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Wildlife

All four commons have their own special character and consequently support very different assemblages of plants, birds and insects. However, as they are all close together and inter-connected many of the species they host are the same.

• Plants
• Ponds
• Birds
• Insects
• Appendix

Plants

Size is an obvious point of difference: Castlemorton, extending to include Berrow Downs at the base of Swinyard Hill, is by far the largest, and Shady Bank, tiny in comparison, is not large enough to accommodate its own distinct bird and insect populations. However, in the centre of this tiny patch of common land is a marshy area formed by water seeping from the base of Hangman’s Hill. It contains several of the wetland plants that can also be found scattered across Castlemorton Common.

Marsh Pennywort flourishes here, but, as with most of the plants in these boggy patches that are scarce enough to excite the botanists, it is not much of a spectacle! It produces a few tiny greenish-pink flowers on thin stalks and the name, Pennywort, comes from the penny-sized bright green, fleshy round leaves. They cover quite large areas of the Shady Bank seepage and many similar boggy areas on Castlemorton Common.

Tall rushes and slightly less robust sedges dominate many of the wet areas of the commons. The wettest area in the centre of Castlemorton Common hosts an impressive collection of rare sedges and rushes. Although most are concentrated in this central area several crop up in other wet patches on the common and in one or two places on Hollybed Common (see appendix for list).

From the end of May until well into July magnificent stands of pink and purple Common Spotted Orchids flower in their 100’s amongst the less conspicuous sedges and rushes in these damper regions of Castlemorton Common. Their flowering spike can vary in length from 2 or 3 cm to 12 or even 16 cm and their leaves are marked with solid dark spots or blotches. The slightly conical flower spikes, which can vary from white, through pink and lilac to purple, are supported by upright stems which can exceed 30 cm. A very few of the similar looking but much rarer Heath Spotted and the Southern Marsh orchids can also be found on Castlemorton Common. The flower of the Southern Marsh Orchid is superficially the same as the other two, but it has no spots on its leaves.

The only other orchid species which exists as a sizeable population on the commons is the Autumn Lady’s-tresses Orchid. These charming delicate little orchids flower in August and September, which is later in the year than any other orchid species.

Their upright spikes are mostly about 15cm tall and have about 12 small white tubular flowers with green markings arranged on the stem in a tight spiral like a tiny hair braid or a miniature gladioli. All parts of the flower spike are covered with minute white hairs giving it a glaucous or frosted appearance. The flowers are sweetly scented of vanilla or honey and they are pollinated by bees.

Autumn Lady’s-tresses Orchids were recorded on Castlemorton Common in the nineteenth century, in the 1920’s and more recently by Med Snooks in 1980. It is an inconsistent flowerer, being present some years in large numbers (200-300), but in other years it can be very scarce. Throughout the late 1980’s and early 90’s I searched the Hancocks Lane end of the common in vain because that is where Med last saw it, then in 1995 on the eastern side of the common. Keith Barnet found the large colony which has persisted ever since. Extraordinarily, within days of viewing Keith’s plants on Castlemorton Common I found a much smaller colony on Hollybed Common and an even smaller colony has now been discovered by the Gloucester Road on Coombe Green Common.

The number of spikes on Hollybed Common ranged from two to twenty between 1995 and 2004; none have been seen since, but it is more than likely they will reappear; the plants survive in an underground vegetative state and the size of the population remains unchanged.

Autumn Lady’s-tresses normally grow on calcareous soils on chalk or limestone, especially near the sea. They also occur on old lawns and tennis courts. Our commons are not typical habitat, but the critical factor for this delicate orchid is the lack of competition from more robust and vigorous grasses. The nutrient poor turf of the commons which are subjected to continual grazing, provide the required conditions. Animals may knock off or bite off the flower spikes but they ignore the essential prostrate leaf rosettes. The abandonment of grazing or improvement with fertilizers would promote more vigorous vegetation which would suffocate the orchid. Fortunately it is The Conservators’ policy not to use fertilizers on their land, and the commons are regularly grazed by a sizeable herd of cattle and flocks of sheep.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s Castlemorton Common was regularly burnt so as to ensure there were sufficient areas for grazing, and there were more commoners exercising their grazing rights. Now the Malvern Hills Conservators carry out much valuable scrub clearance work and the commons have lost very few of their botanical treasures. A heavy mower is dragged through the brambles and gorse to maintain a patchwork of clearings, and recently most sizable Ash and Birch trees have been weeded out. Ash is the most pervasive of the invading tree species, but Birch, Willow and Sycamore also pose a threat.

The Water-drop wort family – Oenanthe, is well represented on Castlemorton Common with four species, all of which are scarce or rare in our area and two of which are rare nationally. They are tall white flowered umbellifers (carrot family-like Cow Parsley which lines our roadsides in spring). Tubular, and Parsley Water-dropwort grow in many wet patches beside the central stream. Corky-fruited (O.pimpinelloides) and Narrow-leaved (O.silaifolia) Water – dropwort can be found in a few patches on the eastern edges of the common. They are extremely difficult to tell apart even for experienced botanists and although I have frequently found the Narrow-leaved species I must rely on other botanists’ records for the Corky-fruited Water-dropwort.

Of great interest is the presence of many Black Poplars on all three of the larger commons, where they form one of the most significant collections in Britain. They are easily recognised by the abundance of rough burrs and bosses on their trunks and most have been pollarded. They were planted near to dwellings because they were of great value to the commoners and are mostly found along the edges of the commons – typically, well spaced along the northern edge of Coombe Green Common, or grouped by Hancock’s Lane on Castlemorton Common. They provided the heavy timbers for barns and were extensively used for floor boards because of their fire resistant qualities. Only male trees, that produce large red catkins in spring, were planted, because the female trees produce copious seed fluff which notoriously contaminated grain.

These Black Poplar pollards are fought over as nest sites by Jackdaws and Stock Doves.

The balance between open grazing and scrub is not only essential for safe-guarding some of the rare and vulnerable plant communities, but it must also meet the needs of a range of bird species that thrive on the commons. Gorse is the predominant scrub species closely followed by brambles, wild roses, and Hawthorn.

Most of the gorse on Castlemorton Common and Hollybed Common is Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus) as opposed to Western Gorse (Ulex gallii) which is equally dominant on The Hills.

The flowers of Common Gorse first appear in the early autumn and occur singly throughout the winter. It comes into full bloom, however, in the spring, and in April the “Gold of the Gorse” lights up these commons with a most wonderful blaze of colour. There are a few bushes of Western Gorse on both commons, and as this species flowers in the second half of the year, from mid-summer well into autumn, there are always gorse flowers on show:- Good news for lovers because, “when gorse is in blossom, kissing is in season”.

Related, and looking like a diminutive, lanky, under-nourished gorse bush, is Petty Whin. It has fewer, paler yellow flowers, on slender stems about a couple of feet high and is armed with stiff, needle-like spines. Regular grazing keeps the damp areas of rough grassland on the common clear from scrub and allows this rare plant to flourish.

Interestingly, the Petty Whin on Castlemorton Common hosts the caterpillar of a very rare tiny moth, that can survive on no other plant.

Both Hollybed and Coombe Green Commons are more elevated and therefore drier than Castlemorton Common and as a consequence ant-hills are more abundant, especially on Coombe Green Common which in many places looks like a miniature mogul field.

Ant-hills provide a micro-habitat of light, well-drained soil that warms up quickly because the mound attracts direct rays of sunlight. Not only does this suit the ants but many tiny flowers also flourish on the ant-hills.

The aromatic mauve flowers of Wild Thyme cover some ant-hills and on others they mingle with the bright yellow Cinquefoil and Tormentil, with violets and tiny white chickweeds and mouses-ears. Upright Chickweed is a scarce plant with sharp, lanceolate, glaucous leaves and sepals, which can be found scattered, mostly on ant-hills, on all three commons.

Another plant which requires the closest of grazing, so as to enable it to ‘see’ above the grasses is Chamomile. This is true Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) as apposed to its close relatives among the arable and garden weeds, and it is now very rare and is confined in Britain to a few ancient commons. It has a small daisy-like flower and feathery leaves that give off a pungent apple-like scent when crushed. There are several small patches of Chamomile on Castlemorton Common.

In the central boggy area of Castlemorton Common the eye-catching Purple Moor-grass grows. This is a tall grass which produces dense tussocks and as the ground dries out in late summer these tussocks turn to a wonderful colour of golden straw. Amongst the tussocks there are many plants of Devil’s-bit Scabious, and the intensely bright blue flowers of the scabious form a striking contrast with the gold of the grass tussocks.

No description of the plants of the commons would be complete without including the Slender Hare’s-ear. The Malvern Commons are the only inland site in Britain for this plant. Colonies containing about a dozen plants exist on The Link Common and on Castlemorton Common. On Hollybed Common however, there is a thriving colony of over 100 plants on the northern shore of the pond at Hollybed Street , and towards the northwest corner there is an area the size of a football pitch which is populated by tens of thousands!

Slender Hare’s-ear is terribly difficult to see even when you know what you are looking for and there are numerous plants in flower within touching distance. It grows in short, dry, nutrient-poor turf. The glaucous green leaves are narrow and pointed like blades of grass and the stems are very thin and slightly wirey. The flowers which come out in late August and early September are yellow and no larger than pin heads.

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Ponds

On Castlemorton Common there are six or seven small ponds scattered around the margins of the common. At least two normally contain water even in the driest of summers, but the others are very shallow and quickly dry up. Several have interesting plant assemblages, most eye-catching is the summer bloom of Water–crowfoot which covers the surface of some pools with butter-cup like white flowers with yellow centres.

A very small “winter pond” by the drive to Boulter’s Farm is home to Small Water-pepper and Chaffweed – both are extremely rare in the midlands and Chaffweed is scarce throughout Britain, especially inland. It is so small and insignificant that it is undoubtedly over-looked at times, as must undoubtedly have been the case at our site because Castlemorton is well known for its botanical treasurers and since the mid 19 th Century it has been scoured by several generations of eminent botanists, but the minute Chaffweed was not discovered until 2001. It disappeared from almost every other site in the region before the Second World War, so it is unlikely to have been a recent arrival.

One of the ponds which rarely dries up is in the extreme northeast corner of the common and this is the only pool in Worcestershire where Floating Club-rush grows. This plant is plentiful in Cornwall, West Wales and Western Scotland but rare in our area. Unfortunately this very attractive little pond is being colonised by the extremely invasive New Zealand Pigmyweed which, once in a pond, can smother everything else which grows there.

This is what has happened to the pond on Berrow Downs beside the lane leading to the Gullet. Once it was home to toads, frogs and all three species of British newts – Common, Great-crested and Palmate as well as several attractive pond plants, but all life was choked out of the pond by a thick carpet of pigmyweed. Great efforts have been made to remove the “alien invader” and restore the pond to its former glory, but alas the pigmyweed is returning. It can reproduce and multiply quickly from the smallest fragment.

Hollybed Common does not have as many ponds, but the two that do exist are permanent and substantially bigger than any on Castlemorton Common. The largest – about half the size of a football pitch – is the Mill Pond and as cars can be parked nearby, it is a popular visitor spot. Until the early 1990’s I would have described it as one of the finest ponds in the district. With a small wooded island, but open banks, its clear sparkling water, fed by a brook running down from the hills, it was teeming with life. There was a variety of submerged vegetation, some marginal emergent plants and three species of water-lily, including Fringed Water-lily. I recorded 13 species of dragonfly, 11 of which were breeding. The Mill Pond now (2007) resembles a murky farmyard pond because of the large flocks of ducks and Canada Geese attracted by food provided by visitors. However, the Malvern Hills Conservators and the local community are now working together to reduce the feeding of geese and start the restoration of this once beautiful pond.

A few dragonflies – darters and chasers - can be seen on the pool at Hollybed Street, but this has never escaped the attentions of a domestic goose flock and some shading from pool-side trees further reduces its attraction for wildlife.

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Birds

Castlemorton Common is a popular haunt for birdwatchers because it is the most extensive area of rough pasture and scrub in the region. The marshy areas are an added attraction – especially in winter.

A small, ditch-like brook wriggles its way onto the northern edge of the common near to the gate on Hancock’s Lane. In winter the ground around this brook is very wet and sizeable numbers of Snipe assemble. The largest count was 70 in February 1995, but 30 or 40 is not uncommon, and the maximum number in any one year rarely drops below 20. Every year 1 to 5 Jack Snipe can be found in the same area. This much scarcer winter visitor is a favourite of mine. Unlike Snipe, Jack Snipe wait until almost underfoot before taking flight and invariably makes one jump, even when it is anticipated. Whereas Snipe fly up with a characteristic squelching call, the Jack Snipe is usually silent. When one Jack Snipe is found it pays to tramp around the vicinity because they often stay close together and so, in this way, several can be flushed. By contrast Snipe will fly up in zig-zagging flight from all over the marsh, calling as they take off. One or two will trigger some others, and then there will be a lull before more go up, and then more – always an exciting exercise.

Both Common and Jack Snipe do occur occasionally in the small marshy patches that can be found at intervals beside the narrow stream which runs through the centre of the main part of the common. This stream is the main tributary of the Marlbank Brook.

Until quite recently another even more exciting ornithological occurrence drew me regularly to Castlemorton Common in the winter: it was the best place in the West Midlands to see a Great Grey Shrike but none has been seen since 2000. They visited the Common regularly throughout the 1970’s, then they were not seen for 10 years until 1989, then once again they were regular during the first half of the 1990’s. I am ever hopeful that another will reoccur! They are the size of a thrush – but strong, fierce birds, well-built with hooked predatory beaks. They are pale grey above, white below and with a black mask. They show flashes of white on their wings and at the edges of their long tails when they fly. In Britain they are winter visitors and they catch small mammals and birds, and on their breeding grounds in northern Europe their diet includes many large insects. They often hunt by perching on a prominent small tree or bush then pouncing when they detect movement below. However, discovering one when they hunt in this way requires much luck: they are much more noticeable when they attack a flock of small birds – often Linnets or Goldfinches. Small flocks of Linnets are not unusual in winter. Goldfinches are more common on Hollybed, but can be seen on all the commons especially in the late summer and autumn – they feed on thistle down. Parties of Redpolls are regularly seen on Castlemorton and the closely related Siskin will feed in the alders which grow in most of the wetter marginal spots, in good “Siskin winters”.

Since the early 1990’s and the occurrence of mild winters, Hollybed and Castlemorton Commons have each regularly played host to at least one pair of Stonechats. Slightly smaller than a Robin, but with the same plump, upright posture, the Stonechat is characterised by short direct flights from one prominent bush-top perch to another, where it will settle with a twitch of its wings and a flick of its tail. They can be seen throughout the year, but are most numerous in early autumn when family parties congregate before they split up in search of alternative winter quarters.

Next to the football pitch on Hollybed Common there is an area of sandy, rabbit-burrowed turf surrounded by ancient, leggy gorse bushes. This is the best place to find late summer Stonechats when typically, 4 to 12 can be seen, often accompanied by passage Whinchats (close relatives and very similar looking), Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers.

Meadow Pipits and Skylarks (the latter in ever decreasing numbers) can also be seen on the common throughout the year, as can the eye-catching Green Woodpecker. This fine looking bird with its red crown and bright green and yellow plumage is much more frequently seen on the ground than on trees. It feeds largely on ants and a walk across Coombe Green Common with it’s hundreds of ant-hills invariably results in at least one clumsily flying off in front of you – sometimes with its laughing “Yaffle” call note which is its widespread country name. If you are unlucky and miss it you can nevertheless detect its earlier presence by the chalky white curls it leaves behind – the undigested calcium from its diet.

Although Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers remain locally throughout the year, normally they only visit the commons in the breeding season, and spend the winter on neighbouring farmland. Both have become scarce breeders: Reed Buntings have never been plentiful, but in the mid 90’s four breeding pairs, only on Castlemorton Common, was the norm – in 2006 there were just two. Yellowhammers were common: 20 pairs bred in the 1980’s, still 10 by 2002, but none was recorded from Castlemorton Common in 2006 and just one or two bred on Hollybed Common.

The Lapwing or Peewit was, until quite recently a familiar bird of open farmland, marshes and moors, but since the late 1990’s numbers have been in steep decline (in Britain - down by a half from 1995 - 2007) mainly due to the intensification of agriculture and changes from spring to autumn sowing. Lapwings nested on Castlemorton Common until the early 1990’s: their wheeling, dipping and “peewitting” display flight was synonymous with spring on the common and even in the late 1980’s four breeding pairs was normal. The last recorded nest was in 1992, but to the intense excitement of those of us who remember the “good old days” – one was display flying over the “Hills end” of the common and a pair were holding territory for over a month. It is quite likely that they have bred this year – 2007. We will watch the common with “fingers crossed” next year.

In the second half of April another evocative bird “song” can be heard on Castlemorton Common. The Grasshopper Warbler’s song is a series of continuous, high-pitched rapid ticking which is best described as the sound made by an angler’s reel. This is a bird you are much more likely to hear than see; it sings from thick, low vegetation, often in damp areas.

Grasshopper Warblers have always been a bit special in the West Midlands, but they have also declined in numbers alarmingly, probably because of factors beyond our control in their African winter quarters. They bred regularly on Castlemorton Common until 1998 and we thought we’d lost them, but one bred in 2004 and they’ve maintained a presence ever since. The central marshy area of the Common is the best place to listen for them.

Both Hollybed and Castlemorton Commons are rewarding sites for those interested in birds. I haven’t mentioned the Cuckoo which calls from both commons throughout its season. Turtle Doves can be heard ‘purring’ on the southern boundary of Coombe Green Common and on the margins between Berrow Downs and Swinyard Hill . Kestrels hover over all four commons and Buzzard float across them daily. In September , Hollybed is a wonderful spot to watch parties of returning Swallows and House Martins, and at such times it pays to keep an eye open for the Hobby which preys upon them.

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Insects

Most of the rarest insects on Castlemorton Common are micro-moths, beetles and species of fly that only have Latin names. There is a diverse grasshopper and cricket population on Castlemorton Common, and here the spectacular looking Emperor Moth can still be found. Hollybed Common is better for butterflies, where declining species such as Small Heath and Small Skipper are plentiful. So much so in some years that thistles are fought over by Small Skippers and Burnet Moths. I have counted four Small Skippers and three Six-spot Burnet moths on one flower head of Nodding Thistle.

I have written about most of the head-line plants and birds; I should like to conclude by assuring readers that there is still much to be discovered on these very special commons and a visit need never be made without reward.

By
Peter Garner
2007

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Appendix

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