A diversity of species

Amy shares the diversity of species that we have found across The Worcestershire Sandlands...

From fluttering butterflies to nocturnal bats, wildlife surveys across The Worcestershire Sandlands have provided us with a valuable insight into the species that share the heathland landscape. Over the last few months, a range of ecological surveys have allowed us to explore the diversity of species present across our nature reserve, from invertebrates such as moths and butterflies to bats navigating across the heathland at night. Monitoring and surveying the wildlife present has also helped us to see the impact that our habitat management and restoration has had over the duration of the Saving Worcestershire’s Heathlands project.

Although often small, invertebrates play a vital role in heathland ecosystems. From pollinating heather to providing an important food source for other wildlife, these species are a key part of our heathlands. The surveys have recorded a range of interesting species, including Britain’s largest cricket, the great green bush-cricket, which is a predominately southern species that benefits from grasslands and hedgerows. Another exciting species that has been recorded on Dropping Well Farm during our Great Heath Count is the birch clubhorn sawfly which uses mimicry to look and sound like a hornet to warn off birds from eating them.

An Essex skipper on a bramble flower. It's a small, orange butterfly with black-tipped antennae

Essex skippers and green hairstreaks have been among some of the exciting butterfly species recorded on the heathland. Green hairstreaks are a vivid, metallic green colour which helps them to blend in well with their surroundings. Blink and you will miss them as they are fast flyers. Essex skippers thrive in acid grasslands, which is a positive indication of the habitat found across the nature reserve. In 2025, an amazing 2530 butterflies were recorded, with a record 3396 butterflies recorded this year by our surveyors* across butterfly transects on The Devil’s Spittleful and part of Dropping Well Farm.

*Surveyors followed Butterfly Conservation’s methodology and were completed by Pete Smith, Jan Taylor, Chris Rudge, Richard Cory and Sheran Cory.

The invertebrate surveys have provided us with a glimpse into the impact heathland management is having, while recent bat surveys have helped us to understand what is happening above the habitats. Bats are excellent hunters, using their echolocation to navigate and catch insects as they fly through the night. By surveying bat activity, we have been able to build a better picture of how the mosaic of habitats across the heathlands are being used. We now know that we have five species of bat that use Dropping Well Farm, with Pipistrelles being the most abundant. As we continue to restore the land back to heathland, we expect more species to be recorded there in the coming years. The abundance of wildflowers and other plants means that insects such as moths, a common food source for bats, have flourished, so there is plenty of food for bats to eat!

View over Dropping Well Farm, The Devil's Spittleful and Rifle Range nature reserves by Wendy Carter

Heathlands rely on active habitat management to prevent them from becoming too overgrown with scrub and trees. Having a mix of open, sunny areas, heathers, grassland, wildflowers and patches of scrub provide a mosaic of different conditions that insects and bats need to thrive. These surveys have helped us to dive deeper into the connections between wildlife and understand how well this management is working. Recording a variety of invertebrates alongside bat activity is encouraging and shows how these species depend on one another. Supporting insect populations through habitat bank creation, wildflower promotion, leaving areas undisturbed and creating habitat piles has provided food for bats and other wildlife.

Through monitoring wildlife and adapting our management, we can continue building on this success to help ensure our heathlands and surrounding habitats remain thriving for species and generations to come.