Baverstock Juniper Bank () is a 2.6 hectare
Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest to the north of the village of
Baverstock in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
, England. Baverstock Juniper Bank is within the
Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The ungrazed chalk grassland is home to over 500 bushes of the lowland juniper, ''
Juniperus communis'', subspecies ''communis''. Their seeds attract flocks of
finches and
yellowhammer
The yellowhammer (''Emberiza citrinella'') is a passerine bird in the Emberiza, bunting family that is native to Palearctic, Eurasia and has been introduced species, introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the br ...
s to the location as a feeding site in winter. Uncommon species such a horseshoe vetch (''
Hippocrepis comosa'') and
pyramidal orchid are to be found at the SSSI. Butterflies such as the
brimstone,
speckled wood and
small heath have been seen visiting the site.
The site was
notified in 1971.
Sources
Natural England citation sheet for the site(accessed 21 March 2022)
External links
*https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/ Natural England (SSSI information)
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1971
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