Survey of Glow-worms – Bredon Hill – 2008

John Clarke – Kemerton Conservation Trust

Background

Glow-worms have been recorded on Bredon Hill in south Worcestershire for many
years. Local people whose families have lived in the area for generations recall
seeing the familiar glowing lights along grassy tracks on summer nights.

In 2007 a monitoring survey was started – based along a set transect of 1.25
kilometres – counting numbers of glowing females (and including some larvae). The
results were compared with known botanical interest within the various transect
sections and this suggested that there was a correlation between plant diversity
(richness) and Glow-worm populations. In late March 2008 Terry Knight carried out
a survey of snails (the main food of Glow-worm) and results indicated that numbers
of snails was also related to habitat and not surprisingly to Glow-worm numbers

The monitoring survey generated some local interest and so a wider survey for 2008
was planned. This one aimed to look only at presence or absence of Glow-worms
around the hill. A further aim might be to compare on a wider scale the correlation
between richer botanical sites and the Glow-worm. Kemerton Conservation Trust’s
resources are limited and so the survey would be restricted to the ‘southern’ side of
Bredon Hill – from west of Woollas Hall to east of Elmley Castle.

As Glow-worm females are flightless localised colonies may be affected by changes

to the habitat – usually associated with farming – such as grazing, improved grassland
and the accidental drift of herbicides and pesticides into their habitats.

Methodology

Requests for volunteer observers were placed in local Parish Magazines from which
16 responses were received. The advice given in the survey instructions was for
observers to work in pairs and eventually 10 ‘teams’ were assembled and assigned
routes or transects. These included the transect surveyed in 2007. All routes were
confined to public footpaths. Because access would be on foot (time required,
distance etc), most routes were based on the slopes of the hill rather than on the top.

Observers were asked to make three visits if possible – at or just after dusk – firstly in
late-June, again in mid-July and finally in late-July to early August. They were asked
to walk quietly, looking for the tell-tale pinpricks of light amongst grasses and other
vegetation – choosing darker, warm evenings with light or no wind.
The route taken and location and numbers of Glow-worm, together with date, time
and observer’s comments, were marked on a map provided for each visit.

At the end of the survey the maps were collected and details of transects and Glow-
worm sites combined on a single map. Map references for all sites have been
recorded.

In addition to the survey one or two records were accepted from people who saw
Glow-worm during casual visits.

Results

Most teams managed three visits, two made two trips and one team were only able to
do one survey. However coverage of the target areas was generally good and the
information collected could all be used.

A comparison of results between 2007 and 2008 for the original transect showed that
numbers were well down this year and there may be at least two main reasons for this.
Firstly, although there was one short period of severe wet weather in 2007 the
summer of 2008 was dominated by cloudier, cooler and generally longer and more
frequent periods of wet weather and this may have affected breeding. Secondly, the
adult females emerging and mating in 2008 originated from eggs laid in 2005 or 2006,
as larvae take two to three years to mature, so this year’s population may reflect a
poor breeding season then. Therefore, for the purposes of this survey, numbers seen
may not reflect average population sizes but nevertheless provide a useful baseline
should further surveys be conducted.

The attached map shows that large sections of the transects surveyed did not contain
Glow-worm. Where they did occur it was usually in loose groups (colonies) or a
series of groups. Although these local populations occurred above most villages in
the survey area results suggest that there may be gaps between populations of up to
two kilometres but without surveying all suitable sites on and away from footpaths
this could not be confirmed.

The greatest concentrations of colonies – and probably highest populations – were

found above Bredons Norton, Westmancote, Kemerton and Grafton, with smaller
groups above Woollas Hall, Conderton and north of Ashton Under Hill.

Conclusions

Thanks to the help of local people a basic, present-day distribution of Glow-worm

around parts of Bredon Hill is being established.
To date, Glow-worm has been found widely distributed but usually in isolated
populations around the westerly, southerly and easterly slopes of the hill – below the
highest ground.

Because the female Glow-worm is flightless, colonies can only expand or move very
slowly. Therefore, where a local population has only one or two colonies and is a
considerable distance from the next population it may be under greater threat of
extinction.

It would be useful to survey areas on the lower slopes not covered this year – and to
consider ways of surveying land on the hill tops. This would provide a more
complete picture of Glow-worm distribution on Bredon Hill.

This survey and report do not seek to provide recommendations for the conservation
of Glow-worm and its habitat but aim to provide information for local interest, for
those seeking advice or for those planning environmental schemes. The author would
be happy to talk to anyone wishing to learn more, based on his experience of
managing this habitat with Kemerton Conservation Trust, or to provide details of
other organisations that may help.

To see the report on the 2007 more-intensive survey go to www.kemerton.org and

then to ‘Surveys and Research’.

Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks are due to Sue Chapman who continued her detailed monitoring
survey and also ‘trained’ other volunteers.

Terry Knight carried out the survey of snails and provided data and advice on
interpreting Glow-worm data.

Sally and Pete Allen, Cheryl Chambers, Ann and Nic Clark, John and Liz Coates,
Anna and Steve Fletcher, Simon and Mathew Greenwood, Ros Long, Rosemary
Macleod, Georgina Millway, Andrea Saxby, Karen Sexton and Roger Umpleby
carried out the survey.

Richard Aubrey-Davies and Paul Gillett provided anecdotal information.

Besides finding Glow-worms Anna and Steve Fletcher managed to photograph one
and have kindly given permission for us to print copies which will be distributed with
this report.