Insects
​Salhouse Broad is a  haven for wildlife, with many different types of butterfly and damselfly, including Swallowtail butterfly and the Norfolk brown hawker dragonfly, both of which are found nowhere else in the country. 
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Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies

This is the Banded Demoiselle. The male of this common damselfly has a dark metallic blue-green body with a broad dark patch across the wings. The female is a brilliant metallic green. They can be seen between May and August.

The Red Admiral on Hemp Agrimony. They are migrants, arriving in Spring and breeding in the UK. The broods they produce can be seen in August and September.

Elephant Hawk Moth- spotted August 2014. This beautifully coloured fuscia and olive green moth . The larva (rather than caterpillar as it is the offspring of a moth not a butterfly) have a long trunk like nose, which is how they get their name. When the larva senses danger, it withdraws its trunk and its large eye-like markings become noticeable, giving the impression of an imposing creative to scare off predators.

The rare swallowtail butterfly, gets its name from its tails being forked like the tails of swallows. This rare butterfly is only found on the fens of the Norfolk Broads due to the distribution of its sole larval foodplant- milk parsley. In size, they are the largest native butterfly. Their caterpillars have a unique organ behind their heads which is everted when threatened and emits smelly secretions.

Mammals at Salhouse Broad

Bat Survey- Summer 2014

A bat survey was conducted in the summer of 2014 as part of an Applied Ecology and Conservation Masters of Science Dissertation in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, the Broads Authority and the Norfolk Bat Survey. The project ran in the Norfolk Broads (Yare and Bure valleys). Detectors and insect traps where placed along the main path from the car park to the Broad, on the Island and on the Spit of Salhouse Broad for one night of surveying. 7 inch bat detectors were placed at ground level with the microphone attached to a 3m high pole to allow placement within bat fly path. Each detector will be accompanied by two sticky insect traps covered by a wire gauge to prevent small bird by-catch placed at approximately 1m and 2m heights to gain information of insect abundance. Both the detectors and insect traps were placed during the afternoon and collected the following morning.

The results of the survey are as follows. 

Salhouse Broad - Summary.

The number of bat calls do vary quite a bit between different locations ranging from 368 calls to 2292 calls, with there being more calls recorded at sites where we took the boat out to the spit, most likely a reflection of the presence of water and the absence of people. However as you know the site better than me, do let me know your thoughts on why you think high number of bats may have been present at certain locations than at others. 

The number of bats relates to the number of bat passes recorded rather than necessarily the number of bats present at a site.

The Bat Species category contains all bat passes where there was insufficient information to assign the recording to an individual species/bat family eg in a recording with too much noise.

The Myotis Species category contains all recordings of bats belonging to the Myotis family, which in Norfolk includes Natterer's, Daubenton's, Whiskered and Brandt's, but where individual identification is not possible.

The Pipistrelle species category contains the three pipistrelle species present in the UK: Common, Soprano and Nathusius pipistrelle, which could not be identified to individual species level due to calls recorded at borderline frequencies.

The NSL category contains Noctule, Serotine and Leisler’s which could not be identified to individual species level due to low confidence of identification.
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For more information on bat surveying in Norfolk please visit http://www.batsurvey.org/ 

Birds at Salhouse Broad

We have a wonderful variety of birds in and around Salhouse Broad and over the years our very generous volunteers have counted and recorded numbers and breeds.  Throughout the year we have visits from all of the following: Blackbird, Chaffinch, Coot, Crow, Duck, Dunnock, Goose (Egyptian and Canadian), Greylag Geese, Gull, Heron, Kestrel, Moorhen, Pheasant, Robin, Mute Swan, Swallow, Tern, Pied Wagtail, Kingfisher, Barn Owl, Herring Gulls, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Pockards, Little Grebe, Crested Grebe, Egrets, Cormorants, Marsh Harrier, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren and Buzzards.

Trees at Salhouse Broad

Every year we have a tree identification walk. We find that most trees are in the same place, but occasionally one or two have moved about...

The Old Oak on the hill: Approximately 300 years old.

Near moorings
Guelder rose, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Alder, Downy Birch,  Oak, 'The Great English Oak', Rowan, Ash, Alder, Sallow, Silver Birch

Play area
Hawthorn, Goat Willow, English Oak, Alder, coloured Willow making up 'fedge'

Mixed, dry woodland
Sessile Oak, English Oak, Elm, Ash, Beech, Holly, Sycamore, Downy Birch, Elder, Sweet Chestnut 

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A Native Cherry Tree- planted in 2014 at 6 foot.

On the Hill
Hawthorn hedge, new mixed hedge of Cherry, Rowan, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Blackthorn spinney

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Every year we plant more trees, with the help of groups from Salhouse School, the cubs, City College and Princes Trust. We aim to propagate our own seedlings by gathering seeds in the autumn and growing them with the help of our local horticulturalist Ian Roofe. Our trees are regularly maintained by local arboroculturalist Ian Flatters, of Target Trees.

Plants and trees at Salhouse Broad

Ivy, reeds, tussock sedge, pond sedge, reed mace, hemp agrimony, meadow sweet, marsh thistle, herb robert, red campion, raspberry, broad buckler fern, honeysuckle, marsh marigold, angelica, nettles, forget-me-not, dock, bramble, willow herb, water mint, gorse, broom, ragwort, dog rose, bluebell, hawthorn, ash, dogwood, whitebeam, box, english oak, white poplar, lombardy poplar, alder, rowan, blackthorn, holly, hazel, hornbeam, sallow, red oak, austrian pine, english oak, field maple, english elm, crab, sycamore.

Gorse bushes were planted on the hill at Salhouse Broad by the Broads Authority when they managed the site. The aim of planting the gorse was to reduce erosion on the hill. With the land being very light and sandy, combined with the large amount of visitors to the site, methods to reduce erosion was necessary.

The traditional harbinger of Spring- the Bluebells race to emerge first before the tree leaves steal the sunlight from the woodland floor. Be sure to come and have a look in the woods for the blue carpet

Water mint is a perennial plant that grows in shallow areas of the Broad. It can be used for tea and the oil derived from the plant can be used for flavourings to oil and vinegar based dressings. It can also be used as a pest control as vermin and flies are repelled by it. It is also a great antiseptic, can be used as a cleaning agent for wounds, removing excess oil from the skin and helps to relieve indigestion.

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The yellow flag iris is here about to flower, bringing a touch of colour in May and June. It can be seen at the waters edge.

Hemp Agrimony flowers on the river bankc between July and September and is very attractive to insects, including butterflies like the Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral.