Returning cattle bring alive the traditional grazing marsh landscape and it is a wonderful sight to see them moving slowly through swathes of golden buttercups.

Management of the land to achieve the desired result requires constant vigilance and minor adjustments. Two years ago the buttercups had declined drastically and coarse grasses were becoming dominant.

Early grazing on Freemen's and Fullingpit meadows last year has had the desired effect and there has been a good display of buttercup this year. Further early grazing may be necessary to maintain the grassland at the required stage.

Too little grazing and the coarser vegetation becomes dominant, too much grazing and the special and uncommon plants disappear.

Each year in May and June, the fruits of another year's labours and careful management can be gauged. Have uncommon plants, unusual insects or animals survived, declined or increased? This is the time to check the watercourses and pastures. Generally, the picture is one of increasing health which is why the Sudbury riverside has become important in Suffolk for its grazing marsh landscape and associated wildlife.

It is always wonderful when a new native species arrives, particularly if it has a limited national distribution.

The Sudbury riverside is already noted for its abundant damselfly and dragonfly populations and recently the scarce chaser has become very well established. During May a further new species was recorded.

The hairy dragonfly, until recently, was confined to Suffolk's coastal grazing marshes but is now to be found on some of the restored channels on the Sudbury riverside. It will be interesting to see how this species fares and whether it becomes firmly established over the next year or two.

During the early part of June, students from Great Cornard Upper School will be returning to finish work on the north side of the Old Bathing Place, where they had started to build a ramp last year for improved access.

Work to the south side of the bridge will require considerable grant support and may not take place for some considerable time.