Management of Southside Common

Report - 4 October 2004

The Parish Council is initiating a Management programme to promote the wildlife ínterest of the common.

This involves the following activities carried out by volunteers:-

• Mowing the open areas a minimum of three times each year
• Maintaining a cut circular path
• Tidying rubbish and garden waste left on the site
• Tidying the fallen crack willow tree
• Encouraging thickening of the north-eastern boundary hedge by thinning out some of the taller tree overhang and planting additional hedge species
• To establish an area of thick willow and blackthorn scrub at the south-eastern end of the common

These activíties will slowly encourage a greater diversity of plants and animals by allowing the less dominant species to thrive and to provide a greater variety of food plants and nesting habitats. This management mirrors the traditional management of this type of fen meadow, with grazing, and hay-mowing being substituted by cutting.

Plant species recorded include a selection of marsh plants including, angelica, comfrey, bugle, meadowsweet, marsh thistle, ragged robin, water avens, cowslip and yellow flag.

On dryer patches are tormentil, sweet vernal grass, carnation sedge and wood avens.

Birds already noted on the site include, chiff-chaff, blackcap, hedge sparrow, blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits and chaffinch.

Grass snakes bask on patches of dried grass and lay their eggs in the piles of composting cut grass the heat from which helps incubate the eggs and keeps them moist.

Butterflies such as small tortoiseshell, comma, peacock, red admiral and painted lady are attracted by thistles and patches of hemp agrimony to feed.