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 site contains many species that are of National importance according to the 2023 Environmental impact survey. Of particular concern are invertebrates including nationally rare and endangered species.

“6.2. In the absence of any avoidance, mitigation or compensation measures the development of
the site has the potential to lead to adverse ecological effects of up to ‘large’ significance on
the site’s invertebrate interest.
6.3. In the absence of any avoidance, mitigation or compensation measures the development of
the site has the potential to lead to adverse ecological effects of up to ‘moderate’
significance on bats of the Bath and Bradford on Avon Bats SAC, grassland and
watercourses and non-SAC bats and on the Stirtingale Farm SNCI.
6.4. The potential impacts of the development on badgers, slow-worms and breeding birds
would be of ‘slight’ significance, even in the absence of avoidance, mitigation or
compensation measures.”

These include :

• Oxycera analis: Dark winged Soldier – (Nationally Rare);
• Oxycera pardalina: Hill Soldier – (Nationally Scarce);
• Eggisops pecchiollii: False Woodlouse Fly – (Nationally Scarce);
• Pipinculus elegans (Nationally Scarce);
• Auplopus carbonarius: Spider Wasp – (Nationally Scarce);
• Campiglossa malaris: Ragwort Campiglossa – (Nationally Endangered);
• Hercostomus plagiatus (Nationally Scarce);
• Oxyna nebulosa: Clouded Daisy Fly – (Nationally Rare);
• Pherbellia griseola: Variable Little Snailkiller – (Nationally Rare);
• Tetanocera punctfrons: Side-striped Buff Snailkiller – (Nationally Scarce).

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.

N.B. On mobile devices, this page is best viewed in Landscape mode.

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	June 2026	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.

Amphibians

Reptiles

Invertebrates

Name	Last Seen	Number	Class	Scientific Name	Red List Status
Small Blue	July 2026	5-6	Butterflies	Cupido Minimus	Priority Species
Meadow Brown	June 2026	4-5	Butterflies	Maniola Jurtina	Common
Painted Lady	June 2026	4-5	Butterflies	Vanessa cardui	Common
Peacock Butterfly	March 2026	1-2	Butterflies	Aglais Io	Common
Common Blue	June 2026	3-4	Butterflies	Polyommatus icarus	Common
Small White	July 2026	7-8	Butterflies	Pieris rapae	Common
Cinnabar	June 2026	2	Moths	Tyria jacobaeae	Priority species
Common blue damselfly	June 2026	Many	Damselflies	Enallagma cyathigerum	Common
Large red damselfly	May 2026	Many	Damselflies	Pyrrhosoma nymphula	Common
Common froghopper	May 2025	Many	Bugs	Philaenus spumarius	Common
Hill soldier fly	June 2018	1	Diptera	Oxycera pardalina	Rare
Buff-tailed Bumblebee	Spring 2026	3-4	Bees and Wasps	Bombus terrestris	Common
Hairy-footed flower bee	May 2026	Many	Bees and Wasps	Anthophor plumipes	Common
Early bumblebee	March 2026	4-5	Bees and Wasps	Bombus pratorum	Common
Garden Bumblebee	Summer 2026	Many	Bees and Wasps	Bombus hortorum	Common
White-tailed bumblebee	Summer 2026	4-5	Bees and Wasps	Bombus lucorum	Common
Red-tailed bumblebee	Summer 2026	4-5	Bees and Wasps	Bombus lapidarius	Common
Common Carder Bee	Summer 2026	Many	Bees and Wasps	Bombus pascuorum	Common
Honey Bee	Summer 2026	Many	Bees and Wasps	Apis mellifera	Common
Patchwork leaf-cutter bee	Summer 2026	4-5	Bees and Wasps	Megachile centuncularis	Common
Red Mason Bee	Summer 2026	2-3	Bees and Wasps	Osmia bicornis	Common
Common Wasp	Summer 2026	Many	Bees and Wasps	Vespula vulgaris	Common
Red Ant	Summer 2026	Many	Ants	Myrmica rubra	Common
Yellow Meadow Ant	Summer 2026	Many	Ants	Lasius flavus	Common
Black Garden Ant	Summer 2026	Many	Ants	Lasius niger	Common
Garden spider	June 2026	Many	Spiders	Araneus diadematus	Common
Wolf Spider	July 2026	Many	Spiders	Pardosa amentata	Common
Drone-fly	Regularly	Many	Flies	Eristalis tenax	Common
Common banded hoverfly	Summer 2026	Many	Flies	Syrphus ribesii	Common
Heineken fly	Summer 2026	Many	Flies	Rhingia campestris	Common
Marmalade fly	Summer 2026	Many	Flies	Episyrphus balteatus	Common
Clouded Silver	July 2025	1	Moths	Lomographa temerata	Common
Gatekeeper	Summer 2026	1	Butterflies	Pyronia tithonus	Common
Peacock Butterfly	July 2026	1	Butterflies	Aglais io	Common
Silver Studded Blue	July 2026	1	Butterflies	Plebejus argus	Vulnerable
Green Lacewing	July 2025	1	Other insects	Chrysoperla carnea	Common
Common Mayfly	June 2026	3-4	Other insects	Ephemera danica	Common
Speckled Wood	August 2026	1	Butterflies	Pararge aegeria	Common
Holly Blue	August 2026	1	Butterflies	Celastrina argiolus	Common
Beautiful Demoiselle	July 2026	1	Damselflies	Calopteryx virgo	Least Concern
Brindled Beauty	August 2025	1	Moths	Lycia hirtaria	Common
Jersey Tiger	July 2026	1	Moths	Euplagia quadripunctaria	Nationally Scarce

Plants

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