Sighted on a Somerset Otter Group surveyed stretch of the Somerset River Frome

Nine Nationally Scarce species recorded Nb

LIST OF POLLUTION INCIDENT REPORTS : Please see at the foot of the page

Fish:

Barbel, Brown Trout, European Eel, Common Bullhead (Miller’s Thumb) [Annex II], Roach, Minnow, Chub, Dace, Perch, Pike, Stoneloach, Stickleback, Common Bream,  Gudgeon, Tench, Koi Carp, Common Carp.  *Brook Lamprey,   **Bleak

Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species

Environment Agency survey *10.8.2016 / **28.8.2019

[Annex II : Species protected under Annex II of the EU directive 1992]

Molluscs & Crustaceans (& Shells):

Freshwater Shrimp, Water Hoglouse, American Signal Crayfish, Duck Mussel, Horny Orb Mussel (European Fingernail clam), River Limpet, Great Pond Snail, Ear Pond Snail, Garden Banded Snail, Woodlouse, Keeled Ramshorn, White Ramshorn Snail Nb, Wandering Snail, Faucet Snail, Tree Slug, Large Red Slug, Netted Slug, Pfeiffer’s Amber Snail, Strawberry Snail, Jenkins Spire Snail.

Nb Nationally scarce

P – UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.  Other species on the Biodiversity action plan list on this stretch of river include:  Brown Trout, Hedgehog, Brown Hare, Otter, Harvest Mouse, Garden Tiger Moth, Yellowhammer, Song Thrush.

Birds:   

***Red List    

Grasshopper Warbler*** Nb Grey Wagtail***, Yellowhammer***, Song Thrush***, Mistle Thrush*** Fieldfare***, Redwing***, Herring Gull***

**Amber List    

Kingfisher** Nb Garganey ** Nb Snipe **  #Green Sandpiper** Kestrel** Dipper** Crane**Nb Mallard** ##Whooper Swan** Mute Swan** Lesser Black Backed Gull** Black Headed Gull**

Goosander Nb, Mandarin Duck Nb, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Pied Wagtail,  Goldfinch, Goldcrest,  Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, House Martin, Swift, Swallow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chiff Chaff, Pheasant, Blackbird, Magpie, Wren, Tree Creeper, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Rook, Guinea Fowl, Wood Pigeon, White Dove, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Red Kite, Raven, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk, Cormorant, Jay, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap.

Nb Nationally scarce

# Sand Martin, # Grey Shrike     #Sighted by the owner of the land ##Sighted by Others

   *** / ** Birds of Concern sighted:  BoCC 4: Red and Amber Lists

Mammals:

##*Otter LP , Brown Hare, Wood Mouse, Weasel, Mink, Pipistrelle Bat, Grey Squirrel, Harvest Mouse (Nest/trail camera), Western Hedgehog, Red Fox (scat), Northern Mole (hills), Roe Deer (slots, droppings), Muntjac (tracks), Brown Rat (tracks, droppings, hole), Badger (setts & latrines),

LP – Legally Protected

Moths:

Hornet Moth Nb , Scarlet Tiger Moth, Grass Moth (poss. Agriphila straminella),  Garden Tiger Moth; Large Yellow Underwing, Silver Y Moth, Dark Arches, Grey Dagger Moth Caterpillar, Nettletap Moth, Scarlet Tiger Moth, Veneer Grass Moth, Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Sulphur Pearl Moth, Mother of Pearl Moth     

Nb (Nationally Scarce (Nationally Notable) B)

Butterflies:

Brown Argus, Common Blue, Small Blue, Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Orange Tip (m&f), Brimstone (m&f) Green Veined White, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Painted Lady,  Gatekeeper butterflies.

Dragonflies, Damselflies:

Common Darter Dragonfly, Brown Hawker Dragonfly, Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser (m&f), Migrant Dragonfly, Emperor Dragonfly;

Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (m&f) Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly (m&f) White-Legged Damselfly (m&f) Nb, Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly

Nb Nationally scarce

Amphibians:

Common Frog, Water Frog,

Reptiles:

Grass Snake LP

LP – Legally Protected

Annelid:

River leech (Erpobdella octoculata) – confirmed by iRecord),

Insects:

Mayflies: **Green Drake (Ephemera danica) Mayfly (and nymph), *Autumn dun Mayfly (nymph)* **Yellow May dun and stone-clinger (nymph), Iron Blue Mayfly, Blue Winged Olive Mayfly (and nymph), Prong-gilled Mayfly nymph, Swimming Mayfly nymph,

Caddis larvae: Caseless Caddis larvae (Rhyacophila dorsalis); Net-spinning Caddis larvae (Hydropsyche pellucidula); **Caddis fly pupa (likely Agapetus); Caddis larvae 10mm, stubby legs, living in meandering tubes called Galleries attached to rocks (Psychomyiidae)

**Caddis lavae cases : Tubular: Goeridae; Saddle-case: Agapetus, Synagapetus; Caddis fly net/snare – Plectrocnemia (probably conspersa); Straight, sand grains case – Lepidostrama hirtum.

Caddis fly: Longhorn caddisfly (Mystacides azurea )

Blackfly larva, Non-biting midge larva, Peacock Butterfly caterpillar; Dark Bush Cricket (F), Common Green Grasshopper, Meadow Grasshopper, Common Field Grasshopper, Red-Headed Cardinal Beetle, Soldier Beetle (Cantharis fusca), Common Soldier Beetle, Green Nettle Weevil, Red Rumex Weevil, ##Black Oil Beetle Nb, Green Dock Beetle, Twent-four Spot Ladybird, Sixteen-Spot Ladybird, Fourteen-Spot Ladybird, Seven-Spot Ladybird, Seven-Spot Ladybird larva, Two-Spot Ladybird,  Asian Lady Ladybird (Harlequin), Harlequin larvae, Common Wasp, Icheumonn wasps : Extensorius (f), Sarcitorius (f), Amblyteles armatorius, stramentor, Ornate-tailed Digger Wasp, Ashy Mining bee, Honey bee, Tree Bumblebee, Red Tailed Bumblebee, Buff Tailed Bumblebee, White Tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bumble bee, Longhorn Beetle, Knot Grass Leaf Beetle, Rose Chafer, Yellow Dung Fly, Lesser Dung Fly (Copromyza nigrina) St Mark’s Fly, Crane Fly, Orange-bodied Crane Fly (Tipula fascipennis), Hornet, Pond Skater, Robin’s Pincushion (Rose Bedeguar Gall wasp), Common Cockchafer (Maybug), Yellow Meadow Ant, Thick-legged Flower beetle, Dark-edged Beefly, Earwig, Blue Shield Bug, Forest Bug (Red-legged Shield Bug), Common Green Shield bug, Mason wasp, Rove beetle (Philonthus splendens), Rove beetle (Philonthus carbonarius?), Tachinid fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata), Wool Carder bee, Dancing Blue Leaf (flea) beetle, Tarnished Plant bug (likely), Noon fly, Pied Shield Bug,  Tawny Mining bee, Spotted Cranefly, Alderfly, Common Snout Hoverfly, Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars, Umbellifer Longhorn beetle, Red Longhorn beetle (Stenocorus meridianus), Froghopper, Empis tessellata (dagger fly), Pyrophaena granditarsus (hoverfly), Common Malachite beetle, Grey Sailor beetle, Sepsid fly sp. (?Sepsis fulgans), Plant bug (Plagiognathus Arbustorum), Burrowing mayfly nymph, Broad Centurion (soldier-fly), Mossy Willow Catkin Gall, Face fly, Shore fly, Willow leaf beetle larvae, Willow Redgall sawfly gall, Footballer hoverfly (Sunfly), Fleshfly (Sarcophaga crassipalpis), parasitoid Carrot Wasp (Gasteruption jaculator), Alderleaf beetle, Dock Bug, Scorpion Fly, Green bottle fly, Leaf hopper fly, Crane fly (Tipula lateralis), Crane fly (Tipula vittata), Chocolate Mining Bee, Rufous Shouldered Longhorn beetle, Diving Beetle (Platambus maculatus), Water Measurer, Potato Leafhopper, Drone fly (Eristalis tenex), Hoverfly (Syrphus sp), Chalcid wasp (Torymidae – possibly Nigricornis), Fever Fly, Social Pear Sawfly larvae, Black & Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Four-banded Longhorn Beetle, Tiger Cranefly, Semaphore fly, Cramp-ball Fungus Weevil, Brown Weevil, Alderfly larva, Little Snipe fly, Hornet Mimic Hoverfly.

# An aggregation of (1,000 plus)  Solitary Ivybees’ nests on south-facing bank near the farm.

** Indicator of Good Water quality

Nb Nationally scarce

##  “Oil beetle Nb numbers have declined in the UK, and this is linked to the loss of our wild bees and wildflowers.  Conservation action through the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (meaning urgent work needs to be done to conserve them and their habitats).” https://www.buglife.org.uk/

Arachnidae:

Common Woolf spider (males and females with egg sac), Money spider, Nursery Web spider, Sheetweaver Spider, Harvestman (Dicranopalpus ramosus agg.?), Grass Spider, Garden spider, Green Orb/Cucumber Green Orb spider.

Plants:  

Yellow Water Lily, Corn Chamomile, Common Mallow, Common Water Crowfoot spp (submerged), Spiked Water Milfoil, Fools Parsley, Black Mustard, Brook Lime, Saracen’s Woundwort, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Cow Parsley, Hogweed, Giant Hogweed, Crosswort U,CG, Dove’s Foot Cranesbill, Water Forget-me-Not, Tufted Vetch, Yellow Flag Iris, Meadow Cranesbill, Angelica, Common Comfrey, White Comfrey, Mares Tail, Stitchwort, Ground Ivy,  Bugle, Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celandine, Meadow Buttercup, Red Campion, Bird’s Eye Speedwell, White Dead Nettle, Red Dead Nettle, Red Clover, White Clover, Dandelion, Garlic Mustard, Lady’s Smock, Fools Watercress, Common Daisy, Herb Bennet, Bramble, Watermint, Ivy, Common Nettle, Shepherd’s Rod, Purple Loosestrife, Yarrow, Wild Marjoram, Hedge Woundwort, Tansy, Branched Bur-Reed, Unbranched Bur-Reed, Great Willow Herb, Himalayan Balsam, Yellow Stonecrop, Field Bindweed, Hedge Bindweed, Creeping Cinquefoil, Teasel, Scentless Mayweed, Bulrush (Common Reedmace), Burdock, Fat Hen, Common Reed,  Common Club-rush, Reed Canary-grass, Reed Sweet Grass, Tufted Hair Grass, Pendulous Sedge, Hard Rush,  Common Ragwort, Hemp Agrimony, Sheeps Sorrel, Spear Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Prickly Sow thistle, Welted thistle, Smooth Sow thistle, Water Figwort, Common Duckweed, Silverweed, Redshank, Gypsywort, Common Valerian, Lords & Ladies, Lady’s Bedstraw, Vervain, Harts tongue, Old Man’s Beard,  Water Speedwell, Watercress, Fennel Pondweed, Amphibious bistort, Water Chickweed, Trifid Bur-marigold, Bittersweet (woody nightshade), Wild Hops, Common Michaelmas Daisy, Common Mullein, Snowdrop, Chives, Common Chickweed, Shepherd’s Purse, Groundsel, Greater Periwinkle, Primrose, CommonField Speedwell, Ramson, White Sweet Violet, Dog Violet, Meadow Foxtail, Mistletoe, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Butterbur, False Oat grass, Hedge Mustard, Wild Cabbage, Barren Brome, Rough Meadow Grass, Yorkshire Fog, Common Winter-Cress, Common Rock Rose U, Horsetail, Goosegrass, Timothy Grass, Crow Garlic, Nipplewort, Common Poppy, Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Ox-eye Daisy, Hop Trefoil, Meadow Pea (vetchling), Smooth Broom, Cocksfoot, Meadow Fescue, Ryegrass, Hybrid Fescue-Ryegrass, Greater Burdock, Field Rose, Meadowsweet, Hemlock, Corky-fruited Water Dropwort, Pineapple weed, Stone Parsley, Orange Balsam, Gametophyte (fern), Dog’s Mercury, Bittercress, Heath Speedwell, Wild Onion (Allium vineale), Wild Carrot, Upright Hedge Parsley, Opium Poppy, Polypody fern.

U Uncommon   /  CG Constant & Preferential from calcareous grassland communities

Grass identification not 100% certain but our best effort!

Trees / Shrubs:

Norway Maple, Snowberry, Lombardy Poplar, White Poplar, Black Poplar, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Elder, Wild Cherry, Alder, Goat Willow, Crack Willow, Weeping Willow, Common Osier, Ash, Field Maple, Larch, Sycamore, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Lime, Aspen, Giant Sequoia, Spindle, Mahonia, Red Chokeberry, Wild Service tree, Flowering Crab Apple (mallus), Silver Variegated Holly (Ilex acquifolium), Daphne (winter flowering), Winter flowering Cherry.

Fungi and Slime Moulds:

Yellow Fieldcap, Dung Roundhead, Scarlet Elf Cup, Pleated Inkcap, Bearded Field cap, Turkey Tail fungus, Glistening Inkcap, Clustered Brittlestem, Honey fungus, Common Jelly spot fungus, Hairy Curtain crust, Netted crust, Broadleaf Bleeding crust, St George’s mushroom, Yellow Inkcap, Bark Bonnet mushroom, Bracket fungus, Star Pinkgill, Candlesnuff fungus, Alder Bracket fungus, Field Blewit, Star Jelly – Nostoc commune, Cheilymenia fimicola (orange fungus on cow pats), Beige Fibrecap, Jelly Ear fungus, The Deceiver fungus, Winter Twiglet fungus, Marchandiomyces (Erythricium) aurantiacus (pastel orange lichenicolous fungus growing on Physcia tenella lichen, sometimes on Xanthoria parietina), Variable Oysterling, King Alfred’s cake fungus, Cauliflower Slime Mould, Small Staghorn, Smoky Polypore.

Mosses, Liverworts & Lichens:

Common Water moss, Brook-side moss, Wood Bristle Moss, Even Scalewort (liverwort), Crescent Cup liverwort, Great Scented Liverwort, Common Greenshield lichen, Yellow Scale lichen, Cartilage lichen, Fanfare of Trumpets lichen, Whitewash lichen, Punctelia subrudecta, Physcia tenella (grey-green lichen on branches often with Yellow Scale lichen), Physconia grisia, Common Powderhorn, Black Stone-flower lichen, Small Staghorn jelly fungus, Smoky Polypore.

Sightings along the River Frome downstream at Freshford :

Grass snake LP (swimming), Cherry Plum.

LP Legally Protected

LIST OF POLLUTION INCIDENT REPORTS:

Note : 5th November 2020 : Pollution incident. There was a spillage of oil into Rodden Brook, one of the tributaries of the Somerset River Frome. Response from Sue Everett of the Friends of the River Frome who writes: “No reports of any impact to fish or macro-invertebrates since this sort of pollution sits on the surface, which is a good thing. They are using bunds to contain it and pads to soak it up where possible, but it does spread over quite a distance so soaking it all up is not possible”.

Ms Everett was made aware that a similar incident in another part of the country showing no initial impace but had a quite severe impact after several day and pass this comment to the Environment Agency who were monitoring the problem.

Note: 24th August 2020 : An investigation has begun after 100 fish were found dead after the river turned black following a slurry spill. The 0.6 mile (1 km) stretch was along the East Woodlands tributary of the Somerset River Frome, near Edmund Park in Frome. The slurry spill in spring 2016 was by a farmer in West Woodlands.

Note :  19th December 2018 :    The Environmental Agency have today released 6,300 fish into the Somerset River Frome (including 2,000 roach, 1,500 chub, 1,000 bream, 600 tench, 600 crucians [carp] and 600 dace).  The restocking is part of an annual programme, funded by rod licence sales.  Restocking occurs in winter because water temperatures are low which minimises any stress on the fish, giving them the best possible survival rates.  Restocking is done where numbers are low or have been depleted following a pollution incident, as happened in Frome in Spring 2016.  This is good news for the Frome Angling Association and our local Otters!

Note :  10th August 2016 :  The Environment Agency’s survey of the River Frome’s fish stocks has been carried out (three months after the Category 1 pollution incident upriver at West Woodlands) and showed a lower than expected number of fish in the river running through the Farm, (mostly roach, a few pike, common bream and dace) although they caught 1 eel and 1 lamprey.

Given the numbers of Herons, Little Egrets, Cormorants and Kingfishers roosting and possibly breeding along this stretch of the river as well as the regular Otter spraint it would appear that there is again (summer 2018) an abundant and varied fish stock, which we hope the next survey due in 2019 will confirm.

Note – 12th May 2016 :   

1,604 dead fish, including Roach, Chub, Dace, Trout, Perch, Gudgeon, Bream and Pike,  Bullhead, Minnow, Stoneloach, Sticklebacks, were recovered from the River by the Environmental Agency following the spillage of slurry from a farm in spring 2016. 

A typical Water Meadow carries a mixture of finer grasses and herbs including ^Timothy, ^meadow fescue, ^red clover, ^sorrel, ^meadow vetchling, , ^ribwort plantain, ^meadow buttercup as well as ^lady’s smock, ^marsh marigold and ^bugle.

Sweet vernal-grass, crested dog’s-tail, and ragged robin which are also usually found in water meadows have not been seen by us but could be there.

^ All widespread along this stretch of the River Frome .