Cam Valley Wildlife Group

an independent wildlife conservation group covering Midsomer Norton, Radstock and surrounding villages

The Wildlife of the Cam Valley Wildlife Group Area

The wildlife of any area is determined by the underlying geology, the available habitats and the influence of man. The Cam Valley area is dominated by limestone and hence soils are generally alkaline. However there are small outcrops of sandstone, giving distinct areas of acidic soils, which add to the biodiversity of the area.

The area is divided by two small fast-flowing rivers, the Cam and Wellow Brook and the many streams which feed them. As well as being important wildlife habitats in their own right these are flanked in many places by other good habitats which link together to form corridors, enabling animals to move between sites, and in and out of the area. Otherwise, aquatic habitat is represented only by ponds and a few small lakes which are mostly private and managed for fishing. As a result mainly of the river valleys, the area is quite hilly and this prevents winter flooding.

Most of the area is farmland, predominantly pasture and to a lesser extent crop. Within this there are however a number of areas of unimproved grassland. Being predominantly pasture land the area is still blessed with relatively small fields bordered by quite extensive hedgerow. Happily many of the farmers run wildlife friendly farms and more are moving towards Countryside Stewardship.

There is relatively little woodland, though much of what is here is ancient woodland. This has been continuously wooded for many hundreds of years, and so acts as important refuge for many plant and animal species which are unable to survive changes in habitat conditions. There are several small and a few large private woods, mostly managed for pheasants. One of the larger woods, Greyfield Wood, is owned by the Woodland Trust and thus has open access.

Being a former mining area, there are a number of post industrial sites and features such as disused rail land, canals and coal spoil tips which add greatly to the biodiversity of the area.. In the years following their abandonment for industrial use, many of these have developed into very important wildlife sites, with locally and even nationally rare species. Disused railway lines in particular provide a mixture of habitats, with open trackbed and steep embankments. The thin alkaline soils on these sites combine with warm and sheltered sparsely vegetated areas, scrub, herb-rich stressed trackbed areas and embankments and a range of other resources to create are therefore ideal sites for reptiles and invertebrates such as butterflies, flies and our native bees and wasps.

Birdlife

As you would expect from the local habitat you will find a good range of farmland, hedgerow and woodland birds such as Yellowhammer; Linnet, Skylark, Meadow pipit, Spotted flycatcher, Nuthatch and Tree-creeper; common members of the Tit, Warbler, Finch, Thrush and Crow families; Lesser black-backed and Common gull; Within some of the farmland, game birds are bred for shooting and as a result Pheasants are very common and Red-legged Partridge are quite frequent.

Kingfishers and Grey herons hunt the lakes and rivers where Grey wagtails also breed. In winter Siskin can often be seen feeding from the overhanging Alders sometimes with the odd Redpoll amongst them.

As for raptors you will find Buzzards galore and plenty of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Hobby visit and breed regularly and the occasional Merlin is seen. The Tawny owl population is very healthy and Little owls generally hold up well benefiting from the many hedgerows. Due largely to a successful nest box scheme we also have quite a few breeding Barn owls. Long-eared owls have been recorded but not breeding so far although they do in neighbouring areas.

“Special” birds in the area include Dippers which breed on the fast flowing rivers; Several pairs of breeding Ravens; A few flocks of Tree sparrow; The occasional Lesser-spotted woodpecker;. A small number of breeding Peregrines; Small numbers of Firecrest are seen in the woodland areas and scrub; Quail can sometimes be heard calling from the cropped fields in summer; over recent years there have been increasing sightings of Red Kite. The proximity of Chew Valley Lake (an excellent birding spot) increases the likelihood of uncommon species turning up and in the past we have been visited by White stork and by Bee-Eaters.

Mammals

Fox and Badger of course; A good population of Roe Deer and frequent sightings of Muntjac. Hares are relatively common benefiting from the mix of rough grassland pasture and crops.

Over the past few years there are increasing signs that Otters are returning to the rivers. As with many areas however we do however suffer from an absence of water voles. Common small mammals such as Field voles, Bank voles, Shrews, Wood mice are reasonably plentiful and can enjoy refuge in the many hedgerows around fields after cropping has taken place. Yellow-necked mice and Weasels can also be found along with the occasional Stoat.

The mix of old and new buildings, in an old mining area, with some woodland and rivers, results in a healthy bat population. Of the 15 UK species 11 have been recorded over recent years including both Greater and Lesser horseshoe bats as well as Barbastelle.

Insects

Information to follow

Flora

Over a thousand species of plants have been recorded in the Cam Valley area.

Woods are few, but the area is host to many uncommon Ancient Woodland Indicator species, including Herb Paris, Fly Orchid, Wood Vetch, Solomon’s-seal, Meadow Saffron and Bird’s-nest Orchid.

Small areas of less improved grassland can be found, supporting a wonderful diversity of limestone flowers. Such areas have survived on steep inaccessible parts of fields, on verges and on the embankments of former railways. Species include Field Scabious, Rock-rose, Pyramidal Orchid, Yellow-wort, Common Centaury, Fairy Flax, Milkwort and Dwarf Thistle. Damp meadows are rare, but small areas support species such as Lady’s-mantle, Saw-wort, Heath Spotted-orchid, Flea Sedge, Bitter-vetch, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Meadow Thistle and Dyer’s Greenweed.

A local speciality is Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem, or Bath Asparagus, thought to have been introduced by the Romans and once sold in the markets of Bath as food. This species can be found along roadsides and in woodlands and hedgerows in the east of the region. It is Nationally Scarce, but can be seen in great numbers in some places. The towering flower spikes can be up to a metre tall.

Coal spoil tips are often harsh, exposed acidic environments. Some have been planted with trees for stabilisation, but others provide a refuge for species of acid grassland, which are rare in this area. These include Heath Speedwell, Sheep’s Sorrel and Sea Mouse-ear. Disused railways and sidings also add to diversity greatly, providing habitats ranging from open trackbed to steep embankments. At Radstock Railway Sidings there is a population of the Endangered and Nationally Scarce species, Fine-leaved Sandwort, now threatened by development at its only site in the whole of former Avon.

The influence of Man means that native species now grow alongside an increasing array of aliens, many of which have become a feature of the local environment. Walls are adorned with Red Valerian, Ivy-leaved Toadflax and two species of Bellflower. Closer inspection reveals the less showy native ferns, Rue-leaved Saxifrage and Biting Stonecrop; riverbanks are, in places, swathed by stands of Himalayan Balsam; waste ground is quickly colonised by Butterfly-bush and some roads are edged with the invasive Cockspur grass.