So, I should probably start by clarifying that this blog isn't a reflection on our cricket team's performance in Australia! Instead it's concerning a small but special character who we're hoping to reintroduce to our heathland in spring 2018....the field cricket.
Here he is...
This is the male who clears a small platform in front of his burrow, in which he sunbathes and from which he broadcasts his ‘love songs’.
It is a modified area of veins on the male’s wings, known as the ‘harp’, which enables it to produce the songs or stridulation that he uses to attract a female. The female lays her eggs in disturbed soil in full sunlight and the young cricket nymphs hatch in July & August. In early autumn, a hibernation burrow is dug and the nymph spends the winter here.
So if they like to sunbathe, why am I writing about them now, when it's a wet and windy December day? Well now is the time to undertake the habitat creation and management work so that the habitat is in tip top condition and suitable before we attempt a reintroduction. Over the next couple of weeks we'll be clearing some of the conifer stumps and creating patches of bare ground which are vital to this very special creature. They need us to create and maintain early – mid successional heathland habitat with a mixture of tussocky growth and bare sandy patches and close cropped turf on warm dry soil (they are rather fussy!).
Important information on access:
Whilst we're doing this work we will be closing off sections of the heathland, particularly when there is heavy machinery in operation. On Monday 11 December we'll be making a start on stump removal in the central part of the heath so this will be closed for a week or so. The public footpath & bridleway, Black Wood (including Hail's View), and the outer loop of the heath will remain open, however I'd suggest wearing wellies if you follow the outer loop as the trail along the southern edge is rather boggy.
Field crickets are special because of their rarity and because they used to be an iconic sound of the summer - their loud chirping on a summer's evening is really rather impressive. By the 1980s field crickets were confined to just one site in West Sussex with less than 100 individuals. In the 1990s there were reintroductions across Surrey, Sussex & Hampshire. In 2010 they were reintroduced at Farnham Heath and they are now thriving with 300 individuals. The long term objective is to have a self-sustaining population of at least 100 ‘singing’ males here at Pulborough Brooks within 10 years.
The next stage is to reintroduce them - they are flightless so limited ability to spread unaided. You can lure them out of their burrows by inserting a grass stalk and then translocate them to a suitable site. It should be noted that you can only go ‘field cricket tickling’ under a special license. They are a protected species and it is illegal to disturb them.
This work is being undertaken as part of a nationwide project 'Back from the Brink':
Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 'Back from the Brink' https://naturebftb.co.uk/ is the first England-wide coordinated effort to bring a wide range of conservation bodies and charities together to save threatened species. The RSPB will be joining forces with Natural England, the Amphibian and Reptile Trust, Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation Trust and Plantlife to pool expertise and resources.
We'll work together to save 20 very rare and elusive species from extinction, including the shrill carder bee, chequered skipper butterfly, ladybird spider and northern dune tiger beetle. The funding will also help a further 200 species that are under threat, including the grey long-eared bat, pine marten, willow tit, large garden bumblebee, lesser butterfly orchid and hedgehog. Here at Pulborough Brooks we’re helping to bring two species back from the brink through habitat management work funded by this project – the little whirlpool ramshorn snail and the field cricket.
The work we're doing on the heathland will be beneficial to a host of wildlife; 60% of heathland species rely on bare ground at some stage of their life cycle. It is particularly important to invertebrates who need open areas for burrowing and nesting - such as the minotaur beetle and for mining bees such as the pantaloon bee.
Others need bare ground for hunting - using their fast speeds to chase down prey. This green tiger beetle is a good example:
The fierce tiger beetles patrol the sandy paths and patches on the heath, pursuing ants and other tasty treats. They can reach speeds of 5 mph - that may not sound incredibly speedy, but if you scaled it up they'd be as fast as a cheetah!
You'll be able to see how our heathland restoration progresses over the next few years and hopefully see some of these fascinating creatures up close as you explore.