WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Wildlife Site Survey Form (Ref. No. CWS 1226) Site Name: Crostwight Heath Parish: Honing/Witton Grid reference: TG 395302 Area: 17.0 ha District: North Norfolk Survey date: 08/08/18 Registered Common Number: CL 4 Habitat map: 1 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Habitat description (refer to the annotated map) Compartment A: South Woodland: Mixed Semi-natural Woodland This is an attractive woodland primarily consisting of oak (Quercus robur), downy birch (Betula pubescens) and planted Scott’s pine (Pinus sylvestris) on acid, sandy/gravelly soil on an undulating terrain. The overall impression is of a natural area, with a very varied and visually appealing terrain and vegetation structure. Much of the oak is low-branched and wide-spreading; there are some notably large birch. The woodland also includes sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), beech (Fagus sylvatica), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), while aspen (Populus tremula) is a feature, suckering widely along Heath Road. There are some interesting large veteran oaks on an old wood bank. The shrub layer comprises mainly small birch, occasional holly (Ilex aquifolium) (some large), hazel (Corylus avellana), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), elder (Sambucus nigra), and bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg). Rarities include the unusual alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus). There are encouraging signs of natural regeneration, with plenty of young birch, holly, rowan, hazel, and sweet chestnut. There is plentiful fallen wood. Broad-buckler fern (Dryopteris dilatata) dominates as ground cover in places, with bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) the main ground flora in other areas. Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) also acts as ground-cover as well as ascending as a climber, with the ground being bare (with deep leaf litter) in denser shade. There is also plentiful cleavers (Galium aparine), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), rough meadow-grass (Poa trivialis), and herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), with occasional wood avens (Geum urbanum), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), red campion (Silene dioica), climbing corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata), creeping soft-grass (Holcus mollis), ransoms (Arum maculatum), and false- brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum). The ditch on the east side features some hard-fern (Blechnum spicant) which is scarce in eastern England, plus common reed (Phragmites australis), and marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre). Other damp areas in hollows have soft rush (Juncus effusus), flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), branched bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) and reed sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima). Compartment B: North Woodland: Broadleaved Woodland Main woodland on north-east side of site. This is similar to compartment A, but is more heathy, with some heath species such as gorse (Ulex europaeus), heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile), and wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) still surviving in the shaded conditions. Towards the north-east corner conditions seem more fertile and neutral, with many common hedgerow-woodland edge plants such as common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) and cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris). Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) and hop (Humulus japonicus) are of note here. The Pond in this corner had nearly dried up by June 2018, but still had much flag iris; various willows (Salix sp.) including a pollarded crack willow (Salix fragilis); and marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre), wood dock (Rumex sanguineus), floating sweet grass (Glyceria fluitans), and water mint (Mentha aquatica). Oak-birch woodland north-west side of the heath. To the north of this area there is at least one splendid veteran and possibly pollarded oak worth recording, along with interesting old 2 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY banks and undulations. The western boundary consists of a gappy old hedge bank with a ditch in places, aspen to the north, and many large/ highly characterful old oak, holly, birch sycamore and hawthorn plus much ivy (Hedera helix). One large oak on a T-junction of banks appears to mark parish boundaries. There are large patches of wood sage along here, wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosa), much climbing Corydalis, and patches of bracken. The woodland structure is very varied and picturesque, and altogether this is a particularly delightful part of the site. Compartment C1: North Heath The approach to the heath from the north has plants associated with neutral soil such as broad-leaved plantain (Plantago major), ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria) and common vetch (Vicia sativa), but more acid conditions are signalled by plentiful foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), heath speedwell (Veronica officinalis) and increasing amounts of broom (Cytisus scoparius) and gorse. Large areas of tall gorse scrub have recently been cut by the Honing Estate on the main part of the heath (funded by a Stewardship Scheme), and here heather (Calluna vulgaris) and bell heather (Erica calluna) are thriving and there is plentiful sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella), heath milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia), cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), and germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), plus sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthemum odoratum), wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa), early hair–grass (Aira praecox), heath wood-rush (Luzula multiflora), pill sedge (Carex pilulifera) and rare heath-grass (Danthonia decumbens). There is also abundant heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile) - particularly along the paths, which consist of closely rabbit-grazed swards. The open heath area lies on a plateau, and is surrounded by tall gorse/ patches of bracken, with a belt of birch (Betula pendula) woodland behind, mixed woodland below that, and then the adjacent farmland lowest of all beyond. The Pits have heath groundsel (Senecio sylvaticus) and sheep’s sorrel on their sandy slopes. The damper bottoms still have some heath plants, but are becoming more like adjacent woodland, with grey willow (Salix cinerea), downy birch, Bramble etc, plus marsh thistle, soft rush and moss. Compartment C1: South Heath This is another large open area of heath surrounded mainly by birch, with some beautiful individual/stands of oak and birch within it, one of which has been used as an informal bike scrambling track in the past. In this area there is approximately 40-60% cover of heather (Calluna vulgaris). A bracken-dominated area to the east was probably a sand/gravel pit. Horse droppings on the main path through indicate this area’s occasional use by horse riders. Compartment D: Road Verges These are quite species-rich, with 40+ species, excluding hedge plants, recorded during 2018 and 2019. Of note is the uncommon hoary cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea). 3 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Annotated habitat map 4 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Other notable species: Turtle dove – heard (05/06/18) Adjacent habitats/potential buffer zones & linkage to other sites: Agricultural land with drainage ditches lies to the immediate west with carr woodland beyond. There are houses to the east of Crostwight Heath. Agricultural land lies to the south, with plantation woodland to the south-east. Crostwight Common (CWS 1221) is to the far west, while East Ruston SSSI is further away to the south. Is the site in positive conservation management? Yes/no/partly/non-intervention. (Please give details if necessary). Yes. The north and south areas of heath are being kept open amongst the surrounding scrub and woodland by regular cutting and clearing of cut material. The woodlands seems to be managed through non-intervention at present. Has a site condition assessment form been completed for this site? Yes Site photographs: Woodland (Stephanie Whitham) Old pollarded oak 5 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Heath Interpretation board (Suki Pryce) Birch with bracken Heath milkwort Old oak understorey (Stephanie Whitham) (Stephanie Whitham) (Stephanie Whitham) 6 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Plant List Wildlife in Common Plant List Comp A = South Woods Comp B = North Woods Name of site: Crostwight Heath, Ref 1226 Comp C1 = North Heath; p = Pits Comp C2 = South Heath Date of surveys: 2018 June 6 - July 2019 Comp D = Verges Survey carried out by: Suki Pryce, Stephanie Whitham and Sally Sharman Common Name Scientific Name Compartment Comment A B C1 C2 D Yarrow Achillea millefolium R Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus O O Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria R R R Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum R Common Bent Agrostis capillaris R R R Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera O O F O Early Hair-grass Aira praecox R Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata R R Ramsoms Allium ursinum R Barren Brome Anisantha sterilis R Sweet Vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum O R Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris R Parsley Piert Aphanes agg R pR R Greater Burdock Arctium lappa R Lesser Burdock Arctium minus R Horseradish Armoracia rusticana R False Oat-grass Arrhenathemum elatior O O Cuckoopint Arum maculatum O Daisy Bellis perennis R R Silver Birch Betula pendula F Downy Birch O, Betula pubescens F O pO Hard-fern TG 3452 Blechnum spicant R 2966 False Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum R R R Heather F, O Calluna vulgaris pO Hairy Sedge Carex hirta R Pill Sedge Carex pilulifera R Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa F O Knapweed Centaurea nigra R R Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum R R 7 WILDLIFE IN COMMON PROJECT SURVEY Common Name Scientific Name Compartment Comment Ceratocapnos Climbing Corydalis claviculatum O O pO Rough Chervil Chaerophyllum temulum R R R Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustiflium R Creeping Thistle Cirsium