Leaders : Joyce Simmons
Members Present : 
Meet : 10.30am at the National Nature Reserve carpark to the west of Crowle village. Map ref: SE758140.

In glorious weather, calm, warm and sunny, 5 Doncaster Nats members (Tom, Jim Caroline, Paul and Joyce] had a very pleasant walk around Crowle Moor. Since it was sunny the threatened biting insects failed to appear, and only one tiny tick was detected on my light-coloured trousers.

We found the Dune Helleborines – around 20, although our count was not comprehensive, but there did seem fewer than our count of over 40 last year. However, none were actually in flower, although 2 were very close to having open flowers. They are a week or so later than last year.

Large Heath butterflies were very visible and obliging, posing for photos and flying slowly and near the ground so that they were easy to see. We didn’t actually count them, but certainly 30 or 40 were seen. Other insects were visible too. Day-flying moths, such as Mother Shipton and Brown Silver-lines were photographed or caught by Paul and seen close-up in a specimen tube. All were released unharmed of course.

Bees, hoverflies and particularly a good selection of  dragonflies were seen. The most abundant were Common  Blue and Large Red Damselflies.

Tom was not quite so lucky with plant galls. He only managed to find 8 species by lunchtime, which gave him the dilemma of delaying lunch – until he had fulfilled his ambition of 10 species before lunchtime. He waved his rule, but did eventually manage double figures, though he was surprised by how few he found.

We all enjoyed the walk, though it was getting rather too warm by the time we returned to the cars.

Joyce.

Leaders : Louise Hill & Les Coe
Members Present : Louise Hill, John Scott, Jim Burnett, Colin Howes, Geoff Carrick, Josephine Carrick, Anthony French, Les Coe, Lesley Bassett. Roger Shaw (guest). 
Meet : Ryton Road, Anston car park 10.30am

Whilst the majority of the group explored the botanical offerings, two members concentrated on photographing the insect fauna that would stay still long enough for a photograph to be taken.

The weather was hot and sunny, with clear blue skies offering clear views of a circulating buzzard high overhead.

The first session before lunch was taken up with examining the area leading to and including the Little Stones area. The group then did, as many visitors have done before, partook of lunch whilst sitting on the rocky outcrops of the Little Stones.

During the afternoon visit to the flower meadow in the Stewardship field, we were informed of a large exotic butterfly by a couple that had managed to obtain a photo of it. The photo showed an image of a Blue Morpho, which had most likely escaped from the local butterfly farm. On descending into the wood, the party did come across this beautiful butterfly by the stream, but despite many approaches to photograph it, it all attempts failed and it flew away.

Whilst some members went to inspect the area in the wood containing a flush, other members were left behind to rest by the footbridge that crossed the stream. One member spotted a brown trout swimming back and forth under the bridge.

At the end of the day, whilst returning to the car park, I spotted a wood pigeon on a nest in a tree that was directly above the main footpath. There appeared to be two squabs in the nest.

Here is a selection of the insect fauna that was photographed, some of which still require identification.

Leaders : Anna Thirwell
Members Present : 
Meet : Pinetree Farm, Sykehouse (SE628166)

The following list has been compiled from notes made by CAH.
It is likely that records logged by Louise Hill and fellow botanist/local farmer John Scott will contain many additions.

The traditionally pollarded white willows, so magnificent in the hedgerows and probably unique to this part of Yorkshire, are of particular interest and justify both ecological and landscape history studies.

The hay meadows demonstrate the classic linear wet-dry distribution of herbs in fields formerly managed as ‘ridge and furrow’. These examples would be worth special studies to examine and record this increasingly rare rural phenomenon.

Birds:
Blackbird; Buzzard; Carrion Crow; Chiffchaff; Jackdaw; Stock Dove; Willow Warbler; Wood Pigeon.

Mammals:
Mole (hills); Roe Deer (known to be present).

Insects:
Meadow Brown (1) Field 1; (1) Field 2.
Forrester Moth (2+) Field 1; (2+) Field 2; (3+) in front meadow.
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris & B. lucorum
Click Beetle sp.

Spiders:
Tetragnatha extensa

Plants :

A = 1st Field. Hay meadow. Ridge & Furrow
B = Pond Area
C = 2nd Field. Hay Meadow. Ridge & Furrow
D = Front Meadow + tree planting
H = Hedgerow component
T = Tree-plamting in front meadow

 

Flora at Pinetree Farm, Sykehouse on 12th June 2021

Botanical Name	Vernacular Name	A	B	C	D
Acer campestre	Field Maple			H
Alnus glutinosa	Alder				T
Alopecurus pratensis	Meadow Foxtail	*	*	*
Anthoxanthum odoratum	Sweet Vernal Grass	*		*
Anthriscus sylvestris	Cow Parsley	*	*	*
Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass	*	*	*
Betula pendula	Silver Birch				T
Bromus mollis	Soft-brome	*		*
Cardamine pratense	Lady’s Smock			*	*
Carex pendula	Pendulous Sedge		*
Carpinus betulus	Hornbeam				T
Centaurea nigra	Common Knapweed	*		*
Cerastium fontanum	Common Mouse-ear	*		*
Cirsium arvense	Creeping Thistle	*	*
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	H		H
Cynosurus  cristatus	Created Dog’s-tail Grass	*		*
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot	*		*
Deschampsia cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass			*	*
Epilobium hirsuitum	Great Willowherb		*
Festuca rubra	Red Fescue	*		*
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash			H
Hedera helix	Ivy			H
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed	*		*
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog	*		*	*
Iris sp. [? pseudacorus]	Pale yellow variety like Yellow Flag		*
Juncus conglomeratus	Compact Rush	*		*	*
Lathyrus pratensis	Meadow Vetchling			*
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy			*	*
Lolium perenne	Rye-grass	*		*
Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-foot Trefoil	*			*
Luzula campestris	Field Wood-rush	*
Lychnis flos-coculi	Ragged-robin				*
Medicago lupulinus	Black Medick	*		*
Phleum pratense	Timothy	*
Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain	*		*	*
Poa pratensis	Smooth Meadow-grass	*		*	*
Poa trivialis	Rough Meadow-grass	*
Potentilla anserina	Silverweed				*
Prunella vulgaris	Selfheal	*
Prunus sp.	Cherry sp.				T
Prunus spinosa	Blackthorn			H
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak			H	T
Ranunculus acris	Meadow Buttercup		*	*	*
Ranunculus repens	Creeping Buttercup		*
Rosa canina	Dog Rose			H
Rubus fruticosus	Bramble	H		H
Rumex acetosa	Sorrel	*	*	*	*
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock		*
Rhynanthus minor	Yellow-rattle			*
Salix sp.	Willow sp.				T
Salix alba	White Willow	H		H
Sambucus nigra	Elder			H
Sanguisorba officinalis	Great Burnet	*		*
Solanum ducamara	Bittersweet		*
Stellaria graminea	Lesser Stitchwort	*		*
Stellaria holostea	Greater Stitchwort			*
Taraxacum officinalis	Dandelion		*
Trifolium pratensis	Red Clover	*	*	*
Trifolium repens	White Clover		*	*
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle		*	*
Viburnum opulus	Guelder-rose		*
Vicia sativa	Common Vetch	*		*

An update from Anna, 29th June.

This morning (9am, 29th June), walking through our meadows, it’s the first day this summer that it is alive with meadow browns and ringlet butterflies, not to mention the forester moths.  

Leader : Colin Howes
Members Present : Colin Howes, Les Coe, Nora Boyle, Anthony French, Jim Burnett

 

Leader : 
Members Present : 
Meet : 

The following list has been compiled from notes made by CAH.

Birds:
Blackbird; Chiffchaff; Chaffinch; Jackdaw; Rook; Wren

Insects
Marmalade Hoverfly  Episyrphus balteatus
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Bumble bees  Bombus terrestris & B. lucorum

Plants
Species highlighted in red are additional to the list published for Finningley Churchyard in ‘Doncaster’s Living Churchyards’ see Appendix 1.
It is likely that records logged by Louise Hill and John Scott will contain many additions.

A = East side of church
B = North side of church
C = West side of church
D = South side of church
E – Western extension

 

Flora at Finningley Churchyard 5th June 2021

Botanical Name	Vernacular Name	A	B	C	D	E
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore (seedling)			*
Achillea millefolium	Yarrow				*	*
Aegopodium podagraria	Ground Elder				*
Alliaria petiolata	Jack-by-the-hedge		*			*
Alopecurus pratensis	Meadow Foxtail			*
Anthoxanthum odoratum	Sweet Vernal Grass	*	*	*	*	*
Anthriscus sylvestris	Cow Parsley		*	*	*
Aquilegia vulgaris	Columbine	*
Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass				*
Bellis perennis	Daisy			*	*	*
Betula pendula	Silver Birch		*
Bromus sterilis	Barren Brome
Bryonia dioica	White Bryony			*	*	*
Buddleja davidii	Butterfly Bush		*
Cardamine pratense	Lady’s Smock			*	*
Centaurea nigra	Common Knapweed		*	*		*
Cerastium fontanum	Common Mouse-ear		*	*	*
Chamerion angustifolium	Rose-bay Willow-herb					*
Cirsium arvense	Creeping Thistle				*
Clematis vitalba	Traveller’s -joy		*
Conopodium majus	Pignut					*
Convolvulus arvensis	Field Bindweed		*	*	*
Cornus sp.	Garden Dogwood		*
Cotoneaster sp.	Cotoneaster sp.			*
Cotoneaster horizontalis	Wall Cotoneaster				*
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn			*		*
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot		*	*	*
Deschampsia flexuosa	Wavy Hair-grass					*
Digitalis purpurea	Foxglove					*
Epilobium hirsuitum	Great Willowherb				*
Festuca rubra	Red Fescue		*	*
Galium aparine	Cleavers		*	*	*
Galium verum	Ladies Bedstraw	*	*	*	*
Glechoma hederacea	Ground Ivy				*
Geranium robertianum	Herb Robert		*
Hedera helix	Ivy		*		*	*
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed		*
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog		*	*
Holcus mollis	Creeping Soft-grass			*
Hyacinthoides hispanica	Spanish Bluebell					*
Hypochaeris radicata	Common Cat’s-ear	*		*		*
Ilex aquifolium	Holly				*
Lamium album	White Dead Nettle			*	*
Lamium purpureum	Red Dead Nettle					*
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy	*	*	*
Lonicera periclymenum	Honeysuckle					*
Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-eye-trefoil			*	*
Luzula campestris	Good Friday Grass		*			*
Malus domestica	Apple (Cultivated)		*
Malva sylvestris	Common Mallow				*
Medicago lupulinus	Black Medick		*	*
Myosotis arvensis	Field Forget-me-not		*
Ornithogallum umbellatum	Star-of-Bethlehem			*
Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain		*	*	*	*
Plantago major	Rat-tail Plantain					*
Poa annua	Annual Meadow-grass		*
Poa pratensis	Smooth Meadow-grass		*	*
Poa trivialis	Rough Meadow-grass	*	*
Prunus sp	Cherry sp.			*
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak					*
Ranunculus acris	Meadow Buttercup	*	*		*
Ranunculus bulbosus	Bulbous Buttercup	*		*		*
Ranunculus repens	Creeping Buttercup		*			*
Ribes sanguineum	Flowering Currant				*
Rosa canina	Dog Rose				*
Rubus fruticosus	Bramble		*	*
Rumex acetosa	Sorrel		*	*	*	*
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock				*	*
Rhynanthus minor	Yellow-rattle			*
Sambucus nigra	Elder					*
Sanguisorba minor	Salad Burnet			*
Senecio jacobea	Common Ragwort		*	*	*	*
Silene dioica	Red Campion		*		*
Sisymbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard			*
Sonchus oleraceous	Smooth Sow-thistle				*
Sorbus aucuparia	Rowan					*
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort				*
Stellaria holostea	Greater Stitchwort				*
Stellaria media	Common Chickweed		*	*
Taraxacum officinalis	Dandelion		*	*
Taxus baccata	Yew	*
Teucrium scorodonia	Wood Sage					*
Trifolium pratensis	Red Clover		*	*
Trifolium repens	White Clover		*	*
Ulmus glabra	Wych Elm (suckering)			*
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle		*	*	*	*
Veronica chamaedrys	Germander Speedwell	*	*	*		*
Veronica persica	Field Speedwell		*	*
Vicia hirsuta	Hairy Tare		*	*
Vicia sativa	Common Vetch		*	*	*

 

Appendix 1

Plant species list for Finningley Churchyard from surveys undertaken by members of the Doncaster Naturalists’ Society 1994-1998 published in ‘Doncaster’s Living Churchyards’  Seccombe P.A.  & Seccombe T. (1999). Doncaster Naturalists’ Society.  Pp. 138.

Top Ten Churchyards in the Doncaster Region (Flowering plants and ferns)

Flowering Plants and Ferns

Parish	No of species
Owston	108
Finningley	102
Hooton Pagnell	86
Brodsworth	84
Burghwallis	84
Frickley	83
Rossington	76
Armthorpe	73
Bawtry	73
Arksey	71

 

Survey Dates – 13th April 1994; 6th June 1994; Late July 1994; 14th March 1997; 20th March 1998

Recorders – Derek Allen; Darren Buxton; Frank Devine; Helen Devine; Thelma Dove; Ian Farmer; Kayleigh Farmer; Elizabeth Farningham; Trish Haigh; Tom Higginbottom; Andrew Hill; Louise Hill; Sheila Hill; Carol Hobart; Helen Kirk; Diana Robinson; Marc Secombe; Pip Secombe; Maurice Whitta

Finningley Churchyard

Botanical Name	Vernacular Name	Notes
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore
Achillea millefolium	Yarrow
Aegopodium podagraria	Ground Elder
Agrostis capillaris	Common Bent-grass
Alliaria petiolata	Jack-by-the-hedge
Alopecurus pratensis	Meadow Foxtail
Angelica sylvestris	Angelica
Anthoxanthum odoratum	Sweet Vernal Grass
Anthriscus sylvestris	Cow Parsley
Aquilegia vulgaris	Columbine
Armoracia rusticana	Horse Radish
Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass
Asplenium ruta-muraria	Wall Rue
Bellis perennis	Daisy
Bromus mollis	Soft Brome
Bromus sterilis	Barren Brome
Bryonia dioica	White Bryony
Campanula rotundifolia	Harebell
Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd’s Purse
Cardamine hirsuta	Hairy Bittercress
Cardamine pratense	Lady’s Smock
Centaurea nigra	Common Knapweed
Cerastium fontanum	Common Mouse-ear
Chamerion angustifolium	Rose-bay Willow-herb
Cirsium arvense	Creeping Thistle
Cirsium vulgare	Spear Thistle
Conopodium majus	Pignut
Convolvulus arvensis	Field Bindweed
Cotoneaster sp.	Cotoneaster sp.
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn
Crepis capillaris	Smooth hawk’s-beard
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot
Elymus repens	Couch Grass
Epilobium montanum	Broad-leaved Willowherb
Erigeron canadensis	Canadian Fleablane
Festuca rubra	Red Fescue
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash
Fumaria officinalis	Fumitory
Galanthus nivalis	Snowdrop
Galium aparine	Cleavers
Galium verum	Ladies Bedstraw
Glechoma hederacea	Ground Ivy
Hedera helix	Ivy
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed
Hesperis matronalis	Dame’s Violet
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog
Hordeum murinum	Wall Barley
Hypochaeris radicata	Common Cat’s-ear
Ilex aquifolium	Holly
Lamium album	White Dead Nettle
Lamium purpureum	Red Dead Nettle
Lapsana communis	Nipplewort
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy
Linaria vulgaris	Common Toadflax
Lolium perenne	Rye Grass
Luzula campestris	Good Friday Grass
Malva sylvestris	Common Mallow
Matricaria matricarioides	Pineapple Weed
Medicago lupulinus	Black Medick
Muscari neglectum	Grape Hyacinth
Mycellis muralis	Wall Lettuce
Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain
Plantago major	Rat-tail Plantain
Plantago media	Hoary Plantain
Poa annua	Annual Meadow-grass
Poa pratensis	Smooth Meadow-grass
Poa trivialis	Rough Meadow-grass
Polygonum aviculare	Knotgrass
Polygonum persicaria	Persicaria
Ranunculus acris	Meadow Buttercup
Ranunculus bulbosus	Bulbous Buttercup
Ranunculus repens	Creeping Buttercup
Rubus fruticosus	Bramble
Rumex acetosa	Sorrel
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock
Sagina procumbens	Procumbent Pearlwort
Sambucus nigra	Elder
Sedum acre	Biting Stonecrop
Sedum anglica	English Stonecrop
Senecio jacobea	Common Ragwort
Senecio vulgaris	Groundsel
Silene alba	White Campion
Sisymbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard
Sonchus asper	Prickly Sow-thistle
Sonchus oleraceous	Smooth Sow-thistle
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort
Stellaria graminea	Lesser Stitchwort
Stellaria media	Common Chickweed
Tanacetum parthenium	Feverfew
Taraxacum officinalis	Dandelion
Teucrium scorodonia	Wood Sage
Trifolium dubium	Common Yellow Trefoil
Trifolium pratensis	Red Clover
Trifolium repens	White Clover
Tripleurospermum maritimum	Scentless Mayweed
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle
Veronica arvensis	Wall Speedwell
Veronica chamaedrys	Germander Speedwell
Veronica hederifolia	Ivy-leaved Speedwell
Veronica persica	Field Speedwell
Vicia sativa	Common Vetch
Viola sp.	Violet sp.

 

Leader : Joyce Simmons
Members Present :
 
 

Leader : Jim Burnett
Members Present : June Birchill, Jim Burnett, Anne Davis, Paul Davis, Tony Finch, Tom Higginbottom, Colin Howes, John Neep, John Scott.
Meet : 10am in public car park at Langold Lake

Dyscarr Wood is a Notting Wildlife Reserve, Small parts of it cross the county boundary into Yorkshire and so into VC 63. The information board at the public entrance to the site mentions that hawfinch and all three woodpeckers are present, but none were seen on this visit. We also failed to find any fly orchids, which were also mentioned on the notice board.

Much of the time was spent in two flower filled meadows next to the wood, which provided common twayblade, southern marsh orchids and common spotted orchids (plus vigorous hybrids between the last two mentioned (probably)).

On a subsequent visit0n the 13^th June, dozens of common spotted orchids had appeared.

The wood itself produced early purple orchids still in flower, woodruff, sanicle, violets, bluebells, ransoms, yellow archangels, dog’s mercury, arums, ground ivy, celandines and carpets of wood anemones, but the blooms were now fading away.

Much of the wood is rather wet, with many natural springs (the clue is in the name), while a small pond had marsh marigolds, yellow iris and greater pond sedge. The newts seen on previous visits in the pond, failed to show up for this visit.

Jim Burnett.