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The Natural History of the Commons
R.rubiginosaAs open spaces, the Commons represent important plant and animal habitats in an environment that is increasingly urbanized.  The challenge in managing these areas is to balance the demands of human recreational use with those of wildlife.  The designation of both Park Downs and a large part of Banstead Downs as Sites of Special Scientific Interest imparts added management responsibilities to ensure that their value as wildlife habitats are not compromised. 

On this page we give some idea of type of habitat and the variety of both plants and animals to be seen on the Commons. In time we hope to gather comprehensive information for all four commons to aid in management decisions.  Any records regarding the fauna and flora would be welcomed.

Burgh Heath Banstead Downs Park Downs Banstead Heath

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 Natural History of Banstead Downs
Most of Banstead Downs has been designated an SSSI and is managed in agreement with Natural England.   For many years, the Downs was overgrown with scrub and the chalk grassland deteriorated, over the past ten years or so this has been changed.  Scrub clearance together with the introduction of winter sheep grazing and more recently regular forage harvesting has led to the restoration of large areas of chalk grassland with a concomitant dramatic increase in the diversity of plant species and associated fauna.  

G.anglicaA number of voluntary groups, the Downland Countryside Management Project and Surrey Wildlife Trust help with sheep grazing to maintain grassland habitat and Plantlife also help in habitat maintenance for several specific rare plant species on the Downs.  However it is important to ensure that some scrub of varying age remains because this acts as important shelter and breeding areas for wildlife especially birds and various invertebrates.  

In the long term, our intention is to maintain a balanced combination of scrub and grassland to maximise habitat diversity.  In the past two years an area in the centre of the Downs has been cleared almost completely of scrub, we hope to maintain this area as grassland using a combination of sheep grazing and mechanical forage harvesting, progress will be monitored carefully.

Flora of Banstead Downs   
Banstead Downs is north-facing and has an unusual chalk downland flora especially with regard to the scrub habitat that in places is dominated by common gorse (Ulex europaea).  The other scrub species include Dogwood, Privet, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Spindle and Buckthorn, these species are at their most attractive in the autumn when together with wild clematis their fruit creates a colourful display.

 In general, chalk grassland flora is renowned for the number and diversity of plant species, these in turn provide food for many animal species especially butterflies.   Common chalk grassland species include kidney vetch, horse-shoe vetch, ox-eye daisy, purging flax (Linum catharticum), both common and chalk milkworts (Polygala ssp.) Carline Thistle (Carlina acaulis) and Eyebrights (Euphrasia ssp.) plus many others.  However there are some species, common on the south-facing chalk escarpment five miles south, which are absent. Most notable of these are various orchid species with only Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) being reliably present although pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) has reappeared over the past few years with scrub clearance.   In later summer Greater Knapweed provides a spectacular display in the more open areas 

Banstead Downs does however have a number of its own rarities including two that are nationally rare and part of Plantlife's "Back from the Brink" project, Early Gentian (Gentianella anglica) and Broad-leaved Cudweed (Filago pyrimidata).
                                        
Fauna of Banstead Downs                                               
Mammals regularly seen on the Downs include fox, rabbit and stoat although you will have to get up early to see the latter, as you would to see Roe deer.  Smaller mammals including weasels, voles and shrews are abundant although not necessarily easily seen.

As far as birds go the Downs support a wide range of species the most colourful of which include Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Bullfinches and Goldfinches.  Both Kestrels and Sparrowhawks have nested for many years on the Downs. In the winter large mixed flocks of tits are often seen in the denser scrub. The most notable bird species are the summer visitors. The open scrubChalkhill Blue supports a large population of the more common warblers, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, willow and garden warblers. 

 Thanks to the effort of one local expert, we are lucky enough to have detailed information of the butterfly population over the past fifteen years. In that period at 32 species have been recorded, amongst the most prominent being four species of blues (Common, Small, Chalkhill and Holly) and Marbled White.  Also common is the day-flying Six-Spot Burnet Moth.  The mixed habitat means that many other invertebrates can be found, one of the most noticeable being glowworms.  Most recently the Horniman Museum conducted a survey of parasitic wasps on the Downs. 
 
Natural History of Banstead Heath
For such a large area (over 700 acres), the plant and animal life of Banstead Heath is apparently under recorded. This is partly because compared to many of the adjacent areas especially the Downs to the south, the area has been relatively poor in terms of variety of species and hence of less interest. This is predominantly the result of the Heath having a long history as a working heath with all the disturbance and management that entails. One of the main aims of the current management policy of the BCC is to restore and enhance a range of habitats on the Heath especially with regard to the reestablishment of mixed lowland heath habitat that might be expected to occur on this type of soil, a habitat that has dramatically declined in recent times. All that said, the Heath is home to a wide range of breeding birds and mammals.  
 
Fly AgaricFlora of Banstead Heath
As far as we are aware there has only ever been one formal survey of the plant life of the Heath, conducted by the Surrey Wildlife Trust in July 1994.   This resulted in the identification of almost 200 species of flowering plant. Typical plants of the Heath are the various species of Hawkweed (Hieracium species) that flower prolifically amongst the meadow grasses in high summer with dandelion-like flowers ranging from pale lemon yellow to deep orange. At the southern end of the Heath there are large areas of mixed heather that provide a colourful display in late summer.  In the autumn many species of fungi can be found.

Bracken is a dominant species in many areas of the Heath to the exclusion of virtually all other species. Active measures are being taken to reduce the area covered by this resilient species and in many areas we are encouraging the growth of Ling (Calluna vulgaris)/Gorse (Ulex europaea)  heath in its place.

Fauna of Banstead Heath
Perhaps the most obvious birds of the Heath are skylarks that breed in large numbers in the grassy meadows especially Mill Field, in view of the national decline of this species it is gratifying that the numbers appear to be increasing on the Heath.    

The London Natural History Society carried out two surveys (1970 and 1990) of breeding birds in the tetrad that includes both Walton and Banstead Heath.  The results suggested a significant decline in the number of species present.  Over the past few years we have conducted our own survey on Banstead Heath  and the evidence suggests that the diversity of species is once again increasing presumably as a result of the more varied habitat produced by our management.   There is a range of heathland birds breeding such as Linnet, Yellowhammers, Redpoll, Reed Bunting and including in the past few years Dartford Warblers. Other noticeable species include Green Woodpeckers often seen hunting for insects on the ground and during May and June, Woodcock are frequently seen at dusk roding.  The past few years have seen the return of Woodlark as a breeding species.

Various mammal species are well represented on the Heath including foxes, roe deer and badgers.  Perhaps surprisingly evidence for the presence of dormice has been found.
  
Banstead Heath is notable for large numbers of butterflies in high summer. The Browns and Skippers are the dominant species but as with other wildlife on the heath no definitive information is available as to the exact species and their relative abundance. One notable insect found on Banstead Heath is the Bog Bush Cricket. This species only occurs at one other site in eastern Surrey.  

 One reptile species to look out for in the summer is the Adder (left) which is relatively common on the Heath. This is a shy animal and is most likely to been seen basking in sunny clearings in the scrub or bracken.  

 


 
Natural History of Burgh Heath
The dominant natural feature of Burgh Heath is its ponds and as a consequence these provide most interest regarding fauna and flora.
Flora of Burgh Heath 
The most notable species associated with the ponds include pillwort (Pilularia globulifera) a species endangered at both the national and European level. Other species of interest include Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) and yellow fringed water lily (Nymphoides peltata, illustrated in flower on right) the latter growing so well it has to be regularly controlled. 
One particularly attractive plant is the pale form of the Common Flag (Iris pseudacorus v bastardii) that occurs in good numbers around the large pond, shown in comparison with the usual form below.  
 Two alien and invasive species, New Zealand Stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) and Parrots' Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) have in recent times presented a particular problem that appears to have been alleviated by a combination of spraying (with Roundup) and physical clearance.  The latter being performed by local residents.

Fauna of Burgh Heath
The ponds are notable for the various amphibians present including, both Common and Great Crested Newts and in addition to Common frogs and toads, a stable population of European Green Frogs is present.   In the largest pond the population of these species is likely to be limited by the large fish population mostly originating from unauthorised release into the pond.

The ponds also contain healthy populations of wild fowl including Mallards, Moorhen and Coot. Herons are regular visitors. In the summer large number of dragonflies can be seen.

Common Spotted Orchid Natural History of Park Downs
Park Downs is a small area of chalk downland that until recently had become overgrown with typical chalk scrub consisting of Dogwood, Privet and other species. An intensive programme of scrub clearance followed by sheep and goat grazing has resulted in the re-establishment of open chalk turf in large areas over the Downs.

Flora of Park Downs
This has resulted in the reappearance of various chalk plant species including several species of orchid including Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii ), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) and Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophorum) all have been recorded previously, however in 2004 Greater Butterfly Orchid appeared, as far as we know, not previously seen on this site and the ongoing recolonization is being followed with interest. 

 In early spring the edges of scrub are in some places brightened by the presence of Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus).
 
As a result of the scrub clearance the rabbit population has increased and provide natural grazing. This means that large areas of chalk turf have been established with an accompanying increase in the wild flower population. In the spring, violets including Hairy, Dog and Sweet Violets (Viola hirta) and cowslips (Primula veris) provide a spectacular display, later in the summer there has been an increase in Felwort (Gentianella amarella) a plant apparently unpalatable to rabbits. 

Fauna of Park Downs
Most of the larger animal species seen on the Downs move between there and the much larger area of open space Banstead Woods, on the Roman Snailopposite of Holly Lane. These include foxes, deer and badgers, the rabbit population took a downturn in early 2006 when a bout of myxamatosis reduced numbers dramatically.

 The birdlife on Park Downs is dominated by various summer-visiting warblers including whitethroats and blackcaps although the num,bers are nowhere near as high as on nearby Banstead Downs.  A pair of kestrels regularly rear two or three young each year.

Butterflies on Park Downs although not so numerous in terms of species are nevertheless well represented with both Common and Chalkhill Blues present,   Excitingly, 2006 saw the first record for Silver-Spotted Skipper on the Downs and it was observed egglaying so hopefully will now form a permanent resident here.

On of the few advantages to heavy rain during the summer is the opportunity to view the large Roman Snail (left) that is common on Park Downs