Heartward

Biodiversity

Since being at Pleasant Rise Farm, we have been astonished and inspired by the biodiversity on the land. Here is a non-exhaustive list of all the wildlife and plants we have confirmed sightings of on the farm. We also have various domesticated plants in the garden and grounds, but I have tried to keep this list to wild species.

Birds

  • Great tit
  • Blue tit
  • Long tailed tit
  • Robin
  • Dunnock
  • Chiff chaff
  • Great spotted woodpecker
  • Green woodpecker
  • Wood pigeon
  • Collared dove
  • Blackbird
  • Magpie
  • Jackdaw
  • Carrion crow
  • Heron
  • Red-legged partridge
  • Pheasant
  • Tawny owl (by call only)
  • Buzzard
  • Red kite
  • Jay

Butterflies and moths

  • Brimstone
  • Peacock
  • Red admiral
  • Large white
  • Orange tip
  • Meadow brown
  • Pale tussock moth
  • Jersey tiger
  • Small copper

Other insects and arachnids

  • European hornet
  • Common wasp
  • Ruby tailed wasp
  • Ichneumon wasp
  • Wall mason wasp
  • Spider hunting wasp (Pompildae)
  • Robin's pincushion gall wasp (Diplolepis rosae)
  • Green shield bug
  • Sloe bug
  • Bloody-nosed beetle
  • Cardinal beetle
  • Crab spider
  • Wasp spider
  • Pseudoscorpion
  • Greater bee fly
  • Blood bee (Sphecodes)
  • Lesser stag beetle

Mammals

  • Rabbit
  • Field mouse
  • Fox
  • Soprano pipistrelle (identified by bat survey)

Wildflowers and other plants

  • Lords-and-ladies
  • Garlic mustard
  • Bramble
  • White bryony
  • Ground ivy
  • Cleavers (goose-grass)
  • Stinging nettle
  • Red dead-nettle
  • Cow parsley
  • Poison hemlock
  • Old man's beard
  • Dandelion
  • Burdock
  • Green alkanet
  • Germander speedwell
  • Cowslip
  • Dropwort
  • Common milkwort
  • Common rock rose
  • Horseshoe vetch

Reptiles and amphibians

  • Common lizard
  • Slow worm

Trees and shrubs

  • Ash
  • Lime (linden)
  • Beech
  • Sycamore
  • Blackthorn
  • Hawthorn
  • Elder
  • Hazel

Fungi

  • King Alfred's cakes
  • Wood ear