HTAG Guildford - Pewley Down Conservation Volunteers Update Dec 05

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Pewley Down Conservation Volunteers Update Dec 05

Pewley Down Volunteers December 2005

Under the guidance of the Borough Council we have run work parties on Pewley Down for 2 years now. We meet at 10 am on the first Saturday morning of every month at the top of Pewley Hill, by the notice board. You are welcome to join us. Please wear your oldest clothes, ankle boots if possible and strong gloves. The Down is steep and can be slippery at times. Some members have been trained to work with brush cutters, and others work with loppers, saws and rakes. Tasks we do include cutting back the brush, keeping footpaths clear and collecting litter.

With the Council we maintain Notice Boards. Where possible we photograph flora and fauna and then put up posters so that visitors can see what is actually there. We emphasise the importance of leaving flowers for everyone to enjoy. On July 4 we counted 1829 Pyramidal Orchids and on 6 August 429 Chalk hill Blue Butterflies. We have 6 species of orchid on the site.

Pewley Down is a popular site, well used by walkers, riders, cyclists and for picnics. Rare flowers under threat include Autumn Gentian, Autumn Ladies Tresses, Basil Thyme, Bastard Toadflax, Dodder, Fragrant Orchid, Harebells, Man Orchid and Spotted Orchid. We urgently need more land to be included in Pewley Down, to reduce the pressure on these flowers, so that visitors can continue to enjoy them.

A Volunteer's Report on the 5 November Work Party

The working party was in fine fettle, 23 of us met under the guidance of Nick. We had a cracking session pulling out excess growth in the far copse - mainly ivy and dead trees, where brambles and Tarzan-vines are strangling the grassland. Meanwhile, others tackled the dogwood on the open hillside, roots and all. There were two bonfires to feed and we were blessed with warm sunshine throughout.

Distinguished contributors delivered lively reports on the butterfly population and the need for additional fields for the public to enjoy. Members brought along excellent wine, pizza and cookies. A couple of meaty rockets launched in the brilliant sunshine were enough to confirm to our two much younger teamsters(Will and Elliot) that enthusiastic and eccentric can be a fun combination in these endeavours !

Butterflies!

As part of a national scheme to monitor butterfly numbers regular, weekly, counts of butterflies are made on Pewley Down throughout the summer. Although these counts were only started this year they have revealed some interesting facts. In all 28 species of butterflies were recorded on the Downs, of which at least 20 bred. The most frequently recorded species were Chalk-hill Blue, Meadow Brown and Common Blue. The Chalk-hill Blue is a highly localised and declining species throughout the UK and the population on Downs (peak weekly count: 256 individuals) is the second largest in Surrey.

Butterflies of Conservation Concern

The Down has very small populations of four butterflies of conservation concern. The Adonis Blue, which is a British Action Plan Priority species, appears to be maintaining a very small, possibly introduced, population on the Down. The habitat here is not ideal for this butterfly. The three other butterflies: Small Blue, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers are all, nationally, showing serious declines. All are present in very small numbers on the Downs (maximum count: 4). This year's sightings of Grizzled Skipper were the first confirmed sightings for several years. Current conservation work on the Down should improve the habitat for all three butterflies and we hope to see improved numbers of all these species over the next few years.

Conservation Work

Pewley Down is one of the very best sites in Surrey for downland butterflies. However conservation work, by volunteers, will need to continue for several more years if we are to ensure the continued survival of our interesting butterfly populations.

To find out how the PDCVs started click here.

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