Ufton Fields
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP381615 | — | Favourable | 31.79 | 2012-12-18 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| little grebe | Breeding |
| little grebe | Wintering |
| snipe | Breeding |
| snipe | Wintering |
Description
Area, 32.5 ha. 80.3 ac. Description The site lies on a plateau of 'White Lias' limestone in central Warwickshire close to the village of Ufton. It has developed on areas of opencast limestone workings that were abandoned during the early 1950s. The quarrying left a 'hill and dale' landform with long ridges of clay spoil and deep parallel furrows. These furrows now contain marshes and pools whilst the intervening ridges are covered by a mixture of grassland and scrub. The great range of aquatic, scrub and woodland habitats interspersed with calcareous and neutral grassland, makes this an important site for invertebrates, plants and birds. The site has been selected for its invertebrates. There are outstanding assemblages of dragonflies and butterflies and six notable species of dragonfly that have been recorded, two, the ruddy darter Sympetrum sanguineum and the variable damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum are notable rarities. Twenty six species of butterfly are regularly present including a colony of marbled white Melanargia galatheaa. Four notable species of fly are present including a nationally rare soldier fly Stratiomys singularior. The beetles also include two notable species, the water beetle Berosus signaticollis and the longhorn beetle Agapanthia villosoviridescens. Those parts of the site with base rich soils support a species rich calcicolous lime loving flora, including calcicoles such as wild basil Clinopodium vulgare, yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata and ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza. Six species of orchid occur, including bee orchid Ophrys apifera, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and the only colony of man orchid Orchis anthorpophora in Warwickshire. The range of grassland scrub and aquatic habitats provides sites for an unusual diversity of breeding and overwintering birds. Breeding birds include little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis and water rail Rallus aquaticus as well as snipe Gallinago gallinago.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| golden-bloomed grey longhorn | Agapanthia villosoviridescens | LC | beetle longhorn | cerambycidae |
| no common name | Berosus signaticollis | Not listed in GB list | beetle water | hydrophilidae |
| little grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) | bird-grebe | podicipedidae |
| water rail | Rallus aquaticus | LC (Breeding) | bird-rail | threskiornithidae |
| snipe | Gallinago gallinago | DD (NonBreeding) | bird-snipe | scolopacidae |
| variable damselfly | Coenagrion pulchellum | NT | damselflies | coenagrionidae |
| ruddy darter | Sympetrum sanguineum | LC | dragonfly | libellulidae |
| flecked general fly | Stratiomys singularior | LC | fly soldier | stratiomyidae |
| yellowwort | Blackstonia perfoliata | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| wild basil | Clinopodium vulgare | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| ploughman's spikenard | Inula conyza | Not listed in GB list | herb | asteraceae |
| bee orchid | Ophrys apifera | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| man orchid | Orchis anthorpophora | Not listed in GB list | herb | orchidaceae |
| early purple orchid | Orchis mascula | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| greater butterfly orchid | Platanthera chlorantha | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
Plant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis
W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas
W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas