St. James Hill
St James Hill – an area of ‘acid grassland’ with gorse and broom scrub. Historic quarrying for sand and gravel has had an impact here. Clayey soils at the top of the hill are the site of a backfilled pit which now supports elm and bramble scrub.
Desert Field
Desert Field near Gilman Road – an area reclaimed from landscaped spoil from the brick-pits at the end of the 19th century. It is ‘neutral grassland’ managed like a traditional pasture or hay meadow, as far as possible. Nearby patches of scrub make an extra resource for wildlife.
A Mullein Shark moth caterpillar. These thrive on the downy leaves and stalks of the Common Mullein and can soon munch it down to a skeleton.
The Common Carder Bumble Bee creates nests of clustered cells, often at the base of a grass clump. It is one of the insect army of pollinators on the Heath.
Hedgehogs are becoming increasingly rare, due to adverse weather, habitat loss and poisoning by slug pellets. Look out for their distinctive black droppings full of crunchy-looking insect remains.
A Small Tortoiseshell – its caterpillars feed on nettle leaves. Once common, it is becoming scarcer as it has difficulty breeding in drier summers.
A Meadow Brown – a common butterfly whose caterpillars feed on grasses. It is often seen on bramble flowers.
Thistle flowers are a rich source of nectar for many insects, such as this Marmalade Hoverfly on a Spear Thistle.
A September Cranefly – often called Daddy Long Legs. They hatch in late summer from larvae known as leatherjackets which feed on grass roots.
Ragwort is a rich source of nectar for insects. It is a favoured food-plant of the Cinnabar Moth – see the black and yellow striped caterpillars and adults with crimson and black wings.
The Common Lizard, regularly seen on the Heath in summer basking in sunny places. When disturbed they whisk away to safety.
The Slow Worm is a shy type of legless lizard with beautiful coppery scales. It favours warm, damp habitats such as long grass or piles of compost, where it feeds on small invertebrates.
The Nursery Web Spider creates a tent-like web to shelter its brood. They often sun themselves with four front legs stretched out in pairs.
Anthills are the work of the Yellow Meadow Ant and are a feature of warm, undisturbed grassland. These near Gurney Road grow each year as a new layer of dry soil is added, which helps vary local grassland structure.
The Green Woodpecker is a keen exploiter of ant hills, using their beaks to break in then their tongues to lick up the ants and their eggs.
All images courtesy the author, unless otherwise indicated.
