Photo: © Steve Roach, Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus
Contribute Records to the SNS
Although the SNS has a large group of dedicated recorders who specialise in particular groups of wildlife and plants Suffolk is a large county and covering it all by themselves is not easy. So we are very keen to receive records from enthusiastic amateurs, whether they are members of the society or not. Our recorders are listed on a separate page (click here to see their contact details) and all of them will be happy to receive your records or give identification advice.
Particularly welcome at present are records of Mammals, which have been rather less frequent since the publication of ‘The Mammals of Suffolk’. Any Stag Beetle records from last summer are also still needed and click here for general notes about sending in other records …..
Mammals
Since the publication of The Mammals of Suffolk by Dr Simone Bullion fewer records have been sent in. However recording does not end with one publication and we need your sightings to enable us to find out what is happening right now in the Suffolk countryside.
Very few Hedgehog sightings have been sent in to Simone, but are they in as much trouble as many people think? Have you had any hedgehogs in the garden this Autumn? Let us know!
Unfortunately with the darker winter nights upon us drivers will see more road casualties so why not keep a pad and pencil in your car. Jot down what you see and send these in as well, after all the number of road casualties of a species indicates the relative size of the population in the wild.
Send your records to and click here for hints on how to send in records.
Stag Beetles
Colin Hawes, who has been working on stag beetle research for several years is very keen to have any records for this endangered insect which has an important population here in Suffolk. You can reach Colin by email at Our site has a record form which can be filled in on line and which will send your record autonatically to Colin by email. It is recommended that you read the form before looking for stag beetles as you will then know exactly what information is useful. To go to our recording form use the link in the floating menu or click here.
General Records
The County Recorder System
If you have records of wildlife in Suffolk that you would like to contribute to the database of the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service there are a number of County Recorders which handle specific groups of wildlife. To find out which recorder would like your records please visit our County Recorders page which will give you the correct address to send your data to.
The Basic Data Requirements
There well may be much more information you will record in addition to the data listed below but for meaningful recording a minimum of the following is required for every record.
Species Name
Latin is preferred for the name of the species you are recording but English is quite acceptable, particularly for birds and mammals.
Location
The name of the place where the record was made or a sketch map of the site.
Grid Reference
A Grid Reference of at least 4 figures (e.g. TM/1445)is an absolute must though 6 figure references are preferred (e.g. TM/143452). All Ordnance Survey maps have instruction on how to read a Grid Reference. Post Codes are not really accurate enough on their own, especially in rural areas. For an easy way to find any Ordnance Survey Grid Reference in Britain try Keith Balmer’s handy ‘Grab a Grid’ page on the Bedfordshire Natural History Society website at:
http://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/grabagridref/html/index.htm
Date
The day, month and year of the record
Name
Your Name (and address if a new contributor) of the person who made the record and the name of any other person who confirmed your identification.
