanists and it's wonderful to see that we have now recorded around 140 species with species that we introduced, such as Yellow Rattle, doing well.
Surveying plants on the Meadow with Gemma (photo by Anna Lipp)
New planting has included
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Hedging in November 2021 - included Crab Apple, Hawthorn, Field Maple, Wild Cherry, Buckthorn, Hazel, Cherry Plum, Oak and Dog rose
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Green Hay from Saxlingham Nethergate Meadow provided by NWT in August 2022 which we hope will bring a variety of local wildflowers including Sulphur Clover a nationally scarce plant that was once characteristic of meadows in Norfolk & Suffolk see https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/news-and-articles/articles/all-articles/in-praise-of-sulphur-clover
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Wildflower seeds in October 2022 and March 2023 - included Ox-eye daisy, Lady's bedstraw, Sainfoin, Yellow rattle, Phacelia, Borage, Black medic, White clover, Red clover, Crested dogstail, Small Timothy, Sweet vernal grass and Teasel. In April 2023 a small area was seeded with Corn chamomile, Corncockle, Cornflower, Corn Marigold and Poppy. Also transplants have included Ox-eye daisy, Teasel, White Campion, Foxglove, Self-heal, native Bluebells, Comfrey, White dead-nettle, Snowdrops, Corncockle, Cornflower, Sainfoin, Forget-me-not sp and Red Valerian
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Tree saplings in December 2022 - Hazel, Hornbeam, Oak, Silver Birch & Wild Cherry
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Hedge saplings in March 2023 - Crab Apple, Dogwood, Hazel & Hawthorn. Also transplanted several tree saplings in March and early April including an Ash, a Sweet Chestnut, Holly and a Walnut
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In August 2023 we received another batch of 'green hay' provided by NWT from roadside nature reserves near Topcroft
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In August 2023 we sowed commercially supplied seed including Meadow buttercup and Cowslip as well as mixes of annuals and perennials specifically selected for pollinators
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In September & October 2023 we planted out wildflower plug plants supplied by NWT - Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lesser knapweed, Agrimony, Lady's Bedstraw, Oxeye daisy, Red campion, Wild clary, Cowslip, Daisy, Dropwort, Wild Carrot, Harebell & Dog violet
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In October 2023 we received a selection of hand-collected wildflower seeds from various sites around Norfolk as part of a new NWT initiative. The seeds included Meadow vetchling, Pepper saxifrage, Toadflax, Hedge bedstraw, Bladder campion, Crosswort, Musk mallow, Dyers greenweed, Wild clary, Sorrell, Red campion, Sweet vernal grass, Wild carrot, Scabious, Selfheal, Red bartsia, Cowslip, Slender Timothy, Spiny restharrow, Perforate St Johns wort, Agrimony, Autumn hawkbit, Rough hawkbit, Upright hedge parsley, Wood dock, Red clover, Meadow cranesbill, Knapweed, Sulphur clover, Quaking grass, Burnett saxifrage, Bluebell, Milk thistle, Noddingthistle, Stitchwort, Smooth Hawk's-beard, Viper's bugloss, Meadow Cranesbill and Forget-me-not
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In November 2023 we added more hedge saplings of Crab Apple, Dog-rose, Dogwood, Hazel, Hawthorn and Purging Buckthorn plus a donated Rowan sapling. We also transplanted donated Foxgloves, Selfheal, Verbenna and a Rosemary
Jubilee Meadow Plants
Yellow Rattle
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This Easter, we were delighted to spot seedlings of Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus Minor) starting to grow on the Jubilee meadow from the seed sown last summer, sourced from nearby High Ash Farm.
Yellow Rattle is an almost mystical plant, commonly known as the meadow maker due to its ability to inhibit the growth of vigorous grasses by parasitising them to gain nutrients. This effectively reduces the vigour of grasses allowing wildflowers to gain a foothold and establish a wild flower meadow.
The first signs of Yellow Rattle on the Meadow in April (photo Dave Jones)
The yellow flowers appear between May and July on stems up to 50cm (photo by Elizabeth Dack)
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Yellow rattle has a yellow flower in spring and early summer and then develops a seed pod which dries out so that the seeds rattle inside when the wind blows or they are brushed against, hence the name Yellow Rattle.
Locally, yellow rattle can be seen at High Ash Farm, on the meadow at Saxlingham Nethergate, the field at Dunston and on Swardeston Common. Seed needs to be sown fresh and must have a period of chilling over winter for successful germination so it is not always easy to grow from seed.
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We are encouraged to see plenty of seedlings on the Jubilee Meadow and hope that its reputation as the meadow maker proves to be true. Look out for the Yellow Rattle flowering on the Jubilee Meadow this summer.
Phacelia
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Visitors to the Jubilee meadow since June will have noticed a spectacular, fluffy, mauve plant in flower, being visited by lots of bees. This is Phacelia tanacetifolia, a species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae, known by the common names lacy phacelia, blue tansy or purple tansy.
It originally came to the UK from the USA but is now widely established in the wild in this country. This was part of the mix of seeds which the Meadow Makers sowed on the meadow last summer.
The tall flowers are attractive to a range of pollinators including this Buff-tailed Bumblebee (photo by Pauline Montgomery)
Phacelia is commonly used as a green manure and cover crop. Also Phacelia is attractive to hover flies who eat aphids, growing it in the garden is a useful way to biologically control aphids.
As everyone can see on the Jubilee meadow it is easy to grow and very beautiful.
Anna Lipp
Butterflies on the Meadow
One of the aims of the Jubilee Meadow project is to encourage and provide a resource for pollinators and butterflies are one of our most obvious pollinators. To help monitor the project we're aiming to keep a record of the butteflies on the Meadow as part of the UKBMS (UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme) which involves a weekly count following the same route each week. The national survey runs from April into October but we didn't join until the last week in June 2022 so we don't have a full year of records and will be missing records of some early species and early generations but at least it shows what you may see in summer
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Last year (2022) we recorded 14 butterfly species or to put it another way that's nearly 1 in 4 of the 59 species currently recognised in Britain (which includes species that are rare or restricted in distribution or habitat). In a full year of recording we should see the number of species recorded increase and, as the Meadow develops, hopefully numbers will also increase (although that is against a background of worrying declines nationally)
In 2023 we started to record in April so we've had a full year and have added six new species - Comma, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Small Skipper, Speckled Wood and Painted Lady to the Meadow list bringing the total up to 20. Regardless of the earlier start to recording this year we've recorded significant increases in several species notably grassland specialists such Brown Argus, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and the skippers and the mild autumn saw a significant increase in Red Admirals. On the downside we appear to have lost Ringlet and numbers of a few species, notably Large White, were lower.
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Birds of the Meadow
Since the start of 2023 Pauline & Dave have been informally recording the birds in or around the Meadow. Thanks to Paul who spotted a Barn Owl hunting the Meadow, the year list reached 40 species in early March. With the arrival of our summer visitors the year list went up to 58 species by early August and is now up to 59. Follow the link below to see a list of the species recorded so far this year. This is not a definitive list of what might be found and only includes birds seen or heard since January
Robin on the Meadow (photo by Dave Jones)
Spring birds saw birds getting ready for the breeding season and many were checking out the nest-boxes we've provided but some, like this Long-tailed Tit seen in early March, made their own (video by Dave Jones)
On the 7th May 2023 we held a dawn chorus walk as part of the annual International Dawn Chorus Day and by the end of the day we had seen or heard 31 species on or from the Meadow including a number of summer migrants including Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Swift
We kept an eye on the nest boxes and we know that at least three of our tit boxes were used to successfully raise young. The Tawny Owl box didn't attract the target species but did provide a productive home for a pair of Jackdaws. Other birds that probably breed around the Meadow included Blackbird, Dunnock and Long-tailed Tit and again we enjoyed the sight and sound of young Swifts from the colony along Long Lane.
Other Wildlife on the Meadow
Apart from specific lists of plants, butterflies and birds that have been recorded on The Meadow we've been keeping an informal list of some of the other wildlife that has been spotted on the Meadow including amphibians, dragonfiles, fungi, moths and other insects. Many of these can be found in the Wildlife Gallery and you can see the list from the link below
Common Blue Damselfly (photo by Dave Jones)
A Winter visit to the Meadow
While there won't be as much colour there's still wildlife to see on the Meadow in winter and it can look stunning on a frosty day
A frosty morning on the Meadow (photo by Dave Jones)
Winter can be a good time to see birds. The leaves are off the trees and birds will be looking for food and starting to think about the breeding season.
Good numbers of corvids (mainly Jackdaws and Rooks and occasional Crows) plus Starlings can be seen coming down to search the ground for food. In the trees and around the hedges look for tits, finches and thrushes. Thrushes can be found feeding on ivy, on berries and on fallen fruit (check the fruit trees by the cinder track)
If conditions are right there may be signs of Spring as birds start singing and looking for nesting sites. Watch out for tits and see if any are checking out the nest-boxes we've put up. Blue and Great Tits are the most common but Long-tailed and Coal Tit are also seen
Listen out for birds singing and calling. The cheery 'cheep' of House Sparrows is often heard at the start of the meadow, Robins may be singing their territorial song and some other resident birds including Blue and Great Tits, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Dunnocks may already be singing to attract mates
Keep an eye on the sky as raptors can often be seen. A Kestrel is a regular sight and you may see Buzzards or a Red Kite fly over
When it's very cold you may find something unusual. During the freeze this winter a Snipe was often seen (usually found in damper areas it was presumably searching for any unfrozen patch to feed). You may also see winter visitors such as Fieldfares and Redwings
A late afternoon visit gives you a chance of seeing mammals. Scan the surrounding fields for deer (Chinese Water Deer and Muntjac are both seen locally), Hares and even a Fox. As the light goes look and listen for owls - a Barn Owl has been seen hunting nearby, Little Owls have been heard and we've put up a Tawny Owl nest box on the Meadow