Caeau Wern

Also within

Powys County

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Description This is an usually extensive area of herb-rich, traditionally managed hay meadow. Although much of the site has been subject to varying degrees of disturbance in the past, it displays good examples of neutral grassland which has not undergone modern improvement. The site comprises five hay meadows on level or gently sloping ground and all are well drained. The most southerly field has apparently no history of previous attempts at agricultural improvement and is the most species-rich. This field shows perhaps the closest affinity with the western field, which has been ploughed and reseeded with dustings in the past. The botanical composition of the three central fields is very similar, although only one of these has not been ploughed during the last forty years.All meadows are variants of the nationally recognised vegetation community characterised by crested dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra, and overwhelmingly of the meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis sub-community. However, the most southerly field has areas where the vegetation tends towards the lady's bedstraw Galium verum sub-community. All fields are particularly notable for the abundance of great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis within open grassland dominated by sweet vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and crested dog's-tail. Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata is locally well represented and red fescue Festuca rubra is abundant. Different degrees of soil moisture and past interference have probably influenced the varied occurence of herb species, the most prominant being cat's-ear Hypochaeris radicata, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, autumn hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, common knapweed and meadow vetchling. Less frequent species include bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, smooth lady's mantle Alchemilla glabra and the locally uncommon adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum. Wood bitter-vetch Vicia orobus has been recorded from the edge of one field. The mixed-species hedgerows provide dense cover for a number of small passerines. Casual observations have recorded redpoll, lesser whitethroat, redstart and various warblers.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.