Field Crickets at Burton and Chingford Ponds nature reserve

Our reserve at Burton and Chingford Ponds is a microcosm of different habitats within one site. As well as the two large ponds the reserve is named for, there are several types of woodland including Alder carr, wet and dry heath, and rare acid peat bogs. The reserve is a few miles from Petworth and is managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust, West Sussex County Council, the Barlavington Estate and some other private landowners. 

One fine morning in May, most of the Fundraising and Communications Team met Reserves Ecologist Glenn Norris for a guided walk and Field Cricket survey – and the weather was perfect for sun-loving Crickets, giving us high hopes of hearing these recovering rarities sing, even if they’re far too elusive to spot.

We met in the small carpark just across the road from the beautiful Burton Pond (there’s also Chingford Pond further around), in a very pretty spot. The grassy bank here was dotted with Bluebells and wild flowers. As we headed off to walk around the many habitats of the reserve, Glenn explained the key parts of the management plan to support wildlife in the different areas. New fencing to safely contain cattle on site will allow vital conservation grazing to control scrub and keep the heathland open, while selective tree felling followed by scraping off many years’ worth of deep leaf litter is already encouraging the heather to return and re-establishing a more open heathy wood pasture.

Our first stop was a little patch of wet heath, still squelching underfoot despite the dry spring. A small handful of moss released a steady stream of water when squeezed, and this is one of only three places in Sussex where wild Cranberry grows. Dragons and damsels flitted over the boggy pool, the water dark due to the underlying peat.

Later, we stopped to admire a huge, ancient Sweet Chestnut tree around 500 years old, which supports a wealth of wildlife. Bats, insects, woodpeckers and lots of other birds nest or live in or on it, including Tree Creepers. There are several ancient trees along this section of path, each with a distinctive shape and individual features giving them plenty of character, and providing a valuable wildlife resource.

We paused to listen to the birdsong as we walked through one wooded section and heard various tits (too similar to tell apart by sound alone), Blackcap (like a marble dropping down through the canopy), Wren (incredibly loud), Nuthatch (a strong, nasal repeated whistle), Goldcrest and Firecrest (our tiniest birds with calls so high-pitched not all of us could hear them).

We visited the atmospheric Black Hole bog, treading carefully along the boardwalk to see the result of recent restoration work to pull out invading vegetation and re-create areas of open water. There are many rare invertebrates flourishing here and it's brilliant for dragonflies.

Our final stop on Welch’s Common involved listening out for the amazing singing of the Field Cricket (males, females don't sing). This is one of the rarest and most threatened invertebrates in the UK, brought back thanks to a reintroduction project and habitat restoration to create and maintain the dry, sandy heathland conditions they need. We had a good look for their burrows and enjoyed their summery serenade while Glenn attempted to count and map the location of each singing male. We also saw an impressive Golden-ringed Dragonfly, the UK’s longest dragonfly species and a heathland specialist, which settled quite obligingly on some heather.

As we found our way back to the carpark again, we spotted an injured dragonfly next to the road, later identified by Glenn as a Clubtail Dragonfly, a species considered Near Threatened, according to the Odonata Red List from 2008. We saw a Red Kite flying behind the car park and several butterflies, including an Orange-tip and a Brimstone.

More about visiting here 

Watch Reserves Manager Jane Wilmott talking about the management of Burton and Chingford Ponds nature reserve.