Back to Fauna & Flora home page
Martley is a considerable
parish, spreading over rocks of various ages. Martley’s rock formation’s,
span a period stretching from 550 million to 180 million years ago, and we are
part of the most complex geological area of Worcestershire.
The eastern half - Laugherne, Willow Green, Newtown and Martley Hillside - is
on Keuper Marl. This was formed when the area was part of a prehistoric desert,
with sand coated in iron oxide ( which is where we get the redness of our soils
and sandstones). Similarly, Berrow Green and ‘The Noak’ are on a
Lower Keuper Sandstone. On the western side of the parish, including Hillend
and Martley Hillside west, there is a geological fault of the Silurian period,
a complete contrast, because this Limestone feature was formed in the deep seas
that covered the land at that time. Horsham and Hilltop are on Devonian Old
Red Sandstones. Around Berrow Hill, Berrow Green are traces of Coal Measures,
formed in the Carboniferous period from rotting remains of the forests. Martley
has traces of Cambrian Quartzite and Archaean rock, some of the oldest rocks
formed in the heat and pressure of time. Over great periods of time all these
different rock and formations were squeezed, mixed and tilted, to form the landscape
we seet today.
The Laughern Brook
drains the eastern side of the parish, the western side by the river Teme.
This geological structuring gives the parish an interesting and devise ecology
with a mixture of habitats. Most of the western sides are heavily wooded, with
a good mixture of deciduous woodland. Very few coniferous woods exist in the
parish. The western side of the parish is hilly with the eastern side lying
flat, again adding to a diverse flora and fauna.
Martley lacks any large bodies of fresh water, where lakes can be found, these
have often been recent creations for fishery usage. Many small streams and springs
within the parish boundary, give a good supply of fresh running water. A report
published in 1929 on the wells and springs of Worcestershire, states that ‘
St. Peter’s Well has enough water to supply the whole village’.
Mammals.
The parish supports a large variety of species, many of them very common, The Rabbit, is probably the easiest of our mammals to observe and are very common. Hedgehog, small terrestrial animals with a dense covering of spines, Nocturnal in habitats but slow moving and are easy watched at night with a flashlight. These days, we more often see them as road causalities. Moles, because of their subterranean nature, we rarely see them, but their presence always visible by the mole hills
Bat’s are much easier to see but more difficult to identify.Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight as distinct from gliding. They normally fly at night, by day and during hibernation in winter, they spend their time resting hollow trees or attics. Common Pipistrelle, are the most wide spread and the smallest bat in Britain. It often flies over open farmland and it is the bat that most people find in the house. |
 |
top
Daubenton’s Bat, we often see near wooded country, where
they emerge about half an hour after sunset. They fly along regular beats, for
example the edge of a woodland ride.
Natterer’s Bat, is another small bat often to be seen
skimming over water, and it is common along the Teme.
Noctule Bat, is the largest bat that is likely to be seen,
and it has a rich golden-brown fur. Noctule Bats are colonial bats, often roosting
in large colonies in hollow trees, often using an old woodpecker hole. In summer
we can often hear them at a roost.
Long-eared Bat, is common in the parish where the length of
its ears easily identifies it. Again it is a bat of wooded country but will
roost in houses ( I have a small colony of long-eared Bats in my cottage at
Barbers).
Of the smaller
mammals, their slender pointed muzzles can identify The Common Shrew
from true mice. Active by day and night they are often located by they’re
highly pitch squeaking, frequently found under old planks of wood, logs and
sheet iron. They make nests of in tussocks of grass or under a log, several
litters of up to 5-7 young are born each year. Often caught by Cats, Common
Shrews are beneficial to the gardener, feeding on insects, spiders, woodlice,
snails and slugs.
Pygmy Shrew, a tiny animal that is less abundant but often
overlooked because of its size, its about 9 cm long. Found in similar habitats
to the Common Shrew, it hunts among the leaf litter of woods or in long grass.
Pygmy Shrew must feed every few hours to survive, yet will survive the coldest
winters without hibernating.
The Water Shrew is found along well vegetated water courses
but, I have never recorded this animal in Martley Parish.
Bank Voles in gardens where they find plenty of shrubs, they are good climbers.
Field Voles prefer grassland. They breed prolifically and are
an important food source for many predators such as owls, kestrels, weasel,
foxes and snakes.
Water Vole, once common along the Teme, St. Peter’s brook
and the Laughern brook, it now seems to have virtually disappeared from the
parish. The last record I have is along the river Teme in 1973. We have a recent
record of these animals in St. Peters Meadow.
Brown Rat, common, often found around farm buildings.
The House
Mouse, is common throughout the parish.
The Wood Mouse, again this small mouse is very in the parish,
where it lives in a wide variety of habitats, of dense woodland to gardens.
It will often enter houses in search of food. They are much browner in colour
than the House Mouse.
Yellow-Necked
Mouse, is very similar to the Wood Mouse, but much larger, but it is
not as common as other mice. Its distribution in Britain is restricted to the
Midland Counties and Wales. They are often found in houses, where it is often
heard running along the attic floor.
Harvest Mouse. This small climbing mammal is the only British
mouse with a prehensile tail. Once it could be found over most of the parish,
but I now believe it to be extinct here.
The Dormouse, very local in habitats, it prefers the mature
woodlands with plenty of scrub cover. Very shy, sleeping during the day and
venturing out at night. It will feed on fruit and berries and preferring plenty
of honeysuckle plants to climb on. It hibernates during the winter months.
Of the larger mammals to be found in the parish of Martley we may see any of
the following species.
The Fox, is very common and seen regularly.
Badgers, who are members of the weasel family, are common and
a number of Badger Setts are in the parish. One lady in the village, watches
these animals most days from here house windows.
Other members of the weasel family, with the exception of the Pine Marten
all can be to be found within the parish boundary.
Stoat and Weasel are common, but again not regularly observed.
The American Mink, can often be seen along the watercourses,
the first record I have of mink in Martley was back in 1971.
Otters are to be found along the river Teme, although they
are not common, however we do have a healthy population on the river. Dawn or
dusk is the best time to look for them. It is possible that there may be the
odd one in the Laughern Brook area.
Polecat or Foul Mart, it was probably this animal, that gave
the village its name. Once it was thought to be extinct in England. However,
a recent survey has found them quite abundant in the Marcher Counties, with
records of Polecat being found dead on both the M5 and M42 in Worcestershire.
They are often in farm buildings and can remain undetected for months before
moving on.
Rabbit, is very common throughout the parish and probably the
best known wild mammal in the countryside. The populations tend to fluctuate
due too out breaks of myxomatosis and it is doubtful they will ever reach the
high population level of the 1945 -55 periods.
Brown Hare,
can be seen in the open field areas of the parish, one of the best viewing areas
is near Hope House, while the flood meadows of the Teme also provide an ideal
habitat for these animals.
Hedgehog, a common mammal in the parish, more noted as a road
casualty today along with the dormouse the only mammal that hibernates in Britain.
Almost all species of deer have been seen in the parish at one time or another,
but records are scarce.
Red Deer, all will be Deer Park escapees’ probably from
Eastnor or Edwin Ralph where we know of Red Deer parks.
Roe Deer, appear occasionally along the Teme valley, and may
be more common than thought. It is a secretive animal and always stays close
to thick cover. It is probably under recorded in the parish.
Fallow Deer, have been recorded but again it is not a common
animal, most appear to be just passage animals.
Muntjac
Deer,
are the commonest of the deer in the parish, and seem to turn up at locations
quite close to the village. One was recorded feeding on the lawn at Hillend
Saw mills, while they appear regularly in the Kingswood area. Other sightings
in the parish have been at Horsham and Collins Green. These Deer are very small,
about the size of a Badger, (85 cm). Originally from China, they were introduced
into large park collections during the latter part of the 19th century. They
tend to be very elusive and solitary animals, active at night, spending most
of the day time in the thick undergrowth of woodlands. Often the fist sign of
Muntjac, is the sharp loud bark, repeated every four or five seconds.
By kind permission of Brian Draper M.B.E
Page created by Lynne Stanley
E-mail Lynne@martley.org
Last updated 14/9/05