Introduction

I have been visiting the SSSI nature reserve known as Wetley Moor Common in Staffordshire to observe what species may be present there. The SSSI consists of both dry and wet lowland heath habitat, with wet heathland being quite rare. Wetley Moor Common makes up 10% of Staffordshire's heathlands. The site also possesses patches of improved grassland and woodland, however those are not the reasons for Wetley Moor Common's SSSI status.

With both dry and wet heathland being unusual habitats I decided to try and do some research into what species might live there. I strangely found very little information available online... I did some further research and learnt that back in 2023 the habitat was discovered to be within a "degraded" state, which means it requires correct habitat management to help restore it ecologically. Regardless, I thought it would be interesting to visit the site and record what species I could find there as there wasn't much information available online.

The Dry Heathland Flora

The dry heathland lies on coarse-grained sandstone and possesses sandy soil. This sandy soil provides good drainage and drier conditions for flora. I climbed a hill and saw some traditional heathland plant species present: mainly Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris), European Billberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and the occasional European Gorse (Ulex europaeus). The habitat also possessed a few spaced out English Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), which was surprising. I had always seen bluebells in woodlands, but never anywhere else. I also noticed in certain places there was an extremely high amount of Bramble (Rubus sp.), which swamped a lot of the other heathland plants.

The Wet Heathland Flora

The wet heathland lies on coal measures and shale, which results in waterlogged peaty soil. It is also colonized by Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and European Billberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Due the habitats degraded state there is only a small amount of Sphagnum Moss (Sphagnum sp.) present, which grows under the shelter of a wooden bridge. I found some other wildflowers within the wetter soil conditions such as Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) and Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris). The wet heath also possesses many species of grass such as Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea), Hare's-Tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) and Wavy Hair-Grass (Avenella flexuosa). I encountered many other grass species, but I'm not good at grass ID so I didn't record them.

Beetles

When I first entered the reserve I quickly noticed the remarkable array of beetles present. Just at the entrance where the improved grassland, forest and heathland meet, I managed to find many species nestled within the bramble and grasses. One of the most noteworthy and numerous I encountered was the 7-Spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), which has a very strong foothold in this habitat. There was simply so many 7-Spot ladybirds that I stopped photographing them after a while. I did encounter the occasional invasive Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), however they were nowhere near as prominent. I must have easily found over thirty 7-spot Ladybirds, but I found only two Harlequin Ladybirds. A few more beetle species I found include the: Tortoise Beetle (Cassida vibex), Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni), Hawthorn Leaf Beetle (Lochmaea crataegi) and Paradromius linearis.

Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies I spotted on my exploration of the habitat included various Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) and a single Green-veined White butterfly (Pieris napi). Both species of butterfly utilize the cuckoo flower as a host plant for their caterpillars. I had seen a lot of cuckoo flower growing in the wet heathland so there was plenty of habitat for them to lay their eggs. I also spotted a Speckled Wood Butterfly (Pararge aegeria) and a swarm of Green longhorn Moths (Adela reaumurella). The Green longhorn Moths were swarming around a juvenile Oak Tree and quickly retreated out of range of my camera after I took a single photograph.

Other Bugs

Within the habitat there were dozens of other insects present. Of the species I did manage to identify I encountered multiple Arched Spearhorn Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum arcuatum), which are commonly associated with heathlands and moors. I also encountered Black-striped Cranefly (Tipula vernalis), which has a preference for the marshy habitat provided by the wet heathland. The Gorse Shield Bug (Piezodorus lituratus) was also found in close proximity to a Gorse bush.

Birds

During my exploration I encountered Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula), Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) and a Robin (Erithacus rubecula). These birds were generally very shy and fled when I approached to get into range to photograph them. I did not focus much of my time on the birds present, however I've heard that the reserve supports various other species such as Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), Linnet (Linaria cannabina), Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), Whitethroat (Curruca communis) and Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia).

Conclusion

In conclusion I really enjoyed visiting the Wetley Moor Common SSSI. When I read that the habitat was in a "degraded state" I assumed that perhaps there wouldn't be many species there to observe, but that was not the case. I got to see a lot of interesting plants and invertebrates that I have never seen before. I also feel as though I have a better understanding of the habitat in general now. Reading about it was one thing, but actually going out there and seeing it for myself was another entirely. I plan to visit again sometime as I'm sure there is even more interesting species there that I've yet to observe. Speaking of interesting... I also found my first Dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) exhibiting fasciation right by the nature reserve car park.