WILDLIFE OF SUTTON PARK
As a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and a Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the wildlife of Sutton Park is very special.
Below you can find out about:
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Some of our wildlife highlights,
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Get involved with surveying in Sutton Park, and
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Record your sightings using iRecords.
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Find out much more by attending FoSPA surverys, Walks and Talks.
Wildlife Study Group & Wildlife Saturdays
Our aims and objectives are to enhance, protect and record the wildlife and environment in Sutton Park NNR.
Our small and friendly group is diverse, with knowledge and experience that spans a variety of fields including biology, botany, entomology and ornithology.
All our volunteers are united in wildlife conservation and conserving the park around us.
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Once a month, the Wildlife Saturday group meet throughout the park and take part in a variety of different activities looking into the rich biodiversity, some of which is found nowhere else in the Midlands! The wider Wildlife Study Group also meet throughout the year as seasonally appropriate surveys are scheduled.
The group is led by Dr Richard Orton who dedicates his time to managing the Wildlife Study Group in all aspects of wildlife conservation and can be contacted here. Debbie Sunderland supports the groups, bringing her knowledge, passion for wildlife and eye for photography to each session.
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The Wildlife Study Group takes part in the following activities:
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Riverfly Surveys
Partnering with Brum River Champions to undertake some Stream Dipping. We have also been undertaking samples of Water Chemistry.
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Butterfly Transects
The WSG meet up regularly in the summer to undertake Butterfly Transects on a set route close to Streetly Gate.​
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Moth Nights,
Moth NightsWe also hold regular moth night from Spring till Autumn and are often joined by various mothing groups.​
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WeBS Surveys,
The park is fortunate to have a wealth of wildlife in its 7 pools and allows us to observe and record the wildlife inside them.​
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Toad and Frog walks,
Counting and recording numbers and species during the mating season.
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And more!
As wildlife populations change, so do our surveys as we adapt to record new or different species in Sutton Park.
Record your wildlife sitings using iNaturalist
The website and mobile app iNaturalist is used across the UK and further afield, by wildlife groups to record species.
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On their map, Sutton Park is a little too bare for our liking so we need the help of our members to support showing off the inhabitants of Sutton Park.
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We want you to record common and rare species of insects, birds and mammals - each record creates a better picture of Sutton Park, using the Project '900 for 900'.
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Photographs of your sightings are helpful but not essential.
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The app and website and very easier to use but here is a short guide we have prepared to assist: CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE DOCUMENT
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If you still have any questions, please email us on: info@fospa.org.uk or speak to us at an event!
Wild Ponies in Sutton Park
The ponies in Sutton Park are wild Exmore Ponies.
The ponies were introduced in 1999 some were sponsored by FoSPA, to aid conservation of the heathland, as the ponies diet is the vegetation which can cause harm to the valuable heathland within Sutton Park.
The herd covers a similar landscape as they would in the wild and enjoys eating; holly, bramble, grass, birch saplings. The herd is aging.
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The management of these ponies follows guidance of all wild herds in the UK.
Although they are wild animals, they are managed by the Park Ranger Team who regularly observe and monitor the ponies. The team includes an Animal Welfare Officer who conducts health checks.
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Do not feed the wild ponies as this can be detrimental to their health and can kill wild ponies. This is because the wild ponies' stomach cannot tolerate food which domestic horses can, and instead poisons them.
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If you have any acute concerns, please report these to the Park Rangers via the Visitor Centre to ensure that accurate information is shared with their caregivers.
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Please continue to enjoy the ponies from a distance.
Record your sightings
The website iRecord is used across the UK and further afield, by wildlife groups to record species.
On their map, Sutton Park is a little too bare for our liking so we need the help of our members to support showing off the inhabitants of Sutton Park.
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We want you to record common and rare species of insects, birds and mammals - each record creates a better picture of Sutton Park.
Photographs of your sightings are helpful but not essential
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We’ve created an account for FoSPA members to log into and use. Download our iRecords User Guide below to find our login details and a step-by-step guide on how to submit records.
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If you still have any questions, please email us on:
info@fospa.org.uk or speak to us at an event
Cattle in Sutton Park
Every Easter cattle, from local farm(s) are introduced into Sutton Park to graze, south of the railway line.
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Cattle have grazed in the park since at least 1126, and alongside the medieval deer herd, they played a vital role in shaping the landscape we admire today.
Continuing this long tradition of grazing is essential for maintaining the park’s rich variety of habitats and plant communities, which in turn support many plant and animal species that have disappeared from other areas.
This biodiversity is a key part of what makes Sutton Park so unique and so important on both a regional and national scale.
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Each year the cattle leave around the fall of the acorns, as acorns are toxic to cattle when eaten in large quantities.
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Please respect the cattle, giving them plenty of space to move freely, keep dogs under appropriate control, and never feed them. If you have any acute concerns about the animals please contact the Park Rangers at the Visitor Centre.
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