Survey of species in the YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK for the South Somerset District Council by members and friends of the Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group & SSDC Countryside Officers Updated – end December 2017 - 1 - Front Cover Photographs: Drake Mandarin Duck, Ninesprings, December 2012 Parent Shieldbug nymphs, Riverside Walk, September 2017 Wasp Spider, Riverside Walk, September 2017 - 2 - Survey of species in the YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK for the South Somerset District Council by members and friends of the Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group & SSDC Countryside Officers The survey was started in 1998 with the object of recording species found within Ninesprings. The area now includes: Ninesprings, Penn Hill Park, Summerhouse Hill, Wyndham Hill, Riverside Walk and Riverside Park. Lists have been prepared of: Mammals Reptiles & Amphibians Birds Fishes Invertebrates Flowering plants Ferns & Club-mosses Mosses & Liverworts Fungi Lichens Members are asked to record any species seen within the Park and send that list to the Recording Group so that a continuing up-date of the records can be made. Records will be passed to the SSDC and the Somerset Environmental Records Centre to ensure the best possible use is made of them. Updated – end December 2017 - 3 - Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group Records South Somerset District Council Survey YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK Totals of species and forms listed in the Park as of December 2017 Mammals - 22 Reptiles - 3 Amphibians - 3 Birds - 98 Fishes - 10 Invertebrates - 990 Flowering plants - 502 Ferns - 14 Club-mosses - 1 Mosses - 33 Liverworts - 12 Fungi - 932 Lichens - 3 Total: 2623 NB: Total number of species in 2008 (1740), in 2010 (2203), in 2011 (2311), in 2013 (2428), in 2014 (2518), in 2015 (2572). Key: N = Ninesprings; P = Penn Hill; S = Summerhouse Hill; W = Wyndham Hill; R = Riverside Walk (includes Riverside Park); YCPspeciestotals endDec17 - 4 - Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group Records South Somerset District Council Survey YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK Mammals Year Last Recorded Species Common Name Notes N P S W R Apodemus sylvaticus Wood Mouse 1998 Arvicola amphibius Water Vole 2015 Capreolus capreolus Roe Deer 1998 2000 Eptesicus serotinus Serotine Bat 2007 √ Erinaceus europaeus Hedgehog 1998 R: ♀+2 cubs, Feb ‘11. W: ♀+1 cub, Dec ‘13. 2014 2013 2011 Lutra lutra European Otter N: 1, Dodham Brook, Nov 2014. N/S/W: Active setts. 2015 2015 2015 2017 Meles meles Badger √ P: Abandoned sett. Mustela erminea Stoat 2015 Adult with young, 2012 Mustela nivalis Weasel early Sept 2012. Mustela erminea / nivalis Stoat or Weasel 2015 Myodes glareolus Bank Vole 2012 2003 Myotis daubentonii Daubenton's Bat 1998 Neomys fodiens Water Shrew √ 2013 R: 1, May 29th 2013. Nyctalus noctula Noctule Bat 2015 √ Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbit 2017 2014 2015 2015 Pipistrellus pipistrellus Common Pipistrelle Bat 2007 √ 45kHz Pipistrellus pygmaeus Soprano Pipistrelle Bat 2007 55kHz Rattus norvegicus Brown Rat 2015 2015 Rhinolophus hipposideros Lesser Horseshoe Bat 2007 Sciurus carolinensis Grey Squirrel 2015 2008 2017 2017 Sorex araneus Common Shrew 1998 2017 Talpa europaea Mole 2015 2015 2015 2015 Vulpes vulpes Red Fox 2006 2012 2015 22 Sources: 2007: Lou Pickersgill and the Yeovil & District Natural History Society. 2011: Rachael Whaites (SSDC) [re Otters] and Clive Hawkins (Yeovil Area Group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust). 2012 - 2014: Yeovil Area Group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. Also, Rachael Whaites (Countryside Ranger) [re Water Shrew and Otter, 2013]. 2015: Yeovil Area Group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust and Yeovil CP Countryside Rangers. 2017: Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group. Key: N = Ninesprings; P = Penn Hill; S = Summerhouse Hill; W = Wyndham Hill; R = Riverside Walk (includes Riverside Park); YCPmammals endDec17 - 5 - Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group Records South Somerset District Council Survey YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK Reptiles & Amphibians Year Last Recorded Species Common Name Notes N P S W R Reptiles Anguis fragilis Slow Worm 1998 2006 N: 1, Apr 9th 2015 Natrix helvetica Barred Grass Snake 2015 2015 found during conservation work. 2 present, April-May. 2015 Pseudenys scripta Red-eared Terrapin Presumed this sp. Amphibians Bufo bufo Common Toad 1998 Lots of frog-spawn at 2015 Rana temporaria Common Frog lake margin in March. Lissotriton vulgaris / helveticus Smooth or Palmate Newt 2006 Lissotriton helveticus Palmate Newt 2015 1, June 12th 2015. 6 Sources: 2006: 2012: 2015: Rachael Whaites (Countryside Ranger) and Colin Reston et al [volunteer group] (Grass Snake). Key: N = Ninesprings; P = Penn Hill; S = Summerhouse Hill; W = Wyndham Hill; R = Riverside Walk (includes Riverside Park); YCPrepamphibs endDec17 - 6 - Yeovil & District Wildlife Recording Group Records South Somerset District Council Survey YEOVIL COUNTRY PARK Birds Year Last Recorded Species Common Name Notes N P S W R N: Pair bred successfully, 2015 2013 2003 2003 2011 Accipiter nisus Sparrowhawk Aldon Glade area, 2015. R: 2 breeding territories in Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Sedge Warbler 2015 2002. Now a scarce passage migrant only. R: 2 breeding territories in Acrocephalus scirpaceus 2017 Reed Warbler 2002, 1 in 2015. Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper 2011 N: 1, July 20th 2011. N, W & R: Has bred (R in 2015 2016 2003 2015 2015 Aegithalos caudatus Long-tailed Tit 2013). Possibly all sites. N: 40, Feb 13th 2015. Has Aix galericulata Mandarin Duck 2017 2013 bred annually 2010-2015. R: Pair, Apr & Sep 2013. N: Bred in 2013. 2017 2015 2015 Alcedo atthis Kingfisher R: Bred in 2010. N: 1, Dec 11th 2013. 2013 1986 nd Anas crecca Common Teal R: 3, Feb 2 1986. N: Breeds annually. 2017 2015 2015 2017 Anas platyrhynchos Mallard R: Bred along river, 2015. R: 2+, Riverside Park, Oct Anthus pratensis Meadow Pipit 2014 2017 27th 2017. W: c.20, Nov 26th 2014. R: Aerial feeding group of Apus apus 2016 th Common Swift c.30, May 17 2016. Ardea cinerea Grey Heron 2017 √ 2014 N: Regular visitor. Aythya ferina Common Pochard 1985 N: 1 female, Jan 1st 1985. N: Up to 4, 2006-2007. Aythya fuligula 2017 Tufted Duck 2, Sept-early Oct 2017. Bucephala clangula Goldeneye 1983 N: 1 fem, Jan 28th 1983. Buteo buteo Buzzard 2013 2015 2015 Any time of year. N: Apparently one seen 2001 Caprimulgus europaeus Nightjar during a bat survey. N: 5, Dec 20th 1989. 1989 2013 Carduelis cabaret Lesser Redpoll R: Occasional in winter. R: 2 breeding territories in 2011 Carduelis cannabina Linnet 2002. R: 1-2 breeding territories 2015 2015 2005 2015 2017 Carduelis carduelis Goldfinch and probably at all sites. Breeding territories at all 2009 2014 2015 2015 2017 Carduelis chloris Greenfinch sites. Occasional small winter 2011 2009 2017 Carduelis spinus Siskin feeding flocks. N & R: Occasional 2015 2015 2006 2015 Certhia familiaris Treecreeper breeding territories. 1st YCP record - singing 2016 st nd Cettia cetti Cetti’s Warbler male, Mar 21 and 22 . Chroicocephalus ridibundus Black-headed Gull 2017 Casual visitor in winter. R: 1, Apr 18th 1987. Cinclus cinclus Dipper 2015 1987 N: 1 along Valley Garden stream, July 6th 2015. W & R: Uncommon at both 2015 2015 2015 2015 Columba oenas Stock Dove sites. Breeding territories at all 2017 2015 2015 2015 2017 Columba palumbus Wood Pigeon sites. Corvus corax Raven 2015 2015 2017 Occasional flyovers. Corvus corone Carrion Crow 2017 2015 2015 2015 2017 S, W & R: Breeds. N: Small rookery just 2013 Corvus frugilegus Rook outside the wood. Corvus monedula Jackdaw 2015 2014 2015 2015 2015 N & W: Breeds. Cuculus canorus Cuckoo 2014 1994 Now a rare visitor. Cyanistes caeruleus Blue Tit 2015 2014 2015 2015 2017 Breeding territories at all - 7 - Year Last Recorded Species Common Name Notes N P S W R sites. N: Occasionally breeds, 2017 1990 2014 Cygnus olor Mute Swan e.g. 2017 (8 young). N: Young in nest, May 20th 2017 2014 2003 2015 2017 Dendrocopus major Great Spotted Woodpecker 2016. P & R: Has bred. Dendrocopus minor Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1993 N: A pair, May 1st 1993. Aerial feeding groups at 2010 2012 Delichon urbicum House Martin both sites. N: 1, June 27th 2014. 2014 2016 th Egretta garzetta Little Egret R: 1, May 17 2016. R: Bred in 2002 (one pair) 2017 Emberiza schoeniclus Reed Bunting and 2016 (2 pairs). Breeding territories at all Erithacus rubecula 2015 2015 2015 2015 2017 Robin sites. Falco tinnunculus Kestrel 2006 2017 Casual visitor. A single flyover at each site 1993 2002 Falco subbuteo Hobby (June & July respectively). Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon 2013 N: A flyover. Ficedula hypoleuca Pied Flycatcher 1991 N: A male, May 11th 1991. Breeding territories at all 2014 2017 2015 2015 2017 Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch sites. N: A feeding group of c.20 1994 Fringilla montifringilla Brambling Feb 1994. N: Pair, Apr-Jun 2017, 1st 2017 Fulica atra Coot since 2004. Has bred. Gallinago gallinago Common Snipe 1985 2016 Scarce winter visitor. N: Breeds annually. 2017 2015 2015 Gallinula chloropus Moorhen W & R: Has bred. N & R: Occasional pairs in 2017 2007 2015 2015 2015 Garrulus glandarius Jay the breeding season. Aerial feeders in singles Hirundo rustica 2010 2003 2017 Swallow or small groups. Jynx torquilla Wryneck 2017 1, August 28th 2017. Larus argentatus Herring Gull 2017 2007 2014 2015 Casual visitor. Larus fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull 2012 Occasional visitor. W: 1 singing, May 13th 1990 Luscinia megarhynchos Nightingale 1990. R: Single flyovers, 2002 2017 Milvus milvus Red Kite and 2017. Mainly a visitor outside 2008 2003 Motacilla alba Pied Wagtail the breeding season. N: Has bred, e.g. 2013. Motacilla cinerea Grey Wagtail 2017 2015 2015 2015 R: Has probably bred. S: Dodham Brook only. N: 3 breeding territories, Muscicapa striata Spotted Flycatcher 2014 1993 1990 1999. Now migrant only. W: Pair bred, 1993. Breeding territories at all Parus major 2015 2015 2015 2015 2017 Great Tit sites. W: Boundary hedge by 1987 2015 2005 Passer domesticus House Sparrow Ivel Court. Breeding territories at N, 2015 2015 2003 2015 2015 Periparus ater Coal Tit W & R.