Ecology and Biodiversity at the Tufa Field
The Ecology of the Tufa Field is complex and diverse, having developed over the 50 years since the field was last in active cultivation as a dairy cow meadow.
Surrounding land to the south has burgeoned into a rich woodland, and is now the Stirtingale Farm SNCI. The apron to this woodland is the Tufa Field, with a Lowland Grassland characteristic, and supporting the life in the woodland, as well as its own inhabitants.
Key species include Reptiles (Slow Worms), Amphibians (Newts, Frogs and Toads), Invertebrates (Moths and Butterflies) and Small and Large Mammals (Voles, Deer, Badgers, Foxes). The entrance to the field is an important Bat corridor.
The Tufa Flushes support calcareous plant life, the surface of the field being either continuously or partially permeated by up to 3 watercourses. The Tufa formations are in their infancy and as such are not particularly prominent, but the continuous flow of water containing high levels of dissolved limestone give rise to conditions only found rarely in the area.
The presence of numerous Garden Ponds around the site periphery supports amphibian breeding and hibernation,underlining their importance in an urban setting..
The 2024 Ecological Impact Assessment records numerous Slow Worm sites,
The EIA is a snapshot, taken at a particular time and under prevailing conditions, and does not pretend to record all species, or identify their likely presence. Local observations have taken place over many years in continuous conditions, so has identified many more species than a quick survey can.
This local record is documented here.
The field has a complex geology and ecology with representatives from large and small mammal groups, birds of all sizes, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates including moths butterflies and insect life. There is also a huge range of botanical species present in the wet and drier areas in close proximity. Many have made their home here others depend on the site for feeding and breeding, some for transit to other areas, some are unique to the ecology.
A veritable Museum of Life in our midst.
Documenting all of the species is a considerable task and is ongoing so the following tables are constantly being amended and extended. If you spot something we have missed, please let us know.
If you want to know more about a particular species, click on its link.
Mammals
Name | Last Seen |
Number | Class | Scientific Name |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fallow Deer |
Daily | 3-4 | Artiodactyla | Dama dama |
|
Badger | Daily | 3 setts | Carnivora | Meles meles | Protected |
Fox | Daily | 2-3 | Carnivora | Vulpes vulpes |
|
Grey Squirrel | Daily | many | Rodent | Sciurus carolinensis |
|
Field Vole | May 2023 | many | Rodent | Microtus agrestis |
|
Wood Mouse | June 2023 | many | Rodent | Apodemus sylvaticus |
|
Common pipistrelle bat |
July 2023 | many | Chiroptera | Pipistrellus pipistrellus |
Protected |
Greater Horseshoe Bat | June 2023 | many | Chiroptera | Rhinolophus ferrumequinum | Protected |
Muntjac Deer | January 2023 | 1-2 | Artiodactyla | Muntiacus reevesi | Protected |
To see a full list of UK mammals and their status , visit the Mammal Society.
Birds
N.B. All birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Status indicates the conservation status as defined by the RSPB, Red is the highest danger category, through Amber to Green which are the birds which are not showing moderate or severe declines.
Name | Last Reported |
Number | Class | Scientific Name |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barn Owl | February 2022 | 1 | Owls | Tyto Alba | Green |
Blackbird | Daily | Many | Thrushes | Turdus Melua | Green |
Blackcap | Daily | Many | Warblers | Sylvia atricapilla | Green |
Blue Tit | Daily | Many | Tits | Cyanistes caerulus | Green |
Bullfinch | May 2023 | 2 | Finches | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | Amber |
Buzzard | Daily | 3-4 | Kites, hawks and eagles |
Buteo buteo |
Green |
Carrion Crow | Daily | 3-4 | Crows | Corvus corone | Green |
Chaffinch | Daily | 1-2 | Finches | Fringilla coelebs | Green |
Chiffchaff | Daily | 1-2 | Warblers | Phylloscopus collybita |
Green |
Coal tit | Daily | 1-2 | Tits | Periparus ater | Green |
Collared Dove | Daily | 1-2 | Pigeons and Doves |
Streptopelia decaocto | Green |
Common gull | Daily | Many | Gulls and Terns |
Larus canus | Amber |
Dunnock | Daily | Many | Accentors | Prunella modularis | Amber |
Fieldfare | February 2023 | 2-3 | Thrushes | Turdus pilaris | Red |
Goldfinch | June 2023 | 1-2 | Finches | Carduelis carduelis | Green |
Great spotted woodpecker | April 2022 | 1 | Woodpeckers | Dendrocopos major | Green |
Great tit | Daily | Many | Tits | Parus major | Green |
Greenfinch | May 2023 | 2-3 | Finches | Chloris Chloris | Red |
Herring gull | Daily | Many | Gulls and Terns | Larus argentatus | Red |
Hooded Crow | Weekly | 1-2 | Crows | Corvus cornix | Green |
House martin | June 2022 | 3-4 | Swallows and martins |
Delichon urbicum | Red |
House sparrow | Daily | 5-6 | Old world sparrows |
Passer domesticus | Red |
Jackdaw | Weekly | 1 | Crows | Corvus monedula | Green |
Jay | June 2022 | 1 | Crows | Garrulus glandarius | Green |
Magpie | Daily | 5-6 | Crows | Pica pica | Green |
Nightingale | June 2022 | 1 | Chats | Luscinia megarhynchos | Red |
Nightjar | Daily | 1 | Nightjars | Caprimulgus europaeus | Amber |
Nuthatch | Daily | 1 | Nuthatches | Sitta europaea | Green |
Pheasant | May 2023 | 2-3 | Pheasants and partridges | Phasianus colchicus | Introduced |
Red Kite | June 2022 | 1 | Kites, hawks and eagles |
Milvus milvus | Green |
Robin | Daily | 1-2 | Old world flycatchers and chats |
Erithacus rubecula | Green |
Rook | June 2022 | Many | Crows | Corvus frugilegus | Amber |
Song thrush | Daily | 1 | Thrushes | Turdus philomelos | Amber |
Stock dove | Daily | 5-6 | Pigeons and doves |
Columba oenas | Amber |
Starling | March 2023 | 1-2 | Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Red |
Swift | July 2023 | 2-3 | Swifts | Apus apus | Red |
Tawny Owl | Frequent | 1-2 | Owls | Strix aluco | Amber |
Treecreeper | Frequent | 1-2 | Treecreepers | Certhia familiaris | Green |
Woodpigeon | Daily | 5-6 | Pigeons and Doves |
Columba palumbus | Amber |
Wren | Daily | 1-2 | Wrens | Troglodytes troglodytes | Amber |
Amphibians
Name | Last Reported |
Number | Class | Scientific Name |
Red list Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Toad | July 2023 | Many | Bufo Bufo | Least Concern | |
Common Frog | Daily | Many | Rana Temporaria | Least Concern | |
Smooth Newt | Daily | Many | Lissotriton vulgaris | Least Concern | |
Palmate Newt | May 2022 | 5-6 | Lissotriton helveticus | Least Concern | |
Reptiles
Name | Last Seen |
Number | Class | Scientific Name |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Slow Worm | Spring 2023 | Many | Reptiles | Anguis fragilis | Protected |
Common Lizard | July 2022 | 1-2 | Reptiles | Zootoca vivipara | Priority species |
Invertebrates
Name | Last Reported |
Number | Classification | Scientific Name |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small Blue | July 2023 | 5-6 | Butterflies | Cupido Minimus | Priority Species |
Meadow Brown | June 2023 | 4-5 | Butterflies | Maniola Jurtina | Common |
Painted Lady | June 2023 | 4-5 | Butterflies | Vanessa cardui | Common |
Peacock Butterfly | March 2023 | 1-2 | Butterflies | Aglais Io | Common |
Common Blue | June 2023 | 3-4 | Butterflies | Polyommatus icarus | Common |
Small White | July 2023 | 7-8 | Butterflies | Pieris rapae | Common |
Cinnabar | June 2023 | 2 | Moths | Tyria jacobaeae | Priority species |
Common blue damselfly | June 2023 | Many | Damselflies | Enallagma cyathigerum | Common |
Large red damselfly | May 2023 | Many | Damselflies | Pyrrhosoma nymphula | Common |
Common froghopper | May 2023 | Many | Bugs | Philaenus spumarius | Common |
Hill soldier fly | June 2018 | 1 | Diptera | Oxycera pardalina | Rare |
Buff-tailed Bumblebee | Spring 2023 | 3-4 | Bees and Wasps | Bombus terrestris | Common |
Hairy-footed flower bee | May 2023 | Many | Bees and Wasps | Anthophor plumipes | Common |
Early bumblebee | March 2023 | 4-5 | Bees and Wasps | Bombus pratorum | Common |
Garden Bumblebee | Summer 2022 | Many | Bees and Wasps | Bombus hortorum | Common |
White-tailed bumblebee | Summer 2022 | 4-5 | Bees and Wasps | Bombus lucorum | Common |
Red-tailed bumblebee | Summer 2022 | 4-5 | Bees and Wasps | Bombus lapidarius | Common |
Common Carder Bee | Summer 2023 | Many | Bees and Wasps | Bombus pascuorum | Common |
Honey Bee | Summer 2023 | Many | Bees and Wasps | Apis mellifera | Common |
Patchwork leaf-cutter bee | Summer 2023 | 4-5 | Bees and Wasps | Megachile centuncularis | Common |
Red Mason Beehttps://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/plants/agrimony | Summer 2023 | 2-3 | Bees and Wasps | Osmia bicornis | Common |
Common Wasp | Summer 2023 | Many | Bees and Wasps | Vespula vulgaris | Common |
Red Ant | Summer 2023 | Many | Ants | Myrmica rubra | Common |
Yellow Meadow Ant | Summer 2023 | Many | Ants | Lasius flavus | Common |
Black Garden Ant | Summer 2023 | Many | Ants | Lasius niger | Common |
Garden spider | June 2023 | Many | Spiders | Araneus diadematus | Common |
Wolf Spider | July 2023 | Many | Spiders | Pardosa amentata | Common |
Drone-fly | Regularly | Many | Flies | Eristalis tenax | Common |
Common banded hoverfly | Summer 2023 | Many | Flies | Syrphus ribesii | Common |
Heineken fly | Summer 2023 | Many | Flies | Rhingia campestris | Common |
Marmalade fly | Summer 2023 | Many | Flies | Episyrphus balteatus | Common |
Clouded Silver | July 2023 | 1 | Moths | Lomographa temerata | Common |
Gatekeeper | Summer 2023 | 1 | Butterflies | Pyronia tithonus | Common |
Peacock Butterfly | July 2023 | 1 | Butterflies | Aglais io | Common |
Green Lacewing | July 2023 | 1 | Other insects | Chrysoperla carnea | Common |
Common Mayfly | June 2023 | 3-4 | Other insects | Ephemera danica | Common |
Speckled Wood | August 2023 | 1 | Butterflies | Pararge aegeria | Common |
Holly Blue | August 2023 | 1 | Butterflies | Celastrina argiolus | Common |
Brindled Beauty | August 2023 | 1 | Moths | Lycia hirtaria | Common |
Plants
Name | Last Reported | Number | Category | Scientific Name |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agrimony | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Agrimonia eupatoria | Common |
Bath Asparagus | Summer 2022 | 4-5 | Wildflowers | Ornithogalum pyrenaicum | Uncommon |
Buddleia | Summer 2022 | 1 | Trees and Shrubs | Buddleja davidii | Introduced, naturalised |
Bittersweet | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Solanum dulcamara | Common |
Cow parsley | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Anthriscus sylvestris | Common |
Common Sorrel | Summer 2022 | 5-6 | Wildflowers | Rumex acetosa | Common |
Great Bindweed | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Calystegia sylvatica | Common, non-native |
Field Bindweed | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Convolvulus arvensis | Common |
Great Willowherb | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Epilobium hirsutum | Common |
Hogweed | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Heracleum sphondylium | Common |
Hedge Parsley | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Torilis Japonica | Common |
Ragwort | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Senecio jacobaea | Common |
Red Bartsia | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Odontites verna | Common |
Spear Thistle | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Cirsium vulgare | Common |
Stinging Nettle | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Urtica dioica | Common |
Teasel | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Dipsacus fullonum | Common |
White Briony | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Bryonia dioica | Common |
Woolly Thistle | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Cirsium eriophorum | Common |
Yellow Rattle | Summer 2022 | Many | Wildflowers | Rhinanthus minor | Common |
Yorkshire Fog | Summer 2022 | Many | Grasses Sedges and Rushes | Holcus lanatus | Common |