Questions and Advice

Bird Feeding Tips:
Firstly, and if you have sufficient storage space, it is far more cost-effective to buy bird food in bulk. Birds need high fat foods such as peanuts, seeds, fat balls and meal worms, which you can get from garden centres and pet shops. Niger seeds and sunflower hearts may seem expensive but, because there is no waste, these foods can be more economical. Store your bird food in a cool, dry, secure place.

Kitchen scraps such as bacon fat, bruised apples and pears, cooked potato, grated cheese, cake crumbs (including left over Christmas cake), raisins, cooked rice and pastry are also welcome; a variety of foods will attract different species of birds. Please ensure that you continue putting out food once you have started as the birds will come to rely on it.

Feeders:
It is important to keep feeders topped up, especially first thing in the morning, when birds are active and replacing energy lost overnight. Fill feeders with peanuts, seed mixes, sunflower hearts and fat balls (don’t use fat balls in nets; birds can get their feet caught in them). Additionally, goldfinches – if you have any nearby – can be attracted with Niger seeds.

Try and put bird feeders in a sheltered spot in the garden, away from the cold wind and well out of the reach of cats. Also use squirrel-proof feeders if squirrels are regular visitors to your garden. Larger feeders are easier to maintain because they don’t need filling up so often; however, if the food is not eaten quickly or adequately sheltered, it may grow mouldy. If any seeds at the bottom of the feeder become soggy, throw them out and let the feeder dry out before you refill it. Rather than rushing to refill feeders during the day, keep a tray underneath them; many seeds will spill throughout the course of the day, and ground-feeding birds can be encouraged to pick these up. Make sure to avoid the spread of disease by cleaning feeders and bird tables regularly.

Ground food:
Because not all birds use feeders, a sprinkling of food on the ground or on a bird table – provided that there are no cats around – will be beneficial. Do not put too much food out on the ground, however, as any which is left over at the end of the day may attract rats.

Garden:
Don’t keep your garden too tidy! Leave seed heads and berries on plants and leave nest boxes up as roosting sites.

Water:
Birds need a supply of clean water every day; not just to drink, but also to wash in. Use bowls if you do not a have a bird bath, and try adding small twigs or ping pong balls to the water – the movement of this makeshift flotsam will prevent the surface of the water from freezing over. Do not use any salt or antifreeze products, as antifreeze is a poison that is lethal to both wildlife and pets.

Once you are equipped to start surveying habitats you will need to make your own map. You will need to incorporate the main habitat areas in your map which will show at a glance the habitats present. The map can be annotated by codes and colours. Remember to keep it simple.

So what codes/colours should I use?

Below are listed the standard codes and colours as used by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, for further information see: Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey – A Technique for Environmental Audit (2007) or visit www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2468

Habitat	Code	Colour
Arable/farmland Woodland Scrub Grassland Amenity Grassland Bracken/nettles Heathland Spring/fen Standing Water Running Water Hedgerow	A A1 A2 B A J G2 E G1 D C	No Colour Dark Green Green Hatch Yellow Orange Brown Yellow Purple Blue Blue Green Line

You may decide to identify the types of habitat in more detail than shown above. For example, separating deciduous woodland from coniferous woodland is quite straightforward. Separating different types of grassland can be tricky, but with practice it is fairly easy to distinguish between improved grassland and semi-improved and unimproved grassland, which are important habitats for wildlife.

Create target notes

As well as marking your map with colours/codes, you can also indicate key items such as an ancient tree by including a target note.

Mark each target note with a number on your map and on a separate sheet of paper record what it is and the reason for including it as a target note. You can also include key species that you may spot during your survey such as an unusual plant or maybe a barn owl flying overhead.

End result – digitising or colouring in the main map

Once the survey is complete, a map showing the whole parish can then be marked up. The map will then show at a glance the key habitats in your local area.

If you are carrying out a wildlife survey on private property, and your survey cannot be done without straying from public footpaths or other rights of access, then you must have permission from the landowner. Even if you are surveying from legal rights of access then we would always suggest letting the landowner know about the survey in advance.

If you are involving children in wildlife surveys, who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, then you may need to have obtained a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) or Independent Safeguarding Agency check. Current guidance on this can be obtained from:
www.isa-gov.org.uk.

getting started

Getting started on most wildlife surveys is no more dangerous than any other walk in the countryside! However, if you will be surveying alone, visiting remote areas, surveying near water or at night (or both) then there are clearly sensible safety precautions that should be taken. We have provided some general advice on how to think through a risk assessment for your survey – click here to find out more.

Each location may pose specific risks. Individuals and groups need to assess their own capabilities and experience (what is quite safe for one individual may not be safe for another) and identify any specific risks associated with the areas they are surveying. Hazards can vary from traffic through ticks trips and slips to falling trees. Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure your own safety (and those of others that you ask to help) when carrying out any wildlife survey.

getting started

• Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service (NBIS) can provide you with details of any wildlife records held for any location in Norfolk.
• Natural England holds information on wildlife on all Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves and also maintains an inventory of ancient woods.
• The National Biodiversity Network Gateway acts as a 'data warehouse' for biodiversity information, which can be quickly and easily accessed to understand the distribution of particular species in the UK. Individual records, covering plants, mammals, birds and invertebrates, are stored on the NBN Gateway and these can then be displayed on a map of the UK in a number of different ways.
• Our own website holds information on sites designated as County Wildlife Sites and on wildlife of churchyards in the Churchyard Conservation Scheme.
• Norfolk County Council holds information on ancient trees, local nature reserves and roadside verges designated as Roadside Verge Reserves.
• The Norfolk Records Office holds many historical documents which may include historic information on wildlife.
• Parish and District Councils hold local parish and structure plans, which may include information on local sites of wildlife importance.
• Landowners and gamekeepers may know a great deal about wildlife on their land including species such as deer, brown hares, and foxes.

If you do discover previous survey have been done then this can be a huge bonus. It may be possible to compare your results with previous information and discover what changes have occurred. Getting started

Getting started on community wildlife surveys should not be hard work! Wildlife projects which bring the whole community together to explore the local area can also be great fun. Once you know what sort of survey you want to carry out there are lots of ways of bringing people together:

• Hold a public meeting.
• Write about your idea in the parish newsletter, free paper, or local paper.
• Ask for support from existing community groups.
• Write an information leaflet and deliver it door to door in the local area.
• Use local media such as local radio and press.
• See if a local school or college would like to get involved.

Sometimes even working with one other person will make a huge difference.
getting started

Surveys are often most valuable when they can be repeated over an extended period – this is why it is important that a clear record is kept of the method used to carry out the survey. By using the simple techniques we suggest on our website, your survey could be repeated at a future date by yourself - or others - to show how wildlife has changed over time.

If you, or your group, are able to repeat the same survey each year over a period of several years then you will be able to create an invaluable local record of what is happening to your wildlife. Even very simple surveys can become very valuable if they are repeated regularly in the same area over many years (see the case study about Robert Marsham).

getting started

There are so many reasons!

• Your records can help identify areas which are especially important for wildlife in your local area.
• They can provide up-to-date information on local wildlife and identify changes which may be linked to climate change, or factors such as local developments or new farming practices.
• They can help identify areas that local people feel should be protected.
• They can provide information which will help management and enhancement of local areas to benefit wildlife.
• You can create a baseline record which will enable future changes to be monitored.
• They can help identify species in decline or under threat.
• They can identify the sites of rare species and enable them to be protected – some species such as badgers, bats, water voles, great crested newts and rare nesting birds have existing legal protection, but if no one knows where they are then they can’t be protected.
• Wildlife records can be used to encourage local awareness, interest and pride in things that make your area special.
• They can help inform local conservation policies and may be relevant information if future developments are proposed or planning applications made.
• Surveys can be the starting point for future community conservation projects which will help celebrate and protect the wildlife and habitats you discover.

Recording is enjoyable and can be addictive! It is a way to further your enjoyment of wildlife in your local area and once you start recording you will almost certainly notice far more that you did before. It can also be a way of getting to know your local area better, meeting other people interested in wildlife and forming or joining a group to share and develop your identification skills and knowledge of wildlife. getting started

Use pond surveying form t

Surveying ponds will help you determine several factors which indicate their health, including:

• Pollutants: ponds close to intensely farmed areas or close to industrial areas may suffer from high levels of pollutants.
• Silt: deep silt layers can indicate high levels of nutrients which encourage algae, and can create toxic gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
• Disturbance: ponds in urban areas may be subject to excess disturbance from dogs, littering, or even introduction of alien plants and wildlife. All of these will affect the ability of native plants and animals to thrive.
• Maintenance: if the pond and surrounding area has been well maintained it is likely to be in better health than those ponds that have been neglected.
• Age: newly dug or dredged ponds will be relatively poor in terms of diversity, but may still have great potential if managed well.
• Location: ponds in open, sunny situations may fare better than ponds that have become over shadowed by trees and scrub. Shading can prevent aquatic plants from growing and stops sunlight warming the water. However, even if ponds are located in woodland they can be very good for wildlife as the provide greater habitat diversity.
• Water source: ponds fed by natural springs or by rainwater will be healthier than those that are susceptible to run off from less clean sources such as highways. However, ponds fed by springs or dependent upon rainwater may be subject to periodic drying out.
• Surrounding habitat: good wildlife habitats adjacent to the pond will provide winter refuges for pond life and provides an effective barrier against pollution.

This information - together with observations of the extent of plant growth both below (and on) the surface of the water and the presence of key indicator animal species - will provide a good overall assessment of the health of a particular pond.

Aspects of the natural history of your local area may be found in books or magazines, or on the internet, but what about the wealth of experiences, opinions and memories locked away in the minds of local residents? Tapping into this resource may provide some fascinating and amusing anecdotes. It will also help plug the gaps in knowledge of local history, as well as giving current viewpoints on what living in the area means to people, both young and old.

Click here to view an anecdotal questionnaire distributed around the parishes of Melton Constable and Briston.

Why not invite local residents, school groups, landowners and visitors to take part in an oral history of your parish? All you will need is a recording device and a means of editing recordings. You can even create a CD/DVD which can be illustrated with still or moving images. Better still, you could combine a project to record moving images of your parish with one that overlays anecdotes from people who actually live in the places being portrayed. If you do not own any recording equipment, you may be able to borrow some from a local recording studio, oral history society or possibly the BBC (which sometimes runs projects with input from the local community).

It’s good to talk…

The following steps may help obtain maximum benefit from any voice recordings:

• Put your subject as ease – have a relaxed introductory chat about the subject before recording
• Prepare some standard questions so that the interviews have focus – questions like where the person was born, where they went/go to school, what they like about their parish and what their favourite wildlife memories are.
• Try not to interrupt the interviewee unless you feel the interview is wandering off subject.
• Make sure you maintain good eye contact with the interviewee unless you feel the interview is wandering off subject.
• Make sure you maintain good eye contact with the interviewee and encourage them by using positive body language (such as nodding and smiling).
• Ensure you get the interviewees’ written permission (or that of their guardian) to use the interview in your project. other techniques

It is quite possible nowadays to obtain a relatively inexpensive, high quality digital camcorder which will take pictorial recording to another level. Not only are these quite simple to operate, but modern software allows you to edit your footage on a PC in the comfort of your own home. You can transfer your output to CD or DVD and make it available to local residents, parish councils and libraries, and/or you could place it on a website to allow worldwide access.

You may not win an Oscar, but…

• Use a tripod – this is the only sure way to avoid camera shake.
• Don’t use the zoom while filming – zoom in to the subject first; then start filming.
• Vary your shots – change your position between shots.
• Take your time – general scenes should last for between five and ten seconds, close-ups five seconds.
• Use lots of close-ups – these really capture the viewer’s attention.
• Change your angles – look for more exciting angles on a plain subject.
• Pan slowly from left to right – film the starting shot for a few seconds; then slowly pan from left to right and come to rest on the ending shot. Hold the ending shot still for a few more seconds then stop shooting.
• Avoid bright backlit subjects – your subject will appear in silhouette as the camera will over-compensate for the bright light source.
• Break up your scenes – use small segments to provide more interest to a scene.
• Use stills – try to mix some still photos with your video clips. other techniques

One simple technique to illustrate how things change with the seasons is to select a number of interesting spots in your local area and take photographs of these from exactly the same position at regular intervals - monthly or quarter-annually, for instance. The results can be displayed side by side to show how things change through the seasons. other techniques

Keeping a nature diary is very simple and over time it can build into a fascinating record of observations from your local patch. What you record can range from simple ad-hoc jottings to detailed accounts of special days out. You can add sketches, paintings, photographs or clippings from magazines and newspapers. You could even add some colourful bird feathers you find or a collage of dried plant material. The list is endless and is limited only by your imagination.

Many well known local naturalists have published their nature diaries, notably: Ted Ellis, who was a prolific author; Arthur Patterson, who published many books cataloguing his observations in and around Breydon Water; and Jim Vincent, warden at Hickling, whose diaries were published under the title ‘A Season of Birds’. other techniques

Use survey form k

If you are surveying meadows and want to monitor the impact of your management on a plant species - or if you want to repeat surveys at the same grassland site over a number of years - then using a quadrat is a good technique. Using a quadrat will help you notice the less conspicuous plants within the grassland and provides a simple way of gaining some information on the abundance of different species. A quadrat is a square frame usually 0.5 x 0.5m or 1 x 1m. For ease of carrying it can be made so that it will fold. Quadrats are typically used in one of two ways:

• At random – on small sites you can simply stand in the centre of the site and throw the quadrat in different directions sampling wherever it falls.
• Along a transect – this is probably the best way if you want to repeat the survey at different times of the year or on a regular basis over several years. Mark out a line using a measuring tape and poles (bamboo canes are light and easy to carry) and then place the quadrat at repeated intervals along the line. Depending on the size of the site every five or ten metres may be appropriate.

Whether using the ramdom technique or the transect, a minimum of five quadrat records should be made.

For each plant species identified within your quadrat estimate the percentage of the quadrat area covered using the following codes:

Code D = species is dominant and makes us more that 50% of area.

Code A = species is abundant and makes up between 26% and 50% of area.

Code F = species is frequently encountered and makes up between 11% and 25% of area.

Code O = species is occasionally encountered and makes up between 5% and 10% of area.

Code R = species is rare and makes up less than 5% of the area.

If you wish to use your transect over several years it is worth considering some way of permanently marking the position of the transect line (with metal pegs, for example), whilst ensuring that this does not become a safety hazard or obstruct future management work on the site. It is also interesting to keep a photographic record of each quadrat, as this will also build up a visual record of any changes over time.

Use survey form p
surveying meadows
This will enable you to record the main features of the site and identify if a selection of unimproved grassland indicator species are present. The best time to carry out this meadow survey is in May or June.

When surveying meadows, the following features are indicators that the grassland is unimproved:

• Ant hills – these indicate that a grassland has not been ploughed for some years.
• General colour – wild flower rich grasslands from a distance appear as a mosaic of greens, browns and yellows. This is caused by the presence of many grass species rather than the single or very limited range in a seeded grassland.
• A tussocky sward – improved grasslands usually lack structure so look for grasslands which are textured with lots of tussocks and uneven growth.
• Uneven topography with hollows and hillocks, grassland on steep slopes (all may indicate that grassland has not been ploughed in recent).
• Presence of indicator species of wild flowers – large areas of plants such as oxeye daisy, ragged-robin, or meadow buttercup in spring and summer may be quite easy to spot from a distance. A single species spotted from a distance will not prove that you have found old grassland but may indicate a site worth surveying.

Occasionally landowners will sow a mixture of arable weeds, such as poppies and cornflowers, onto field margins or sometimes complete fields. These are often temporary features and should not be confused with genuine unimproved grasslands which will contain many more species and include some or all of the features mentioned above.

One simple method of surveying meadows is to map all the grassland habitats in your area and mark them onto a map. You may be able to carry out this type of survey from existing public rights of way and roads, but if there are parts of your survey areas that are not visible from public rights of way you will first need to obtain the landowner’s permission before accessing those areas.

Use a map which is detailed enough to show field boundaries and then mark onto the map all the areas of grassland in your area onto the map using coloured pencils. Use a different colour for:

• Improved agricultural grassland.
• Amenity grassland (such as playing fields and parks).
• Marshy grassland (usually indicated by the presence of rushes in the grassland.
• Rough grassland on disturbed sites (tall plants like rosebay willowherb, cow parsley, hemlock, nettles or ragwort growing mixed in with grasses).
• Roadside verge which looks particularly species-rich.
• Unimproved grasslands.

Your completed map can then be used to select areas to carry out more detailed surveys. For example, you may choose to target some of the unimproved or semi-improved grasslands to visit in spring and summer to survey species.

The types of grassland and the plants that grow in them are influenced by many factors including their current and past history of management, grazing (or lack thereof), aspect and slope, soil types and drainage. Some plant species are particularly associated with chalk or base rich soils and others with neutral or acid soils. Each type of grassland has its own special plants and grasses and these ‘indicator species’ can help identify what type of grassland is present.


Improved agricultural grassland

Most of Norfolk’s grasslands on farmland fall into this category. They can be recognised by a uniform green appearance at most times of the year. Surveying meadows more closely will show a dominance of grass species with few wild flowers. There might sometimes be good numbers of clovers present, as these may be included in agricultural seed mixes. Improved grassland will usually be either cut for silage or used for grazing livestock. In wet fields there may be substantial areas of rushes and species such as creeping thistle or ragwort can be present on improved agricultural grassland which has been neglected.


Chalk and basic/calcareous grassland

Chalk grasslands in Norfolk are mainly confined to the north-west of the county and to Breckland. In other areas chalk and basic grassland is often associated with human activity, which has scraped off the top soil to reveal the chalk below. Some road verges, railway cuttings, or archaeological sites such as ancient castles, forts or ecclesiastical sites may have small but important areas of this type of grassland.

When surveying a meadow look for:

• Greater knapweed
• Field scabious
• Kidney vetch

Click here for a more complete list of plants characteristic of basic grassland in Norfolk.


Neutral and boulder clay grasslands

The most likely areas to find this type of grassland are on the claylands of south central and north-east Norfolk. However, areas of neutral soils do occur in many areas of Norfolk - including, for example, the valley sides in Broadland and on the clay loams on the edge of Fenland.

When surveying a meadow look for:

• Germander speedwell
• Sulphur clover
• Cowslip

Click here for a more complete list of plants characteristic of basic grassland in Norfolk.


Acid grasslands

The largest remaining areas of acid grasslands in Norfolk are in Breckland and the acidic, sandy soils of the Cromer to Holt ridge. Acid grasslands can also be found in other parts of Norfolk and are often associated with heathland or former heathland areas.

When surveying a meadow look for:

• Bird’s-foot trefoil
• Common centaury
• Harebell

Click here for a more complete list of plants characteristic of basic grassland in Norfolk.

Marshy and fen grasslands

These grasslands are associated with peaty soils and may be found in Broadland, Fenland, along river valleys and in places where drainage is impeded.

When surveying a meadow look for:

• Water mint
• Meadowsweet
• Ragged-Robin

Use survey form v.

Natural stone outcrops are scarce in Norfolk. The variety of stone used in Norfolk church walls and gravestones represents a valuable habitat, providing niches for many lichens, mosses and ferns. Old limestone headstones are excellent sites for lichens, but many also occur on mortar of church walls, especially those made of flint.

About 75% of the Norfolk population of three scarce ferns - wall-rue, black spleenwort and maidenhair spleenwort  - grow on stonework in churchyards. Other stonework plants include pellitory-of-the-wall (90% of its Norfolk population is in churchyards), wallflower and wall lettuce.

About a quarter of Norfolk’s 321 lichen species are found in churchyards; 20 of these species have the majority of their sites in churchyards and a further 20 are entirely confined to them. Old limestone headstones, the mortar of flint work and limestone tombs, cornerstones and window sills can all have their special lichens. If requested, church architects can often ensure lichens are conserved during work to these structures.

Identification of these groups is quite a specialist area and the best way to go about surveying churchyards in this way would be to enlist the help of an expert group. Email wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or phone 01603 598333 with your request.

Use survey form v.

Norfolk’s churchyards provide important refuges for six wild flower species. These are:

• Burnet-saxifrage – Pimpinella saxifrage
• Cowslip – Primula veris
• Lady’s bedstraw – Galium verum
• Meadow saxifrage – Saxifraga granulate
• Oxeye daisy – Leucanthenum vulgare
• Pignut – Conopodium majus

Surveying churchyards could unearth a local population of these beautiful wild flowers - why not try and find them?

Click here for techniques on how to survey for wild flowers.

The churchyard or cemetery will probably hold a wide diversity of wildlife; comprehensively surveying churchyards with attention to identifying all species present, however, may not be possible or practical. It might be more manageable to instead concentrate on undertaking a general habitat survey, which will identify areas likely to be especially important for wildlife.

Having gained an appreciation of the key habitats present, you can then select one or more areas to survey more intensively. You may decide to undertake specific surveys (on birds or butterflies, for example), in which case you can use the techniques and survey forms in the appropriate section of the website.

When surveying hedgerows you believe to be ancient, you might want to ask yourself these questions:

1.  
2. 1) Does the hedge appear on an old map?
3.  
4. 2) What shape is the hedge on a map? (Very ancient hedges are likely to have a wavy or irregular ‘s’ shape. Long, straight hedgerows are likely to be modern, or have originated during the enclosure acts.)
5.  
6. 3) Are there any ancient woodland indicators at the base of your hedge?
7.  
8. 4) Does your hedgerow contain an ancient tree?
9.  
10. 5) Does your hedge contain spindle, dogwood, field maple or Midland hawthorn? (In Norfolk, the presence of these species may indicate that it is an ancient hedge - especially if several of the species are recorded. A hedge containing many different species of woody shrub is often older than a hedge with only one or two species.)

Remember that ancient hedges are one of the UKs most valuable wildlife habitats, so see if you can discover any local ones!

Once you have chosen the area in which you intend to be surveying hedgerows, start by marking on a map (this can be a sketch map you have drawn yourself) the following details:

• The hedgerow that you are surveying.
• The beginning and the end of the hedgerow.
• The direction in which you surveyed.
• The side of the hedge you surveyed.

Once these details are captured on the map you need to ask yourself these questions:

What is the shape of the hedgerow, and what condition is it in?

The physical structure of a hedge is important for wildlife. Dense, thick, tall hedges are much more wildlife friendly than short, thin, gappy hedges.

What habitat features surround the hedge?

Hedges are an important habitat for many different species. A hedge containing or adjacent to other habitats, such as tussocky grass or wet ditches, has the potential to attract a greater number of species.

What are the adjacent land use/features to the hedgerow?

The surrounding landscape of a hedge can impact on the wildlife value of a hedge; for example, a hedge surrounded by grass margins or a bank or stream is more likely to have a greater biodiversity then a hedge bordered by a busy road or an arable field which has been ploughed right to its edge.

Survey the hedgerow plants

First decide how much of the hedgerow you are going to survey and mark these areas on a map.

1) Record the trees and shrubs in each section

Use survey form r

• Identify all the woody species present.
• It is not necessary to count the number of individual plants of each species.
• If the species has been allowed to grow into a tree, describe it using the following key:

1. N = newly planted
2. S = standard tree
3. C= coppiced
4. P = pollard
5. D = dead tree
6. A = ancient tree

2) Record the climbing plants present in each section

Use survey form r

Identify all the climbing plant species present. There is no need to count each individual plant; simply tick the box to indicate that they are present.

3) Record the ground flora in each section

Use survey form s

Put down two quadrats (1m x 1m) as close to the base of the hedge as possible, within each 30m section; one at 10m and one at 20m.
Record all the species you see in the quadrat.

If may also be useful to estimate the species dominance using the DAFOR scale within the quadrat.

It should not be underestimated how important hedgerows are for many different species of wildlife. Wildlife that once lived in the woodland that covered much of Britain has now been pushed into these far more linear habitats.

In the UK over 1,500 species of insect, 65 species of bird and 20 species of mammal have been recorded living in hedgerows. Several declining bird species, including yellowhammer, corn bunting, tree sparrow and turtle dove, nest in or close to Norfolk's hedges.

These linear habitats are a valuable source of food for many animals and act as wildlife 'corridors', allowing animals to travel from one habitat to another. Once you have begun surveying hedgerows in general (survey form q) you may like to have a go at surveying butterflies, mammals or birds found along your hedgerow.

Aerial photographs can give you a birds-eye-view of your parish and these can be viewed on such sites as:

www.maps.google.co.uk
www.bing.com/maps

The aerial photographs can be used to plot the hedgerow network in your parish and help you decide where to start surveying hedgerows.

Take care…

It can sometimes be hard to distinguish features on an aerial photograph. Low hedgerows may be confused with ditches and vice-versa. Aerial photographs are a good starting point to finding your parishes’ hedgerows, but before you plan a more detailed hedgerow survey you should visit the site to make sure it does actually exist.

Comparing old maps with more recent maps and aerial photographs can help reveal what  has happened to the hedgerows in your parish. Looking at tithe maps, enclosure maps, estate maps and early editions of the Ordnance Survey may help you create a picture of where hedgerows were planted in your parish. The Norfolk Records Office would be a good starting point in your search for old maps, or you may like to take a look at these websites:

First edition Ordnance Survey Maps – www.old-maps.co.uk
Faden’s Map of Norfolk (1797) – www.fadensmapofnorfolk.co.uk
Norfolk Domesday Book – www.domesdaybook.co.uk/norfolk.html

Your research may reveal hedges in your parish that are quite old (dating before the enclosure acts of 1750 – 1860). Some hedges may even be formed from remnants of ancient woodland; surveying hedgerows such as these is definitely worthwhile.

Use coastal surveying form U

The books and websites listed in this section will give you an idea of the species likely to be seen. Some guidebooks may give you the impression that few species are seen off the East Anglian coast; this is because little research has been done in our part of the North Sea by the people who write the books! When surveying coast, you have every chance of finding an animal or plant which has never been recorded in Norfolk.

What do we include on the survey form?

It is important to note whether the species is alive or dead – empty seashells, dried starfish and brittle dried seaweed are good examples of dead species which can still be recorded. Some animals found in the strandline after a storm, such as starfish and crabs, may still be alive. They should be recorded as such and, if possible, returned to the sea.

Be careful not to record anything which has been brought to the beach by people (fishing bait, such as octopus and squid, for example). Remember: if in doubt, leave it out!

Use survey form n

This involves visiting each area of woodland included in your survey area and identifying the dominant tree species and the general topography and main features of the wood. Surveying woodlands

Many traditional practices such as gamekeeper’s gibbets, charcoal burning, chair bodging, harvesting of coppice poles and gathering wild foods have died out – sadly, there are usually few written records of these activities. However, there may be older local residents who can still remember details of the history of the wood, or have old photos or records. Making a note of these can help build up a history of the wood.

When surveying woodlands, why not take note of current ways local woods are used and managed through photos and written accounts? This could produce a record which will be valuable in the future.