Nature Recovery

Meet the Champions…

Adder

Is it a love/hate relationship?

What are your feelings on the Adder, one of the most iconic and talked about creatures on the Mendip Hills? Mike Dilger talks to John Dickson of the Reptile and Amphibian Group Somerset about this incredible animal.

Black Oil Beetle

You’ll learn to love the Black Oil Beetle. This lumbering, shiny black beetle lives a very strange life. Watch the film to find out more about this parasite, with some really rare footage! Mike Dilger learns all about this Champion Species from Nathan Orr, Nature Recovery Ranger for the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team.

Black Oil Beetles emerge in February/March and if you come across one you know you’re on really good grassland that’s rich in flowers. You’re also likely to be in or near the Mendip National Nature Reserve along the south-facing slopes of Mendip.

Cheddar Pink

It’s the Flower of Somerset!

This small rose-pink carnation loves to grow on steep, rocky outcrops on Mendip. The small flowers smell strongly of cloves, and come out in from May to July.

The stronghold of the Cheddar Pink in the UK is Cheddar Gorge, but they can be found in smaller numbers along the south-facing slopes of the Mendip Hills. These plants are limestone specialists, clinging to cliff faces in hard to reach spots, in environments where nutrients are scarce and the conditions can be harsh, they certainly deserve the title of ‘hardy perennial’.

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Out of all the Champion Species films this was the most technically difficult to film. This one really is special. Let’s go underground to meet the Greater Horseshoe Bat.

One of the largest bats in the UK, they spend the winter in the Mendip caves, and they ‘hum’ through their amazing horseshoe shaped nose.

When you watch the footage bear in mind that not one ion of light was bouncing around in the cave, it was all filmed in complete darkness using special cameras under the Mendip Hills, something that’s never been done before. The Mendip National Nature Reserve is where most of the Greater Horseshoe Bat roosts are and where they feed.

Hazel Dormouse

Is it the cutest of our Champion Species? The Hazel Dormouse has a very high ‘cute’ factor with its furry tail and large black eyes. Share this one with your friends as everyone needs a cute little dormouse in their life.

Although it’s called the Hazel Dormouse, it eats a wide variety of flowers, leaf buds, insects and hedgerow fruits like hawthorn berries. It fattens up on hazel nuts in the autumn. You can tell if a hazel nut has been eaten by a dormouse as the hole it leaves in the shell is a perfect little circle. They love a good scrubby woodland, with lots of undergrowth and big, bountiful hedges.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

A butterfly with pearls on its wings. Well, white patches called ‘pearls’ on the back of its wing. Watch out for this beauty in June when you can see the vivid orange wings as it flies low across the ground.

The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary has declined drastically across the country so if you do see one you know you’re on well-grazed grassland or heathland that has a great mix of plants, including the common dog violet.

Water Vole

Welcome to the world of the Water Vole, one of Britain’s most endearing and endangered mammals. This film takes us down onto the lower lying land and the Levels surrounding the Mendip Hills where Mike Dilger and Tim Haselden from the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team dive into the watery challenges these creatures face.

From habitat loss to predation, learn about the issues and the conservation efforts needed to ensure the survival of this charismatic species, affectionately known as ‘Ratty’ from ‘The Wind in the Willows’.