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Nature in Avon
Volume 73

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Natural History Museum Library

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Bristol Naturalists’ Society

Registered Charity No. 235494
www.bristolnats.org.uk

Anyone interested in natural history or geology may
apply to join. Membership Categories are:-

Full Member
Household Member
Student Member
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For details see Membership section of the website

Besides many general indoor and outdoor meetings,
other meetings are specifically devoted to geology,
plants, birds, mammals and invertebrates. Members
may use the Society’s large library.

Further information is available on the Society’s
website

Editorial

We last produced a themed issue on the Gorge in 1987, and much has changed since
then. The theme of this issue is much more the natural history of the Downs plateau
rather than the Gorge itself. There is now much more concern by the fate of
invertebrates, and their relationship to the plants, and hence to the mowing and
management which in part controls the plants that survive. The birds also depend in
part upon the invertebrates for food, but also upon the plant structure, because one
of the major themes of the past twenty five years is the rapid extension across the
Downs surface of scrub which reduces grass cover, but increases feeding and nesting
opportunities.

The Downs management has become much more environmentally aware. The
Downs is not a park but a unique wildlife site, parts being an SSSI, managed by
sheep for a thousand years, and creating an assemblage of special plants found
together nowhere else. The Downs Committee have successfully managed the
delicate balancing act between finance, human demands, problems of access and
parking, and ensuring the future of its wildlife. And the Clifton Zoo education
department has played a vital role in widening public understanding.

Most changes have been very positive, but as ever there are many threats, and the
recent and continuing economic crisis means that there is too little money available
to ensure that management can cope with all of them. The Downs Ranger’s team
work wonders, and work cheerfully in all weathers, and at all hours, and the fact that
the Downs always look spotlessly clean and green is down to them.

We have never before printed in colour, but some of the articles would not have
worked without illustrations in place.

We do not normally include obituaries of non-members, but the sudden death of
Justin Smith in the middle of 2014 stunned everyone who had known him. He was
never a member of the Society, but participated in many of its activities, was known
to many and was very significant in the development of conservation in the city. His
huge understanding of the natural world will be deeply missed, and it is fitting that
an appreciation of his life is published here.

It is the fate of the very old to be forgotten, and I am delighted to be able to print an
obituary of Dr Geoffrey Kellaway who died at the age of 99, and who played a major
role in the interpretation of the geology of the area, and even posited a solution to
the problem of the Stonehenge Bluestones.

| NATURAL HISTORY |
MUSEUM LIBRARY

01 DEC 70%4

The Geology of Clifton and Durdham Downs

Andrew Mathieson

Little has been written about the geology of the Downs, in contrast to the many ac-
counts of that of the Avon Gorge. This is hardly surprising since the Gorge is na-
tionally important for both the exposed rock sequence and the landform itself, but
the Downs do have a number of different and special geological features. The two
sites are very closely linked since most of the rocks seen in the Gorge also lie under
the Downs, but there are several younger rocks on the Downs which are not found
in the Gorge, and these add greatly to our understanding of the geological history of
the area.

The Rock Succession

The oldest group of rocks on the Downs is the Carboniferous Limestone, and this
underlies most of the area. It is a thick sequence of some 760 m (2,500 ft) of rock,
and is mostly made up of different types of limestone, but there are also dolomites,
mudstones and sandstones. These all contain the fossil brachiopod shellfish, corals
and crinoids, clearly indicating that the rocks formed beneath the sea. The presence
of corals and limestone suggests that the water was shallow and warm, and this is
supported by studies of palaeomagnetism, which indicate that these rocks formed
close to the equator. Radiometric evidence shows that they are between 359 and 343
million years old.

The sequence of Carboniferous Limestone is divided into a series of units, which are
mostly named after exposures seen along the Gorge (Kellaway and Welch, 1955).
These units were created by the Geological Survey to replace a system of zones
based on fossil corals and brachiopds (Vaughan, 1905) which, although revolution-
ary at the time, had been found to be difficult to use outside the Bristol area. The
new system is based on units of types of rock which can be traced across the area
from the Mendips to South Gloucestershire. The Gorge is famous as the reference
site for both of these methods of dividing the limestone succession (Bradshaw and
Frey, 1987; Hawkins, 1987).

!he main Geological Survey units present on the Downs are:

Black Rock Limestone is the oldest unit, and it can be traced in a band across the
north of the Downs from Sea Walls to Badminton School, and forms the northern
edge of the high ground. It takes its name from Black Rock Quarry in the Gorge,
Where it is well exposed, and is a dark grey, well bedded limestone with many fossil
crinoids, corals and brachiopods.

i)

Gully Oolite outcrops across the Downs to the south and parallel to the Black Rock
Limestone from near the top of the Gully. It is a light grey coloured oolitic limestone,
with few fossils and little evidence of bedding. The rock is best seen in the Gully
Quarry in the Gorge. Modern day oolite sediments are found in shallow seas subject
to bottom currents.

Clifton Down Mudstone is a relatively softer rock and its course across the Downs
runs parallel to the other older rocks, starting from where it was eroded out to form
the top of the Gully. The rock is poorly exposed in the Gorge but its base can be seen
at the top of the Gully Quarry. The contact with the Gully Oolite beneath 1s irregular,
suggesting that erosion took place at that time and the junction between the units is
interpreted as a fossil soil. The presence of mudstones indicates that mud was
washed into the sea by rivers from nearby land, but there are also beds of limestone
which show that the seawater cleared at times.

Clifton Down Limestone is found both on Durdham and Clifton Downs, since it
was displaced by large scale faulting. It is rich in fossils and is sometimes oolitic.
There are also some fossil algal structures which suggests an inter-tidal origin for
some of the rock.

Hotwells Limestone is again found on both Durdham Down and on the south side
of Clifton Down due to the action of the same faulting. It is a well bedded limestone,
rich in fossil corals and shellfish, and is best exposed around the foot of the Old
Zigzag and the entrance to the former Clifton Rocks Railway. The Upper Cromhall
Sandstone, at the top of this unit, is not actually present on the Downs, but is well
exposed at the bottom of Bridge Valley Road, and mainly consists of red sandstones
and mudstones.

All these rocks in the Gorge and on the Downs were subjected to enormous forces
during a major period of earth movements around the end of the Carboniferous pe-
riod, about 300 million years ago. They were compressed and became part of a mas-
sive arched fold (the Westbury-on-Trym Anticline), which extended from Clifton
northwards to Kingsweston and Henbury. In addition a number of faults were formed
and the largest of these, the Great Fault, can be seen at the bottom of Bridge Valley
Road. Here Clifton Down Limestone is pushed up over Cromhall Sandstone with
the result that the upper part of the rock sequence in the Gorge (and on the Downs)
is repeated to the south. The movement of this major fault is calculated as 335 m
(1,100 ft), and it has had the effect of extending the length of the Downs (and the
Gorge) by about a third. These earth movements also created sets of joints in the
rocks and some of these have since been filled with younger rocks or mineral veins.

3

The fold must have also included a thick sequence of younger Carboniferous rocks
which once covered the Limestone on the Downs. These Coal Measure rocks are
found beneath Ashton Vale, where coal seams are found in mudstones and sand-
stones, and must have been deposited in the equivalent of the tropical rain forest of
315 million years ago. The local Coal Measures are some 600 m (2,000 ft) thick, but
much more was probably once present and when they lay on top of the Limestone in
the fold, the Downs area must have been on the southern slope of a mountain which
could have been over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) high at Westbury on Trym. There followed
nearly 100 million years of erosion which almost completely removed the mountain,
leaving the Downs and Kingsweston Hill as the highest remaining stumps.

Much of the south of the Downs 1s covered by Dolomitic Conglomerate, a rock com-
posed of pebbles and boulders of limestone in a matrix of sandstone and mudstone.
This was created from the eroded remains of the Carboniferous Limestone. The best
exposure of this rock is in a cutting on Bridge Valley Road, where it can be seen to
lie in horizontal layers. This appears to represent the infill of a fossil valley cut into
the relatively softer Cromhall Sandstone. The rock was formed between 250 and 200
million years ago, in the Triassic period of geological time, when the Downs are
thought to have been an area of high ground in an arid desert.

There are some areas of younger Triassic rocks on the Downs. Westbury Beds are
found around Clay Pit Road, where they were quarried in the 1780's (Savage, 1999).
and also near the centre of Durdham Down. These black coloured mudstones con-
tains fossils which indicate a marine origin, and provide evidence that at least some
of the eroded surface of the desert landscape was covered by the sea about 200 mil-
lion years ago.

The Downs Island

The fossil remains ofthe “Bristol Dinosaur” Thecodontosaurus antiquus were found
in a fissure in a limestone quarry on the edge of the Downs, near the top of Blackboy
Hill, in 1834. A quarryman took one or two fragments of fossil bone to the Bristol
Institution (which later became Bristol City Museum) where they were examined by
the curator and by a number of experts. Men were employed to find more fossils and
a large collection was made. This dinosaur was only the fourth named in England,
and perhaps the world (Benton, 2012). Sadly some of the fossils were destroyed by
bomb damage in the Second World War but 184 specimens are still safely stored in
the Geology Department of the City Museum and Art Gallery. It was generally
thought that the bones were preserved in Dolomitic Conglomerate which had formed
in the fissure, but recent research has found evidence that the fissure fill is equivalent
in age to the Westbury Beds. This is based on the presence of some fossil shark teeth
and the similarity of many of the fossils to those found in South Gloucestershire

4

where evidence of Westbury Beds was established. The same research revealed fos-
sil evidence for a number of other dinosaurs and terrestrial reptiles which must have
lived alongside Zhecodontosaurus on the Downs Island of the time (Foffa, 2014).

Near the Bristol entrance to the Suspension Bridge there is a small deposit of more
Triassic, and possibly also Jurassic rock, which appears to have been deposited in a
cave or fissure in the Carboniferous Limestone. Tawney (1875, p. 164) described
this deposit as: a wide fissure (or pocket) in which blocks of Cotham-marble are
found imbedded. Lias Septaria too were dug out of it in making the road to the bridge
and the excavations for the bridge chains. The bulk of the infilling material seems to
be greenish marl, with a little red marl such as occurs in the Rhaetics.

Cotham Marble is found in the Cotham Beds, which are of Triassic age, and younger
than the Westbury Beds. The Marble is a well-known local limestone formed by
fossil algae, suggesting inter-tidal conditions. The Cotham Beds have not been rec-
orded elsewhere on the Downs. The Lias mentioned by Tawney is the lowest divi-
sion of the local Jurassic rocks. These occurences imply that the site was on the
shoreline of an island, sited where the Downs are today, which existed from the time
when the Cotham Beds were deposited through to the early Jurassic period.

Charles Moore (1881) later wrote about the same site: Close to the toll house, on the
Clifton side, there is a deposit of considerable interest, having a face of about forty
feet, in which the Rhaetic bone-bed and its asscociated remains are present. It is
partly composed of irony and yellow sandy looking marl, with many free crystals of
carbonate of lime, and there are patches of finely lamintated rock, similar to the
Rhaetic “White Lias”.... The bone-bed is two inches thick, with teeth of Saurichthys
apicalis, Lophodus minimus, and many fish scales, and the clay on either side con-
tains fish-remains of the same age.

The Bone Bed with its various fossil fish remains is found in the Westbury Beds,
which suggests that the coast existed from before the Cotham Beds were formed. It
is thought that the Island was completely drowned by the sea later in the Jurassic
period, since pieces of Lias limestone with fossil Gryphaea and Spiriferina have
been found on the Downs (Donovan and Kellaway, 1984, p. 20). These are presum-
ably derived from Jurassic deposits hidden beneath the soil.

Durdham Down Bone Cave

The youngest deposits on the Downs were found in the famous Durdham Down
Bone Cave. According to Latimer (1887, pp 265-266): An interesting geological
discovery was made in November 1842, in one of the quarries which then worked in
the middle of Durdham Down, the workmen having found an opening into a cavern
containing a quantity of the remains of animals for ages extinct in this country. The
cavity though narrow, was of some extent, being traceable to a depth of ninety feet.

5

The bones had belonged to about twelve hyenas, a bear, two rhinoceros, several
hippopotami, numerous examples of wild bulls, about five deer, and five or six ele-
phants, besides the relics of animals of later date. The bones were nearly all frac-
tured into small pieces, and the proportion of teeth and horns to other parts of the
body greatly preponderated. Taking this fact into consideration, together with the
marks of gnawing on the bones, and the certainty that the cave could not have ac-
commodated more than a small fraction of the animals represented by the vestiges,
scientific observers concluded that the den had been the retreat of hyenas, which
had carried to it portions of their prey.

The fauna mainly represents animals which lived in the last warm phase of the Ice
Ages (Ipswichian interglacial, between 128,000 and 116,000 years ago). Much of
the material was acquired by the Bristol Institution, which later became Bristol Mu-
seum, and some was lost in the Blitz of 1940. Despite reports that this entire collec-
tion had been lost from the Museum as a result of the event, on the contrary, there is
a significant collection present today, including:

Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta (including a specimen on display)

Cave Bear Ursus spelaeus

Brown Bear Ursus arctos

Small-nosed Rhinoceros Rhinoceros leptorhinus

Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

‘Cattle’ or Bison Bos sp or Bison sp

Deer Cervus
Straight-Tusked Elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus (including a specimen on dis-
play)

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes

Grey Wolf Canis lupus

A model of the cave is also preserved in the Geology Department of the City Mu-
seum and Art Gallery.

Natural Landscape

(he Downs plateau is a remarkable feature which extends across the area at a height
of around 100m (330 fi) above sea level, and can be seen to continue across the other
side of the Gorge. Most geologists have concluded that it is an ancient surface
lormed following the very long period of erosion after the late Carboniferous earth
movements. They consider that it was planed off at the end of the Triassic and be-
ginning of the Jurassic periods, as the sea advanced across the area. There is certainly
evidence for marine sediments of this age on and around the edge of the Downs. The
area is then thought to have been covered with a very thick sequence of younger
Jurassic and possibly Cretaceous rocks, which would have completely buried the
erosion surface. These would have been affected by earth movements in the Tertiary

6

period, with the result that they dip at a low angle towards the south east. Subsequent
erosion has removed most of these rocks and exhumed the buried Triassic landscape.

It is likely that this long period of erosion had some effect on the Downs plateau,
and also possible that the postulated presence of an ice sheet during the Ice Ages
made further changes. The erosion of the Gully and the New Zigzag valleys must
have taken place when the Gorge was created. Given that these are now dry valleys,
and that any rainwater that falls on the Downs sinks down through the limestone, it
probably required the ground to be frozen to allow water to run across the land sur-
face to erode the features. This could have happened during any of the cold phases
of the Ice Ages, but the present shape of the valleys was no doubt completed in the
last, the Devensian, between 116,000 and 11,000 years ago.

There are a number of caves in the area but most are found in the sides of the Gorge.
However, the Observatory Hill Cave entrance is on Clifton Down, to the east of
Observatory Hill. Its entrance has been blocked up, but it was reported to be 9 m (30
ft) long, 1.5 m (5 ft) high and 3 m (10 ft) wide. There is no known evidence of when
it was formed. The Durdham Down Bone Cave was discovered in a quarry but must
have once had an entrance on the Downs. There may well be more undiscovered
caves and solution cavities on the Downs which were formed as rainwater found its
way down through joints and other openings in the limestone. There are several
small depressions on the Downs which could be sink holes, but which may turn out
to be unrecorded mineral workings. One pit is thought to be a Second World War
bomb crater.

It has been suggested that much of the surface of the Downs was formerly covered
by limestone boulders and griked bedrock, and that this was mostly removed by lime
burners or as ornamental stone for use in rockeries (Kellaway and Welch, 1993, p.
48). Clearly the natural landscape has been considerably altered by quarrying and
mining.

Quarrying

There have been many quarries which extracted Carboniferous Limestone on the
Downs (see the map in Greenacre, The Downs History Trails No. 1). In 1754 it was
reported that locals were permitted to take what stone they required from the Downs,
and that much was burnt in kilns to make lime for mortar (Savage, 1999). Some was
also used as building stone, with the Observatory, for example, almost entirely built
of this rock. The only two quarries which have survived are around Observatory Hill.

In addition to the many small quarries there were four much larger:

It Quarry north of Westbury Road and marked by the Seven Sisters pine trees
2 Quarry to the north west of the junction of Stoke Road and Ladies Mile

3. Chain Quarry, north of Belgrave Road

4. Pembroke Road Quarry, north of Clifton Down

i

Quarry | was reported as being nearly 1.2 hectares (3 acres) in area with an average
depth of 9 m (30 ft). Quarry 2 is thought to be the site of the Durdham Down Bone
Cave, and had an area of nearly 1.6 hectares (4 acres) and also an average depth of
9 m (30 ft). This appears to be the quarry depicted in a watercolour by William Arnee
Frank (1862), and, if so, seems to have been much deeper in part. The Clifton and
Durdham Downs (Bristol) Act of 1861 established a number of duties, including the
closure and infilling of existing quarries. One of the Downs Committee's first actions
was to give notice to all quarry users to quit by October 1862. In 1866 the Docks
Engineer proposed to the Downs Committee that these now disused quarries should
be infilled with the material to be excavated when straightening the course of the
River Avon and constructing a new lock at the entrance to Cumberland Basin. This
was agreed and the Dock Spoil Tramway was built to carry the excavated material
up onto the Downs.

By October 1871 Quarries | and 2 were filled and landfill began at the Chain Quarry.
The clump of pines known as the Seven Sisters was planted at the site of Quarry |
in 1872, and the tramway track was removed in 1873, after the completion of the
new Cumberland Basin lock. Chain Quarry was finally filled by 1879. In 1890 Pem-
broke Road Quarry was identified as a landfill site for the material to be excavated
during the construction of the Frome Culvert and this was completed in about 1907
(Nichols, 2005). The boundaries of some of these former quarries can be traced due
to some settlement of the infill, and no doubt 9 m of river sediment and assorted
rocks will have had a significant effect on the type of soil which has developed on
these sites.

Minerals and Mining

There is an area of disturbed dfound known as the Dumps between Upper Belgrave
Road and Ladies Mile. This is unlike any other feature on the Downs and its origin
is unknown. It has been suggested that it was a former lead mining area, but the
alignment of the workings are quite different from that of the known lead veins
nearby. It has also been suggested that it was a former limestone quarry but it does
not have the appearance of any other quarry on the Downs. Other suggestions are
that the mineral celestite was worked here, or that the trenches were lead workings

which were later enlarged by quarrying to supply limestone (Kellaway and Welch
1993, p. 50).

Several minerals have been found on the Downs. Galena was worked as lead ore,
and several veins run north westwards from opposite the Zoo. The remains of some

of the “grooves” dug by lead miners as they followed the lines of the mineral veins
are suill visible. The mineral has been recorded at several other sites on the Downs.
including in old workings north and south of the White Tree, in the highly mineral-
ised belt at the northern end of Durdham Down (Kellaway and Welch, 1993). The
Romans are commonly thought to have worked lead and there is a reference that

8

the mineral was dug on the Downs in the Anglo-Saxon Charter of 883. The first
clearly documented record is for 1611 when the Lord of the Manor of Henbury
granted a licence to dig for lead on Durdham Down. In 1712 another lease was
granted to mine lead ore as well as iron, manganese and calamine on the Downs
(Micklewright and Frost, 1988).

[ron ore was extracted in Clifton, but there is no definite evidence that it was worked
on the Downs. In 1872 an iron mine was opened below Royal York Crescent in
Clifton and it produced 3,000 tonnes (3,800 tons) of ore in that year. Two beds of
hematite, goethite and limonite were worked in red sandstone and shale (Savage,
1999).

The mineral Calamine (now called Smithsonite) was said to be the “most important
mineral in point of frequency and value that the limestone yields. “ (Bright, 1817,
p.200). It was a valuable source of zinc which was amalgamated with copper to form
brass in local mills. The mineral was found in veins cutting the limestone, together
with calcite, barite and galena. Bright records that: “The calamine has hitherto been
worked in a very imperfect manner: the vein is broken into, when it meets the sur-
face; a rough windlass is placed over the hole, and a bucket is attached to a few
fathoms of rope; two or three men work at the vein as long as the ore is found in
abundance, or until the water impedes their progress. The mine is then deserted, but
the heaps of rubbish at the mouth of the pit are often so rich in ore that considerable
sums are paid for the privilege of washing them.”

Quartz geodes were once extracted from the rocks around Observatory Hill and sold
to visitors as “Bristol Diamonds”. Also more prosaically known as Potato Stones,
these nodules of quartz are thought to have replaced the mineral anhydrite. The most
prized form was a hollow geode with quartz crystals growing in towards the centre.
These were very popular with people who came to visit the Hotwells Spa, and could
be purchased from shops in the Colonnade. References to Bristol Diamonds go back
to 1540 when Camden wrote: in hills about Bristow be found little stones of divers
colours counterfeiting precious stones. Probably the largest collection of Bristol Di-
amonds is in the grotto in the garden of Goldney House in Clifton, which was built
in the 1740's. The geodes were found in both the Dolomitic Conglomerate and in
iron ore veins cutting through the Carboniferous Limestone (Savage, 1999).

Lead veins found on Clifton Down beneath the Triassic Westbury Beds consist of
galena, sphalerite and marcasite, with barite and calcite. Elsewhere the veins in the
Carboniferous Limestone show two generations of mineralisation.

The first consists of hematite and quartz, followed by galena, barite and calcite,
which may be deposited in a central infilling of the vein (Kellaway and Welch, 1993,
p. 143). :

g)

Celestite has been recorded found in the local Triassic rocks, but there is no evidence
that it was worked on the Downs. However on the other side of the Gorge, in Abbots
Leigh, there were extensive workings for the mineral in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. These were considered to be among the richest worked in the
Bristol district, with some boulder sized masses weighing up to half a ton (Kellaway
and Welch, 1993, p.134).

Conclusion

The 1861 Downs Act certainly preserved a green open space for the citizens of Bris-
tol, but it also unfortunately led to the infilling of most of the quarries which once
provided information about the geology of the area. Sadly the Bone Cave is com-
pletely buried but at least many of the fossils excavated from the site have survived
in the City Museum and Art Gallery. The two remaining quarries on Observatory
Hill very clearly display the dip of the rocks and this is much appreciated by the
younger generation as a slide. The road cutting leading to the Suspension Bridge
exposes a splendid array of fossils and mineral veins, as well as a rock which prob-
ably once filled a cave on the coast of the Downs Island of just over 200 million
years ago. Hopefully these special places will be conserved for future generations to
appreciate.

References

Benton, M.J., 2012, Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 123, pp. 766-778

Bradshaw, R. and Frey, A.E., 1987, Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society, 47, pp. 45-64
Bright, R., 1817, Transactions of the Geological Society, pp. 193-205

Donovan, D.T. and Kellaway, G.A., 1984, Geology of the Bristol District: the Lower Jurassic Rocks,
British Geological Survey, 69 pp.

Fofta, D., 2014, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. (in press)

Greenacre, F., The Downs History Trails No. 1, Durdham Down

Hawkins, A.B., 1987, Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society, 47, pp. 65-78

Kellaway, G.A. and Welch F.B.A., 1955, The Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, 9, pp.
1-2]

Kellaway, G.A. and Welch F.B.A, 1993, The Geology of the Bristol District, British Geological Survey,
200 pp.

Latimer, J., 1887, The Annals of Bristol in the Nineteenth Century, W and F Morgan, Bristol, 552 pp.
Micklewright, S.D. and Frost, L.C., 1988, University of Bristol Avon Gorge Project
Report No. 10

Moore, C. 1881, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 37, pp. 67-
82

Nichols, G., 2005, To Keep Open and Unenclosed: The Management of Durdham
Down Since 1861, Bristol Branch of the Historical Association. Pamphlet No. 116,
40 pp.

Savage, R.J.G.,1999, Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society, 59, pp. 65-76
Tawney, E.B., 1875, Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society, pp. 162-166

Vaughan, A., 1905, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 61, pp.
181-307 :

10

‘...truly English downland...’

Francis Greenacre.

No other city in Britain has such a large and spectacular open space so close to its
centre. The appearance of that landscape has altered radically in the last two hundred
years. Today, the pace of change may even be increasing as woodland, copses and
scrub become denser and expand still further into the once grazed and open
downland. This article looks at some of the visual evidence that helps to document
the start of these fundamental changes in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.

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1. The Downs from Clifton, c. 1770, watercolour by John Inigo Richards, private
collection

One of the very earliest drawings of the Downs dates from about 1770 and it is by
John Inigo Richards, a founder member of the Royal Academy and later principal
scene painter at Covent Garden (1). It was first assumed to be a view from Clifton
Camp, the Iron Age hill fort on Observatory Hill. In the foreground would be the
fort’s ramparts, which were grazed and open until the early twentieth century, but
which are being revealed again by progressive scrub clearance that began in 2011.
Instead, the view point is from near the future site of Litfield Place near the top of
Canynge Road and the very broken foreground is evidence of mining, probably in
the 16" century. Litfield was a field name that acknowledged earlier lead mining
here, of which Richard’s drawing is a unique record.

let

James Russell’s most important paper on The Archaeology of the Parish of Clifton
notes that the Clifton parish register for 1574 records the deaths of two Mendip
miners who had been ‘stifled with smoake’ while digging ‘for tynne and lead’.' This
was near Upper Belgrave Road where, today, scrub is increasingly obscuring the so-
called Dumps, the line of gullies and trenches that survive as reminders of medieval
mining on the Downs.

Near the centre of the watercolour is the tollgate at the top of the future Bridge Valley
Road. Above the house is the cliff face promontory that was soon to be quarried
away, as stone quarrying developed apace at the end of the eighteenth century, first
within the Avon Gorge, and then, especially in the earlier years of the next century,
on the open downland as well. One guidebook to Bristol was already warning in
1793 that ‘those sublime wonders of nature,...whose fame has excited thousands of
strangers to visit Hotwell and Clifton, and been a means of the inhabitants acquiring
great wealth, will be wholly demolished.’

The extent of the quarrying and the role of the Avon Gorge and the Downs as a
pleasure ground for the eighteenth century visitors to the Hotwells spa can be seen
in Samuel Hieronymous Grimm’s drawings of 1788 and 1789 in Bristol Museum
and Art Gallery and in the British Library’ . Unlike the essentially winter spa at Bath,
the Hotwell was a summer spa and the dramatic surrounding countryside was very
much part of the cure. ‘For those who love riding there is the finest country in the
world; and, even for carriages, nothing can exceed it; the Downs are spacious and
open, and we enjoy healthful exercise in a pure air...’.? Those words come from a
guide book of the 1750s, just a decade after John Wallis had built a wall along the
cliff top which we now call Sea Walls. That wall, deliberately built for the safety of
the Hotwell visitors on horseback and in carriages, is clearly visible in Samuel’s
drawing. Although the wall has been repeatedly rebuilt, many of the original
eighteenth-century conical capping stones, made of blocks of iridescent slag from
Bristol’s brass and copper industry, survive. |

From the toll house on Richard’s picture a road runs across the Downs following the
line of today’s Ladies Mile. Not a single tree is to be seen on the Downs. Those trees
in the foreground on this side of the building are on farmland within the Manor of
Clifton rather than on common land. These commons, the open downland of Clifton
Down, were for the benefit of the tenants or commoners of the manor. And Clifton

‘Bristol and Avon Archaeology, 1999, vol.16 p.79
E Shiercliffe, The Bristol and Hotwell Guide, 1793

rt. Greenacre. From Bristol! to the Sea, 2005, p47.

t.Qwen, Observations on the earths, rocks, stones and minerals...about Bristol and on the

nature of the Hot l »4

| 5.

Down adjoined Durdham Down, the commons of the Manor of Henbury. thus
forming over 422 acres of grassland. The rights of the manorial tenants to graze their
animals, mainly sheep, were still being jealously guarded by the commoners and
carefully managed by the respective Lords of the Manor.°

2View from Clifton Down looking towards Leigh Woods with the ruined
windmill and Dundry in the distance, c. 1780, watercolour by Nicholas
Pocock . Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. K2349

Nicholas Pocock’s watercolour (2) of about 1780 looks in the opposite direction and
confirms the accuracy of Richard’s image, and most especially it’s treelessness. The
ruined windmill and the tilting remnants of a signal mast for shipping, which the
artist might well have used in earlier years when he was a ship’s captain. add to the
bleakness of the scene. On the Leigh Woods side of the gorge the barren cliif face
on the south side of Nightingale Valley can be seen above one of the earliest of the
growing number of stone quarries that were initially mostly on the Somerset side
but which were now developing fast along the Gloucestershire bank.

” By 1799 the Society of Merchant Venturers already appear to have been more concerned
about the effects of the theft of turf and soil upon ‘persons walking or riding’ than upon the common-

ers’ grazing: Patrick McGrath, The Merchant Venturers of Bristol, p.191

13

3. Samuel Jackson, The Avon Gorge from the edge of Clifton Camp below the
Observatory, c. 1845, watercolour, Victoria & Albert Museum, 338-1872

Samuel Jackson’s watercolour (3) in the Victoria and Albert Museum bears a
truncated watermark of the 1840s confirming that it is about twenty years later than
other views from near the same spot by Jackson and by his friend Francis Danby.
Those better-known views of the early 1820s show only a mere peppering of bushes
or low scrub along the edge of the gorge, and demonstrate that grazing was already
in decline. But in those earlier watercolours there is still no visible evidence of trees°®.
Jackson’s V & A watercolour, reveals the extent of ‘beautification’ that was already
in progress well before the Downs Act of 1861. The figures in the foreground are no

longer Hotwell visitors but local residents. Benches have been set out and trees
planted.

In 1 766 the Merchant Venturers, in ‘an attempt to preserve the Clifton Down and to
prevent nuisances’ gladly accepted the offer of Sir William Draper to act as

» F.Greenacre and S.Stoddard, The Bristol Landscape, the Watercolours of Samuel Jackson,

1986, pl.35; F. Greenacre, From Bristol to the Sea, 2005, pls. 53,63; F.Greenacre,Francis Danby 1791-

1863, 1988 pls.84,85

14

Conservator of Clifton Down’.’ Sir William had very recently built a mansion,
Manilla Hall, which looked out on the south-eastern corner of Clifton Down and he
was no doubt tempted to regard the commons as convenient parkland. With the sharp
growth of Clifton at the end of the century and especially the laying out of terraces
fringing the Clifton end of the Downs in the 1780s and 90s, this proprietorial
approach to the Downs and in particular to Clifton Down from the local residents
inevitably developed. The pedestrian Promenade was laid out and its avenue was

~~

5. View across Bridge valley Road to the Promenade and Clifton Observatory
with the Clifton Suspension Bridge imagined as completed, c. 1856, colour
lithograph, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (Sol. 243)

first planted in the early 1820s and it is still much used today. By 1830 there was a
smart fence protecting the pedestrians from unruly horses and carriages on the
adjoining road.* Bridge Valley Road had been completed in 1822. The ruined
windmill began its transformation into the Clifton Observatory in 1828 when the
artist, William West, was granted a lease by the Merchant Venturers and in 1836

y McGrath, op cit, p.190

8 T.L.Rowbotham’s 360 degree panorama from the Clifton windmill, 1830, Bristol Museum
and Art Gallery, illus. in University of Bristol, Avon Gorge Project, report No 10, S.D.Mickelwright and
L.C.Frost, An outline of the history and historical land use of Clifton and Durdham Downs, 1988, p.23,
pl.9. A subcommittee of the Downs Committee has recently considered sharing the pedestrian prome-

nade with cyclists, a proposal to which | am opposed.

IS

Bristol Zoo Gardens opened in a former meadow adjoining the Downs. We can date
the colour lithograph (4), which looks back towards Samuel Jackson’s viewpoint, to
about 1856 for, on the far left, only the first two of the northernmost of Clifton
Down’s grand sequence of semi-detached mansions have been built. Today’s
Mansion House and four other vast semis have yet to link up to the grand houses
further up the hill. The lithograph well illustrates a guide book description of 1850:
‘In front of these magnificent houses is...a fashionable place for a cool promenade
in the summer months, under fine limes and other forest trees opposite Leigh
Woods.” Together with Jackson’s watercolour, the two views (3 and 4) suggest that
landscape changes in this area of the Downs were a combination of both the action
and involvement of an ever-increasing number of local residents as well as the
decline of grazing on Clifton Down. Grazing rights went with properties and as
development continued the numbers of commoners exercising those rights was
reduced. By 1859 only three or four Clifton Down commoners remained. By 1909,
when the manager of the Clifton Down Hotel near the bridge complained that
‘continual bleating’ was disturbing his guests, 1t would have been sheep belonging
to the commoners of the Manor of Henbury that were to blame. '”

Clifton Downs near Promenade, Bristol.

lohn Morgan, A brief historical sketch of Clifton..., May 1850
~ The Bristol Naturalists’ Society, Special Issue No |, 1989, The Avon Gorge, (reprinted from
The Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society, vol.47, 1987) S.D.Mickelwright and L.C.Frost, Histor-

Cali iand use of the B JOWNS OS common of pasture, pp.22 and 23

l6

The postcard of about 1900 looking from Fairy Land across Bridge Valley Road
towards the Promenade (5) shows Observatory Hill as still surprisingly bare. But the
occupants of the mansions overlooking the Promenade have already begun to lose
the views that their houses were built to enjoy. Most striking is the evident variety
of trees and many of these will have been planted after the Downs Act of 1861. The
Downs Committee, made up equally of Bristol City Councillors and Merchant
Venturers, created a Planting and Thinning Sub-Committee. It set out to ‘beautify’
the Downs, planting both native and alien species of elm, oak, lime, pine, birch, yew,
hawthorn and mountain ash. Holm Oak and Black Austrian Pines may be the ones
we now most regret. The postcard also gives evidence of the decline of the number
of grazing sheep, for scrub, perhaps mostly of brambles, is already flourishing
around some of the smaller trees in the centre.

Hell

, a ak tery So Fy : ey y
fairyland, Clifton, Bristol...”

6. ‘Fairyland’, c.1910, postcard, Bristol Record Office (43207.9.35366)

The advance of scrub is still more obvious in the postcard (6) misleadingly entitled
Fairyland. Today, the path that runs from the Promenade to the Portway, named the
Mousehole, still exists as a broad muddy track, perhaps largely maintained by
intrepid joggers. But the glades have almost totally disappeared or are filled with
brambles. So, too, has most of the scrub within the now mature secondary woodland,
much of it impenetrable. Inevitably, there are no glimpses of the bridge or of
Alpenfels, whose Swiss roof can be seen in the postcard. At the top, the fringes of
the woodland continue to make annual advances on the grassland that divide it from

7

the Promenade. Half-way along the Promenade the wood now actually encroaches
upon the path and it is shading out the young beech-tree replacements in the avenue,
whose especially spectacular autumn colours are regularly featured in the national
press.

But the woodland edge along the Promenade is no longer an impenetrable screen.
Early this year one of the most dramatic of viewpoints was partially opened up. Once
again we can sit on the carved stone bench-slab that may well be the one depicted in
the middle distance of Samuel Jackson’s V & A watercolour (3). You still cannot
look along the Avon Gorge, but you can now look out across the river to Leigh
Woods, maybe enjoying an elusive tree-creeper winding its way up an ash tree below
you.

More dramatic still was the felling of the trees in January 2012 that totally obscured
the view up the Avon Gorge to Wales from the ramparts of the hill fort on
Observatory Hill. For a decade previously Mandy Leivers’s information panel near
the best of all viewpoints had been illustrated with a watercolour of the very same
view of the 1820s by Samuel Jackson.'! With the image before them, the public
could see what they were missing and the initiative was welcomed.

Certainly treeless until the 1820s, Fairyland, like much of the Downs, may well have
had patches of gorse which was regularly harvested and for which the Lords of the
Manor were paid.'* The gorse in the foreground of the postcard of Fairyland of about
1910 (7) may well be a relic of the furze, that is gorse, bracken or heather, which
was an important source of domestic fuel and animal bedding in earlier times. In
1785 the Merchant Venturers were negotiating with the Bristol Wire Company
which had ‘offered £4 a year for the liberty to cut Gorse and Furze in the Manor of
Clifton’.'° This was for industrial use but the gorse was soon being celebrated for its
‘perpetual bloom’ and ‘fragrance’ by a guidebook writer in 1806.'* In 1904 six
hundred gorse plants were acquired for the Gully and in 1935 120 ‘double gorse’
plants were acquired.'° Almost all have long since been shaded out.

ll F Greenacre and S.Stoddard op cit., pl. 35
Ae (Elizabeth Ralph) The Downs, Clifton and Durdham Downs, Bristol, c. 1973, p.10
AG D.Micklewright and L.C.Frost, op cit., p.36
'G.W.Manby, History and Beauties of Clifton..., 1806, cited by Mickelwright and Frost, op
cit. p.37

> Mickelwright and Frost, op Cit. p.38; G.Nichols, op cit., p.9
18

cAIRYL AME
guar Ton Po be

mS 25.

ee

Postcard c 1910

As well as documenting the survival of gorse, the postcard of Fairyland illustrates
the unhappy consequences of the Downs Ranger’s understandable /aissez-faire
approach to this part of the Downs. In 1872 he reported to the Planning and Thinning
Sub-Committee in 1872: ‘The Gorge between Bridge Valley Road and Durdham
Down is so filled with forest trees and shrubs and wild Rose smothered with ivy and
matted with Clematis, green in summer and hoary in winter that it cannot be
surpassed and must be left to flourish in its loveliness.’'® As we see here it was a
policy that did not work. With fewer and fewer sheep the dense walls of scrub
advanced on the greensward. In 1912 the Downs Ranger recognised that thinning
and the removal of overgrowth was becoming necessary and took action — we know
not where. But the Downs Committee crumpled before the fierce opposition of The
Bristol Naturalists’ Society and of J.W.White, himself, who complained bitterly that
‘the glorious beauty of clematis, brambles and wild roses trailing amid the trees was
entirely swept away.’ In 1987 Drs Micklewright and Frost roundly chastised the
Bristol Naturalists’ Society and J.W.White for their successful opposition seventy-
five years earlier to the committee’s early attempts to control ever-increasing scrub

16 Mickelwright and Frost, op cit., p.38

19

both were ‘ignorant of the principles of ecology, then a science in its infancy.”!’
Today the enticing meadow that the postcard depicts is at most a third of the size
recorded here and the wild roses and trailing clematis may be inadequate
compensation.

In the photograph of about 1910 (8) looking across Stoke Road over fifty sheep can
be seen. Sheep had helped to create the essential characteristics of the open limestone
downland, but now, after surviving biplanes, golf and cricket balls, agricultural fairs
and military manoeuvres, their numbers were declining sharply and in 1925, fifteen
years after the approximate date of this postcard, grazing ceased altogether. In one
vital respect, footballers have replaced them.

RA ae
wy ‘ 2 ten, Gee. x

8. Sheep sheltering off Stoke Road, Ladies Mile in the distance, c.1910. postcard by
Fred Little, Bristol Record Office (43207.9.35.17)

When Thomas Proctor unveiled the drinking fountain at the top of Bridge Valley
Koad in 1872 he said that it was for the “thousands who avail themselves of the
downs on the Sunday afternoon and evening . . . but to meet any extra demand, my
man takes out a number of half-pint mugs.” Proctor was living in what is today the
Mansion House just a hundred yards away and his patrician approach was already
being threatened by complaints that the Downs were only easily accessible to the
rich who lived nearby. But in the same decade the horse-drawn tram arrived at the

tom of Blackboy Hill and in the 1880s football was first played regularly on the

Downs. In 1905, soon after the electric tram had reached the Downs, the Downs
League was formed. It now has over fifty clubs in four leagues - an unrivalled
statistic, a colourful sight on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons in the winter and
the best possible defence of the surviving downland.

In the middle distance is the avenue of Huntingdon elms on Ladies Mile, probably
those planted in 1872 on behalf of the Downs Committee.'* Dutch Elm disease was
to lead their replacement in 1980 by the young lime trees we see today. In the mid-
eighteenth century the three principle roads or tracks across the Downs were
Westbury Road, Stoke Road and the track running north-west from near the start of
Ladies Mile that is today an avenue of trees only. Each route had an avenue of trees,
planted, not for ornamental purposes, but principally so that the lower branches
could be cut for firewood.'? Dating from 1828 is T.L.Rowbotham’s 360 degree
panorama of the Downs from the ruined windmill, which shows a short line of trees
beside the Turnpike Road, at the start of the future Ladies Mile, and it is possibly the
earliest visual evidence of trees within the heart of the Downs.”° The editor of this
journal, Richard Bland, has very recently drawn attention to the oldest trees
surviving on the Downs.*'Almost all are on the fringes of the Downs. Westfield
Park’s Common Limes form an avenue along Clay Pit Walk and their girth suggests
a planting of around 1775, close to the time when the residents of Redland
complained to the Lords of the Manor about “Horse-racing, Boxing, etc., and the
very great evils resulting therefrom’.*” As in Clifton, the initiative almost certainly
came from local house-owners who may have sort relief from the unsightly and
boggy claypits that were not to be filled in until the 1860s. Richard Bland also
wonders if the line of Beech trees parallel to Savile Road could relate to the Clifton
Cricket Club’s move there from near Sea Walls in the 1840s.7?. W.G.Grace might
well have retreated to their shade when he first played for the club in 1863 aged
fifteen and scored a pair.”4 |

is G.Nichols, ‘To keep open and unenclosed’: the management of Durdham Down
since1861, 2005, p.9

t2 Mickelwright and Frost, op cit. p.12, pl.5, Hammersley’s Survey of the Manor of Clifton,
1746

20 Op cit.,.p.23, pl. 9

ze Re Bland, The veteran trees of the Downs, newsletter of the Friends of the Downs and
Avon Gorge, Spring 2014, issue pp. 14, p.13 and 14

22 (E.Ralph) op cit., p.8

oe) G.Nichols, op cit., p.9 refers to the ‘horse chestnuts parallel to Saville Road originally
[planted] to demarcate a boundary between horse-riders and the Clifton Cricket Club’.

24 sides and Squares, Clifton Cricket Club 1819-1983, J.F.Burrell, editor, 1983

7 |

Just beyond the two mature trees on the right of the postcard (8) was the most
massive of several substantial early nineteenth century stone quarries on the Downs.
These quarries were filled in the 1860s and 70s with the aid of a hydraulic railway
running from Hotwells and diagonally up the side the gorge from the Great Quarry.
Rich alluvial mud from improvements to Cumberland Basin and near the site of the
old Hotwells spa was used and might have tempted some ambitious planting.
However, this only occurred at the quarry now marked by the so-called Seven Sisters
- alien Austrian pines planted in October 1872.7? Three remain today. Instead, the
planting of single trees by the Downs Committee within the open spaces of the
Downs was impressively limited. Hawthorn, already a feature of the Downs, was
extensively planted and many postcards from the very early 1900s celebrate the May
_ blossom — evidently a major feature of Bristol’s year. Perhaps to build on this

success, double crimson hawthorns were acquired for the slopes above the top of
Pembroke Road in 1929 and in 1935 twenty-four laburnums and twelve almonds
were purchased.”°

We can date the postcard view overlooking the Gully (9) to 1913 for in the distance
on the left are the white palisades that surrounded the vast Royal Agricultural Fair
which was to be visited by King George V. Beyond the benches are the remains of
Wallis’ Wall erected in the 1740s to prevent the carriages of Hotwell visitors from
tumbling over the edge. In the middle distance is the rocky promontory that remains
mostly largely treeless today and where the rare Honewort can still be found. In the
postcard the views from this side of the Gully are open, but there had already been a
complaint in 1912 that the views from the opposite side were being obscured by tree
growth. Today, only the concrete bases of the seats remain before an impenetrable
wall of irees and scrub and, except from the promontory itself, there is barely a
glimpse of the Avon Gorge from Sea Walls to the Peregrine Watch Point.

*° G.Nichols, op cit., p.9

*® Op cit., p.9

9. Overlooking the Gully, 1913, postcard, Bristol Record Office (43207.37.10.2)

It is in the Gully that the most extensive conservation scrub-clearance has taken place
in recent years. When S.D.Mickelwright made his detailed ‘conservation
management recommendations’ in 1983 work had already begun taking due
advantage of Dr C.M.Lovatt’s vital Ph.D. thesis on the rare plants of the Avon Gorge
presented to the University of Bristol in 1982.7’ The introduction of six Kashmiri
goats from the Great Orme in June 2011 has successfully controlled re-growth,
enabling colonies of rare wild flowers and grasses to become more securely re-
established. Despite the necessity of erecting what has proved to be surprisingly
discrete fencing, one additional benefit of the project has been the opening up of this
part of the Downs to the general public, which had long felt excluded by the area’s
reputation for anti-social behaviour.

So, there has been some considerable conservation success within the Gully, annual
works on the cliff faces supporting the Avon Gorge’s rarest flora, and vital
clearances on some of the slopes and fringes of the Downs, notably within the
wooded areas between the gorge and Circular Road, and within the Hill Fort and on

a7 University of Bristol, Avon Gorge Project, report No 4, $.D.Mickelwright, A survey of his-
torical land use, present vegetation types and localities of rare and uncommon plants on the Clifton

side of the Avon Gorge with conservation management recommendations, 1985

3

Zoo Banks. And views have begun to be opened up. There has been crucial financial
support and guidance from English Nature. On the more open plateau of the Downs,
however, it is harder to report progress.

As Micklewright and Frost lamented in 1988 ‘The pleasing and unique appearance
of a piece of truly English downland has been seriously compromised...’”* The scrub,
copses, thickets — call them what you will — are still advancing. This constant
expansion, this continuing loss of downland is taken seriously and Becky Coffin,
Bristol City Council’s Nature Conservation Officer and her sub-committee of the
Downs Committee is initiating a detailed survey of the copses on the Downs.
Hannah E. Palmer’s charming watercolour of about 1930 (10) illustrates the brief
interlude between the end of grazing and the introduction of mechanised mowing on
the Downs. The view looks south from near Ladies Mile and Leigh Woods can be
seen in the far distance.

ees neaguenmans = . = a re ee —————S—SSS

10 Haymaking on the Downs, ¢.1930, watercolour by Hannah E. Palmer, Bristol
Museum and Art Gallery (K5498)

“i Mickelwright and Frost, op cit. p.11

There is a dominant ash tree in the centre and several hawthorns, and beyond are the
young trees on the old replanted avenue marking the line of the old road from Clifton
to Stoke Bishop abandoned after 1750. With the end of grazing in 1925, the sheep-
browsed level bottoms of the trees evidently survived for a few years and there are,
as yet, no clumps or copses forming around the hawthorns in Miss Palmer’s picture.
The scythe, rake and hay cart has briefly succeeded the sheep, but by 1932 Gardiners
were demonstrating a horse-drawn gang mower to the Downs Ranger and in the
following year a motor mower was first acquired.”?

Repeated mechanised mowing continued for half a century and it was not until 1988
that the Downs Ranger left a small area to be mown just once a year in late summer.
Bee orchids, harebells, ox-eye daisies, dropwort, knapweed and other flowers
appeared. Grasshoppers, bush-crickets, bees, butterflies and other insects prospered.
The uncut-meadow areas have been progressively extended since then to marvellous
effect - most especially that of the flowering grasses when seen against low evening
sunlight in June and July.

However, as soon as a mower was unable to penetrate the self-sown seedlings around
a tree, a dense ivy-laden clump could form and the autumn winds would often blow
it over. A single tree became an ever-expanding copse, rich in wildlife and a vital
food source, but the hawthorn, so often at its core and the favourite of the winter
visitors such as the Fieldfare and Redwing, is lost. And the downland’s greensward
is diminished.

The Downs Ranger team has battled for decades with this problem and with an ever-
decreasing number of staff. The Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge, founded in
2008 with the bold encouragement of Bristol City Council, have already given vital
help with litter picking, goat monitoring and the building of steeple-chase fences or
dead hedges that gently guide runners away from the orchids. Last year the Friends
began an ‘Adopt a Hawthorn’ scheme, involving the selection of a small number of
relatively independent hawthorn trees. Members then remove ivy, sycamore
seedlings and so forth in order to preserve one of the oldest features of the Downsand
to prevent the formation of yet another chaotic clump. This year the May blossom
was spectacular and it no longer seemed like a final flourish.

22 G.Nichols, op cit., p.15
DS

The scheme is generously managed by the editor of this journal, Richard Bland, who
has written: ‘Every year the scrub expands, and clumps start to link arms, and the
gang mowers have less and less grass to cut. This is a natural process, and the time
and money to check it no longer exists.’*° I end as I began - no other city in Britain
has such a large and spectacular open space so close to its centre; and much of it is
an outstanding SSSI and a vital and very well-used recreational amenity also. We
must prove our editor wrong.

~ Richard Bland, Hawthorns on the Downs, BS8, March 2013, No 49, p.35

26

The work of the goats and a history of the Avon Gorge and

Downs Wildlife Project
Chris Westcott (Natural England)

Introduction

The Avon Gorge is one of the most important botanical sites in the UK and is famous
for its rare plants, geology and its iconic landscape setting. It is nationally recognised
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and internationally designated as a
Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The Gorge is home to many rare and threatened plants including the Bristol Onion
or Round-headed Leek (Allium sphaerocephalon) and Bristol Rock-cress (Arabis
scabra), which are both Nationally Rare, found growing here and nowhere else in
the United Kingdom. There are over 30 additional rarities including the small
succulent Rock Stonecrop (Sedum forsterianum) and the tall and elegant Spiked
Speedwell (Veronica spicata) which are both Nationally Scarce. Most of the rare
plants are associated with the open calcareous limestone grassland communities,
which grow on the rocky outcrops and steep grassy slopes.

The Avon Gorge is also home to a unique diversity of rare whitebeam trees, such as
the Bristol (Sorbus bristoliensis) and Wilmott’s whitebeams (Sorbus wilmottiana)
that grow here, in the Avon Gorge, and nowhere else in the world. Many of the rare
whitebeams have arisen relatively recently by a process involving hybridisation and
are adapted to living on the open thin soils of the Gorge.

Along with the rare trees and plants, the Gorge is a very important site for scarce
invertebrates. These include the Silky Wave moth (/daea dilutaria), which is only
found at two other places in the UK — the Great Orme in North Wales and along the
Gower coast. Lesser and Greater Horseshoe bats can be found roosting in the caves
and the site supports a wide range of breeding birds including the Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus) and Raven (Corvus corax).

The physical geology of the Gorge is also a very significant feature and one that has
been studied since the early 19 Century. The rock formations show the complete
local succession of Carboniferous Limestone and the massive bedding planes can be
seen from various viewpoints around the Gorge. This underlying limestone rock is
responsible for the development of carboniferous limestone soils, upon which the
rare plants, trees and habitats of the Gorge depend.

ZI

Establishing the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project

The grassland on the Bristol side of the Gorge was once grazed by sheep, which kept
it open and free of trees and scrub. When grazing started to decline at the beginning
of the last century and finally ceased in 1924, the steep areas became overgrown and
woodland established, reducing the extent of calcareous grassland and the rare plants
this habitat supports. The pressure on these rare plants and habitats was increased
further by what was known as ‘beautification of the Downs’, which from 1871
onwards saw the planting and introduction (both purposeful and accidental) of many
highly competitive non-native trees, such as Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) and Austrian
or Black Pines (Pinus nigra), shrubs including cotoneasters such as Wall
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) and other herbaceous plants, including
Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius).

Over time many of the areas of species rich calcareous grassland almost disappeared
along with several of the Gorge’s rare plants. The SSSI condition was regarded as
‘Unfavourable Declining’ by English Nature (now Natural England) in the late
1990’s and the need for a coordinated and programmed management response was
clear. This led to the formation of the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project in
October 1999.

The aim of the Project was, and still is, to protect the outstanding wildlife interest of
the Avon Gorge and Downs and to raise awareness and understanding about the
importance of this site for people and wildlife.

The Project is a partnership of Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Natural
England, Society of Merchant Venturers, University of Bristol and the Downs
Committee. Representatives from these organisations sit on a steering group that
guides the work of the Project. The National Trust are also part of the Project steering
group because they own and manage Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR).
which is within the wider Avon Gorge SSSI / SAC boundary.

Over the last 15 years the Project has been working to produce management plans.
coordinate a highly successful programme of wildlife surveying and monitoring,
complete habitat management conservation works, and provided further
opportunities for the general public to discover more about, and enjoy the wildlife
and the landscape of the Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods and the Downs.

28

The Gully goat grazing project

One particular area of significance for species rich calcareous grassland and rare
plants is a hidden valley, just off Circular Road, on the Bristol side of the Gorge
known as The Gully.

Over a hundred years or so this once large area of grassland was reduced to a few
small fragments with various rare plant species still clinging on but at risk of
completely disappearing. The area became dominated by scrub and secondary Ash
(Fraxinus excelsior) woodland with a large proportion of non-native species such as
cotoneasters, Holm Oak and planted Black Pines.

From 1999 onwards, with funding support from Natural England, Bristol City
Council and the Downs Committee, the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project
co-ordinated the clearance of trees and scrub to open up and link the small pockets
of grassland that remained. The grassland habitats started to respond but the amount
of scrub re-growth was a real management problem, costing a large amount of
money annually to control mechanically. The Project needed to look for a more
sustainable and natural solution to help manage the volume of scrub regrowth and in
partnership with the Grazing Animals Project (GAP) came to the conclusion that the
introduction of goats would be the most appropriate option.

Goats were chosen because they are known in certain circumstances to be a useful
conservation tool. They are really agile and well suited to the steep and uneven
terrain and they make light work of travelling up and down slopes. They are very
hardy and thrive in extreme conditions. They also have a simple digestive system
which does not digest cellulose very well, so mainly choose to browse woody plants
such as Bramble (Rubus fruticosa), Common Ivy (Hedera helix) and Ash seedlings
rather than graze grasses and flowers.

After much exploration it was decided that the most suitable option for obtaining
goats for the Gorge was from an existing conservation project run by Conwy County
Council on the Great Orme, in North Wales. So in June 2011 staff from Natural
England and Bristol City Council went to the Great Orme and helped Conwy Council
staff and volunteers with the annual round up of their feral Kashmir goats.

There have been goats on the Great Orme for over 100 years and they are considered
‘feral’. They were originally introduced in the early 1900s when Lord Mostyn gave
them to Queen Victoria. The population on the Orme is a breeding herd and has to
be controlled due to the limited availability of suitable forage and the size of the area
of land they inhabit.

2)

Following advice from GAP it was decided that a group of 6 goats would be the
optimum number of animals for managing The Gully area. A single sex group of
billy goats was chosen because they are larger animals than nannies and more able
to stand up for themselves should they be confronted by a dog - quite likely in this
highly public area.

In order to ensure that the goats remain within The Gully area it was fenced during
the winter of 2010 and lots of access points were included. Along with perimeter
fencing the known rare whitebeam trees were also guarded to ensure that they were
protected from any browsing pressure. A small goat exclusion zone was also created
within the enclosure to be used as a control area.

The story so far....

The six billy goats were introduced to The Gully in June 2011 and although it has
only been a relatively short period of time there is an obvious reduction in the amount
of low growing scrub throughout the area.

It is clear that goats are targeting the plants like Bramble, Ash, Hazel (Corylus
avellana) and Common Ivy. They are however also stripping bark from Common
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) trees which grow within the area. All the rare species have
been successfully protected from any browsing pressure and additional measures
have been put in place to protect a small, selected number of Common Whitebeams.

There is good evidence to suggest that the whitebeam trees in the Gorge are in a state
of contemporary evolution, which is resulting in many closely related species and
hybrids occurring within this discrete geographical area. Some of the different
species are Nationally Rare or Scarce, but Common Whitebeam, in other instances
presumed to be of low conservation concern, is an important element of the
evolutionary processes occurring here. The proper conservation of the Gorge’s
whitebeams should aim to encompass sufficient space to allow the evolutionary
process to continue. It is worth noting that the overall objective for the area is to
balance the restoration of nationally important calcareous grassland habitats and rare
plant species along with the management of the site for rare whitebeams. The key
sites for the rare species of whitebeam are mainly elsewhere on the Gorge, such as
on the Leigh Woods side, with far greater numbers there than are found within The
Gully.

The goats themselves seem to be thriving and are much larger and thicker set than
when they were first introduced. They have been very well received by the general
public and are a popular attraction for visiting people to try and spot. A goat viewing
area has been created near the Seawalls end of The Gully and two interpretation
panels have been installed.

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The Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project run regular ‘Meet the Goatkeeper’
walks to enable the public to find out about the reasoning behind the introduction of
the goats. The goats are also a feature on all of the guided tours and talks that are
given to community groups. To date over 800 children have been taught about the
goats in the Natural England funded ‘Hairy Conservationists’ school and play-
scheme educational sessions. The goats have also been the subject of a BBC
Countryfile programme and a film has been made about them which debuted at the
Bristol Festival of Nature.

The goats are being well looked after and are checked on a daily basis by Bristol
City Council rangers and volunteers from the Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge
do a secondary check as well. Veterinary care 1s being provided by Bristol Zoo
Gardens.

Monitoring the changes

During the summer last year Natural England began a programme of monitoring to
assess the habitat change within The Gully. The initial results from which show that
certain positive calcareous grassland indicator species, such as Common Rockrose
(Galium verum), Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) and Ploughman's Spikenard (Jnula
conyza) are occurring in many more locations on both the northern and southern
side. Species such as Dwarf Sedge (Carex humilis) which is Nationally Scarce, was
also more frequently recorded throughout the area and a new population of Bristol
Rock-cress was noted on the south side. Many of the areas still have native scrub
species present but these are also populated by more ruderal and woodland edge
species like Hawkweed Oxtongue (Picris hieracioides), Wood Sage (Teucrium
scorodonia), Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) and Wood False-brome
(Brachypodium sylvaticum). Invertebrates which favour herb rich grasslands like the
Small Blue (Cupido minimus), Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon) (which have
both returned to the Gorge in recent years) and many other species of butterflies are
also being recorded in good numbers, so the move to a more grassland dominated
habitat will greatly benefit them. The numbers of Silky Wave moths have also been
on the increase within The Gully and continued monitoring by Bristol Zoo will help
to record the population response to the conservation works.

Conclusion

Clearly the goat project is in the early days and there is a lot more conservation work
and further close monitoring required over the coming years. The early indications
are that the habitat is returning to a more grassland dominated structure, as it was
over 100 years ago, which is helping to achieve the objectives of the management
plans and importantly improve the overall condition of the SSSI and SAC.

3 Il

The Avon Gorge: Ravens and Peregrines
Ed Drewitt

Thirty years ago the possibility of seeing both Ravens and Peregrines frequently over
the Avon Gorge, and indeed across most parts of Bristol, would have been unheard.
And yet three decades later this is indeed the situation with both species annually
breeding in the Avon Gorge and at other sites across Bristol and the surrounding
areas. Both species have also become urban, with Peregrines in particular taking up
residence on churches, office blocks and other buildings. Ravens meanwhile are a
little more shy but will venture in to the city during the winter keeping to the tops of
buildings while during the breeding season they will often make feeding flights over
residential areas.

Both the Peregrine and the Ravens are species that we associate with very similar
habitat — quarries, gorges, open country and the coastline. And it is unusual to have
one without the other in rocky, quarry-type habitats. The two very much put up with
each other and while Peregrines will sometimes kill Ravens and Ravens will
occasionally take Peregrine eggs or chicks, they generally live side by side, helping
to protect their territories from predators.

The Peregrine

In the Avon Gorge Peregrines have been using the area as a regular breeding site
since the 1990s. And historically they have used the gorge for hundreds of years —
there are even records of Queen Elizabeth I having a falconer who climbed to the
nest to take the chicks and use them as part of the royal falconry collection!

In more recent times the Peregrine has returned after an absence perpetuated by
deliberate shooting by the Ministry of Air Defence during the Second World War,
illegal persecution, egg collecting, and the effects of chemical pesticides used in the
countryside during the 1950s and 1960s. The latter cause is the most likely reason
the Peregrines in the gorge disappeared for a long period in the second half of the
20"" Century. In the early 1900s they were seen on and off but not regularly.
Chemicals, in particular DDT and its derivatives, were ingested by pigeons and other
seed-eating birds which in turn were eaten by Peregrines. The chemicals were
deposited in the fatty tissues of both Peregrines and other raptors, causing
dangerously high levels of toxins and the laying of eggs with very thin eggshells that
broke under the weight of the incubating adults.

oS)
i)

Once the decline in Peregrines across the UK (and other parts of the world) was
understood DDT was banned and in the later 1970s and early 1980s Peregrines were
free of the chemical and began laying more viable eggs. Since then their numbers
have risen exponentially, slowly rising during the 1980s, before increasing more
dramatically during the 1990s and 2000s. In some parts of Europe local populations
have grown by 10 — 15% per year.

Since 1946 Peregrines have been spotted in the Bristol region every year, and
between then and 1975 there were between one and eleven records annually. After
1976 things changed dramatically and Peregrines were being seen more and more
frequently until 1985 when a pair was recorded breeding in Avon. This continued
for two years and in 1987 three pairs of Peregrines attempted to breed, including a
pair in the Avon Gorge which raised a single chick. Since 1990 the Peregrines have
reared chicks annually apart from 1993 and 2000. In the early days Peregrines were
still particularly vulnerable to persecution and egg collecting. Indeed, in 1990 two
of the four chicks were clubbed to death and the Bristol Ornithological Club set up
a 24-hour watch to ensure the chicks in future years were not going to come to any
harm. Michael and Alix Lord, Mike and Ruth Glover, and more recently Charles
- Stapleton have coordinated teams of volunteers to man the watch and observe the
Peregrines’ behaviour. The Peregrine Watch, as it became known, still continues
today though in a lesser form. The threat to Peregrines in the UK is still there, but
with lots of people watching them and lots of recreational activity on the Downs and
in the Gorge, the watch has turned into a more public engagement event.

Up to the summer of 2014 66 Peregrines chicks have fledged from the Avon Gorge
since 1987. Of particular interest in 2008, 2010, and 2011, the Peregrines
successfully reared five chicks to fledging. Peregrines normally raise between one
and four chicks, and five chicks is much less common though it has been recorded
more recently in Sutton, Wrexham and at a site in Hampshire. The Peregrines tend
to nest on the Clifton Down side of the Avon Gorge, though in the earlier years they
did also use sites on the Leigh Woods side.

As Peregrines have become widespread across Avon and former nesting sites are
occupied, new breeding pairs are looking for novel breeding ledges that perhaps have
never been used before. There are at least 20 pairs in the Avon region and in the
recent BTO’s winter and summer atlas surveys (2007 — 2011) they were seen in a
quarter of the 400 tetrads in the region.

33

Most nests in west Bristol and east North Somerset are two miles apart, though in
recent years we have seen this distance decrease. In 2013, an adult male and a first-
year female Peregrine began to nest by the Clifton Suspension Bridge, only a mile
from the usual breeding pair. The two eggs were laid late and incubation continued
into mid-May. The female abandoned the nest leaving the male to continue
incubating the eggs - although he was on the eggs as often as he was off them.
Eventually they didn’t hatch and under a schedule | licence the eggs were removed
and sent to the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology for analysis. In 2014 the breeding
pair at the usual nest site in the Avon Gorge reared a single chick and a third grown
bird, a juvenile from 2013, was often in residence flying around with the adults. It
was probably a young bird from the previous year. As Peregrines have increased so
too have notable behaviours — in particular the presence of a third bird, usually one
reared by the parents the year before, helping at the nest with incubation and feeding
of chicks.

Ringing

In 2009 the first Peregrine chick in the Avon Gorge was ringed by myself with help
from climbers from the British Mountaineering Council. Five chicks were then
ringed in 2010 and filmed by BBC Springwatch, followed by five in 2011, three in
2012, and one in 2014. Ringing was unable to take place in 2013 due to logistics. Of
those colour-ringed with blue rings and black letters one chick, colour-ringed BT,
was ringed in May 2010 and spotted in the Malvern Hills 70 miles away the
following April. Sadly he was then found dead below power lines in October 2011
near Kidderminster. Another fledged chick was found hungry and grounded at
Stanton Drew 11 miles from the gorge near Bath and was returned by Colin Morris
back to the Avon Gorge a few days later. Another young male bird AG ringed as a
fledged grounded bird in June 2008 and released by the RSPCA was spotted a few
years later in 2010 at Blagdon Lake with a mate.

While Peregrines continue to breed well in the Avon Gorge and across the Bristol
region they are still a vulnerable bird and a species that we cannot be complacent
about. With increased observations, vigilance and the use of web cameras on urban
Peregrines our understanding of this once almost extinct species in the UK is helping
discover more about its habits, lifestyle and lifecycle. The Peregrines in the Avon
Gorge are hopefully here to remain with individuals changing throughout the years.
Males and females will have different partners during their lifetime and also move
to different nesting sites, so over the past 25 years quite a number of individual
Peregrines have probably been using the same nest site in different.

The Raven

Ravens are an equally successful story and up to 20 years ago were very much
associated with rocky Welsh crags and remote Scottish Islands. Pushed back to the
very west and north of the UK on higher ground, Ravens, alongside many other
corvids and raptors were heavily persecuted by gamekeepers and those remaining
lived in remote areas. With fewer gamekeepers post-Second World War, greater
protection of all wild birds, and an increase in sheep farming, road kill and other
factors that generate carrion, Ravens have become very widespread in the West and
most quarries and other likely haunts usually have a pair or a family group of Ravens
present. Their distinctive’ deep, resonating ‘cronks’ and croaks’ are easy to
distinguish alongside their large size, long, tapering wings, and diamond-shaped tail.
Despite this they are still only spreading into eastern parts of the UK but are not that
far behind the likes of Buzzards and Peregrines which have colonised the east in
recent years. They first start appearing in the Avon Bird Report from 1966 with up
to 70 bird day sightings in 1970. But in the early 1980s there was a steep drop off
between 1980 and 1986. From 1987 there was a gradual increase in the number of
days Ravens were being spotted each year and by 2004 the equivalent of 750 bird
days were recorded in that single year. In 2006 they were first sighted during the
Breeding Bird Survey and recorded in 4% of squares surveyed in the Avon region.
This has steadily increased to around 18% - with almost a quarter of squares
recording Ravens. There are thought to be at least 100 breeding pairs in Avon.

In the Avon Gorge Ravens have been nesting on the Leigh Woods side since 1993.
They have habitually used a nest directly opposite the Peregrine Watch point.
However, in 2013 a new nest site was used further south in an adjacent quarry with
a large overhang. In the same year another pair nested close to Sea Walls. In 2014 a
nest was also confirmed in a pine tree by the Water Tower on Durdham Downs by
Robin Prytherch alongside at least one nest in the Avon Gorge.

Ringing took place for the first time by myself on the Leigh Woods side of the gorge
in 2010 when two chicks were raised. Three chicks were subsequently ringed in
2011. Their large stick nests are lined with soft hair was dogs and deer and form a
warm, snug layer for the chicks which will be naked during cold weather in March
and April.

35

Ravens often make a number of nests throughout their territory and sometimes nests
that are thought to be occupied end up being still empty during April and May. Those
that do nest will have up to five chicks and family groups can be seen flying around
over the city centre of Bristol. While others will scavenge along the saltmarsh and
tideline of the River Avon from the Cumberland Basin down towards Sea Mills and
Shirehampton. While Ravens don’t nest in the city centre itself there are many
Peregrines nesting across the city from Blaise Woods to the M5 Bridge, and Filton
Airfield to quarries on the edge of the Gordano Valley. Like the Peregrine they are
spreading quickly and are definitely a bird to look and listen for with confidence.
And while Ravens are usually very cautious, shy, birds one or two are becoming
more resilient and almost tame. Particularly on Durdham Down one or two Ravens
have been spotted foraging while runners and dog walkers stride past within metres —
of them. And they seem to rule the roost — as they fly in to a group of crows and gull
everything makes way for them rather like the biggest and tallest vultures coming in
to a kill in Africa. While Ravens are known to predate the eggs of Peregrines, their
impact is unknown and generally both appear to nest side by side without obvious
negative side effects and successfully rear chicks to fledging.

Over the next decade Ravens are likely to continue to increase in density and become
more widespread, with young birds moving east to populate counties that currently
have few of these very clever and vocal birds. Overall, the picture is looking very
positive for both Peregrines and Ravens in the Avon Gorge. With second pairs of
birds also attempting to breed within a mile of the more established nests, the
likelihood of spotting and observing both species both regularly is high.

e.

Lichens, D Hill
36

Lichens on the Downs
David Hill

Lichens are a specialist group and apparently constitute a small component of the
ecosystem. But they are primary producers which are food for numerous
invertebrates, e.g. molluscs and things with legs, themselves food for other wildlife.
There is considerable diversity amongst lichens and the different species each have
their own mechanisms for protecting themselves from being eaten away totally by
different herbivores and hence not surviving. Thus we can see that lichens fit in to
the ecosystem and have an essential role in supporting the diversity of nature.

Lichens are funguses which have become adapted to eliciting and utilising sugars
provided by microscopic algae housed in the lichen structure rather than decaying
dead or parasitizing living vegetation. In this sense they are similar to mycorrhizas
which living off sugars provided by living roots of plants. Lichens are mainly
ascomycetes (“cup fungi”) and mycorrhizas are mainly basidiomycetes (toadstools
etc). The intricacies of these two groups of symbiotic funguses are biologically
fascinating but there is not space to delve in to that here.

The diversity of lichens on the Downs in such an urban context may be unexpected
as lichens are known to be very sensitive to pollution but since the levels of sulphur
dioxide in the air has been so much reduced since the 1970s, lichens have been
reinvading cities where they had previously been absent. Lichens are not only killed
by low levels of sulphur dioxide but affected by fluoride, heavy metals and pollution
by air born nitrogen compounds. The latter is very pertinent nowadays as farms
release huge quantities of ammonia into the air (mainly from slurry as well as poultry
and pig units) and vehicles spew out masses of nitrogen oxides ( The NOx map of
Britain is the motorway map). The effect of all this nitrogen pollution (deposition at
the magnitude of agricultural fertiliser application) has been to modify the lichen
flora of lowland Britain with vast abundance of the yellow wall lichen Xanthoria
parietina. The orange or yellow lichen abounds on tree, roofs, walls etc in town and
countryside alike.

The Downs lichens represent a re-colonisation of the area by nitrogen loving lichens
or at least lichens tolerant of high levels of nitrogen. The lichens on the Downs have
been surveyed at various times — I have records from 1987, 2009 and 2014
amounting to about 120 species. The Downs offers various lichen habitats and
substrates. The trees are mainly quite young specimens unlike those in Ashton Court
with 68 recorded species and the limestone along the top of the Avon Gorge with 55
species. I visited the limestone on 18 March this year and found Polyblastia albida
— not a very rare species but I have not found a previous record for it in

Sy

Gloucestershire — this was growing on limestone on the top of the Gorge. It is here
that we find natural outcropping limestone rather than the quarried surfaces below
by the Portway where the lichen flora is very poor as usual for recent rock exposures.
It takes 100s of years for a diverse lichen flora to develop.

The trees offered an interesting opportunity to explore the lichen floras of different
tree species. Normally when we see horse chestnut trees, they are in urban settings
and lichenologists tend to shun them as being of no lichenological interest. They
often seem have poor lichens floras on the trunks and frequently only common
species. By the water towers along Stoke Road there is an avenue of horse
chestnuts(Mostly Aeculus hippocastanum but some are the A. hippocastanum hybrid
H. x carnea) alternating with lime Tilia x europaea trees, which often have very rich
lichen floras, of about the same age, position and with similar management and
situated in a uniform habitat. Therefore I thought it would be interesting to compare
the lichens on these two tree species. This is a rare occurrence and it was worth
taking advantage of. I recorded the present of the lichen species on each tree trunk
and the after examining 21 trees of each species, noted how many tree trunks each
lichen species was found on. These data are shown in Figure I.

Chestnut

Figure 1. Coincidence plot of frequency of lichens on Lime trunks and Horse
Chestnut trunks. Each dot refers to one or more species (total of 55 lichen species
recorded and 21 limes and 21 horse chestnut trees examined).

The commonest lichen Xanthoria parietina was present on 20 of each tspecies. The
next was Hyperphyscia adglutinata — another nitrogen loving species. Given this
environment and these trees there was little difference between the frequency of the
species on the two tree types. Lime had 42 spp and 254 records and horse chestnut
45 spp and 248 records. In Britain as whole about 180 species have been recorded
from Horse Chestnut but nearly 300 from Lime. One species on Lime is Nationally
Scarce and one species where Britain has International Responsibility on Horse
Chestnut. So we can say that on the downs the two appear to have quite similar floras
but nationwide they are much more different (as indicated by the different relative
frequencies the individual species have in Figure 2). The national data was collected
over about 50 years and covers a time when nitrogen pollution was not so severe. A
calculation of similarity (Sorensen Coefficient of Similarity) between the floras on
the two trees for the downs is 0.762 (on a scale where | is identical and 0 is no
species in common), for Britain as a whole the figure is lower at 0.656.

Chestnut

Lime

Figure 2. Coincidence plot of relative frequency of each lichen species on Lime trees
Tilia spp) (3494 records) and horsechestnut trees (Aesculus spp.) (1111 records) in
whole of Britain (British Lichen Society Database. The data has been summarised. )

3g)

On the Downs the trees are made similar by heavy nitrogen pollution with most of
the species are nitrogen loving species but less so across the rest of Britain. Of the
lichens recorded on horse chestnut about 21% have a Conservation IUCN Status of
Nationally Scarce, Nationally Rare, Vulnerable or a species for which Britain has
International Responsibility, whilst for Lime it is very similar with about 19%; that
suggests that these two species have more or less equal value for lichen conservation.
However, surprisingly, two species, Bacidia incompta being IUCN Vulnerable and
Caloplaca luteoalba being Nationally Threatened, have not or rarely been recorded
in lime but have more records across Britain on Horse Chestnut than the nitrophile
Hyperphyscia adglutinata which is abundant on the Downs. The acidity of the bark
is important and trees which have acid bark like conifer trees have very poor lichens
floras in lowland Britain. On the Downs the conifers have virtually no lichens_
present as can be seen by looking at the trunks of those by the Water Tower. It would
be interesting to know if the invertebrates on the tree trunks show similar diversity
patterns to the lichens.

Curiously, the lichens on the limestone do seem to be affected nearly so much by air
pollution as those on trees. When looking at the limestone on the edge of the Gorge,
I did not detect very noticeable an abundance of nitrogen loving lichens which will
grow on limestone — quite unlike the situation on trees. In the past when sulphur
dioxide pollution prevailed, limestone was relatively unaffected but then it was put
down to the neutralising effect of the lime on the acidic sulphur dioxide. May be the
lime is here neutralising the nitrogen oxide pollution from vehicles.

A striking feature of the lichens is that they show up where dogs have been urinating
against tree trunks (Photo 1). The increase level of nitrogen has favoured some
species and discourages others. The main ones to be encouraged are Hyperphyscia
adglutinata, Physcia orbicularis and Xanthoria perietina whilst others are
discouraged or absent (Table 1). The most frequent species in the dog-pee zone are
also the most frequent species overall which emphasises the high level nitrification
received generally by the Downs.

40

ete ee eet eh a

| Xanthoria yellowish C
parietina orange

Table 1 Lichen recorded from the base of tree trunks where dogs cock their legs!

Frequency*
Por
Flavoparmelia pale

Pee
adglutinata grey

Lecanora le
Parmotrema
perlatum

Physcia C

ve)

adscendens

Physcia aipolia Grey

orbicularis

Ramalina Grey
farinacea

Xanthoria yellowish C
parietina orange

Photo 1 Dog-pee zone on a lime tree. The yellow take measure is about |2inches
(30cms) long. The grey lichen in the dog-pee zone is Hyperphyscia adglutinata
(greenish grey colour) and the small yellow patches, Xanthoria parietina.

Al

Figure 2 Beech trunk showing the horizontally drawn out slower growing crustose
lichens and circular patches of faster growing foliose lichens (yellow Xantoria
parietina and the grey circular patches are members of the Parmeliaceae).

Another curious feature that is easy to spot, especially on the beech trees at the tops
of The Promenade, is the horizontally elongated patches of lichens on the tree trunks.
This feature occurs when the rate of growth of the lichen is considerably slower than
the rate of expansion of the trunk. These crust lichens grow so slowly that it is even
slower than tree trunks grow (Photo 2). Also in Photo 2 are some circular yellow
lichen patches — these are the foliose lichen Xanthoria parietina which is much faster
growing. Also present are other grey foliose lichens which belong to the
Parmeliaceae. .

In summary the Downs has an interesting lichen flora and anyone interested can be
introduced to it by following the Downs Lichen Trail on which some of the lichens
featured in this article can be seen in situ. The Limes and Horse chestnut trees have
provided us with useful information about the ecology of lichens on these trees. If
you walk about the Downs look out for the Yellow Xanthoria parietina, the dog-pee
zone and the stretching of lichens patches on tree trunks. All trees have potential for
lichens whether they are nature or introduced and some introduced species can
support surprisingly rich lichen floras. The Limestone outcrops are of conservation
importance and support 5 or more nationally scarce species.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Sheila Quin for alerting me to the value of the
lichens of the Clifton Downs, Janet Simkin and the British Lichen Society for
providing me with data from the BLS Database and Richard Bland and Tony Titchen
for helping me with the identity of the horse chestnuts on the Downs.

Grassland and Scrub Management on Clifton Downs
Rupert Higgins

This article deals with management work that has been undertaken to enhance the
nature conservation value of grassland and scrub on the Downs. Although it draws
on knowledge gained through work carried out on behalf of Bristol City Council,
any views expressed here are the author’s alone.

Mickelwright and Frost (1987) give an overview of historical land use of the Downs,
written at a time when nature conservation was first being seen as one of the
objectives of management. In brief, the Downs had a long history of sheep grazing
dating back at least to the Anglo-Saxon period, and probably much earlier. This
produced what was described in 1717 as a “thick and tough pasture”, which was
doubtless rich in wild flowers and insects. Over the same period a number of quarries
were worked on the Downs, ranging from small scale operations up to a large
limestone quarry in the eastern part of the Downs. As urbanisation crept across the
surrounding area during the nineteenth century the number of sheep fell from almost
2,000 to somewhere between 300 and 400 by 1872. Grazing ceased during the first
world war and although it was resumed in 1920 an outbreak of scab led to its
permanent cessation in 1924. Within a year mowing was introduced by Bristol City
Council, first by horse drawn mowers and later using engines for power. In order to
facilitate the mowing many of the small depressions were filled and features such as
gorse and bracken brakes were removed.

Over the following sixty years, although the adjacent Avon Gorge continued to be a
focus for both naturalists and the nascent nature conservation movement, there
seems to have been little interest in the Downs themselves, apart from some bird
recording focused on the growing scrub patches. The grasslands were subject to a
regular amenity cut, whilst scrub and trees encroached across many of the banks and
remaining depressions that were too steep to mow, although some of these were kept
open on a rather ad hoc basis. Some areas, notably in the northern part of the Downs,
were treated with fertilisers and dressed with fertile topsoils in order to facilitate
football pitches and other forms of intensive recreation for which the growing city
had an ever increasing need. It was probably widely assumed that the wildlife
interest of the Downs grasslands was permanently lost. However, most grassland
plants are perennial and are able to persist over long periods without setting seed so
long as the soil nutrient status remains low. During the 1980s it became apparent
that considerable botanical interest remained in some areas of grassland, particularly
in the western part of Clifton Down. At the end of the decade the City Council
yielded to pressure from the late Dr Frost of the University of Bristol, the Avon
Wildlife Trust and others and allowed an area of tall grassland to develop close to
Sea Walls, and nature conservation took its place as one of the objectives of Downs
management.

43

The new management regime on this area of grassland was modelled on a hay cut:
the grassland was allowed to grow tall until late July, when it was cut and the cut
material, the arisings, was gathered and removed off site. The hay cutting was
initially viewed as an experiment; there was, in particular, considerable concern that
public reaction might be hostile. This was not the first City Council site where hay
cutting had been used to encourage flower-rich grassland, but the Downs was by far
the most high profile site to be managed in this way. In fact, public reaction to the
tall grassland was overwhelmingly positive, and has remained so. The experiment
was also highly successful from a wildlife point of view. Most of the grassland was
dominated by Upright Brome Bromopsis erecta, with smaller areas close to the
Gorge developing a much shorter sward dominated by Sheep’s Fescue Festuca
ovina. Although none of the true Gorge rarities have appeared on the Downs scarce ©
limestone grassland plants such as Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, Spring Cinquefoil
Potentilla tabernaemontani and Crested Hairgrass Koeleria macrantha are present.
Members of the public were impressed by showy flowers such as Black Knapweed
Centaurea nigra and Bee Orchid Ophrvys apifera and the rapid colonisation of the
area by attractive insects such as Marbled White Me/anargia galathea and Common
Blue Polyommatus icarus butterflies and Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae.
Many people also commented on the visual interest provided by the contrast between
areas of short and tall grassland.

Following this success Bristol City Council set about identifying other areas that
would benefit from a similar change in management regime and commissioned a
series of surveys during the 1990s (Wessex Ecological Consultancy, 1994). These
identified that, as suspected, species-rich grasslands were far more extensive
extending across the Downs as far as their north-east corner. However, large areas
especially in the central and eastern parts of the site were dominated by Perennial
Rye-grass Lolium perenne and species-poor, lacking any plants that are not
ubiquitous on intensively managed amenity grasslands. It was relatively easy to
distinguish the species-rich areas: the stiff, blue-green and hairy leaves of Upright
Brome are immediately visible and on closer examination the presence of herbs such
as Wild Thyme Thymus praecox, Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor and Burnet
Saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga marks out particularly diverse swards. Once the
more valuable areas had been mapped a plan to gradually extend the hay cutting
regime over much of the species-rich grassland, although this was felt to be
inappropriate in some areas that were more heavily used by the public, including
parts of several football pitches, and these continue to receive an amenity cut.

By and large this change in management has been highly successful and the Downs
now offers the people of Bristol an opportunity to appreciate unimproved calcareous
grassland, in the context of a popular open space, which is probably unique in
Britain. The management has not been without problems, however. The most
significant of these is that mowing was not the traditional management regime on

44

the Downs or probably on any comparable site in Britain. Throughout the country
dry calcareous grasslands have for centuries been grazed by sheep. Within a few
years of the commencement of hay mowing it appeared that low-growing herbs, such
as Wild Thyme and Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, which had been
conspicuous components of the meadows in their early years, were becoming much
less obvious. It may have been that they were simply less visible under the tall sward,
but a decline in low-growing species is described in the National Vegetation
Classification (Rodwell, 1992) as one of the consequences of the development of an
Upright Brome-dominated sward. Similarly, long term monitoring at Totternhoe
Knolls, Bedfordshire has shown that many plants decline in abundance, without
disappearing altogether, following the replacement of grazing with mowing (Wells
and Cox, 1993). The Lowland Grassland Management Handbook (Natural England
1999) recommends 2-15cm as the optimum range for sward height in upright brome
dominated grasslands. The typical sward height on the Downs is 80cm. Conversely,
monitoring of Upright Brome dominated grassland in northern Switzerland has
shown that floristic diversity 1s greatest when the sward is cut in July, as it is on the
Downs. This is the traditional management technique in Switzerland, and it appears
that a different plant community has developed in response (Kohler ef a/., 2005). On
the Downs, comparison using quadrat surveys of hay meadows with species-rich
swards still subject to amenity mowing confirmed that the decline in low-growing
Species was genuine, although offset by an increase in taller species such as Field
Scabious Knautia arvensis and in short-lived perennials such as Yellow Rattle
Rhinanthus minor, which are unable to persist in frequently mown grasslands.

Several solutions to this change were considered. The re-introduction of grazing still
remains as a long term aspiration, but in the medium term there are many problems
associated with fencing, dog worrying and traffic to be overcome before this can be
seriously contemplated. A more realistic option would be to reduce the dominance
of Upright Brome through more frequent mowing. At other sites in Britain success
has been achieved through single additional cuts, either in May or in September. The
main drawback with these from an ecological point of view is possible impacts on
invertebrates: a May cut, in particular, might maximise floristic diversity but would
reduce insect diversity markedly. A better alternative would be to implement
different mowing regimes in different areas to create a variety of sward heights
supporting the greatest possible diversity of species of both plants and insects. This
approach has been used with some success on several nature reserves in Britain,
including at Martin Down in Hampshire (Natural England, 1999). The greatest
obstacle to this method is financial. Although it might be thought that a single hay
cut each year would be cheaper than around ten amenity cuts the hay cut is actually
significantly more expensive, largely due to the cost of gathering and removing the
arisings. The cost of cutting areas more than once every year would be prohibitive,
as would the management burden of organising and supervising a range of different
regimes: the City Council has limited resources to commit to the Downs, and nature
conservation is just one of several functions the site has to fulfil. As a consequence,

45

a compromise solution was proposed, whereby the areas of longer grass should
continue to receive an annual cut whilst other areas of diverse grassland receive an
amenity cut at a lower frequency than usual, and with the blades set higher to allow
low-growing species to flower (Wessex Ecological Consultancy, 2002). In practice
this has been difficult to implement and many areas of short grassland continue to
be managed as before. |

The necessary use of mowing, rather than grazing, to manage the grasslands has
almost certainly limited the recovery of invertebrate populations. Mowing has
several disadvantages over grazing for invertebrates. In particular, unless
complicated mowing regimes can be implemented, it involves the removal of all of
the plant growth at once and different sward heights do not develop as they do under
grazing regimes, where various factors will cause stock to favour one area over |
another. Small scale poaching caused by grazing animals also provides opportunities
for invertebrates to bask and burrow. However, some form of management is
essential if an invertebrate fauna of limestone grassland is to be retained and
enhanced: to quote Buglife “the main threat to most species [of invertebrate on
limestone grassland] is likely to be from encroachment of scrub and development of
rank vegetation that may result from a lack of grazing.” (Buglife, 2013).

Another issue has been the management of some of the steeper slopes, particularly
at the banks above the road opposite the Zoo and around the former quarries near
the top of Blackboy Hill. The zoo banks still retain patches of Common Rockrose
Helianthemum nummularium and other limestone grassland species, but others such
as Autumn Lady’s Tresses Spiranthes spiralis seem to have disappeared. Species —
rich swards, which decorated the former quarries well into the 1980s, have now been
almost entirely lost to rank grassland and scrub. Growth of trees and scrub has also
replaced diverse grassland elsewhere. This was partly as a consequence of the
government-imposed introduction of compulsory competitive tendering in the
1980s, which meant that all management activities had to be specified in contract
documents drawn up in advance, making small scale activities such as scrub removal
almost impossible to implement. Where these problematic areas of grasslands are
mown, as on the zoo banks, the thatch is almost always left to lie and floristic
diversity declines.

The management of woody vegetation has also been the only area in which there has
been serious conflict between nature conservation and public opinion. During the
early years of the Millennium there was a vociferous campaign based on the
misconception, perhaps wilful in some quarters, that the Council intended to remove
all of the scrub from the Downs. There was never any intention to even significantly
reduce the area of scrub, but the experience has left council officers understandably
wary of any management of trees and shrubs. Tree removal is always an emotive
subject, particularly when many people equate nature conservation with the

46

preservation and encouragement of tree growth. In fact, the cover of both trees and
scrub on the Downs has grown enormously over recent decades.

Scrub has features of nature conservation value, in particular for birds and
invertebrates, and limited quantities should be encouraged as part of the Down’s
biodiversity. In particular, the Downs has a significant but declining population of
mature Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna bushes and dense patches of Ivy Hedera

helix, which support the parasitic Ivy Broomrape Orobanche minor and provide a
food source for many birds and insects. Another feature of scrub on the Downs is
the abundance of Wild Madder Rubia peregrine supporting the scarce Pyralid moth
Mecyna asinalis. However, dense and even-aged stands of immature Ash Fraxinus
excelsior, Holm Oak Quercus ilex and Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus support an
extremely limited range of species and the growth of this habitat at the expense of
irreplaceable and threatened limestone grassland represents a real loss of
biodiversity.

The ideal solution would be to remove areas of this low quality woodland to
encourage the regeneration of scrub, whilst scrub is removed from the patches of
limestone grassland. By these means the overall extent of scrub could be maintained,
whilst the area of limestone grassland is protected or, in places, extended. This
recognises that whereas scrub can develop rapidly on a whole range of soil types,
calcareous grasslands takes decades (or even longer) to develop on a very limited
range of soils. In many instances the best outcome for nature conservation would be
to remove sapling trees from the centre of patches of scrub whilst retaining low
growth of species such as Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg and Wild Privet Ligustrum
vulgare, which provide valuable wildlife habitat. As the older Hawthorn bushes
reach the end of their lives it would be beneficial to identify younger specimens that
should be allowed to grow on to eventual senescence as standard specimens in
isolation from other scrub. In practice management has often resulted in valuable
scrub being removed whilst the saplings are retained, without any consideration of
the size that these saplings will ultimately reach. In the long term these works will
allow the development of further areas of even-aged secondary woodland and,
despite the commitment and enthusiasm of those carrying them out, will achieve
little for nature conservation. In several places trees have been retained, or even
planted, in positions where they will eventually shade out large areas of valuable
grassland.

Future management of these habitats on the Downs will largely depend on the
resources that Bristol City Council feel able to devote to nature conservation on the
site, and will require a certain amount of courage when it comes to tree removal. The
strong possibility that Ash die-back Chalara fraxinea will kill a large proportion of
the Ash population of the area adds a degree of unpredictability to vegetation

47

succession on and around the Downs. The spread of Ash die-back will have a
devastating impact on woodlands and many associated species, but on limestone
grasslands through our area, including the Downs, where Ash is a major invasive
species, it will also bring opportunities. If some biodiversity gain is to be salvaged
from this coming disaster, the opportunity should be taken to restore limestone
grassland on areas that have been invaded by Ash. On the Downs, and in the Avon
Gorge, replacement tree planting should be targeted at areas where grassland re-
establishment is not viable. In the long term the introduction of different mowing
regimes, carefully targeted at areas where species that would benefit are present, or
even the re-introduction of grazing would be most welcome. Either would require
the allocations of considerable resources and probably the appointment of a warden.

Another long term objective for management should, in my view, be to re-establish _
connections between the Downs and the Gorge. The current division between the
two, although it may appear inevitable, is a consequence of the abandonment of
grazing. When the Downs was grazed, sheep roamed into the Gorge and the flora
and fauna of the two sites, as well as the landscape, were much more similar than it
is now: the Gully was referred to as part of Durdham Down in most early works of
natural history. As Ray Barnett comments elsewhere in this Issue, there is now
suitable habitat on the Downs for several species of insects now present only in the
Gully. Removal of the scrub and trees that separate the two would facilitate
recolonisation of the Downs. It may be too much to expect the rare plants found in
the Gorge to re-colonise the Downs but consideration could be given to re-
introduction, perhaps starting with the most threatened of the Gorge rarities, Autumn
Squill Scilla autumnalis and Honewort Trinia glauca.

REFERENCES

BUGLIFE (2013), Advice on Management of BAP Habitats: Lowland Calcareous
Grassland

KOHLER, B et al. (2005), Changes in the Species Composition and Conservation
Value of Limestone Grassland in Northern Switzerland After 22 Years of
Contrasting Managements. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, 7, 51-67
MICKELWRIGHT, S.D. & FROST, L.C. (1987) Historical Land Use of the Bristol

Downs as Common of Pasture. Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society, 47:
21-32

NATURAL ENGLAND (1999) Lowland Grassland Management Handbook, 2nd
Edition: Chapter 2

RODWELL, J.S. ef a/. (1992) British Plant Communities Volume 3: Grasslands and
Montane Communities, University of Cambridge Press, pp166-169

WELLS, T.C.E & COX, R. (1993) The Long-term Effects of Cutting on the Yield,
Composition and Soil Nutrient Status of Chalk Grassland, English Nature Report,
No. 71

WESSEX ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY (1994-2002) A series of unpublished
reports to Bristol City Council

48

The Grasses of the Bristol Downs.
Tony Smith

Grass is so fundamental and yet most people never dwell on its importance. This
article describes a new survey of the grasses of the whole of Clifton Down limestone
plateau. Grasses have a flower-head of tiny, green-brown florets at the top of a stem
and have green leaves. The leaf has three parts, the lower part sheathes the stem and
is called ‘leaf sheath’ and the upper part is just a tiny whitish ‘tiara’, called a Jigule
(tongue) and outside that is what most people would call ‘leaf? but is properly called
the ‘leaf-blade’ or /amina. Around the base of the plant fibrous roots arise in a ring,
usually several rings. These roots bind the soil and since grass plants are so numerous
they are an important structural element in grassland stability.

Grasses have wind-pollinated flowers in contrast to many herbs whose flower
colours attract insects for pollination. Butterflies feed on nectar from colourful
flowers, such as Brambles, Ground Ivy, Thyme, Red Clover, Gorse and Kidney
Vetch, but they lay their eggs on their caterpillars’ food plants and often these are
grasses. For the Gatekeeper, Grayling, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Marbled
White, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown, these range
from rank perennials such as Couch grass, Cock’s-foot grass, Tufted Hair-grass and
Timothy to Annual Meadow-grass, Red Fescue, Smooth Meadow-grass and others,
all found on the Clifton Downs.

Details of the limestone vegetation of the region can be found by reference to The
Flora of the Bristol Region (2000) where the differences between unimproved,
alkaline, neutral and acidic grassland are expertly explained. Grass plants can be
identified to species without too much difficulty so in this article I hope to explain
some of their characteristic features and relate them to the special nature of the
Downs vegetation. And your reward, dear reader, is that you will immediately be
able to amaze your friends with your grass identification expertise.

The Downs has a long history of use by man (See Micklewright’s report for the
University of Bristol, Wildlife Survey of the Bristol Downs, Report No. 13 [1988])
from lead mining and sheep grazing and changes due to modern population pressures
including leisure pursuits (with up to 32 football pitches, covering more than 30%
of the level plateau) but it is essentially, a limestone grassland. Although altered and
repaired inappropriately and reseeded with imported species, across the whole area
one repeatedly comes upon lime-loving grasses and herbs.

49

This vegetation is managed by mowing with a three inch cut every ten days or so in
the growing season. Soil depth affects the rate of growth, so that less frequent
mowing is carried out on the thinner soils that more easily dry out. Cutting is of
value to the grassland habitat in that ‘it is like a forest beneath your feet and cutting
the canopy allows light to penetrate to the soil’, as Mr John Bowyer, who is in charge
of this work informed me. This regime allows only a brief cover of clippings to keep
in moisture in contrast to infrequent cutting leading to the deposition of a sodden
persisting damaging blanket.

Over the last 30 years or more several vegetation studies have given an outline of
the historical use and nature of the Downs. From these it is clear that it is net now
possible to be sure exactly how and when the present vegetation developed, but the ~
Downs have probably been grazed for over a thousand years.

Limestone-loving plants, calcicoles.

One of the defining characteristics of the Downs is limestone-loving plants or
‘calcicoles’. Among the grasses, Upright Brome, Quaking Grass, Crested Hair-grass,
Yellow Oat-grass, Downy Oat-grass and Meadow Oat-grass can be found locally.
The calcicole herbs that are found on the Downs are Bulbous Buttercup, Salad
Burnet and Red Clover, with Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Ladies Bedstraw, Dwarf Thistle
and Burnet-saxifrage. There are several other colourful flowering plants to be found
abundantly on the downs even though they are not particularly lime-loving plants.
These include hawksbeards, hawkbits and Common Knapweed, which may not have
a requirement for calcareous soil but which require light, well-drained soil.

Signs of damage, the marginal vegetation.

Certain species such as Dandelions, Daisies, Greater Plantain, Perennial Rye grass
and Annual Meadow-grass are tolerant of frequent flattening by hundreds of human
feet, as along paths, in gateways and playing fields. Plants able to survive this
attrition are described as ‘marginals’ and their presence in a vegetation indicates hard
conditions. On the other hand, those that cannot survive trampling may have virtues
we adore. In the U.K. as a whole we have lost nearly all our flower-rich meadows
and people are worried by the loss of bees, bumblebees, butterflies and birds. Mute-
hued grasses maintain, support and nurture colourful flowers and a vast number of
undervalued insects and other creatures.

Identification of some grasses

Grasses’ names, fescues, bromes, ryes, hair-grasses and bents, may trip glibly off the
tongue and one can recognise many different species without too much difficulty.
People will be very impressed with your expertise on the Downs — if you practise a
bit beforehand - when you pick a grass leaf, seemingly at random and show them
that, as it is held up to the sky or against a dark background that there are fine white
‘eye-lashes’ along the edge (#1 illus.): “Upright Brome’ you will say, and get them
to find the same and hold it as you have done.

Then you pick up another grass, whole from the root, with narrow, shiny green
leaves, and you point to the maroon red colour at its base (#2 illus.) and tell them,
‘Perennial Rye grass’. Again get them to find it too.

There is no stopping now! Find the softly hairy grass and right at its base, the “pink
pyjamas’. The lowest part of the stem is pink in vertical stripes like a pair of Pyjamas
(#3 illus.): ‘Yorkshire Fog’, you pronounce.

Grab another grass with compressed (flattened) white stem bases and the grey-green
leaves obviously folded along their lengths (#4 illus), a tussocky, dominant,
spreading grass: it is Cock’s-foot grass.

Where there are tufts of long, very fine, deep-green leaves you are likely to have
Red Fescue but look at the way the edges of the leaf come round the shoot and join
like the neckline of a Nightie in front to confirm (#5 illus). Sheep’s Fescue is similar
but the edges overlap together, like a Dressing gown.

Finally, look for the grass creeping over the soil and pick it from as far down as you
can and you will see that it has nodes where it changes direction. There arises from
a node a new shoot (#6 illus): this is Creeping Bent. You have become in five
minutes an expert with six or seven grasses!

51

o.
if)

Grassland Survey results

The proportion of each grass species in fifteen one square metre sites spread across
Downs was estimated. Three sites were chosen in the meadows, three on or close to
soccer pitches and eight on mown amenity grassland. 17 species were found, but 12
of them formed just nine percent of the total. Rye Grass accounted for 40% and
Upright Brome for 31%. The three meadow sites were dominated by Upright Brome,
and three of the mown amenity grassland sites were similar. Two of the pitch sites
and three of the mown were dominated by over 80% Rye Grass. The three meadow
sites and five others had five or more species. Rye Grass, Upright Brome and Cocks
Foot were present in more than 60% of the sites, Red Fescue, Yorkshire Fog,
Creeping Bent and Crested Dogs tail in more than a third, Soft Brome in a fifth.

Species
Rye Grass

Upright Brome
Creeping Bent
Cocks Foot
Yorkshire Fog
Crested Dogstail
Red Fescue

Soft Brome

Wall Barley
Crested Hair Grass
Rough Meadow Grass
Sweet Vernal Grass
False Oat Grass
Common Bent
Timothy Grass
False Brome

Fe |W | W e)

Annual Meadow Grass
Table | Overall percentage structure of species

53

Rye Grass

Meadow i
880 [600 26 as ele
ce es

Table 2 Comparison between types of site and the overall structure
Mention must be made of the great change in emphasis that has occurred since
Micklewright’s report in 1988. He showed that open areas in the region were mostly
being managed without reference to conservation issues, even for the wildlife in the
botanically rich area of the Downs. Now the Downs and many other sites are being
managed sympathetically and appreciated for that by members of the public. More
importantly, nowadays people understand much more that this rich flora and fauna
needs to continue to be protected. Wessex Ecological Consultants on a regular basis
(2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) have been carrying out scientific
surveys to monitor the vegetation since the start of occasional use of part of the
Downs as overflow car parking for the Zoo and have shown that, judged against
more protected areas, there has been no measurable loss of species and indeed in
2013, out of a total of 38 species, there were 11 more species recorded in the
overflow parking area than in an adjacent protected area. Further, there were three
more out of ten calcicole species and one more out of three calcicole grasses.
However, this does not mean that soil compaction is beneficial to limestone
grassland! This is because looking at wider areas we have already noted that more
species occur than are recorded in any particular patch.
Conclusion.
The lists of grass species in my survey in the Zoo parking area and in the meadow
to the south of it, are rather similar with nine grasses and nine herbs in the parking
site and nine grasses and 14 herbs in the meadow, though the species are not quite
the same with two Meadow-grasses in the parking area and two calcicole grasses in
the meadow. In the parking area there is some vegetation damage and soil
compaction by vehicles, especially in wet weather, which cannot just be reversed in
dry weather, allowing Perennial Rye grass and Annual Meadow-grass to become
more frequent and creating patches colonised by the marginal plants Greater Plantain
and Dandelion, In their regular reports, cited above, Wessex Ecological Consultants
explain some mitigation measures for this damage once the vehicular use is
terminated. In the meadow area Upright Brome is the major grass with no intrusion
by marginals. An undamaged carboniferous limestone vegetation no longer exists
on the Downs but this study shows the persistence of a significant calcicole flora
supported by a sympathetic management regime.

sh
I>

Sites surveyed

Table 3 Grid refs of sites surveyed, site name, site number and site type.

References:

The Flora of the Bristol Region, Green, IP., Higgins, RJ., Kitchen, C. and Kitchen,
MAR. BRERC (2000)

Making a place for wildlife. S.D. Micklewright, (1988), 4 Survey of Clifton and
Durdham Downs with Recommendations for Conservation Management,
Department of Botany, University of Bristol.

Vegetation Monitoring, Land at Ladies Mile, Clifton Downs, Bristol Zoo Car
parking area, (2013) Wessex Ecological Consultants.

39

Insects of the Bristol Downs
Ray Barnett

To the casual visitor the Bristol Downs represent a green oasis from the urban
sprawl, a place to breathe the air, admire the view of the Avon Gorge, engage in
some recreation (whether organised or ad hoc) and to generally relax. It may be
assumed that this by its very nature is a good place for wildlife and indeed it is, but
what looks simple on the surface is surprisingly complex. The type of plants and
animals one can find here, including the invertebrates, reflect both its historic and
even pre-historic nature followed by centuries of change brought about by the ac-
tions of people.

Invertebrate populations such as those of insects, thanks to their very short and often
annual life-cycles, change and alter much more quickly than the relatively slower
growing plants. In addition, where adapted to very specialised ecological niches
these populations may change more rapidly than those of vertebrates such as mam-
mals and birds. Although standing on a bedrock of Carboniferous limestone, the
grassland of the Downs has been changed from that naturally occurring, particularly
by activities in the 20" century when grazing by sheep ceased, hay making by hand
was replaced by mechanised mowing and top soil and fertilisers were applied to parts
in order to improve its condition for recreational purposes such as football and
cricket.

ror the last couple of decades the policy of a close mown sward throughout has been
allowed in places to be replaced by a late cut after flowering, designed to encourage
a more representative limestone flora to re-emerge. In these areas the entomologist
can find a healthy and very typical fauna of improved grassland as found throughout
the Bristol and Bath area. In summer a sweep net will be full of grass bugs such as
Stenodema laevigatum, Leptopterna dolobrata and Stenus binotatus. Other common
‘true bugs’ will include the Bishop’s Mitre shieldbug Aelia acuminata, the common
capsid Capsus ater, the very active Rhopalus subrufus and the ubiquitous flower bug
Anthocoris nemorum. Beetles will be represented by the blood red Rhagonycha
Julva usually in mating pairs and two Oedemera species, the smaller and more deli-
cate O. lurida, almost as common as the more obvious O. nobilis or Thick-kneed
Flower Beetle, so named from the swollen hind femora of the male insect. In some
seasons there may be swarms of the Garden Chafer Phyllopertha horticola and very
occasionally large numbers of the Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitiale, the latter
taking to the wing at dusk on warm sultry evenings.

To many though it is the butterflies which are the most obvious and most appealing
insects and this grassland is home to ‘browns’, the butterflies whose larvae in the
main feed on grasses, such as the Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina and Marbled
White Melanargia galathea. Closer to the scrub and trees will be found the Ringlet
Aphantopus hyperantus which prefers the deeper more luxuriant and damper grass.
But the butterflies are accompanied by their close congeners the moths and as one
walks through the grass, species such as the grass moths Chrysoteuchia culmella,
and Agriphila straminella will fly up in front of you to then resettle, wings wrapped
around the body, on a grass stem.

The variety of insect life in these meadows is always a delight and alongside the
orders of insect represented above will also be members of the hymenoptera such as
larvae of the grass feeding sawfly genus Dolerus, often mistaken for butterfly larvae,
honey bees and several species of bumble bee such as Bombus lapidarius, B. pas-
cuorum and B. lucorum agg., let alone solitary species of bee and wasp and huge
numbers of individuals of ant species. The ‘true flies’ the diptera are present in a
great variety of forms from the wing waving Sepsis fulgens, whose larvae help to
remove those things that some dog walkers leave in their wake, to the predacious
robber flies such as the surprisingly delicate looking Leptogaster cylindrica and
numbers of the easily overlooked hoverflies such as Melanostoma mellinum.

In late summer the orthoptera come into their own and the Common Field Grasshop-
per Chorthippus brunneus and Meadow Grasshopper C. parallelus occur in impres-
sive numbers. On the bramble and scrub will be found the Speckled Bush-cricket
Leptopyes punctatissima, which appears all green until a hand lens reveals the speck-
ling with black dots, and the large and impressive Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera
griseoaptera. With all these insects present it is not surprising that there are very
large numbers of spiders to prey on them with the grasses teeming with the straggly
Tetragnatha montana and, if you are lucky, the beautifully camouflaged Misumena
vatia sitting at the heart of a flower awaiting an unsuspecting pollinator to alight.

Dispersed across the grasslands of the Downs are various individual or clumps of
trees, often originally planted to give variety to the landscape. With no grazing tak-
ing place on the Downs currently an associated scrub layer often surrounds the
smaller trees such as the hawthorn with bramble, cow parsley, holly and ivy and
even self-set trees such as ash rapidly establishing. It is at these clumps that the bush-
crickets may be best found representing an associated fauna of their own. In the
spring the hawthorn blossom supports large numbers of the small longhorn beetle
Grammoptera ruficornis whose larvae live within dead and decaying shoots and
twigs. Beating the ‘may blossom’ is also a good way to find tree loving ladybirds
such as the yellow and black 14-spot Propylea 14-punctata and the red and cream

3

Cream-spot Calvia 14-guttata. Rose Chafer beetles may fly around these bushes on
warm days and occasional treats such as the longhorn beetle Anaglyptus mysticus be
noted. The holly flowers are the location for the egg-laying of the Holly Blue but-
terfly and again in the autumn the second brood lays its eggs, but this time on the
ivy blossom.

Large individual trees can reveal specialist species and the leaves of the horse chest-
nuts in late summer turn brown, not these days due to the early onset of autumn but
due to the truly monumental numbers of the larvae of the tiny moth Cameraria
ohridella, also known as the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner. Each leaf may have a dozen
or more individual larvae eating away between the upper and lower epidermis. On
suitable days clouds of the very beautiful tiny moths may be flying around the trees
having just emerged from their pupae. A recent arrival in the UK, concern has been ~
raised about the effect of these swarms upon the efficiency of the tree to photosyn-
thesise, fortunately the main impact is late on in the season when the tree has com-
pleted much of its seasonal growth and set seed. ©

Bordering the Downs along Clifton Down Road and also along the edge of the Avon
Gorge are more scrubby and wooded areas. Here a different group of insects may be
located, species such as the Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus, whose large
larvae make impressive borings in dead wood and the related, smaller but horned
Sinodendron cylindricum. The woodland glades are home to Speckled Wood Parage
aegeria and Comma butterflies Polygonia c-album with hoverflies such as the drone
fly Eristalis tenax patrolling their territories of patches of sunlight on the lookout for
females. Despite the lack of standing water on the Downs, dragonflies such as the
Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea occur at times, feeding up on other insects before
returning presumably to nearby garden ponds to breed. A variety of galls may be
found on the trees such as the Oak Marble Gall caused by the gall wasp Andricus
kollari and the larvae of the bagworm moth Luffia ferchaultella may be found graz-
ing on the lichens growing on tree trunks, a species which reproduces parthenoge-
netically.

Despite this richness of insect life, the greatest entomological interest actually lies
not on the Downs themselves but within the Avon Gorge. The Gully, for example,
the gash in the side of the Gorge which cuts down the side of the cliffs from the
Downs on top to the river below, is home to great rarities such as the Silky Wave
Moth /daea dilutaria. This species is restricted by its need for relatively high tem-
peratures as a larva, to well drained suntraps where rockrose grows and so occurs
along the cliffs of the Gorge but not on the Downs themselves. However, the Gully
is home to species which may not be so limited if other environmental conditions
were restored to their pre-20" century state on the Downs.

The Chalkhill Blue butterfly Lysandra coridon is one such species which exists as a
small colony in the Gully, limited by the need for horse-shoe vetch plants (a lime-
stone and chalk specialist) sufficiently exposed to the sun to allow their fussy cater-
pillars to eat and develop successfully. If these conditions were available on the
Downs, as they probably were a century or more ago, this now rare species could
potentially recolonize the Downs’ grassland. Even more likely to expand back onto
the Downs is the Green Hairstreak butterfly Callophrys rubi which occurs in the
Gully and is much less fussy about temperatures just requiring short turf with bird’s
foot trefoil as a larval foodplant. Aside for the lepidoptera, grassland leaf beetles
(Chrysomelidae) such as Cryptocephalus bipunctatus, C. moraei and Chrysolina
oricalcia and the largely coastal Sulphur Beetle Cteniopus sulphurus are other can-
didates for species which could expand onto the Downs if conditions were right.

The collections of paintings and drawings held in Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
reveal how in the early 19" century the Bristol Downs were almost completely clear
of trees, limestone grassland closely cropped by grazing sheep and rabbits. Such a
habitat explains the report in the Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society for
1866 whereby ‘Mr Clarke exhibited a nice series of Lycaena Adonis, captured dur-
ing the summer on Durdham Down.’ The Adonis Blue is even rarer than the
Chalkhill and there are no known colonies in our local area currently. Its larvae also
feed on horse-shoe vetch and are even more discriminating than those of the
Chalkhill when it comes to needing high temperatures (created by a closely cropped
sward) in order to complete development. Its presence in the 19"" century reveals that
at that time species such as it and the Chalkhill Blue (and no doubt many other in-
sects) would not have been confined to places such as the Gully but would have
occurred more widely across the Downs themselves. i

Even in the Gully such species seemed to be under severe threat by the early 1990s
and limestone grassland specialists such as the Grayling butterfly Hipparchia semele
had disappeared by the 1970s. Grazing in the Gully with goats has now been intro-
duced and as well as benefitting the rare flora should also assist the survival of the
specialist insect species there.

It is perhaps ironic that, at a time when the value and importance of the limestone
grassland flora and fauna has been recognised, and the intrusion that much of the
woodland represents to that habitat, a rare fauna associated with the deadwood hab-
itat has also now been found in the Gully. Beetles such as Ti//us elongatus and
Platycis minutus and an associated fauna eg the snakefly Xanthostigma xan-
thostigma.

59

Finally, to return to the Downs themselves we should not forget that they have played
a role in entomological history. John Sircom Junior, regularly visited the Gorge and
Downs from his Brislington home and as well as reporting the discovery of the Silky
Wave moth from the Avon Gorge he also described the micro-moth Elachista be-
dellella as new to science from a specimen he took on the Bristol Downs in 1848.
The national moth expert Henry Tibbats Stainton named a related species EF. trise-
riatella as new to science in 1854, again from a specimen from Durdham Down.
Stainton’s ‘Manual’ published in 1844 listed Coleophora fuscocuprella as only
known from the Bristol Downs (although today we know it be widespread). One of
the special things about the Avon Gorge is that there are unique species only known
from the location, a fact honoured in the naming of some as, for example. the Bristo/ -
White, Bristol] Rockcress and the Bristo/ Onion.

Perhaps it is a shame that the moth named as new to science by Stainton in 1849 as
Ypsolophus durdhamellus, and sometimes referred to as the Durdham-down Crest.
is no longer called by either name. Under the international rules of zoological no-
menclature the first name given to a species stands and Stainton was unaware that Y.
durdhamellus had actually already been named the year before in Germany and so
now is known as Acompsia schmidtiellus. To add insult to injury entomologists sel-
dom use English names for micro-moths and so not even amongst micro-moth spe-
cialists is the name of Durdham Down perpetuated in honour of the wonderful Bris-
tol Downs.

60

Butterflies of the Downs and Bristol side of the Avon Gorge
Martin Collins

Summary

The results from two butterfly transects on the Downs 2010-13 are reviewed. Taken
together the two sites sampled were visited by 31 of the 59 UK species of butterflies.
28 of these species formed a “resident” community, and three, Clouded Yellow, the
Adonis Blue and the Wood White were seen only occasionally. The Gully transect
regularly has higher populations of butterflies and a greater diversity of species than
the Downs Plateau transect, and there is less variation in numbers and species in the
latter. Some issues relating to butterfly conservation are discussed with particular
reference to the conservation of rare and endangered plants in the context of the
Gully, and to the possible implications of climate change.

Introduction

The Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge (FOD+AG) was formed in 2008 and in
2009 two butterfly transects were registered with the UK Butterfly Monitoring
Scheme (UKBMS) and a team of FOD+AG volunteers was trained in the arcane arts
of spotting, identifying and recording the butterflies’.

The two transects are close together, at one point almost touching each other, and
therefore share common features, in particular the underlying limestone bedrock,
with its influences on the soil. Nevertheless they are also sufficiently distinctive, in
for example their topography, microclimate and land use, to make their parallel
monitoring instructive. The initial intention was a single transect on the Downs
plateau and incorporating The Dumps, Zoo Banks and the Wildflower Meadow on
Clifton Down. However the presence of the steep-sided Gully (Walcombe Slade)
leading from the Downs plateau down to the floor of the Avon Gorge, together with
the proposal, as part of the Avon Gorge Management Plan’, to introduce a small herd
of feral goats into the enclosed Gully for conservation purposes, was too good an
opportunity to miss. Our second transect was therefore located in and above the
Gully, where we had just one season (2010) to obtain some baseline data before the
six Kashmiri goats from North Wales were introduced at the end of June 2011.

The Downs Plateau Transect.

The transect is 3500 m long and covers Fairyland, the Meadows, Ladies Mile, The
Dumps and Zoo Bank. It thus includes a variety of habitats including woodland and
woodland edge, meadows, and mown parkland.

61

Pinpoint geographic information
http://maps.bristo!.gov.uk

Durdham Down

17/11/2009 18:56:52

The Gully Transect

This is 1300m in length This transect appears rather tortuous partly because the site
involves a vertical drop of 100m ina horizontal distance of 300m, and partly because
we have tried to incorporate the sampling “cells” used in a 2009 survey carried out
for Bristol CC by the Wessex Ecological Consultancy. The site is a very steep sided
valley clothed with Ash and Yew, and browsed by the goats, who have made a
substantial difference to the plant population in three years, opening up many areas
and reducing Hazel and Buddleia scrub.

62

Sh ES

Durdham Down

ft oe. ae
ClirTion VUown

ST56

STf4
100m

FOD+AG Transect 2 The Gulley & Walcombe Slade

Survey Results

To put the following data in context, it is important to recognise that the purpose of
the UKBMS Survey is to obtain a nationwide picture of the abundance, diversity and
distribution of butterfly communities and thus a measure of their health and
conservation status. The monitoring technique adopted reflects the intention to
maximise the discovery of resident species in each area sampled. Hence the weekly
walking of each transect will as far as possible be carried out in the most butterfly-
friendly conditions so that any butterflies present will be encouraged to be active and
so be visible to the recorder.

It is clear that butterflies, even those like the Ringlet which have been recorded in
light summer rain showers, prefer warm temperatures and sunny open skies. Over

63

the four completed years of the study temperature and open skies appear to have a
marked influence on numbers as shown by Figure | in which it can be seen that the
temperature in the Gully is between 0.4°C and 1.6°C above that of the Downs and %
open sky was greater by an average of 8%. The latter is, of course subjective and is
determined in part by when observers were able to collect data. In ecological terms
the difference in temperature is considered to be significant.

The tables below show the weather and counts summaries for the two transects for
2010 - 2013. Figures are derived from data collected on the days on which transects
were walked ie once/week between April 1‘t and September 29" (26 weeks) except
for rainfall for which figures were obtained from local records collected and
compiled by Richard Bland?, for which many thanks.

Transect | — Clifton-Durdham Down

2012 | _ 18.9°C

Transect 2 — The Gully

21.9°C
2012
25

64mm

There is consistency in the diversity of species throughout the four years of the study
in the Gully despite the significant variation in numbers recorded, from a low of 466
in 2012 to a high of 1001 in 2013. However the dismal summer of 2012 took its toll
on species diversity recorded in the Downs transect with an apparent decline of 25%
on figures for the previous two years and numbers here over the four years were on
average only 55% of those in the Gully.

Summary of data 2010-2012

With four years of data to review, emerging patterns for 2010-2012 will be
considered followed by a presentation of the data from 2013 to provide the most
recent state of the butterfly communities in the area. For those wishing for more
detail of the first three years, the records will shortly be available on the FOD+AG
website’,

64

Each of the five families of UK butterflies are represented in the Downs and Avon
Gorge communities, Hesperidae (Skippers), Pieridae (Whites and Yellows),
Lycaenidae (Blues, hairstreaks and Coppers), Nymphalidae (Vanessids and
Fritillaries) and Satyridae (Browns)°.

The skippers. The Small and the Large are found in the meadow sectors of both
Downs and Gully between the end of May and early September. The Dingy Skipper
is also a summer species but is less often seen here, and possible sightings of the
Essex Skipper (not officially recorded) are not unexpected as this species has been
spreading west and north from its Eastern strongholds for some years.

The Whites are strongly represented both in numbers and in seasonal duration.
Small, Large and Green-veined have been recorded in significant numbers from
April through to late September in all but the wooded sectors of both transects. The
overall preference for the Gully referred to above is reflected in the former two
species with recordings of their presence for 70% of the season compared to only
34% of the season on the Downs. The Orange Tips have a shorter presence from
April to June, but during that time, in the Gully, were virtually ever-present
accounting for a condensed 22% of the season.

a | : re
Marbled White. M Collins

65

Of the yellows, the Brimstones have two fairly distinct flying seasons, in April and
then again between June and September. Thus far, the few sightings of the Clouded
Yellow have been in September when they would be expected to be moving South
so the probability is that the Gorge represents a convenient stop-over on its migration
routes. A welcome sight, associated in my experience with the Jurassic Coast of
Dorset, where in recent years it has been known to overwinter®, but perhaps destined
to become a more regular presence on the cliffs and attendant meadows of the Avon
Gorge.

Of the Lycaenidae, the only Hairstreak so far recorded is the Green Hairstreak.
Always an early visitor to the Gully, it has been spotted at various locations, which
share warm temperatures and maximum exposure to direct sunlight. According to
Barnett’, an established colony of this beautifully camouflaged species is located in
the Avon Gorge, although the precise location is not given. This species has not been
reported on the Downs.

The Blues. It is possible to see several Blues here through most of the spring and
summer, although not the same species throughout. In April and May, and then again
in September, the species that delights the eye and the spirit is the Holly Blue. Mostly
seen around sub-canopy height, its double flying season is supported by Holly
flowers in the spring and Ivy flowers in the late summer. The presence of both plant
species in both transect sites probably accounts for the fact that this butterfly, unlike
most of the others, is present in similar numbers and for similar durations in both
sites.

During the summer months from late May until early September four other Blues
are to be found. Most abundant of the four, and present in both sites, is the Common
Blue. Its distribution is effectively demarcated by the open meadow habitat sectors
in both transects, with Sector 5 on the Downs and Sectors 7, 8 and 9 in the Gully
being their favoured haunts. In the Gully, particularly around the scree slopes of
Sector 7, favourable for a variety of reasons considered later, healthy numbers of
Chalkhill Blues have been in residence since the start of monitoring in 2010.

The fewer numbers and less frequent sightings of Small Blue and Brown Argus have
also been restricted to Sectors 7, 8 and 9, probably due to a combination of the open
meadow habitat, and the availability of favoured food plants here. Both Small Blue
(1957) and Chalkhill Blue (1991) had disappeared from the area for protracted
periods during the twentieth century before returning, the former in 2005 and the
latter in 2007°. It is encouraging that both species appear to be persisting, albeit
rather unconvincingly in the case of the Small Blue.

66

The vanessids, perhaps unsurprisingly given the generally widespread distribution
of most species, are well represented and, once again more numerously in the Gully
than on the Downs. Those that overwinter as adults, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small
Tortoiseshell and Comma, have shown the conventional pattern of early spring
followed, after mid-season larval and pupal phases of their life cycles, by mid-
summer flying periods. Numbers have fluctuated, with the poor springs of 2010 and
2012 seeing significantly fewer of these species in both sites, although in both years
with some better weather in late summer there was a recovery. Interestingly, the
patterns were retained but were shifted forward by about a month in 2012, effectively
illustrating the close correlation between populations and environmental factors. The
figures for the Small Tortoiseshell in the late summer of the same year hinted at the
potential recovery in numbers of a species about which there was widespread
concern earlier. This recovery which was clearly evident in 2013. Some further
reflections on Vanessid numbers and distribution will be considered later.

Red Admiral M Collins
67

The Painted Lady has invariably made an appearance in small numbers each year, |
but nothing to match the vintage invasion year of 2009, when southerly Saharan
winds brought this species in from Southern Europe in memorable, if not totally
unprecedented, numbers.

Thus far the only Fritillary in the records is the Silver-washed Fritillary, which can
regularly be seen in the Gully throughout July and August where it’s direct, if
slightly swooping, flight pattern makes it fairly distinctive. It favours the Gully,
where the mix of woodland, scrub and open grassland and the presence in the scrub
of bramble, is to its liking. Rarer sightings on the Downs confirm this habitat
preference being centred on sector | (Zoo Banks) and Sectors 3 and 4 (the woodland
fringe of the Gorge along Circular Road).

The Browns include many meadow species and, as a biological indicator group,
these define the coming of summer in the meadow sectors of both sites. As a general
rule, for once, it is the Downs, rather than the Gully, which is favoured, albeit often
marginally, by this sub-group of the Satvrids. Four of the five species in the sub-
group, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Ringlet, are common in
both sites but have a predictably consistent sequence of first appearance and of
duration of persistence through the summer. Earliest to appear has been the Meadow
Brown, followed shortly by Ringlet and Marbled White and slightly later by the
Gatekeeper. Their season’s duration has been up to 12 weeks for the Meadow Brown
and up to eight weeks for the other three. As with other butterflies, these seasons
have been slightly later, by a week or two, on the Downs compared with the Gully
and once again the onset of the whole pattern was delayed by two weeks in 2012.
The Small Heath, present in relatively small numbers on the Downs, did not make
its first appearance in the Gully until 2013.

The Wall (Brown) makes a regular, if brief appearance on the Downs. The one true
woodland species-in the community here, the Speckled Wood, is notable, in
particular, for the length and apparent continuity of its season. In sectors 10, and 1
and 2 of the Downs transect and in sectors 10 and the wooded parts of sectors 4, 6
and 7 in the Gully, the species can be observed patrolling the dappled spaces for
65%—85% of the April to September Season. Spring and Summer peaks in its
population betray its life cycle pattern but, although not traditionally listed amongst
the species overwintering as adults, its appearance in April and from the very start
of the season in 2010, 2011 and 2012 along Zoo Banks on the Downs could support
speculation about the continued accuracy of conventional wisdom.

2013 Counts

Many of the patterns evident, in embryo, in the data for 2010—2012 recurred in 2013.
he details of all counts are shown in the four tables below. Note that week 1 starts
on April 1, week 13 is the last week in June and week 26 is the last week in
September.

68

| mel
ron —| on or =| wn
as
on Ss

opal
een
ie aes
[See ae
eal aaa
ele ee
[ne ee
eee

Table 1. 2013 counts for =

Plateau Transect
Green-veined White
Orange Tip
Common Blue
Speckled Wood
Marovled White
Meadow Brown

Smail Skipper
Holly Blue

Wood White

Brimstone
Large White
Small White

Gatekeeper
Small Heath

69

Pere fo Ee eee
age la | |
Swot tp PP eee
Pre ieee
lumpewate x | | ae |_| 9 [20 | | ee
foie) | les [a fale el
Bele fit) i. | Se ea ee
Pp eee ee
[eommonte | fy fa | | 2 |S a
a a eres |
re re a eee.
eerie ed Oe Pe ee ee
small Torioestetl | 3 | | 2 [2 || |) |
ae pj} tts
reas ee ee eee ee

Fritillary

Tmt ts le hh ble
pMabawete [sf fob } |" | |e ee
Lemme | Peta: lon) = | ola oe
| Medow Brom) 2 | n_|as | | «=| | 2 | | ee
Ringe bei [a [sso [ol | |
pseu _j_{_{ _{_{_} _{_{2 } {| {| {fe

Table 2 Plateau Traneeet 2013. Tuly to Sea

in

i? a)

70

vine: 9 SR ii eS Se ae eee eee
ot SS eee eee eee
“Soe cee 2 a a

Dingy Skipper
Wood White

Brimstone 4

inet: Sen E miaera pate 4
indie | Ea Ee ear Ea ese ee eee
_ooed i i Se eee ee ee
inp ip J a Sere eee ere re ee eee
_os Een 0 ee ee eee
iulOns | ii eee ee eee Sree eee

l

Common Blue

Chalkhill Blue

ieee ae
in SPS eae eee eee
iste! “iS eee ee ee ee eee ee
Suni J Sp Ra ee ee eee
ni ino 1 aa ae ei es eee
ux RDP eS haa eae eee
iam ee ee ee eee
Waemmsdinaiery Be a)
_custiei veel Sl ee ee
okie Se ee ee ee ee ee ee ee
_vutese: 7 a a eee
vaio Beng SE ES Se a a ee ee
Ja: SS ee ee ee a ee ee:
jolie “US ee ee ee ee
es Ee ee
is Se eee

Table 3 Gully Transect 2013 April to June

71

Gully Traseat pj | ff} | {__________+_
a {is | 6 | v7 |

Small Skipper

:
pees ee
ese oo | |
Wood Whit nares)
ime | a | ee eee
Piarge wine a} | ta | a | vo Pa | | aa
[smawnee | t's | | 26 | at _| 52 | a | a8 | 9 | os | [7 | 8 | 22
| Greenveinedwnte | [1 | | [uw |o | [s | | | Js | foo)
ne neers
fone TT ere
[seaticopper = | | eee

Common Blue

Chalkhill Blue

mae
fog 2 Do
red adie ef | eS ea
roid A | ee
sma toroicetet || || |e || ee
Pee ee ere ere
pew ff 5 Eee Pew soe ae
rarer

Marbled White

aadernuta 1 Palani ae as) a || nn
feito | be fea oe oe
Pn em

Table 4 Gully transect 2013 July to September

People remember the summer of 2013 as warm and dry but it should not be forgotten
that it was not until halfway through June that the temperature reached 20°C for the
first ttme. March was the coldest in Bristol since 1962 and the temperature in April
was still close to zero until the 12" so that through the spring there were fears that
butterfly recovery from the lows of 2012 was in the balance. It appears that these
fears were relatively unfounded over the whole season as shown by Chart 1.

oo EEL VENT TTT
MALHOPSRAAUOESDZANDSBUANNER
TT A

EPSTEIN Tt

wee
HHUA SHA
TVA EVELLLE ET

lee see 65 7 8 9) LOTTI AS t4 1S 1617 181920 21 22232242526

ee Count blo "es:Sspecies REL
Chart 1 Weekly counts and species totals, both transects 2013

However lower numbers and diversity during April and early May of the species
overwintering as adults and of the Pieridae were evident, especially in the Downs
transect. In the sheltered conditions in the Gully the season began significantly
earlier.

The average number of sightings through the season showed significant increases
above the average for the previous three years, by 87% on the Downs and by 76%
in the Gully. The characteristic spring peak in populations followed by an early
summer trough was evident in both transects, with both heights and depths being
more pronounced in the Gully. The later, summer peaks, however account for much
of the observed population explosion. Counts in excess of 80 were recorded in the
Gully for five successive weeks through July and early August and this continued at
a slightly lower level (averaging 60) for a further 4 weeks. The patterns were similar,
although at a lower peak level, on the Downs. Reproductive success, which this
probably reflects, was shared by all five families of butterflies. Pre-eminent in this

73

respect, much to the chagrin, no doubt, of local “brassicaphiles”, were the Large and ~
Small Whites!

The grassland Browns too had a good mid-summer, particularly in the Downs sector
5 wildflower meadow. and sector 9 of the Gully transect. The Speckled Wood
maintained its protracted presence through the season, referred to above, although
this year they did not first appear until the very end of April.

The Vanessids were noteworthy for a change in distribution, in particular of
Peacocks. Following an almost complete removal of Buddleija davidii from the
Gully (as part of the Gorge management plan), the sightings of Peacocks were almost
entirely restricted to sector 5 of the Gully transect, where the introduced “butterfly
bush” is still present at the foot of the cliff. This applied too, but less
comprehensively to Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshells, but not to Commas,
which retained a presence in the Gully itself. A dense clump of stinging nettles in
the same sector may also have had a bearing on its popularity with this group. The
group also brought its slightly exotic glamour to the Downs, but in far fewer
numbers, accounting for 5.6% of all butterfly sightings here compared to 10.7% of
all sightings in the Gully.

Discussion

Data from a mere four years can rarely offer more than a snapshot of a community
but, whilst acknowledging this, it does no harm to comment. This is particularly true
when data has been collected at a time of habitat management that is new. Indeed it
would be short-sighted not to monitor and consider such information. In this context,
the following observations are perhaps worthy of discussion.

Impact of management.

For a “city-centre” site, the Downs and Avon Gorge has a diversity of butterfly
species which has consistently placed it in the top twenty monitored sites in the
Bristol and Somerset region’. As such it illustrates the potential of urban green
spaces to be green corridors for the UK’s often beleaguered wildlife.

In 2001, Asher et Al'° proposed an ecological classification for butterflies dividing
the UK’s 59 species into two groups, the habitat specialists and the wider countryside
species. What is encouraging in conservation terms is that seven out of 31 of the
local species belong to the former group (Dingy Skipper, Wood White, Green
Hairstreak, Small Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue and Silver-washed Fritillary)
For these species in particular, sensitive and informed management of the site will
play a vital part in the conservation of their specialist habitats and thereby aid the
survival ofa group of insects that, through familiarity, we are in danger of taking for
granted.

Amongst these species, two Blues are particularly documented at this site and each
has a tale to tell of recent local extinction, but of 21* century recovery. The Small

74

Blue disappeared from the records in 1957 and was not seen again for almost
50years, when it was reported in the Gully by Hugh Welford in 2007. It would be
premature to claim that the species has re-established itself, but regular sightings
have been recorded in very small numbers since that date and efforts have been made
to delay the hay-cutting of the site in Sector 5 of the Gully transect where kidney
vetch, upon which the larvae depend, is well established.

Rather less dramatic has been the more recent history of the Chalkhill Blue, which
disappeared in 1991 not to reappear until 2007. In this case the prognosis for
recovery is better with healthy numbers being recorded each summer since 2010 and,
once again the presence of the larval food plant (this time horseshoe vetch) is likely
to have contributed to its success. The high solar radiation received by the scree
slope in Sector 7 of the Gully transect, and its ability to absorb heat and thus generate
the high temperatures which the species favours"! is also a factor matching well with
it being the more precise location of the majority of sightings of this species. The
possible presence of the ant species associated with Chalkhill Blues has not as yet
been investigated at this site.

Such close associations between organisms, which is both the life-blood, but also
the fragility, of ecological balance illustrate once again the importance for butterfly
conservation of the decision in 1988, at the behest of the Avon Wildlife Trust, to
introduce a hay mowing management regime instead of amenity grassland mowing
to these selected areas of the Downs. Not only has it ensured the survival of a rare
calcareous meadow habitat and its flora, but along with the butterflies it has
benefitted a significant number and variety of other invertebrate species.

The issue of habitat management brings into focus the imaginative conservation
project, now in its third year, to introduce a small herd of feral Kashmiri goats into
the enclosed Gully. Its purpose was to interrupt and reverse the process of succession
by which, since the cessation of sheep grazing in 1925, the calcareous meadow in
the Gully has been gradually encroached upon by scrub, and subsequently by trees,
to progress towards becoming sub-climax woodland. The Gully, as a part of the
Avon Gorge, is home to a significant number of rare and threatened plant species
and the prime purpose of goat-browsing management is to protect and conserve these
plants and that its effect on the butterfly community is of secondary importance.

An assessment of the success or otherwise of this experiment awaits the publication
of a thorough survey of the flora of the Gully. Apart from a tendency to nibble the
bark from unprotected specimens of rare Whitebeams, it is generally acknowledged
that the goats are making steady progress with controlling the woody scrub and tree
species. However, one possible impact of the experiment on the butterflies here, has
been the apparent redistribution of species of Vanessids away from all but Sector 5
of the transect with the active removal of Buddleija from the fenced area of the Gully.

iD

It should be noted that a similar decline in the populations of both Comma and
Silver-washed Fritillary could result from the gradual, but seemingly inexorable,
disappearance of the bramble from the site. Both of these species appear to favour
the bramble flower as their preferred source of nectar. 2014 is the first year that has
seen an almost complete absence of bramble in flower by June 20" so the start of the
Silver-washed Fritillary season and the appearance of the new brood of commas,
expected in the next week or two, are awaited with some trepidation!

There is now little doubt that climate change is a fact of ecological life irrespective
of who or what is responsible for it. This is not a debate that will be rehearsed here.
However Chart 2 highlights the close correlation between populations and
temperature in our data for 2013 and indicates a need to recognise that evidence
exists for alterations in phenology, range and ecology of butterflies in response to.
climate change. A summary of some of the literature relating to effects on population
size, range margins, life cycles and habitat changes makes clear, via field studies and
computer-modelling, the extent to which butterflies have been impacted by climate
change'”. In the context of their sensitivity to climate, butterflies can be considered
a useful indicator group for the study and assessment of change.

Temp/count

Count

Temperature

Chart 2 Correlation between temperature and counts in 2013

The database upon which both assessments of the current state of health of the local
environment, its butterflies and predictive modelling studies of possible future trends
depend is something to which amateur monitoring makes a valuable contribution.
UKBMS is keen to increase its coverage of sites in the UK and provides excellent
support to organisations like FOD+AG, as well as to individuals who wish to become
involved,

76

A footnote: As a result of successful links with the University of Bristol Botanic
Garden, FOD+AG was invited by the curator, Nichols Wray, to monitor the
butterflies on its site on the edge of the Downs. This is a teaching Garden with
research and conservation interests and includes areas modelling habitats of SW
England as well as collections illustrating pollination, taxonomy and evolution,
plants of Mediterranean climatic regions, Chinese and Western herbs and nursery
plots. As such it is an artificial construct but one to which it was considered possible
to apply the transect monitoring used elsewhere. Initial monitoring this year (2014)
has been notable for one feature in particular. Of the relatively few butterflies so far
recorded, the overwhelming majority have been made in the 2 out of 10 sectors
devoted to natural habitats — the woodland and limestone hills, cliffs, gorges and
wildflower meadow areas. It may highlight the fact that whilst bees are attracted to
a wide variety of garden plants, to attract butterflies it is essential to plant areas of
wild flowers.

Finally I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the team of volunteers who
have diligently collected the data reported here: Timothy Dowling, Robin Haward,
Merilyn Holme, Roger Holman, Jeff Hurran, Caroline and Michael Baker and Carola
Catleugh.

References / Websites

1. The United Kingdom Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) www.ukbms.org

2. Bristol City Council (BCC) — A Management Plan for the Bristol Side of the
Avon Gorge (2010 — 2015) www. bristol. gov.uk/sites

3. Bland, R. Annual weather reports.

4. Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge (FOD+AG) www.fodag.org

5. Chinery, M. Collins Complete Guide to British Insects p.28 & pp.140-155

6. Skelton, M. (2003) “The Clouded Yellow in Bournemouth 1998-2003”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly Report 2003 pp. 15-18.

7. Barnett, R. Higgins, R. Moulin, T. Wiltshire, C et Al. (2003) Butterflies of the
Bristol Region p.92 Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC)

8. Welford, H. (2007) Nature in Avon - Volume 67 p68. Taylor Thorne Print Ltd.

9. Transects 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Somerset and Bristol Butterfly Conservation
Somerset and Bristol Branch www.somerset-butterflies.org.uk

10. Asher, J. Warren, M. Fox, R. Harding, P. Jeffcoate, G. Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The
Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland OUP Oxford.

11. Barnett, R. Higgins, R. Moulin, T. Wiltshire et Al. (2003) Butterflies of the
Bristol Region p. 115-117 BRERC.

12. Fox, R. Asher J. Brereton, T Roy, D. Warren, M. (2006) The State of Butterflies
in Britain and Ireland pp. 94-95 Pisces Publications.

WT

A preliminary summary of the Spiders of the Downs.
Mark Pajak (Bristol Museum and Art Gallery)

Abstract

A list of the currently known spider species of the Avon Gorge & Downs (ST5674)
is presented with notes on habitat use and identification. Ideas for further study on
are discussed with reference to the schedule of meadow mowing

Introduction

To date there has been little recording focussing specifically on spiders of the Downs
and Avon Gorge. This 1s may be because casual recording using guide books is not
possible in the same way as it is for more popular invertebrate groups — although
many spiders are brightly coloured, their colours may change depending on age and
sex, and also as a result of feeding. Guides that only have space for an illustration of
a single individual of one are inadequate for identification at species level.
Promoting spider recording to a wider audience is challenging as many species have
no accepted common name, and some common names refer to spiders of completely
different families (and in some cases not spiders at all, e.g daddy-long-legs). There
is also the requirement for microscopic examination of the genitalia for accurate
identification of many closely related species

Despite this there are many clues offered to those who do wish to progress with field
identification, particularly the spiders’ web which can identify the presence of a
spider, and can often be used to identify to family , which is a good reason to make
records of webs for any specimen collected for examination later. Behaviour is
another helpful hint and may be characteristic of the family, such as is the case for
jumping spiders. It is useful to have a checklist of species that have already been
recorded at any given site and so the following list is intended to help those who take
up future spider recording in the area. Help is available - there are many
Opportunities to explore the Downs with a focus on ‘bug hunting’ during bioblitz-
style events such as those organised by the BNHC and Avon Gorge and Downs
Wildlife Project. As well as providing species identification activities to the public,
these events have also yielded a larger sample size and several species presented
here were discovered during such events in 2014. Along with other invertebrates,
the UK spider fauna is in a dynamic state and species’ ranges are changing for
various reasons. The UK knowledge on current spider distributions is always
expanding thanks to the Spider Recording Scheme of the British Arachnological
Society, and their associated publications and website. It is therefore not surprising
that with a little investigation the chances of finding species new to any particular
area are very high (20 of the 39 species presented here are not currently on the
BRERC list for ST5674), but perhaps more importantly the ease of finding up-to-
date information on new discoveries, and receiving confirmation of species

7

(o6)

identifications online and via willing arachnologists is also better than ever before —
now Is a great time to start spider hunting!

Methodology and habitats surveyed.

For the purposes of surveying spiders this has been broken down roughly into a.)
various meadows of the Downs including long unmown grass, shrub islands and
woodland edges, and b.) the Gully which includes shaded woods, steep scree slopes
and vegetation being grazed by goats. Spiders were sampled by sweep netting,
foliage beating and searching by hand amongst vegetation. Surveying was not
regular or systematic but rather occurred whenever opportunity presented itself and
also during ‘bug hunting’ events. Spiders were identified with reference to Roberts
1993, Roberts 1996, and species identification updates in Spider Recording Scheme
News (SRSN). Where field identification was possible spiders were released and
where appropriate voucher material was collected in 70% alcohol and deposited in
the collections of Bristol City Museum should future reference be necessary.

Species accounts and observations.

AGELENIDAE (Sheet-web spiders)

Agelena labyrinthica (Labyrinth Spider)

The Labyrinth spider resembles its relative, the house-spider, but has a more elegant
appearance with well-defined chevrons on the abdomen. It spins a large funnel-
shaped sheet web of thick silk with a tubular retreat where the spider can usually be
seen waiting for grasshoppers to land on the web. The webs are made amongst uncut
crass in the meadows and higher up in gorse bushes around the gully. This species
would benefit from areas of long grass that get left unmown until late in the summer
as this is when the female makes a thick cocoon for her eggs (SRS).

AMAUROBIIDAE (Lace-weaver spiders)

Amaurobius sp.

The thick lacy web typical of this family was found over a rotten tree stump in the
shady wooded entrance to the Gully, although an individual was not observed. Lace-
weaver spiders may occur everywhere there is sufficient shade and damp such as
inside the shrub islands and woods surrounding the downs. More investigation is
needed to determine which of the Amaurobius species live here.

ARANEIDAE (Orb-weavers)

Araneus diadematus (Garden Cross Spider)

Garden spiders can be found throughout the Downs and Gully and are easily
recognised by the white cross marking on the abdomen, and individuals and webs
becoming larger during the autumn months. They probably benefit from the edges
of the shrub islands which provide permanent support for their orb webs and open
air for plenty of flying insects.

12

Araneus quadratus (Four Spot Orb-weaver)

This very attractive spider can be easily distinguished from the Garden Spider by the
four small white spots on its abdomen, and more contrastingly striped legs, although
there is quite a variation in the overall colouration of individuals. This spider occurs
in the meadows where the long grass and shrub islands provide suitable support for
the large orb-webs. Unlike the Garden Spider which is common throughout Bristol,
the Four-Spot Orb-weaver favours damp grassland and heath vegetation and so the
Downs may be an important refuge for this species in Bristol.

Araniella cucurbitina / opistographa (Cucumber-green spider)

One of the few UK spiders which is entirely bright green — this spider is often
overlooked as it is of medium size and well camouflaged. They are found amongst
bushes and trees lining the woods and shrub islands where they spin a horizontal
orb-web across the span of a large deciduous leaf. Young spiderlings hatch from
their egg sack in summer where they probably descend into the lower vegetation
until the following year. More work is needed to find out exactly which of the
Araniella species occur on the downs, as both A.cucurbitina and A. opistographa
can be found in the same localities (Russell-Smith 2001). A focus on taking samples
by beating the foliage of deciduous trees around the Downs may reveal more species
from this important habitat type.

Cyclosa conica ( Trash-line spider)

This distinctive orb-weaver has a deformed cone shaped abdomen, and also spins a
characteristic web which it decorates across the middle with the remains of insect
prey amongst which it is well camouflaged. Recently spotted near the circular road
(Brown & Drewitt. 2014), it is said to prefer damp and shady locations including
evergreen trees (SRS).

Zygiella atrica (Red-sided Sector Spider)

Unlike its domestic cousin the Window Spider (Z.x-notata), Z.atrica avoids man-
made structures such as buildings. Although very similar on shape and pattern,
Z.atrica has red colouration either side of its abdomen. It prefers natural habitats
with sufficient vegetation structure to support its characteristic missing sector orb-
web. This is another example of two similar species each preferring man-made or
natural habitats. Z.atrica was spotted in the Gully by Andy Pym and it has not yet
been recorded on the Downs or any other central Bristol green space.

SO

ATYPIDAE

Atypus affinis (Purse-web spider)

This unmistakable spider has tarantula-like fangs and lives exclusively inside a
silken tube, which is so well camouflaged and buried that finding one without active
searching is highly unlikely. After an empty purse web was discovered in 2012
(Pajak 2012), further excavation in 2013 revealed several purse webs of varying
sizes and one live individual. So far they have only been found in one small, steep
and inaccessible area of the gully. It is clear that this unique habitat of loose soil and
supporting vegetation around the Avon Gorge is vital for the species in Bristol,
which has only been recorded elsewhere in the region from Steep Holm Island. This
species has been observed to disperse as spiderlings by ballooning (Harvey 2013) so
it is possible that populations may occur elsewhere in the region wherever there is
suitable soil for excavating.

DYSDERIDAE

Dysdera erythrina (Woodlouse-eating Spider)

The orange-red body colour and grey abdomen are characteristic of Woodlouse-
eating spiders, which use their wide fangs to feed exclusively on woodlice. This
spider is found under stones in the scree slopes of the gully where is makes a silken
chamber to protect it from the elements. It is interesting that just nearby in Clifton
its larger and more synanthropic cousin, D.crocata is common. The Gully may be
an important habitat for D.erythrina which does not seem to tolerate disturbed
habitats and is unlikely to be found in gardens (Harvey 2009).

GNAPHOSIDAE (Mouse spiders)

Drassodes sp (Stone spider)

These large mouse-grey spiders can be found sealed within a silken chamber under
stones where both males and females may occupy the same chamber (SRS). The
scree slopes of the Gully provide the habitat which these spiders are associated with
and more work is needed to see which of D.cupreus or D.lapidiosus occur there.

CLUBIONIDAE (Sac spiders)

Clubiona reclusa

This species was found during sweep-netting of uncut meadows on the Downs. Sac
spiders do not use web to catch their prey, but females curl up vegetation to make a
cocoon using silk to protect their eggs. Timing of meadow mowing may be an
important factor in the survival of the species from year to year.

8 |

LYCOSIDAE (wolf spiders)

Pardosa sp.

Wolf spiders can be seen in large numbers running across the scree slopes of the
gully which provide a warm surface for sunbathing insects upon which they prey.
Females can be seen carrying large white egg sacs in spring and again in summer
when the young hatch to climb onto their mothers back for a week before dispersing.
Although these dark and fast spiders are easy to recognise as wolf spiders,
identifying them to species level is tricky and further investigation is needed to find
out which of the 13 British Pardosa spp the Downs and Avon Gorge have to offer.

Trochosa ruricola (Rustic Wolf Spider)

This large brown spider can be found hiding under warm stones around the scree
slopes of the Gully. The arrangement of the eyes distinguish it from the more
common wolf spiders.

LINYPHIIDAE (Money spiders)

Bathyphantes sp

A very small species of grey money spider collected by sweep netting in grass.
Although widespread and very common ( Russell-smith 2011) more work needed to
investigate which of the 5 British species there are on the Downs.

Porrhomma sp. :

A very small species of money spider collected by sweep netting in grass. More work
is needed to investigate which of the 10 British species there are — however this
requires dissection of the female epigyne and comparison with verified reference
material (Russell-Smith 2009)

Walckenaeria sp.
A very small species of money spider collected by sweep netting in grass. More work

is needed to investigate which of the 21 British species there are on the Downs.

Erigone atra & Erigone dentipalpis

These miniscule black spiders occur everywhere and as adults they take to the air on
lines of silk, often landing on people. Identification of males is based on the ornate
horns protruding from their palpal tibiae.

82

Linyphia triangularis

This spider is most noticeable for hanging upside down in the middle of a sheet web
which it constructs beneath a tent of vertical threads for displacing flying insects.
Males and females can occupy the same web, which is built at varying heights off
the ground in suitable vegetation. It is also found in gardens and probably occurs in
all of the shrub islands of the Downs, however there are many similar species of
Linyphiid such as (Neriene sp.) which may be overlooked.

Lepthyphantes tenuis

A very small species of money spider collected by sweep netting in grass. This spider
occurs in a variety of habitats including indoors where it spins a very fine sheet web
from which it hangs upside down.

PISAURIDAE

Pisaura mirabilis (Nursery Web Spider)

This large and handsome spider can found amongst the long grass in the Gully where
females may be seen carrying a large ball of eggs with their chelicerae. They are
often seen outstretched on a leaf with the first pairs of legs resting together in a
characteristic pose. Females construct a large nest of silk amongst tall grass to
protect their eggs. Any long grass areas left uncut around the shrub islands of the
Downs may be a useful refuge for populations outside of the Gully.

SALTICIDAE (Jumping spiders)

Heliophanus cupreus & Heliophanus flavipes

Females of these small black jumping spiders have quite strikingly coloured yellow-
green palps and white markings, whereas males are all black. They can be found
hunting on sunny days on vegetation around the scree slopes of the Gully. Separation
of the species is based on the arrangement of black marking on their otherwise
yellow legs.

Sitticus pubescens
This jumping spider is usually found associated with human buildings and walls
(SRS), last recorded in the area 2009 (BRERC).

Euophrys frontalis

Although very small this is a charismatic jumping spider showing sexual
dimorphism with males having bright orange colouration around the eyes and black
iridescent legs. Females have a striped abdominal pattern of light and dark brown.
This is another jumping spider found hunting on the sunny slopes of the Gully.

83

Evarcha falcata

This jumping spider is large compared to the others and has striking white, black and
orange bands around the thorax and abdomen, also found on the scree slopes of the
Gully and easy to spot due to its large size.

TETRAGNATHIDAE (Long-jawed orb-weavers)

Metellina segmentata 3

These very common spiders can be found in shaded areas such as the woods around
the entrance to the Gully, and the understory of the shrub islands where they spin
large orb-webs. They have attractive and variably patterned abdomens and relatively
long and spiny front legs, however the colour is quite variable and cannot be used to
separate the species. Care is needed to distinguish between M.segmentata and
M.mengei which occurs in similar habitats and may also be found with further
investigation (SRS).

Tetragnatha extensa & Tetragnatha montana

These large spiders with and elongated bodies spin webs amongst long grass where
males and females may reside in close proximity. Although very similar, the two
species currently recorded from the Avon Gorge and Downs can be distinguished by
examining the underside of the sternum, which has a light mark in T. extensa.
T.extensa is said to be more closely associated with wetland habitats than 7. montana
but can be found in a variety of other habitats including grasslands (Russell-Smith
2011), and further work is needed to find out which areas of the Downs and Gully
each species prefers, and whether any other Tetragnatha species occur in the area.

THERIDIIDAE (Comb-footed spiders)

Episinus angulatus

This distinctive spider has an inverted wedge shaped abdomen and spins a simple
web of a few threads which it holds centrally in an H-formation. Although common

and widespread (SRS) it is not often recorded — a single specimen was found in the
Gully.

Episinus truncatus

Two immature specimens were collected from the ground amongst vegetation near
ee slopes of the Gully, and were reared to adulthood and sent to Perter Harvey
of the British Arachnological Society for verification — E.truncatus (nationally
scarce) differs from the E.angulatus in having darkened legs and is associated with
maritime grasslands and heathlands, only recorded elsewhere in the region on Steep
Holm (BRERC).

the sect

84

Theridion impressum

A single female specimen was found sweeping the unmown meadow near the path
to the Zoo and a male amongst long grass next to Circular road bordering the
northern edge of the Gully. The shiny globular abdomen of the female is strikingly
marked in black and brown with thin white transverse stripes. The male was unlike
the female in general appearance and resembled a small orb weaver with elongated
front legs — however with microscopic examination the palp was unmistakable. This
species constructs a retreat decorated with plant material amongst bushes on open
ground, and is said to be less common than the very similar 7. sisyphium which can
be found in the same habitat (SRS) and might also occur on the Downs.

Achaearanea lunata

A single specimen was found in a tangle web on the bars of the kissing gate to the
entrance of the gully, at about head height. The specimen has an overall red
colouration with distinct diagonal white stripes and a vertically elongated abdomen.
This species is uncommon in the region (Roberts 1996) and is often found higher up
in bushes in shaded habitats, and on fences (SRS)

Enoplognatha sp (Candy-stripe spider)

This very common spider is found in large numbers whilst sweeping long grass
around the Downs and Gully. Individuals of various colour-morphs of green and
pink are often found together. Further investigation is required to resolve which of
E.ovata and E.latimana occur in the downs and Gully as they can only be separated
by microscopic examination and both have been found together in grassland with
isolated or sparse clumps of taller plants (Askins 2004).

Pholcomma gibbum

This small brown species could easily be confused with a money spider without
microscopic examination, however the eye arrangement are characteristic. A single
specimen was found amongst long grass on the downs during a bug hunting event
organised by the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project .

85

THOMISIDAE (Crab Spiders)
Diaea dorsata
This green crab spider was last recorded in the area in 2010 (BRERC)

Misumena vatia (Flower Crab Spider)

A large and very attractive crab spider with the ability to change colour depending
on its choice of background (Defrize et al 2011). This spider is found sitting in the
middle of a flower where it waits to capture visiting insects including bees. An
Immature specimen was found in the Gully in August. This is a good candidate for
promoting spider recording to a wider audience for its unique appearance and well
documented life-history (see Morse 2007).

Xysticus cristatus

One of the most common crab spiders, occurring in many habitats (SRS) and can be
found by sweep netting through the grassy meadows where it hunts a variety of
insects. They can be quite variable in colour.

Philodromus rufus (cf. albidus)

A single specimen was collected by sweep netting through long grass in-between
Circular road and the northern edge of the Gully. Under microscopic examination
the specimen is consistent with P.rufus (illustrations in the appendix of Roberts
1993) however this would be a new spider to the currently accepted British Checklist
(i.e. new to the UK) and so verification of the specimen will be required before this
can be claimed. It may be more likely that it is an abberant P.a/bidus whose range 1s
increasing in southern England, although there remains the possibility to find P. rufus
in suitable coastal habitats in Southern England (SRS).

86

DYSDERIDAE

under rocks

Agelena labyrinthica *
Amaourobius sp * Re eee el etise tip a
oe ee
cer meettolige CY 1 a
: Eu ce ern y eral
: sieep slopes

fica cl cw cia

LYCOSIDAE
LYNIPHIIDAE Linyphia triangularis
LYNIPHIIDAE

LYNIPHIIDAE
LYNIPHIIDAE Walckenaeria sp

*
od
; . * 4
LYNIPHIIDAE
LYNIPHIIDAE
LYNIPHIIDAE Lepthyphantes tenuis*
*

Episinus angulatus

scree slopes

scree slopes

scree slopes

shaded woodland

PISAUDIDAE Pisaura mirabilis

Xx

ffi i
GNAPHOSIDAE
LYCOSIDAE

X
xX
xX

metal fence in shaded woods

x emia mre COPE Aa

THOMISIDIDAE Diaea dorsata unknown
THOMISIDIDAE Misumena vatia x ERE CSE

xX
xX

THOMISIDIDAE Xysticus cristatus
THOMISIDIDAE Philodromus rufus *

TABLE: A list of spider species found in the Avon Gorge and Downs with notes
on the habitat in which they are found. * = new to the BRERC list for the area
(BRERC 2014).

87

Discussion

To date no systematic survey has been carried out which could be repeated to give
an accurate measure of spider abundance and diversity in the Avon Gorge and
Downs. This article lists 38 species in 13 families as a preliminary checklist for
future recording however several of these are species pairs for which the exact
presence of either is still unknown e.g. Drassodes cupreus vs Drassodes lapidiosus.
The current known distributions of spiders listed here range from the ubiquitous (e.g.
Erigone atra) to 20 new records to the list for (ST5674) provided by the Bristol
Regional Environmental Records Centre. This list is probably more biased to
collection by sweep-netting and casual observation rather than what may be found
using other techniques such as pitfall traps. Entire spider families have probably been
omitted due to their secretive nature e.g Hahniidae, or small size e.g. Dictynidae.

The mixed range of habitats and land use across the Avon Gorge and Downs presents
both challenges and opportunities for a diverse range of spiders. The proximity of
the Avon Gorge to the neatly maintained cut grass pitches and tree lines of the
Downs is a continuum of contrasting habitats, and this is reflected in the spider
species that can be found here. What is clear from the currently presented list is that
along with spiders that we would expect to find in any urban green space (e.g.
Araneus diadematus), there are species which are not tolerant of disturbed habitats
(e.g. Zygiella atrica). Many species found on the Downs are grassland and heath
species which require a habitat structure sufficient for them to support their webs
(e.g. Araneus quadratus), which are not generally found in gardens or similar urban
green spaces and so the grassy meadows of the Downs are an important spider
habitat.

Human activity including meadow mowing and recreation are a constant force for
change under which spider populations must exist, adapt or perish. What is net yet
clear is how the mowing of the long grass meadows is affecting populations,
although species found today must have survived as a result of previous mowing, for
better or worse. With such little idea of abundance it is impossible to say what effect
changes to these areas might cause, other than to say that invertebrate numbers are
almost certainly drastically reduced once the grass is cut. Any long grass remaining
uncut in meadows and borders of the shrub islands must play a key role in sustaining
adult females and their offspring to repopulate the open areas in the following year.
Although many spiders disperse long distances when young, adult females may
remain protecting their eggs until they die and do not travel, and so the exact timings
of meadow mowing could be an important factor in how well a species fares from
year to year.

The steep vegetation of the Gully is particularly rich in unusual spiders including
scarce species such as Atvpus affinis and Episinus truncatus (Both only found

88

elsewhere in the region on Steep Holm). As habitat compression is a driving cause
for spider rarity (Duffey & Feest 2009) the Gully may be of vital importance to the
presence of these species in the region, as dispersal between similar habitats may be
impossible or unlikely. As well as being good habitat, the Gully is also a great place
to watch spider behaviour, especially on a warm day when the scree slopes are alive
with jumping spiders and wolf spiders.

The shrub islands and woodland bordering the Gully and the Downs provide shade
and structure for common orb-weavers (WMefellina spp.) and money spiders
(Linyphia triangularis), but also more unusual species such as the red Theridion yet
to be identified. With this shade comes damp and decaying material with its own
spider fauna such as Laceweavers and minute species yet to be properly investigated.
The tree canopy and foliage of deciduous trees also has an associated spider fauna
and could be a useful habitat for targeted sampling (Russel Smith 20012).

Omitted from this article are the synanthropic species also recorded from nearby
homes (see Pajak 2012) which might be found amongst the various fences, buildings
and and bus stops that bisect the downs, and which are a reminder that many spider
species have adapted to and are prospering from human activity. Even in the wooded
areas surrounding the Gully a metal fence provides habitat for spiders happy to adapt
to human intervention (e.g. Achaearanea lunata).

The Avon Gorge and Downs is a place where cosmopolitan spider species
intermingle with their rustic brethren, and this makes it a place to be celebrated for
its unique diversity of spider species. As pressure from human land use no doubt
restricts some species to the Gully and its perimeter, it is important for us to progress
with identifying which species venture out into the long grass meadows and shrub
islands, and to find out exactly when their egg sacs mature. Targeted sampling of
specific habitat types across the downs will no doubt add more species to the list and
- hopefully increase interest in the area for spider hunters.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Tony Smith for logistics, the Bristol Regional Environmental
Records Centre for their ongoing assistance with spider data, Ray Barnett and Andy
Pym for help spider hunting, Mandy Leivers & the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife
Project for arranging spider hunting trips, Lucy Gaze and the Bristol Natural History
Consortium for their endless enthusiasm and provision of spider hunters.

89

REFERENCES

Askins 2004: Enoplognatha latimana in Wiltshire. Spider Recording Scheme News
No 49.

Duffey, E. & Feest, A. 2009: A comparative ecological study of the spider (Araneae)
faunas of East Anglian fens, England: regional differences and conservation. Bull.
Br. Arachnol. Soc. 2009 vol 14(8) 317-333.

Drewit, E. & Brown, J. 2014: Unusual species of Spider found on Bristol Downs.
University of Bristol School of Biological Sciences News _ website
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/news/2014/300.html

Harvey, P. 2009: Identification of Dysdera crocata and Dysdera erythrina. Spider
Recording Scheme Newsletter 63.in News! Br. Arachnol Soc 114

Harvey, P. 2013: Notes on Atypus affinis in a Hampshire Harden. Spider Recording
Scheme Newsletter 76 in Newsl Br. Arachnol Soc 127

Morse . D. 2007: Predator Upon a Flower - Life History and Fitness in a Crab Spider.
Harvard 2007. ISBN 0-674-02480-X or 978-0-674-02480-9

Pajak, M. 2012: Silken Sunken Sock Sports Strange Spider Skin. Bristol Naturalists
News November 2012

Roberts, M. 1993 The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland Compact 2-part edition.
Published by Harley Books

Roberts, M. 1996 Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins field guide
Russell-Smith, A. 2001: A further record of Pistius truncatus from Blean Woods,
Kent. Spider Recording Scheme Newsletter 41

Russell-Smith, A. 2009: Identification of Porrhomma species. Spider Recording
Scheme Newsletter 63 in Newsl Br. Arachnol Soc 114

Russell-Smith, A. 2011: Identification of Tetragnatha extensa and Tetragnatha
pinicola Spider Recording Scheme Newsletter 70 in Newsl Br. Arachnol Soc 121
Russell-Smith, A. 2011: Identification of Bathyphantes gracilis and Bathyphantes
parvulus. Spider Recording Scheme Newsletter in Newsl Br. Arachnol Soc 121
Defrize, J. Lazzari ,C. Warrant, E. & Casas, J. 2011: Spectral sensitivity of a colour
changing spider. Journal of Insect Physiology 2011

Websites

SRS: Spider Recording Scheme Website: http://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/

SRSN: Spider Recording Scheme Newsletter available online at
http://srs.britishspiders.org.uki

BRERC: Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre online interactive maps:
http://www.brerc.org.uk

90

A note on the trees of the avenues on the Downs.
Richard Bland

Much has been written about the plants of the Downs, especially the rare ones, but
little about the trees. It is probable that in remote antiquity the surface of the Downs
plateau was as tree-clad as the surface of the Leigh Woods plateau. It is quite unclear
when the tree cover was removed, but the existence of traces of bronze-age fields on
the Downs, as well as the iron-age Clifton Camp, which dominates the local
landscape, and whose significant strategic value at that time must have depended on
all round visibility, suggest that trees disappeared a very long time ago. The fact that
the Anglo Saxon parish boundary was defined in 877 by the merestones, that still
exist today, implies that the site was already grazed common land. However today
the surface of the Downs contains both veteran self-sown native trees and formal
avenues along the major routes. This note examines the history of avenue planting.
The 1746 Wilstar map makes it clear that there were already avenues defining the
Westbury Road, the Stoke Road from Blackboy and the Old Stoke Road which ran
direct from from Fountains Hill to the Old Hait by the present Stoke Road traffic
lights, and these avenues still exist. They were presumably planted to ensure that
travellers did not get lost at night, in fog, or in snow. They form a palimpsest of tree
planting policy down the years.

The oldest avenue that we know existed was created by the first Downs Conservator,

appointed in 1766, Sir William Draper, of Manilla Hall, and a military hero who had

just returned from conquering the Phillipine Islands for Britain. He built an avenue

from the top of the Clifton Camp, where a windmill had just been erected, across the

otherwise bare Clifton Green to his own front door. It still existed on the Donne map

of 1821 but the oldest tree today on the Green is a Horse Chestnut dating from c
1850.

It is not certain what species was used for the early avenues but it is probable that
Limes were used, as they are the oldest trees on the Downs. There is a Common
Lime that is part of the Westbury Road avenue with a girth of 4.00m, which implies
that it is 200 years old. The evidence for this is that the limes round Clifton College
are known to be 150 years old, and have a maximum girth of 3.00m. There are also
two Large-leaf Limes on the path leading from the Westbury Road to Westfield Park
that have a girth of 4.8m suggesting that they could date from 1770. The oldest extant
Lime avenue in Bristol is that leading up to Kings Weston House, with girths of
around 5.0m, which may well date back to 1720.

The next planting was of the Horse Chestnuts along Westbury Park Road These trees
have a girth of around 4.1m, and several have died in recent years They were planted

il

in around 1860, and are faster growing than the Limes. The Chestnut trees on Savile
Road, which was built in 1877, have a girth of 3.9m.

Ladies Mile, which had been built in 1820, has two Common Limes with girths of
3.0m, which would date them to 1860. In 1872 there was a massive planting of
Huntingdon Elms along the whole of Ladies Mile and all along the Old Stoke Road,
Downleaze, and along the upper end of Upper Belgrave Road. The Huntingdon Elm
was a female Wych Elm clone developed by the trade for its fine form, and on the
city’s “Know your place” website they can be seen in an aerial photograph taken in
December 1946. By that time they were all magnificent trees in their prime. Dutch
Elm Disease from 1975 destroyed them all but one, still alive at the west end of
Ladies Mile.

The replacement for the Huntingdon Elms were native Small-leaved Limes, but also
Large-leaved Limes and Silver Leaf Limes, which were planted along Ladies Mile,
and along the southern section of Circular Road which had not previously had an
avenue, and along Downleaze.

The Old Stoke Road was planted with Beeches. Almost all these young trees, now
thirty years old or so have grown very well and have girths of around 1.5m. However
there are one or two much older trees on the Old Stoke Road. There is an ancient
Ash at the point where the road crosses the parish boundary, which has a girth of
3.5m, suggesting it was already there when the Elms were planted in 1872, and two
ancient Common Limes with girths of 2.4m which suggests the same thing. There
are also three very unusual Black Walnuts, a North American species with girths of
around 2.0m, implying planting perhaps in 1950 perhaps as replacements for
Huntingdon elms that had been damaged.

The Stoke Road avenue consists of alternate Horse Chestnuts and Small-leafed
Limes with girths of around 2.0m, implying they were probably planted either just
before or just after the Second World war. The Chestnuts in particular are not very
happy specimens. The trees at the southern end, around the water tower are Common
Limes with a girth of 2.5m which probably date from an earlier planting around
1910.

The Westbury Road avenue also consists of alternate Chestnuts and Common Limes,
but their girth is around 2.4m, implying a planting date of around 1920. But some of
the limes are older, dating back to the mid-19" century or earlier. This variation in
size implies a consistent policy replacing dead or damaged trees with the same
species over a very long period of time.

|

An avenue along the Promenade first appears on the Ashmead map of 1849 and it
was probably created in the 1820s. An early photo suggests they were elms. They
were replaced by the present Beech avenue from around 1900. The earliest maps
suggest a single avenue but this was expanded to a double one a century ago and
perhaps there was an intention to emulate Rotten Row in London as the Promenade
would have included riders. Since 1950 the avenue has been extended so that it now
runs right up to the Clifton Camp, and the very varying girths of the trees indicate
successive efforts to get plants established. There was apparently extensive bomb
damage to the area by the Lord Mayor’s House, and some of the trees have bark
damage that may be a consequence.

95

BRISTOL & DISTRICT INVERTEBRATE REPORT, 2013
R.J. Barnett
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queen’s Road, Bristol BS8 IRL
ray.barnett@bristol.gov.uk

INTRODUCTION

2013 was an interesting year. A cold winter led into a long cold spring which was
followed by a hot summer. Consequently numbers of insects were depressed
initially but things improved markedly in the summer assisted by immigration of
white butterflies and by certain moth species from the continent, though by all means
not all the usual suspects. Silver Y and Rush Veneer moth numbers were low as was
Clouded Yellow butterfly, for example. Resident species such as Large Yellow
Underwing and Green Oak Tortrix moths, usually abundant, were also in low
numbers.

Of native species, one notable affect was the abundance of the Antler Moth, a species
more often found nectaring by day on grassland plants than at light at night, but
which had been becoming noticeably rare recently, until 2013. Other occasional
exceptional reports included the sighting of 63 Small Copper butterflies at Kingston
Seymour, reported via Maggie Gamble, also Green Hairstreaks were the commonest
butterfly on Walton Common when Dave Horlick visited on 1 May, whilst Dave
Nevitt reported from Rowberrow Warren on Mendip in July — ‘At dusk the number
of Scarlet Tigers on the wing had to be seen to be believed. Must have been
thousands of them’. A remarkable turn around in the last 20 years of what was
previously a very rare species.

Early summer saw the publication of the ‘Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Bristol
Region’, thanks largely to the Bristol Naturalists’ Society which was the largest
financial sponsor. As seems almost inevitable, soon after publication a new
discovery came to light, a specimen of the Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly found in a
Hanham garden as reported below; roll on the revised edition.

Responding to a challenge laid down nationally, some local recorders, notably
Rupert Higgins and John Martin, managed to record over 1,000 species of animal
and plant in their local patch. To achieve such a feat required a contribution of many
invertebrate records of course. It is certainly a way to get yourself to look at species
you would normally ignore and also a way for common species to be reported to
recording schemes which otherwise would not get a mention! Similarly, Chris Iles,
by concentrating on recording leaf mines of Lepidoptera, has revealed how common

94

some species are but which are very poorly represented in the recording schemes
and local record centre databases. There is, as always, much scope to discover more
about our local invertebrate populations and perhaps illustrated best by the record
below of the Moringa Budworm moth, this annual report usually lists species new
or of rarity in the region, it is rewarding to be able to report in this instance of a
species new to the British Isles.

Scientific nomenclature follows that used by the National Biodiversity Network

website (www.nbn.org.uk).

My thanks to all who have submitted records directly to the Society, particularly to
Jon Mortin, Andy Pym, John Martin, Nigel Milbourne, Alan Bone, John Aldridge,
Bob Fleetwood, Michelle Fowler, Jean Oliver, Dave Nevitt, Chris Iles, Darrel Watts,
Tony Smith, Mark Pajak, Tony Cotterell, John Burton, Marcus Rhodes, Paul
Bowyer, Neale Jordan-Mellersh, Jean Oliver, Jean Hathaway, Richard Pooley,
Martin Evans, Des Bowring, Rich Andrews, Mike Bailey, Margaret & Jim Webster,
Jackie Edwards, Dave Gibbs, Ian Stapp, Lois Pryce, Sue Sayers, Ray Cottrell, the
Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC), members of the
Clevedon Moth Group, Bristol & District Moth Group and the Bristol Wildlife E-
group. The importance of receiving, not just the records picked out here, but those
of perhaps less noteworthy species cannot be understated in terms of monitoring the
ever changing status of the invertebrate fauna.

Species of note in 2013

INSECTA

Collembola (springtails) }

Vertagopus arboreus (L.) Pilning, South Gloucestershire ST55 85 (vice county 34)
28 March 2013 John Martin, in moss. Springtails are rarely recorded in the region.

Psocoptera (barkflies)

Valenzuela flavidus (Stephens) Littlewood, North Somerset ST438 683 (vice
county 6) 21 July 2013 Mark Pajak (conf. Keith Alexander). An extremely poorly
recorded group of insects.

Psococerastis gibbosa (Sulzer) Littlewood, North Somerset ST438 683 (vice
county 6) 21 July 2013 Mark Pajak (conf. Keith Alexander). An extremely poorly
recorded group of insects.

Mesopsocus immunis (Steph.) Weston Farm Lane, Bath & NE Somerset ST 731 669
(vice county 6) 24 June 2014 Jon Mortin (det. Joe Botting). An extremely poorly
recorded group of insects.

Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies)

Vagrant Emperor Hemianax ephippiger (Burm.) Hanham, South Gloucestershire
ST64 73 (vice county 34) 25 October 2013 Rob Laughton. A first for the Bristol
region of this migrant species.

95

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Jschnura pumilio (Charp.) Western Approach
Distribution Park, Severn Beach, South Gloucestershire ST556 831 (vice county
34) 26 June 2013 John Martin, Pam Taylor & Ingrid Twissell. Confirmed at one of
its very few local sites.

Red-veined Darter Sympetrum dgnaeaininbe (Selys) New Passage, South
Gloucestershire ST550 865 (vice county 34) 23 July 2013 John Martin, one worn
male. Not a good year for this immigrant species.

Hemiptera (true bugs)

Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heide. St. Andrews Park,
Bristol ST593 751 (vice county 34) 14 July 2014 Jon Mortin (det. Richard Jones),
one larva. Since its arrival in the region in 2009 the number of records of this species
seems to have dropped.

Spruce Cone Bug Gastrodes abietum Bergroth Pilning, South Gloucestershire ST55
85 (vice county 34) 5 March 2013 John Martin, one on back door, possibly came to
light? Few records locally.

Ledra aurita (L.) Stokeleigh Camp, Leigh Woods, North Somerset ST558 732 (vice
county 6) 6 August 2013 Ray Barnett, 1 beaten from oak, a seldom seen species in
the region.

Lepidoptera (butterflies)

Swallowtail Papilio machaon L. North Somerset (vice county 6) 25 August 2013
‘Revd. Richard’ one larva found in garden. This report appeared on the NaturePlus
part of the Natural History Museum, London website. The larva had been found
pupating next to a bed of Fennel and had pupated fully by 27 August emerging as
the adult on 22 September. Possibly the progeny of an immigrant example or
alternatively from a released captive bred example, either way quite a surprise for
the garden owner.

Clouded Yellow Colias croceus (Geoff.) Weston Moor, Gordano Valley, North
Somerset ST4 7 (vice county 6) | August 2013 Sue Sayers, 3 seen. Sand Bay, North
Somerset ST33 65 (vice county 6) 20 August 2013 Paul Bowyer. Winscombe, North
Somerset ST4 5 (vice county 6) Lois Pryce 3 September 2013. Sea Mills, Bristol
STS 7 (vice county 34) Sunday before 3 Sept 2013 Des Bowring. Not a good year,
just a sprinkling of records.

Lepidoptera (micro-moths)

Biselachista scirpi (Stt.) Sand Bay, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset ST331 651
(vice county 6) 19 July 2013 Paul Bowyer, one netted. First record for the region.

96

Phyllonorycter stettinensis (Nic.) Sand Bay, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
ST331 651 (vice county 6) 1 June 2013 Paul Bowyer. Combe Hay Bridge, Bath &
NE Somerset ST728 596 (vice county 6) 22 July 2013 Chris Iles, 15 leaf mines on
alder. River Avon, Bath, Bath & NE Somerset ST735 650 (vice county 6) 9 August
2013 Chris Iles, 2 mines on alder. Wellow, Bath & NE Somerset ST741 580 (vice
county 6) 30 August 2013 Chris Iles, 4 mines on alder. (Also recorded by Chris Iles
at other sites further into Somerset during 2013.) Very few previous records in the
region.

Coleophora adspersella Benander Elm Farm, Burnet, Bath & NE Somerset ST66
65 (vice county 6) 9 July Richard Pooley ef a/ (confirmed by dissection, Mike
Bailey). Thought to be a first record for the whole of Somerset.

Phyllonorycter salictella (Zell.) ssp. viminella (Sircom) Combe Hay Bridge, Bath
& NE Somerset ST728596 (vice county 6) 22 July 2013 Chris Iles, 1 leaf mine on
willow.

Prays oleae (Bernard) Almondsbury Garden Centre, South Gloucestershire ST600
835 (vice county 34) 4 May 2013 (larval mines — emerged 23 May 2013) Martin
Evans et al, larval mines & spinnings on young olive saplings. A new arrival in the
country on olive trees imported for the horticultural trade.

Bactra lacteana Caradja Compton Dando, Bath & NE Somerset ST6464 (vice
county 6) 3 August 2013 Richard Pooley (confirmed by dissection, Mike Bailey). A
first for the Bristol region.

The Moringa Budworm Noorda moringae (Tams) Fishponds, South Gloucestershire
ST637 748 (vice county 34) 31 July 2013 Neale Jordan-Mellersh (det. Martin
Honey, Natural History Museum). The first record in the British Isles for this species
which is a pest of Moringa oleifera, a plant increasingly grown around the tropics as
a foodstuff. The origin of this specimen is unknown.

-Pediasia contaminella (Hb.) Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset ST33 65 (vice
county 6) 20 July 2013 Paul Bowyer, at light. Confirmation that this species is
present in the region.

Palpita vitrealis (Rossi) Clevedon, North Somerset ST398 708 (vice county 34) 28
August 2013 & 3 September 2013 Bob Fleetwood. Keynsham, Bath & NE Somerset
ST653 678 (vice county 6) 1‘ week of August 2013 Alan Bone, one at light. Pilning,
South Gloucestershire ST55 85 (vice county 34) 22 October 2013 John Martin. A
rare migrant in most years.

Lepidoptera (macro-moths)

Small Eggar Eriogastris lanestris (L.) Uphill, North Somerset ST316 583 (vice
county 6) 12 June 2013 Chris Iles, larval nest on hawthorn. A speciality of the
coastal strip but the larval nests very vulnerable to hedge trimming.

OFT,

Marsh Pug Eupithecia pygmeata (Hb.) Pilning, South Gloucestershire ST55 85
(vice county 34) 1 June 2013 John Martin & Andy Pym, one by day on flowery

waste ground. The first confirmed record from within the old “Avon’ county area, a
species best looked for by day where mouse-ear grows.

Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata (Borkh.) Toilet Block, Chew Valley Lake, Bath
& NE Somerset ST5 5 (vice county 6) June 2013 Ian Stapp, one photographed. First
record for the Bristol region of this species whose larvae are said to feed on Orange
Balsam

Vestal Rhodometra sacraria (L.) Severn Beach, South Gloucestershire ST5 8 (vice
county 34) 5 October 2013 Ray Cottrell, 3 at light. Pilning, South Gloucestershire
ST55 85 (vice county 34) 7 October 2013 John Martin. Examples of the large-
scale immigration to the UK of this species in 2013. |

Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli (L.) Keynsham, Bath & NE Somerset
ST653 678 (vice county 6) 15 August 2013 Alan Bone, one at light. Never a
common migrant to the region.

Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii (Rott.) Bishopston Bristol ST58 75 (vice county
34) 27 August 2013 Jean Oliver. One example of this rare migrant in a garden moth
trap.

The Brick Agrochola circellaris (Hufn.) Bishopston, Bristol ST58 75 (vice county
34) 29 October 2013 & 22 November 2013 Jean Oliver. An unusual species in the
urban environment of Bristol.

Heath Rustic Xestia agathina agathina (Dup.) Elm Farm, Burnet, Bath & NE
Somerset ST66 65 (vice county 6) 24 September 2013 Richard Pooley. Very few
records of this species from the region.

Coleoptera (beetles)

Anaplyptus mysticus (L.) Sand Point, North Somerset ST32 66 (vice county 6) June
2013 Margaret Webster. One photographed, not especially unusual but an attractive
species to find.

Agapanthia villosoviridescens (DeG.) Pilning, South Gloucestershire ST55 85 (vice
county 34) 06 July 2013 John Martin & Andy Pym. Longhorn beetle gradually
becoming more established in the region.

Adonis Ladybird Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) Whitchurch, Bath & NE Somerset
ST6 6 (vice county 6) 25 September 2013 Rich Andrews. Few records in the region
of this species although probably overlooked.

Rugged Oil Beetle Me/oe rugosus Marsh. Shirehampton, Bristol STS 7 (vice county
34) 16 October 2013 Dave Gibbs. Confirmed at this site where previously recorded,
very local and rare.

Meloe proscarabeus L. Frog Lane, Winscombe, North Somerset ST541 649 (vice
county 6) 28 April 2013 Jim Webster. One photographed, all oil beetles are of local
occurrence.

98

Silpha tristis Ill. Narroways Local Nature Reserve, Bristol ST601 750 (vice county
34) 11 May 2013 Jon Mortin. Few records locally.

Silpha laevigata Fabr. Narroways Local Nature Reserve, Bristol ST601 750 (vice
county 34) 18 May 2013 Jon Mortin. Few records locally.

Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea (L.) Keynsham, Chocolate
Factory site, Bath & NE Somerset ST658 693 (vice county 6) 5 June 2013 Jean
Hathaway. One flew onto nettles by the River Avon, where photographed, a very
local species.

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants)

Nomada ferruginata (L.) Chew Valley School Wood, Bath & NE Somerset ST569
623 (vice county 6) 3 May 2014 Jon Mortin (det. Stuart Roberts). Thought to be
the first record for the region, formerly a very rare species nationally but has been
increasing.

Diptera (true flies)

Ctenophora pectinicornis (L.) Sommerville Road, Bristol ST594 751 (vice county
34) 7 July 2014 Jon Mortin (det. John Kramer). A scarce and nationally notable
species, striking in appearance, thought to be the first record for the region.
Xanthogramma citrofasciatum (DeG.) Avon Gorge, North Somerset ST566 721
(vice county 6) 5 June 2013 Tony Cottrell. The first time seen in the Gorge by the
recorder who has been monitoring species for some years at that site.

Rhingia rostrata (L.) Abbots Pool, North Somerset ST536 7732 (vice county 6) 8
September 2013 Tony Cottrell. This species continues to expand and increase in
numbers. |

Dexiosoma caninum (Fabr.) Shirehampton Road, Kingsweston, Bristol ST543 772
(vice county 34) 16 September 2014 Jon Mortin (det. Chris Raper). Very few
records for this species locally.

Chilopoda (centipedes)

Scutigera coleoptrata (L.) Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset ST3 6 (vice county
6) 2013 Jackie Edwards, adult and juvenile in house. A European species
accidentally introduced, the source in this instance is not known.

Annelida

Horse Leech Haemopis sanguisuga (L.) Sommerville Road, Bristol ST 594 751
(vice county 34) 23 March 2014 Jon Mortin, one dead specimen. This subterranean
predator of earthworms is rarely recorded.

2)

Mammals of the Bristol District 2013
Roger Symes, BNS Mammal Recorder

Why record mammals? Don’t the newspapers tell us that there are plenty of urban
foxes; that hedgehogs are scarcer; badgers are everywhere; roe deer are plentiful;
and otters have recovered — so why do we need to bother to write anything down?
The recording of birds in U.K. has progressed significantly to the extent that the
various schemes produce information which gives very interesting feedback to those
who record, and provides meaningful data which influences scientific and political
discussions at local and national, and indeed international, levels. Mammal
recording has not reached that degree of sophistication in most places, much consists
of arbitrary records of sightings rather than systematic studies. However even those
casual records can provide valuable information — perhaps on distribution, breeding
times and success, evidence of adverse effects on populations such as disease in
rabbits and deer, hotspots of road accidents, dates of hibernation etc. Regular
recording may then (hopefully) become a habit, as is clearly the case with some who
have sent in observations. Those who are interested — and who let others know of
that interest - are likely to be the ones who hear of, or see, things which may prove
to be very important.

What is going to happen to our records? Unless an observer specifies otherwise
all records received by the Mammal Recorder will be copied to Bristol
Environmental Records Centre (BRERC) (www.brerc.org.uk), and to national
recording schemes. Some of the information reported here (33 records) was supplied
by BRERC, which is the repository for all records on information on all wildlife and
geology in the area of the former county of Avon, and which provides information
to the four unitary local authorities, and to consultants and others. Since the 1960’s
it has been a general practice to send information to record offices and to national
schemes, but unfortunately the important records and maps of the early Mammal
Section (1965 — 1980) have largely been lost following the death of the member who
had stored many of them. This reinforces the importance of information being
deposited in a central system. A significant number of records (212) for 2013 has
been received from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Birds Survey (BBS)
(http://www. bto.org/volunteer-surveys/bbs), which is a systematic study carried out
annually and sightings, or other evidence of mammals are recorded during walks.
This survey is coordinated locally by the Avon Ornithological Group, an excellent
example of collaboration for which grateful thanks are due to the organisers.

100

|

What is the purpose of the report? The decision to produce a report once again
for the Bristol Naturalists’ Society journal Nature in Avon was taken in February
2014 by the newly re-created Mammai Section of the Society, and reflected a
resurgence of interest in mammals, not just in the Society but by other groups and
individuals. A call in 2014 for information from 2013 resulted in 608 records from
2013 being made available from a variety of sources — a wonderful start! It is so
important that there is feedback and updates to observers. This report on the
mammals recorded in the Bristol district during 2013 aims to summarise, and build
upon, reports of sightings, traces, road casualties, research projects and field
meetings which have been received by the author, as BNS Mammal Recorder. The
intention is that this and future reports on Mammals of the Bristol District will be
one of the ways in which that is done, along with the Bristol Mammals Google Group
(http://groups.google.com/group/bristolmammalgroup) and the Bristol Naturalists’
Society website (http://bns.myspecies.info/). The report is not expected to be
exclusive to, or reflecting only, B.N.S. information. Observations from other
organisations who specialise in particular species or groups, are concerned with
welfare of wildlife, or with conservation issues, will be sought, and will all be treated
with equal weight in this report. It is really aimed to identify the pressures on
mammals in the Bristol district, as well as gaining knowledge on their distribution
and where possible abundance. It has not been possible with this report to make
comparisons with existing databases, such as to identify new records. Much of this
report has had to be processed and written overseas and time and availability of
supporting data precluded that.

Handling Records:- Some names of mammals have changed in recent years, some
in the name of the genus or species, and some in the common names. The names
used in this paper are as listed in 2012 by the Mammal Society on their website
www.mammal.org.uk. | Where it has been spotted that another authoritative
organisation uses a different version a note is added below. The unit of recording
used by various organisations does vary. Some regard a one kilometre square too
small a unit and use “tetrad”, which is a group of 4 x 1km. squares. Previous BNS
Mammal Reports have listed the individual 1km squares in which mammals were
reported and that will continue to be done for the immediate future. The Mammal
Society has promoted the use of the word “‘hectad” to represent a 10 km. square, and
that looks a useful initiative and the term is used in this report. In the species reports
which follow the initial information shown is of the numbers of individual records
for that species, and the number of observers who noted them. Then further
information from the records may give details of some observations, followed by a
note of the number of hectads from which records were received, together with the
total number of 1 km squares in each hectad in which observations were recorded.

101

The numbers of Ikm square records in each hectad might reflect population
densities, but at this stage is more likely to reveal distribution of observers.

Names of Recorders: - The names of those who have contributed records for 2013
are listed at the end of the report. It is often the practice to link names with
observations reported. This has not been possible here, mainly because of the late
start and the shortage of time to complete the report by the Editor’s deadline. The
records received from BRERC did not identify the names of observers so those
unknown contributors must be thanked also.

Species Reports

Insectivores (Insectivora)
Common Shrew (Sorex araneus):- 2 records by 2 observers. A BBS record was of
an animal found dead and a BRERC record was of an adult animal heard. These
were from 2 hectads, from 2 x 1km squares: ST76-1 and ST75-1.

Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus):- 1 record by one observer from | hectad — ST67.
This was a BRERC record of an adult Pygmy Shrew found dead.

Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens):- No records received for 2013.

European Mole (Talpa europaea):- 49 records by 22 observers, 39 of which by
were BBS observers. One mole was found dead, the rest were mole hill records.
Records from 16 hectads, from 40 x 1km squares: ST36-2, ST45-3, ST46-1, ST47-
3, ST55-5, ST56-1, ST57-7, ST58-2, ST66-1, ST67-2, ST68-4, ST69-1, ST75-1,
ST76-3, ST77-3, ST78-1.

Eurasian Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus):- J.N.C.C. lists this as West European
Hedgehog. 21 records by 4 observers, and 2 records from BRERC. Seven
sightings included one hedgehog in hibernation. The most animals seen at once was
3 in an urban garden when mating was observed on 15" August. Two records were
by camera traps. 12 reports were of road casualties. There were no records of young
hedgehogs. Records from 9 hectads, from 13 x 1km squares: ST47-3, STS6-1,
STS7-3 (9 records), ST58-2, ST65—1, ST67-1, ST68-1, ST75-1. National status is
“common” (R.D.B.), BRERC Area status is “common — declining?” Included in
Avon BAP, BNES BAP, S GLOS BAP and BCC BAP.

Rodents (Rodentia)
Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus):- No records for 2013.

House Mouse (\/us musculus):- No records for 2013.

102

Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus):- 8 records by 6 observers. 7 records were of
sightings, one BBS record was from “local knowledge”. 2 families were found in
separate nest boxes. Records from 5 hectads, from 8 x 1 km squares: ST47-1, ST55-
3, 9156-2, SP57-1; ST67-1.

Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis):- No records for 2013.

Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus):- 2 records by 2 observers, one of these from BBS
“local knowledge”. The sighting was of an adult found dead — a victim of cat
predation. Records from 2 hectads, from 2 x 1km squares: ST58-1, ST67-1.

Field Vole (Microtes agrestis):- 7 records by 4 observers. Three records were of
sightings, one of which was of a Field Vole seen regularly in a rural garden under a
bird feeder. 2 records were of adult animals found dead and obviously killed by cats.
2 BBS records were attributed to “local knowledge”. Records from 4 hectads, from
5 x |km squares: ST56-1, ST58-1, ST65-1, ST67-2.

Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris):- 2 records by 2 observers (1 from BRERC, | from
BBS “local knowledge”) from single 1 km squares in 2 hectads: ST47 and ST76.

Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius):- 18 records by | observer from one
hectad ST57. A project by Hannah Broughton, in which approximately monthly
visits to 60 nest boxes in Leigh Woods during dates between May and November
2013 resulted in finding Dormice on 18 occasions. The earliest that animals were
found was 23"? June, and the latest November. Those found on 23" June, and some
on 21% July were torpid. Others were active on 21% July and subsequently. Litters
were found on 25 August, 15'* September and 20" October. On 25" August young
had eyes open, suggesting they were about 2 weeks old. Active juveniles were
found in November.

Brown/ Common Rat (Rattus norvegicus):- 14 records by 10 observers. 6 live
sightings, 3 road casualties, one killed by a cat were animals actually seen, with |
field sign record and 3 BBS “local knowledge” records. Records from 8 hectads,
from 13 x 1km squares: ST35-1, ST45-1, ST47-1, ST57-2, ST58-3, ST67-3, ST77-
1, ST78-1

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis):- 100 records by 48 observers. 88 of these
records came via BBS recorders. 4 animals were road casualties, another was found
dead. One record was of field evidence, all the rest were sightings. There were no
records of young squirrels. Records from 17 hectads, from 80 x 1km squares: ST36-

OS

3, ST45-4) S46-2, ST47-9, S155-3,-S156-3, S¥57-20) Si58-2asmos-5. Siligo-5"
ST67-9, ST68-6, ST69-1, ST75-1, ST76-6, S1T77-3, ST78-2.

Rabbits and Hares (Lagomorpha)

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus):- 94 records by 41 observers. All records were live
sightings except for 5 road casualties, 3 of field signs, and one BBS “local
knowledge” record. 75 records came from BBS. Juvenile rabbits were first recorded
on 4" March with 4 more records up to 8" May. One half grown young was spotted
on 29'"* December. There was one record of an adult at North Weston, Somerset
with myxomatosis, showing classic swelling around the face and hunched posture.
Records from 18 hectads, from 68 x 1km squares: ST35-3, ST36-2, ST45-4, ST46-
4, ST47-8, ST 55-3, ST56-5, ST57-5, ST58-6, ST66-3, ST65-1, ST67-5, ST68-4,
ST69-1, ST75-2, ST76-3, ST77-6, ST78-3.

Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus): - 33 records (31 from BBS) by 11 observers.
Seven Hares were seen in a 1km. square on 13" May. Records in 12 hectads, from
27 x lkm squares: ST35-1, ST36-2, ST45-3, ST55-3, ST56-1, SY¥57-1, ST65-4,
ST66-3, ST67-1, ST75-4, ST77-3, ST78-1.

Carnivores (Carnivora)

Fox (Vulpes vulpes):- 66 records by 33 observers. 35 of the records were from BBS
observers. 7 animals were road casualties, but most records were of sightings of live
animals, with two camera trap images being obtained. | Whilst there was a good
spread of records across the area there was a strong focus on multiple observations
from two observers, in ST57 and ST58. There were 4 records of young animals,
cubs being identified specifically on 11 May, 2"! and 22™ of June, and “during
2013”. A lactating vixen was recorded on 25" May. There were no records of fox
earths or other den locations. Records from 17 hectads, from 48 x 1km squares:
ST35-5, ST36-2, ST45-1, ST46-2, ST47-4, ST55-3, ST56-2, ST57-6, ST58-3, ST66-
3, ST67-5, ST68-4, ST69-1, ST 75-2, ST76-1, ST77-2, ST 78-2.

Badger (Meles meles):- 57 records, with 46 records by 17 observers (including 17
records from BBS) and 11 records from BRERC. Sightings of live animals were
reported in 21 records, badgers found dead or road casualties on 23 occasions. One
road casualty involved a juvenile, and another report was of two animals close
together, freshly killed near a junction. The rest were reports of field evidence —
tracks and latrines. No sett locations were reported. Highest number of badgers
reported together was 6 in a Pilning garden, along with a fox. There were no records
of cubs other than the road casualty. Records from 14 hectads, from 50 individual 1
km squares: ST36-2, ST46-4, ST47-8, ST55-3, ST56-2, ST57-7, ST58-5, ST65-2,
ST66-2, ST67-3, ST75-3, ST76-4, ST77-3, ST78-2._ Highest number of actual

104

records were from ST58—11 records in 5 x 1km squares, ST57-8 records in 7 x lkm
squares, and ST47-8 records in 8 x 1km squares.

Otter (Lutra lutra):- 15 records, by 5 observers (1 was BBS) and 10 records from
BRERC. 6 records were of sightings of live otters, specifically identifying 2
females and a male. One of these females was seen swimming with 3 cubs, and at
another site 2 juveniles were noted. 7 records were based on spraints, and one on
tracks. One unfortunate animal was found dead at the roadside. Records from 7
hectads from 11 x Ikm. squares: ST55-1, ST56-1, ST57-1, ST65-2, ST67-2, ST68-
3, ST75-1.

American Mink (Neovison vison):- | record by | observer from hectad ST66. This
was a black adult animal, dead on the road.

Stoat (Mustela erminea):- 4 records by 4 observers. 3 records were actual sightings,
including in one case of 2 stoats, and the 4"" was a BBS record based on “local
knowledge”. Records from 3 hectads, from 4x1km squares: ST56-1, ST57-2, ST67-
Ik.

Weasel (Mustela nivalis):- 3 records from 2 hectads. 2 were actual sightings of
single live animals, the other was a BBS “local knowledge” record. Records from 2
x lkm. squares: ST58-1, ST67-2.

Bats (Chiroptera)
Unidentified Bats:- 2 BRERC records of animals seen in summer in single 1km
squares in ST57 and ST68. It is helpful to receive sightings of bats which cannot be
identified specifically by the observer, especially if there are regular occurrences. It
may be possible to follow up some of these.

Daubenton’s Bat (Myotis daubentoni):- 1 BBS local knowledge record in May from
S155.

Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros):- 13 records, by 2 observers (1
BBS) and 2 BRERC records. 10 records were from Chew Valley Lake of bats in
hides. 9 records from April, with single records from each of February, May, June
and October. Records from 3 hectads, from 4x 1km squares:- ST55 — | (BBS local
knowledge), ST56 —2, ST77 — 1.

Brown Long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus):- 1 record dated April from BRERC,
involving STS55.

Noctule Bat (Nyctalus noctula):- 1 BBS local knowledge record in May from ST55.

105

Pipistrelle Species:- 11 records of sightings, in all but one case identification was
not specific enough to be recorded as other than Pipistrelle species. The exception
was a BRERC record of a single 45 or 55 kHz Pipistrelle recorded in April. Records
(including one BRERC and one BBS local knowledge) were from May through to
September. They were from 4 hectads from 5 x 1 km squares in ST46-1, ST55-1,
ST57-2, and ST 58-1.

Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla)
Reeves’ Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi):- | sighting (BBS record) from 1 x Ikm.
square in one hectad: ST78.

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus):- 79 records by 39 observers. 58 records came
from BBS recorders. Fawns, one pair of twins and one single, were recorded on 2™
and 17'" of June. The single was found dead, killed by silage making. The largest
number seen together was one buck and 5 does at Chew Stoke, one adult was seen
regularly, feeding in an urban garden in Clevedon. Records from 65 x | km squares
in 17 hectads: ST35—2, ST45-6, ST46-3, ST47-4, ST55-6, ST56—4, STS7-5,
ST65—3, ST66-4, ST67-7, ST68-3, ST69-1, ST75-3, ST76-4, ST77-6, ST78-3,
S79ats

Fallow Deer (Dama dama):- 2 records from | hectad, both from 1 Km square ST66
(BBS records).

Seals (Pinnepedia)
No records received for 2013.

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Cetacea)
No records were received for 2013.

Recorders

Grateful thanks go to the 89 known observers (including BBS) who contributed
records for 2013. If your name is not on the list below then my apologies if you sent
in records, it should hopefully be only the name which has been missed from this
list, the information should have been included. Thanks also to BRERC for records
from un-named recorders.

Sheila Ablitt, John Aldridge, Brian Anderson, Mare Anderton, Rodney Artingsall,
RosemaryAtkins, Steven Ayers,

106

Michael Baker, John Barnett, Sue Black, Susan Blackmore, Richard Bland, Des
Bowring, BRERC, Gill Brown, Richard and Rosemary Brown, Hannah Broughton,
David Bull, Margaret Bulmer, David Chalk, Sue Chapman, Becky Coffin, Judy
Copeland, Nigel Crocker, Alex Crossman, Megan Dickens, Clare Diprose, Tony
Dudman, Phyl Dykes, Dave French, Julian Garrigan, Ken Hall, Jeff and Celia
Holmes, Geoff Harris, Nick Hawkridge, Martin Hunt, Anne and David Jewell,
Harold Johnstone, Penny Ladd, Mandy Leivers, Alison Levinson, Stephanie
Lockhart, Harriet Lupton, John Martin, Duncan McLaughlin, Tom McLellan,
Richard Mielcarek, Nigel Milbourne, David Moore, Giles Morris, Colin Morris, Jon
Mortin, David Nevitt, Julian and Peter Ottley, Sian Parry, John Percival, Chris Perry,
John and Sue Prince, Robin Prytherch, Jeff Rawlinson, Trevor Riddle, Chris Cross,
Sue Sayers, Richard Scantlebury, Oliver Smart, Vince Smith, Charles Stapleton,
Brian Steadman, Mary Jane Steer, Roger Steer, Dave Stoddard, Gavin Stoddart,
Geoff Suter, Kerry Sutton-Spence, Roger Symes, Mark Taylor, David Teague,
Graham Turner, David Warden, Keith Williams, Robert Williams, Hazel Willmot,
Paul Vokes, Gordon Youdale, Stuart Young.

Was it all worth it?
The highest number of records was 94 for Rabbits. The most observers (48) reported
Grey Squirrels. The most hectads in which a species was recorded was 18 for
Rabbits, and the highest number of 1km squares in which a species was recorded
was 80 for Grey Squirrels. Other species did push close to these figures, some almost
remarkably so compared with previous years. For example Roe Deer were noted in
17 hectads and 65 x 1km squares, some of these urban. What is happening which is
driving this change? It is not possible at present to indicate if any of these were new
records for hectads, that sort of refinement can be built upon in future reports. Some
useful information is starting to be collated on aspects such as breeding dates but
there is plenty more which can be added to our recording effort. This is not just
about distribution but trying to document the pressures on our local wild mammals,
and the successes achieved by some species.
Please keep recording distribution and other information. Do make contact with
other groups and individuals who you know are interested in wild mammals and
encourage them to contribute information for 2014. This report will not disclose any
information considered sensitive but it would be helpful to know what mammal
enthusiasts are doing in the Bristol District. That information is probably not drawn
together anywhere else.

107

Invertebrate Records from Steep Holm
By Jonathan Mortin (Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre)
This article was supported by a grant from the Bristol Naturalists’ Society to analyse
and process a database of invertebrate records from Steep Holm.

Introduction

Steep Holm is a small island in the Bristol Channel around 8 km from Weston-super-
Mare and five km from Brean Down. It is owned by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial
Trust. It was originally designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest mainly for
its botanical and ornithological interest but it has also been found to support
genetically distinct populations of snails and slow-worm. The island is administered
as part of North Somerset Council and is the largest island (25ha) within the
recording area of Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC).

In September 2013 BRERC were sent a database of invertebrate species recorded on
Steep Holm up until 2009. The database includes around 6,000 records of 1,948
different species. These records include many rare or under-recorded taxa both
locally (within the BRERC region) and nationally. Work has commenced to
incorporate these records into the main BRERC species database (from where they
will be accessible to the rest of the world). This article summarises some of the more
interesting invertebrate records contained in the database and in other relevant
publications. It is significant in its timing as 2014 is the centenary of the first ever
visit to Steep Holm by members of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society.: Species given
in bold type are notable within the BRERC region.

The History of Invertebrate Recording on Steep Holm

Steep Holm has long attracted the interest of naturalists with the first botanical
records dating back to 1562 (Bridgewater 1971). Indeed the fact that there is sucha
long history of biological recording on Steep Holm is another reason for the island’s
designation as an SSSI. Thomas Clark, a botanist from Bridgwater, visited Steep
Holm in 1831 and recorded four species of terrestrial snail which represent the first
invertebrate records (Dilks 1939). Cardiff Naturalists’ Society then visited the island
in 1877 and 1883 also recording four species of terrestrial snail (including Heath
Snail /Helicella itala and Large Chrysalis Snail Abida secale) on their second visit
(Thomas 1884).More recording took place in 1902 including records of Silver-
washed Fritillary Argyvnnis paphia and Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus
(Knight 1902).

Bristol Naturalists’ Society first visited the island in 1914 to record plants and
terrestrial invertebrates. That visit produced a list of 92 species of flowering plants,
40 species of insect and 29 other invertebrate species (Roper et al 1915). None of
the insect species were regarded as rarities at the time although the list includes 4
species which are now nationally notable (including Bombardier Beetle Brachinus
crepitans) and three species which are now UK BAP species (Small Heath, Galium
Carpet Epirrhoe galiata and Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae).

Bristol Naturalists’ Society visited Steep Holm again in 1938 this time noting 53
species of insect (Parnell 1939) and 34 other species of terrestrial invertebrate
(Hamilton 1939). The list included 7 nationally notable species such as Slave-
making Ant Formica sanguinea, Brown Ant Lasius brunneus, Lesser Cockroach
Ectobius panzeri, Great Brocade Eurois occulta and Crescent Striped Apamea
oblonga. This visit also included the first systematic recording of marine and
intertidal invertebrates on Steep Holm (Yonge & Lloyd 1939). Only 16 species were
recorded although the list includes the nationally notable Sea Slater Ligia oceanica
(also recorded in 1914). Eight of the marine species recorded also represent the first
(and so far only) records from the BRERC region including Black Squat Lobster
Galathea squamifera, Cave-dwelling Anemone Sagartia troglodytes and China
Limpet Patella ulyssiponensis. Marine records from Steep Holm are also included
in an article by Bassindale (1941). Marine taxa are relatively under-recorded
compared to other invertebrate groups but the shore fauna of Steep Holm has
generally been regarded as lacking in diversity due to factors such as low salinity
and high turbidity (Yonge & Lloyd 1939, Crothers 1981).

Bristol Naturalists’ Society visited Steep Holm in 1948 with an article published by
Boyd (1949) on the terrestrial Isopoda (woodlice). Nine species were recorded
including the nationally notable Armadillidium pulchellum. Boyd also recorded
- Armadillidium pictum although this is a very rare species and the record has not
been confirmed.

The Mid Somerset Naturalists’ Society made a number of visits to Steep Holm
between 1953 and 1956 contributing a number of invertebrate records (Smith 1972,
Parsons 1996). These included the nationally notable Chyliza extenuata (a psilid
fly). Northern Rustic Standfussiana lucernea was also recorded which is now
believed to be extinct in the BRERC region. The spider fauna of Steep Holm was
investigated in 1968 and 1969 with 39 different species recorded including the
notable Ozyptila blackwalli and Segestria bavarica (Chase 1971, Chase 1972).

109

More systematic and thorough recording of invertebrates began soon after the island
was purchased by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust in 1976. Regular reports were
published by the Trust (edited by Tony Parsons) including invertebrate records
recorded and identified by him and other specialists. A total of 25 reports were
published from 1978 to 2009. They contain around 7,000 records of which about
half (52%) have so far been entered onto the BRERC database. Notable records
include the nationally notable Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha (2008) and the
beetle Melanophthalma distinguenda which was recorded in 1995 having only
previously been recorded on Lundy Island within the UK.

Sabellaria reefs constructed by the honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata were first
noted on Steep Holm in 1986 (Parsons 1996). They are only found on shores with
strong to moderate wave action and now constitute a UK Biodiversity Action Plan
Priority Habitat. The reef declined drastically after 2003 apparently due to storm
damage (Parsons 2009). The reef now seems to be regenerating, see photograph
below.

110

Database update

Before the current project began, the BRERC database held 6,279 records of 1,515
different species (across all taxonomic groups) from Steep Holm. This included
1,108 species of invertebrate. The current project has contributed an additional 285
invertebrate species (and 5 plant species) so that the total count (on the BRERC
database) for Steep Holm now stands at 1,805 species (with 1,393 species of
invertebrate). Of the invertebrates, 16 are nationally notable, 16 are UK BAP-listed
and an additional 45 species are notable within the BRERC region. 183 of the
invertebrate records represent the first (and so far only) record for that species in the
BRERC region.

Conclusion

The detailed recording of invertebrates on Steep Holm across a wide range of
taxonomic groups and over a long period of time has provided an extremely valuable
data set. This will allow a better understanding of both Steep Holm itself but is also
invaluable in a broader context. The records reveal the changing distribution over
time of these taxa both regionally and nationally. Eleven species recorded from
Steep Holm represent the first UK records for those species reported to the National
Biodiversity Network (NBN). The recording of so many rare taxa on Steep Holm
over the years is a testimony to the diligence of the individual recorders. Many of
these species may turn out to have much wider distributions, but to establish that
will require similarly thorough and enthusiastic recording elsewhere. Meanwhile, it
is hoped that biological recording across a wide range of taxonomic groups will
continue on Steep Holm itself.

References

Bassindale R. (1941) Studies on the Biology of the Bristol Channel IV : The
Invertebrate fauna of the southern shores of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.
_ Proc.Bristol Nat.Soc ser.4,9: pp143-201.

Boyd H. (1949) The terrestrial Isopoda of Steep Holm. Proc.Bristol Nat.Soc 27 (5)
pp483-485.

Bridgewater P. (1971) The Vegetation of Steep Holm, Bristol Channel. Proc. Bristol
Nat.Soc 32 (1)pp73-79.

Chase B.J. (1971) The Spider Fauna of Steep Holm. Proc.Bristol Nat.Soc 32
(1)pp 70-72.

Chase B.J. (1972) The Spider Fauna of Steep Holm; addendum. Proc. Bristol Nat.Soc
32 (2)pp161-162.

Crothers J.H. (1981) Marine Fauna in Steep Holm: a survey. Somerset
Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Dilks T.B. (1939) Thomas Clark’s Account of a visit to Steep Holm in 1831
Proc.Bristol Nat.Soc.

eet

Frewin G.L. (1981) Coleoptera in Steep Holm: a survey. Somerset Archaeological ©
and Natural History Society.

Gillard C. (1969) A report on Steep Holm slugs and snails Rep. Steep Holm Gull
Res. Stn. 3 pp24-7.

Hamilton J.E. (1939). A survey of Steep Holm VI: Land Invertebrates excluding
insects. Proc. Bristol Nat.Soc ser 4, 8: pp468-470

Knight F.A. (1902) Seaboard of Mendip. London.

Parnell G.W. (1939). A survey of Steep Holm VII: Entomology. Proc. Bristol
Nat.Soc ser 4, 8: pp471-473.

Parsons A.J. (1978) Notes on some Invertebrates of Steep Holm. Proc.Bristol
Nat.Soc. 36: 93-111.

Parsons A.J. (1981) Non-marine Invertebrates in Steep Holm: a survey. Somerset
Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Parsons A.J. (1996). The Invertebrates of the Island of Steep Holm in the Bristol
Channel. Somerset Fauna & Flora: 2. Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust.

Parsons A.J. (2009) Steep Holm Natural History Report 2008/2009 Kenneth Allsop
Memorial Trust.

Roper, I.M., Pearcey F.G., Griffiths G.C. & Bartlett C. (1915). The Natural History
of Steepholm Proc. Bristol Nat.Soc. 4 pp143-149.

Smith K.G.V. (1972) The Diptera (Insecta) of Steep Holm. Proc. Bristol Nat.Soc 32
(2) pp157-160.

Thomas T.H. (1884). Excursion to the Steep Holm. Trans.Cardiff Nat.Soc. 15
pp.88-93.

Yonge C.M. & Lloyd A.J. (1939). A survey of Steep Holm, VIII: The Shore

Fauna. Proc.Bristol Nat.Soc ser 4, 8: pp474-478.

A report of the June 16th 2014 Centenary trip to Steep Holm.
Richard Bland

Re-greening is all the fashion these days, and it was fascinating and rather weird to
visit a site that has essentially been abandoned to the wild. Ten members visited the -
island on a very hot June day. It is an extraordinary place. in which species common
on the mainland were rare and some unusual species were common. The island is
now dominated by a dense cover of Alexanders with Nettles, Brambles, Privet and
on the cliff faces young Tree Mallow in full bloom. Inside this cover were hundreds
of newly hatched gull chicks, and the adults constantly attacked all members of the
party. The gull cries were incessant, and recording was difficult. Paths had been
strimmed to give access to the various military monuments, and many of the plant
species occurred along these paths. Ray Barnett noted the absence of predators which
enables some invertebrate species to be present in huge numbers. Just 12 bird species
were seen, in very low numbers apart from the Gulls. There were no insectivores.
The only grazing animal is a Muntjac deer whose droppings were found. There are
apparently up to 40 of them, but little sign of their activity. As a result the only grass
is that maintained by human activity. And the absence of cats and rats gives the gulls
immunity.

The total of 250 individual species were identified. There were 118, of which a
‘surprising 21 were trees, and seven were new to the island. A century ago there were
just three Sycamores, and they have become a Sycamore wood dominating the
eastern cliff, but showing no sign of spreading further. They include two Fig trees, a
Strawberry tree, and a row of young Ashes which may come to dominate the island
in time. Of the plants species 31 were only found in a single location, though this
maybe a function of the date of the visit. Red Dead Nettle, Nipplewort, Knotgrass,
Meadow Buttercup, White Clover and Common Speedwell were rare, and Ribwort
Plantain was represented by a single plant. In contrast Henbane and Hounds Tongue
were frequent and Stinking Iris common.

102 lichens were identified, 59 of which were new, and six were rare or endangered.
Some 97 invertebrate species were identified including 20 spiders, five of which
were new to the island, 15 molluscs and six butterflies. The Sabellaria reef covering
the rocks at the end of the spit was recorded and a Seal was seen.

nS

STEEP HOLM.
NATURE RESERVE.

PLEASE

KEEP TO
THE PATHS

A note on the rate of change in plant species.

In 1914 Steep Holm was inhabited and farmed, and there were goats, a donkey, and
rabbits in abundance. In the Second World War it was taken over by the military,
and subsequently became a nature reserve, with no permanent human occupation.
From details recorded by the Somerset Naturalists Society in 1881 there were, in
1914, 139 species that had been recorded on the island since the very first,
Alexanders, described in 1562 by William Turner. By 2000 52 of these had vanished,
and 87 remained, though we did not find all of them. This gives an extinction rate of
0.5 species a year.

In the course of the twentieth century 97 new species were recorded, most of them
after 1960. Of these 33 were only recorded once, and 25 had disappeared by 2000,
leaving 39 still in existence. That gives an immigration rate of 0.6 species a year
throughout the century.

114

In the present century a serious recording effort by BRERC has led to the
identification of 81 new species, though 46 of them have only been recorded once.
We recorded 33 of them, and added seven new species. They were Holly, Hazel,
Tansy, Soapwort, Rosemary, Corn Salad and Marsh Thistle. Obviously this is an
exceptional rate of change, caused in part by deliberate planting, especially of tree
species, in part by a greater recording effort associated with the effort to produce the
plant atlas in 2000. Other factors at work are the extinction of the rabbit population
in 1997, and the appearance of some 40 Muntjac deer, though as yet they are making
little impact on the vegetation.

The average duration of a species on the island since 1881 has been just over 90
years, and at any one time there are about 120 species present.

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Is

Weather report for 2013
R.L.Bland

Data sources

The BNS began publishing weather data in 1872 with GF Burder’s paper on rainfall
in Clifton since 1853, and that led me to search for temperature data back to that
date. From 1920 until its closure in 2002 the Long Ashton research station provided
that data that was published, and since then I have used the Times daily report for
Bristol, though since 2000 I have used my own rain gauge. There is an excellent
website at www.afour.demon.co.uk which has also traced records from some other
sources back to 1853, and I have used these to fill in gaps. A long series is crucial to
any understanding of the continuous process of climate change, which is normally
defined as the average of the previous thirty years. I use the term “long-term
average” to mean the average back to 1853. Most meteorologists use the mean daily
temperature as the basis, but many sources only quote the daily maximum and so I
have used that figure throughout.

2013 had the lowest March temperature since 1962, the hottest July and summer
since 1983, and half the rainfall of 2012.

Mear 2 04 05.206 | OP 108.1 09s 10 ee
Ten year av.°C_| 14.2
945
| Ten year av.mm | 954

Table | Average mean maximum temperature and rainfall. The second row 1s the
average for the ten years up to and including the year referred to.

Seasons.
The average for the winter (Dec. 2012 to Feb. 2013.) was 7.7°C, close to the long
term and the ten year averages. Rainfall average 101mm a month, December being
very wet and February very dry. There were 40 frost nights (October to April), the
last on April 7th, 22 of them in March and April, ensuring a very cold late spring.
There were scold snaps between Jan. 12th and 25th, and Feb. 21st to March 3rd and
then March 21st to April 7th. There were 8 days of lying snow in January, and ponds
were frozen for a total of 13 days up to the end of February.
Spring (March to May) Average temperature was 12.3°C, the coldest since 1996
caused by the coldest March since 1962. Rainfall at 52mm a month was below the
long term average.
Summer (June to Aug.) Average temperature at 22.9°C was the warmest since 1983,
caused by a three week spell of hot dry weather in July. Rainfall at 37mm a month
was the driest since 1995,

116

Autumn (Sept.-Nov.) Average temperature at 15.7°C was normal, Rainfall at 91mm
a month was also average.

Seasonal Comparisons To put the 2013 seasonal average temperatures into
perspective, Table 2 shows the seasonal temperature extremes, with their year, the
average since 1853, and the difference between 2012 and the long term average. The
most obvious feature is the fact that the second half of 2013 was much warmer than
average.

20178 1) in Mae "Ay, since 1853; ) Diff, |

ita 7 | 1-2 5192071016 7s 022)
Sate 7 QE SS ES ee Ee
| Summer | 22.9° | 1883-18.0 | 1976-23.9 | ___20:2° 278
Ao G7 EOS eS a Be

Table 2 2013 seasonal average temperature compared with minimum, maximum
and average since 1853.

[e)

—

Table 3 gives the same detail for rainfall. Winter rainfall was heavily influenced by
December, as both January and February were dry months, as was the summer

Table 3 Average monthly rainfall in mm for each season in 2013 showing the
maximum, minimum and average since 1853, and the difference between 2013 and
the average since 1853.

Monthly percentage deviation in 2013 from the average since 1853.
Temperature July and December were well above average, March well below.
Rainfall. February, April, June and August were very dry and October wetter than
average.

LY)

Table 4 Monthly percentage deviations in 2013 from the norm

Monthly Summary 2013

| fsa | re | Ma | ap [Ma | Ju | ty | Au | Se | 0c | No | De | av. |
Rainn [or | [se [a [o [a | [a | [a [me |e [oo

Table 4 2013 Monthly average temperatures and total rainfall

No

January The first week was warm with SW winds and overcast skies, but on 10th
the wind turned east and then north and temperatures fell and frost brought ice on
16th and 4 ins of snow on 18th, which remained to 25th, and a maximum of 0°C on
20th. Winds turned southerly on 16th and 14°C was reached on 29th, bringing the
first significant rain in a dry month.

February Began with NW winds sunny days and cool temperatures. A warm spell
from 14th to 19th, with bright sunshine, under S winds, gave way to cold SE and
then NE winds round a Baltic high, and a return to frosty nights and cold days, max
3°C, for the rest of the month, which was very dry.

March A warm start, with 17°C recorded on 5th was rapidly followed by cold
easterly winds round a Greenland high, and frosts from 10th-14th, bring both some
bright sunshine and ice to ponds. There was a brief respite on 15th, with the only
decent rainfall of the month, and then a return to cold days, with a maximum of 1°C
on 24th, and ice on ponds for the rest of the month. It was the coldest March since
1962, and only just warmer than 1916, the coldest on record since 1853.

April For the first week easterly winds persisted with night-time frosts, but brilliant
sunshine raised day maxima reached 12°C on 6th. At last on 11th the winded shifted
south, and a proper depression, effectively the first of the year, swept through.
Temperatures reached 16°C on 16th, but it remained very dry and sunny with
southerly winds dominating from 14th to 24th to give an opportunity for migrants to
come through.

118

May. The first week was dominated by SW winds, clear skies, (13.6 hours of
sunshine on Ist) and high temperatures (reaching 25°C on 7th). There was a cooler
spell from 9th to 16th, the temperature only reaching 10°C on 14th, but it remained
warm and dry for the rest of the month, with more northerly winds round an Atlantic
high, though there were very cool days on 23rd, 24th and 28th

June The first nine days were dominated by high pressure, NE winds, up to 15 hours
of sunshine, and temperatures up to 23°C, and they were completely dry. From 10th
to 16th SW winds brought a little rain, and a slightly lower temperature down to
16°C maximum. On 19th temperatures peaked for the month at 27°C and then high
pressure took over from 25th that was to dominate the next four weeks. Only an inch
of rain fell in the entire month.

July The first three weeks were dominated by high pressure, clear skies, and
temperatures that reached 32°C on 22nd. Winds were light, there was no rain, grass
turned pale, and half the plants on the Downs ceased flowering. It was the hottest
July since 1983. On 23rd low pressure took over, rain fell, and temperatures dipped
a little under the influence of SW winds.

August The highest temperature of the month was 31°C on Ist, but it only twice
fell below 20°C. There was very little rain, normal sunshine, and from 11th a high
pressure system to the east kept winds light.

September The first 12 days were hot and sunny but temperatures fell below 20°C
onl3th, and a decent 17mm of rain fell. It was warmer again from 19th-25th, but
overcast. And the last few days were dominated by easterly winds. By this point in
the year total rainfall was 140mm, or two month’s worth, below normal.

October For the first week the temperature remained around 20°C, but then fell to
around 17°C for the rest of the month. The long sequence of dry days that had set in
since January creating the situation where only one day in four saw any rain, ended
on 12th, and westerly winds became dominant around a series of Atlantic lows.
November The first week was warm (up to 15°C) and wet but temperatures fell to
8°C, the coldest since April 4th, on 8th, and the first frost came on 19th, with a daily
maximum of 7°C. High pressure bringing N winds dominated for the last two weeks,
and the month was effectively dry from 11th. Autumn was almost 2°C warmer than
average.

December The first ten days were dry, dull and warm but the first rain came on 15th
and 16th and temperatures reached 14°C for the last time. The next two weeks saw
a series of intense depressions sweep across, bringing strong SW winds, heavy rain
and flooding to some areas over the Christmas week, though Bristol missed the worst
of both the wind and rain. By the end of the year, despite the cold spring, the annual
average temperature was the same as 2012.

I)

Weather Extremes.

The table below gives figures for extreme annual events over the past decade,
enabling the extreme events of 2013 to be put in perspective. There seems to be no
pattern in these figures. It is also interesting that, contrary to common perception,
two days in every three have no rain at all.

Eee
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248

A note on climate |

Climate is defined as the normal weather measurements over a period of time,
usually thirty years. Because it is an average it changes slightly every year. Weather
varies much more from year to year than climate does in centuries, and birds like all
other wildlife respond to the changing conditions they experience. Data gathered
over the last decade on the Downs suggests that as a general rule a one degree change
in average temperature will lead to a week’s change in the average timing of events
for both plants and birds, though individual species may respond much more than
this. The changes since the last ice age have led to continual change in the wildlife
that can survive here, and this process continues. Seasonal change, such as the very
cold spring this year, can have a much more dramatic effect on bird populations, and
| show in the table below the climate figures for each season for the past decade.
They make it clear that spring has been warming rapidly, and that summer is
becoming wetter, but that the other seasons remain stable.

120

12.
eee 3 | 202 | 202 | 203 | 20.
A243 14.4 | 14.4

“Grey Daggers and Minotaurs in Greenwich Park” by John F Burton
A review by Richard Bland

There are few functions closer to the nature of humanity than the keeping of records.
I rather suspect that the Lascaux cave paintings were basically a game bag and the
only way to be sure that the past was real is to record the present. John was caught
by the wonder of the natural world at an early age, and proceeded almost at once to
recognise that it was vital to understanding to record what was where. His
enthusiasm, and his drive to identify everything and to seek to understand its
relationship to everything else, combined to lead him, by strokes of good fortune and
the wisdom of many of the more senior individuals to whom he pays tribute, to play
a very significant role in the development of natural history in the second half of the
twentieth century.

This book is a deeply personal account of the early part of this journey, tinged
inevitably with that most human sense of loss, nostalgia. The myth of the Golden
Age affects us all, but Darwin long since made it clear that the natural world, upon
which we are totally dependent, is an interactive process which binds us all. John
played a significant part in popularising an understanding of the natural world, and
of the threats that human activities posed to it, and hence to the future of humanity.
The huge increase in the role of environmental issues in politics is a direct response
to this wider understanding, which gives some reasons for hope for the future.

A distinctive feature of this account is that it deals with wildlife in an urban habitat,
a habitat as distinctively peculiar as that of a desert, demanding great adaptation and
particular skills. Given the growth of urbanisation world-wide the wildlife that

121

cannot just survive but thrive in this environment has a significant role to play in
future. And it is striking feature of the modern world that, because urban habitats are
so varied, urban biodiversity is often much greater than that in country areas where
economic forces create huge pressures towards monocultures. The notion of re-
wilding the countryside is akin to that of re-greening of towns. Both derive from a
recognition that humanity has a crucial role to play in ensuring not just the survival
of Tigers, but also that of Sparrows.

This book is not just a unique window on the past, but an invaluable guide to the
values and understanding that have built the present, and hence a guide to the future.
It should be on every naturalist’s bookshelf.

The Bristol Onion. C Westcott

Obituaries
Barry Harper 1942 -2013

A long standing member of the British Entomological & Natural History Society
(BENHS) and the Bristol Naturalists’ Society (BNS), Barry Harper died in his home
city of Bristol in 2013. A rather private man, Barry was an only child, raised in the
south of Bristol. He never married nor owned a car and perhaps consequently, had
an encyclopaedic knowledge of public transport timetables. He was of an enquiring
mind and soon developed an interest in wildlife, especially in butterflies, bringing
home larvae and pupae in order to see what emerged. Moths did not interest him.
He loved walking and soon exhausted his nearby slopes such as Dundry Hill on the
southern edge of Bristol and so travelled further afield to places such as Cheddar
often walking much of the way home across country, a very considerable distance.
In his younger days he was able to visit nearby localities for such species as the
Marsh Fritillary, now sadly built over.

After leaving school, Barry started work at Colthurst and Harding paint wholesalers
but soon, wishing to explore wider horizons, joined the RAF for 10 years as a clerical
worker where his lepidoptera watching interests were soon expanded when stationed
around the world, including North Africa. He returned home to live with his parents
and encouraged them, via package tour travel, to visit several destinations in Europe
and especially to his favourite Switzerland and Austria sometimes bringing home
seeds of plants and livestock of lepidoptera to rear. His particular favourites were
the blues and Clouded Yellow species, rearing many in captivity. His career after
leaving the RAF was initially with Bristol City Council before becoming a rent
collector which allowed him more opportunity to be outdoors.

_ A member of the Amateur Entomologists Society he often travelled by train to the
society Annual Exhibitions in London, particularly to purchase butterfly livestock.
In the 1970s and 1980s he was active in the Entomology Section of the BNS and
visits to the AES Exhibition were facilitated by the Section hiring a minibus, the
scene of much enjoyable lepidoptera talk and banter on the way. Latterly he
travelled with Graham Best and others by car often meeting former members there.

As a member of the BNS, Barry contributed butterfly records to the annual insect
reports from 1972 to 1985 and himself wrote the Butterfly Report in the BNS
Proceedings in 1978, 79 and 80. He also exhibited at the annual Entomology Section
Members Day held at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery at that time.

His long interest in butterflies never left him and is reflected in the very generous
legacy left to both the BENHS and the BNS.
Graham Best and Ray Barnett

123

Justin Smith 1967 — 2014

Mandy Leivers
Justin Smith, was one of the best naturalists I’ve ever met. It’s hard to know
where to begin when charting his achievements because Justin was a busy man
and has accomplished so much in his life. He began studying fungi when he was
14, encouraged by his mother, Eva. His passion for the natural world grew and
led him to study geology at Exeter University. After graduating he built his skills
through working with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, and as an
ecological surveyor, before joining Avon Wildlife Trust.
As a member of the British Mycological Society, British Lichen Society, British
Bryological Society and North Somerset Fungus Group his knowledge of fungi,
lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) was astounding. The awesome
thing about Justin was how generous he was with his time and knowledge. He
was such a sociable, funny and friendly guy with a huge passion and talent for
teaching others about the natural world. Whilst fungi may have been his first
love, Justin had broad interests including hoverflies, ferns, trees, ancient
woodland, and grassland ecology. Through all of the guided walks, talks and
courses that he’s given to the public, the training sessions for Wildlife Trusts,
university students and ecologists, Justin has taught and inspired thousands of
people.
You could point to any fungus, lichen or lower plant and he could tell you what
it was called embellished with some amazing fact about why it was called that,
it’s diagnostic features, associated uses, ecology or folklore. He had a huge
amount of patience and a great interest in helping others. For nearly five years
he worked for Natureworks, an organization set up to train people recovering
from mental illness, in horticulture, nature conservation and land-based skills.
He also supported and trained people on the New Deal scheme at Avon Wildlife
Trust and in his most recent job as the Bristol City Council Woodland and
Wildlife officer he’s been managing the team which undertakes habitat
management work on BCC sites. Some of the team are ex-offenders and people
on community payback. Justin felt strongly that with support and new skills that
this scheme can help people get back on track, and back into work.
As an ecological surveyor Justin has helped protect fungi, lichens and
bryophytes not just in our area but across the UK and internationally in countries
such as Germany, Chile and Argentina. He also worked with Bristol University
to create a systematic method of fungus recording and has been working with
Natural England and Kew Gardens to compile a list of sites to be considered as
SSSIs for their rare fungi .Justin’s passing leaves a huge hole in the natural
history world. | don’t think there will ever be anyone quite like our ‘Fungi
Justin’. Justin Smith - Mycologist, Lichenologist, Bryophtye specialist,
geologist, biological surveyor, researcher, trainer, walk leader, mentor,
musician, husband, father, son and a wonderful friend.

124

Dr GA Kellaway 1914-2013
D T Donovan

Geoffrey Kellaway, who died in Sussex on 18" September 2013, aged 99, owed
much to the Bristol Naturalists’ Society. He first appears in the list of members for
1930 living in Howard Road Westbury Park, and at the time he was 16. He was soon
in touch with JW Tutcher (1858-1951) a distinguished amateur geologist. At the time
Henleaze and Southmead were being developed and excavations revealed the
underlying geology, and Tutcher taught him about the rocks and their fossils, and
encouraged him to write his first paper published in the proceedings for 1932 on
“The Rhaetic and Liassic rocks of Henleaze and Southmead”. In 1932 he went to
Bristol University to study geology and by 1936, when he graduated with a first he
had written two more papers. He then won a Churchill Scholarship to study
periglacial phenomena in Alaska. He joined the Geological survey of Great Britain
in 1937, and stayed with them until his retirement in 1974. During the war he was
sent to Northamptonshire to study the ironstone field, and in 1943 he began with
Frank Welch (1903-1987) to re-survey the Bristol and Somerset coalfield. The
Bristol District Special Sheet was published in 1962 at the one inch to a mile scale.

An important initiative concerned the mapping of the Carboniferous Limestone so
well seen in the Avon Gorge, and Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Combe on the
Mendips. In 1906 Arthur Vaughan had subdivided this into five zones based on fossil
corals and brachiopods, (PBNS 1906), and these zones were widely used by other
geologists in several parts of the United Kingdom. However in 1955 Kellaway and
Welsh wrote “The writers have not found it possible to give a satisfactory description
of the stratigraphy (of the Carboniferous Limestone) using Vaughan’s zonal terms.”
A formal description was then given of a new subdivision, based on rock type, which
_ had been used in the mapping.

Deep mining in the Somerset coalfield had begun in the late eighteenth century and
the coal seams were known by local names. Detailed records of the seams and other
strata were kept at least from the early nineteenth century. Kellaway made it his
business to collect all the shaft records he could find thus making it possible to
correlate seams from pit to pit and build up a picture of the coalfield as a whole. His
meticulous approach did not facilitate rapid production of the Bristol District volume
but it did finally appear after his 79th birthday, and six years after the death of his
co-author. (Kellaway and Welch 1993). It contains a vast amount of geological
information in its 199 pages.

2S)

After his retirement in 1974 he became geological adviser to Bath City Council. The
spa fed by the famous hot springs had had to be closed in 1978 after the death of a
child from an amoeboid infection contracted at the baths. Kellaway led a multi-
disciplinary team to investigate the problem and devised a way of tapping the springs
at depth by drilling an inclined borehole so that an uncontaminated supply of hot
water could be restored. His account of this was published in a book The Hot Springs
of Bath edited by him and published by Bath Corporation in 1991.

A more controversial topic was his interest in the provenance of the stones of
Stonehenge. It had long been known that one group of stones, the “bluestones’. are
made of igneous rock which does not occur in southern England. In 1923 another
Geological Survey officer, HH Thomas, had tracked them down to north
Pembrokeshire in Wales. But how did they get to Salisbury Plain? Glacial transport
had been suggested as early as 1902. The idea was taken up with enthusiasm by
Kellaway, who offered supporting evidence, and his paper was published in nature
in 1971. The theory has been popular among archaeologists because it solves a
problem for them. Geologists on the whole have remained more sceptical.

Annual report for 2013

As usual the society organised almost 80 events, over fifty of them being out in the field. It was also
increasingly involved in a variety of activities organised by other organisations, especially the series of
Bioblitz events organised by the Bristol Natural History Consortium which sought to visit a wide variety
of the 99 Sites of Nature Conservation Interest within the city. It also cooperated actively with the new
wildlife programme Shepherds Way broadcast every Wednesday evening by BCFM radio. It continues
to be involved in national surveys organised by the BTO.

Botanical Section

The AGM was held on.28" January and Peter Hilton and Clive Lovatt were elected as president and
secretary respectively. There were five indoor meetings including a conifer workshop, a lecture on species
evolution on the Azores, a meeting dedicated to the botany of the Downs, and a lecture on the Wild
Asparagus. There were 13 field meetings including a Downs Lichen trail, Sneyd Park and Bishops Knoll
reserves, Campbells Farm, Trees at the Royal Fort gardens, Brislington Brook, Cadbury Camp, Henbury
Golf Course, Dundry, Shapwick, Tucking Mill, Sand Bay, Tanpit Woods and urban Portishead. Members
were involved with BNHC Bioblitz events at Kings Weston, where they helped establish a tree trail,
Arnos Vale cemetery, and the Downs.

Geological Section

The AGM held on 30" January elected Roger Steer and Richard Ashley as president and secretary. There
were four lectures on Lyme Regis, Ichthyosaurs, the environmental impact of Mendip lead mining and
the Bristol Museum collections. There were nine field meetings visiting Browns Folly, Writhlington
Batch, the Westbury White Horse, Coalpit Heath, Clevedon beach, The Mendips, Gower, and Moons Hill
Quarry, and there was a five day visit to the North Pennines. These meetings were arranged jointly with
Bath Geological Society and the West of England Geological Association.

126

Invertebrate Section

The AGM was held on 3 February, and Mark Pajak and Tony Smith were elected president and secretary
respectively. There was one lecture, on Scarab Beetles, and eight field meetings to the Gully, Leigh
Woods, Shapwick Heath, Trendlewood Park, Moorend Spout, Little Wood near Yatton, Filmore Woods
near Thornbury, and Abbots Pool.

The section also assisted with six Bioblitz events organised by the BNHC, at Kings Weston, Dundry
slopes, Narroways Junction, Troopers Hill, Royate Viaduct, and Arnos Vale Cemetery, and at other events
at Bedminster, Westbury on Trym, the Downs, and meetings of the Amateur Entomologists Society and
the British Entomological Society. Mark Pajak has become a regular contributor to Shepherds Way, a
weekly radio programme at BCFM

Mammal Report

The mammal group has finally become a section. The AGM was held on Feb 18", and R Coffin, H
Broughton, and R Symes were elected to the committee. Dormice were monitored in Leigh Woods, a
Bristol Otter group training day was held, and a Bat talk.

Ornithology section

At the AGM on Jan 9" Michael Johnson was elected president, and Becky Coffin retired as Secretary.
Five indoor meetings were held, on the people and birds of St Kilda, Birds of the Falkland Islands, birds
of Cuba, birds of Eastern Europe, and the natural History of Blagdon Lake. 13 Field meetings were held,
visiting the Golden Valley at Wick, Somerset Levels Starling roosts, Marshfield, Frome Valley, Eastwood
Farm, Ham Wall, Blaise, the Newport Wetlands, Portbury Wharf, Stockwood, Chew Lake, a migration
watch at Aust, and the Greylake reserve. Members were involved in the BTO’s Winter Thrush Survey
and the Breeding Bird Survey, and the local and national Garden Bird Survey, a breeding Swift survey
and a Corn Bunting survey.

General Walks

Eleven mid-week walks were held on the first Thursday of the month. They visited Ashton Court estate,
Dolebury woodland, Crook Peak, Kelston Round Hill, Hawkesbury Upton, Cadbury Camp, Arlingham,
Littleton upon Seven, the Dundry circuit, Cheddar Gorge and Berkeley deer park. One of the Walks was
also part of the Bristol Walks Festival in May.

The Reading Group

The first book was the Driving Force by M Crawford, which examines the relationship between food,
chemistry, and the evolution of roles such as herbivore and carnivore in animals. Then the Curious
Naturalist by N Tinbergen, whose work on animal behaviour was fundamental to understanding the
natural world in the 1950s. Darwin and the Barnacle by R Stott looks at the eight years Darwin spent
studying Barnacles around the world prior to writing the Origin of Species. Finally Life, an unauthorised
biography by R Fortey, an account of the development of life on earth.

27

Financial Report for the year ended 31 December 2013

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128

Instructions for authors

The editor welcomes original papers or short notes on the
natural history of the greater Bristol region for
consideration for publication in Nature in Avon. All papers
for consideration should reach the editor by the end of
March. All Society Reports and Biota should reach the
editor by the end of February in the year of publication.

Whenever possible, text should be submitted electronically
in Word. The data for graphs should be sent in Excel,
separately from the graph, as graphs have to be recreated to
fit the page size of the journal. Any other illustrations
should be submitted electronically.

The Editor welcomes digital photos of any natural history
subject taken in the region, whether relevant to an article or
not. They should be of the largest pixel size possible.
However as the number of colour illustrations is strictly
limited he cannot promise to print any

The copyright of all newly published material will belong
to the Bristol Naturalists' Society, whose Council may
authorise reproduction.

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VOLUME 73 (2013)

CONTENTS
Editorial
A Mathieson Geology of Clifton Down
F Greenacre English Downland
CWestcott The Goats
E Drewitt Ravens and Peregrines
D Hill Lichens on the Downs
R Higgins Scrub management
A Smith Grasses on the Downs
R Barnett Insects of the Downs
M Collins Butterflies of the Downs
M Pajak Spiders of the Downs
R Bland Trees of the Downs' avenues
R Barnett Invertebrate report
R Symes Mammal report
J Mortin Steep Holm invertebrates’
R Bland Steep Holm centenary visit
R Bland Weather report
Book review Grey daggers and Minotaurs
Obits B Harper
J Smith
GA Kellaway

Annual report
Financial report

Rerum cognoscere causas — Virgil

Cover, Goats C Westcott

Printed by Taylor Thorne Print Ltd

www.taylorthorne.co.uk