Field Trip to Croft Farm – May 12th, 2001
Recorders
Derek Allen
Helen Kirk
Pip Seccombe
Sheila Hill
Tom Higginbottom
Diana ????
Bob Marsh
John Scott
Marc Seccombe
Details
We met at the lay-by next to Duck Holt on the A19 – SE 561095 and walked the short distance north to the entrance of the Croft Farm site. The whole area was once Ouston Common with a drain running across the site (see Owston Enclosure Award – 1762), but during the 20th century it was covered by a slag heap from Bullcroft Colliery which closed during the 1960s. It has never been landscaped but left to regenerate naturally, a very unusual circumstance! Unfortunately, the drain has been blocked by subsiding slag and plans are afoot for the diversion of the drain which may well impact on a neighbouring wet meadow with a large bed of Phragmites reed.
The Local Authority turned down a planning application to excavate the tip, providing a large hole for landfill with subsequent creation of ‘a public amenity site’. The developers have appealed against the decision. There is a great opposition to the development locally, with an active Action Group.
Our main recording area lies within the 1km square SE 5509 except for the open patch immediately adjacent to the entrance off the A19 which is in SE 5609. This access road has a limestone base. There was evidence of the tipping of garden waste with Daffodils and Aquilegia present.
The day was sunny and warm as it had been for most of the previous week, and the ground was dry and cracked. However, there was evidence of the recent wet conditions with signs of run-off and numerous small areas of Phragmites in the more open areas between the regenerating Birch.
We only came across one small area of open water, a puddle about 2ft x 4ft, supporting some aquatic fauna, including Pond Skaters, Water Boatmen, and small Water Beetles.
Species List
Mammals
Droppings of Rabbit and Fox. Footprints of Deer.
Birds
Green Woodpecker
Wood Pigeon
Male Kestrel
Cuckoo
Chiffchaff
Robin
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Great Tit
Lepidoptera
Orange Tip
Long-horn Moth – Adela reaumurella
Peacock
Brimstone
Flowering Plants (* = only seen in SE 5609)
| Acer pseudoplatanus | Sycamore |
| Angelica sylvestris | Angelica |
| Aquilegia sp. | Columbine – garden escape * |
| Arctium minus | Burdock * |
| Artemisia absinthium | Wormwood * |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy |
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch |
| Centaurea nigra | Hardhead |
| Cerastium fontanum | Common Mouse-ear |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle |
| Cirsium palustre | Marsh Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Fragaria vesca | Wild Strawberry |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash |
| Geranium dissectum | Cut-leaved Cranesbill * |
| Geum urbanum | Wood Avens * |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground Ivy |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed * |
| Hypericum perforatum | Common St. John’s Wort |
| Juncus effusus | Soft Rush |
| Juncus inflexus | Hard Rush |
| Lamium album | White Dead-nettle * |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | Ox-eye Daisy * |
| Ligustrum vulgare | Privet (most of the shrub appeared to be vulgare except for a few shoots bearing larger more oval and blunt ended leaves) |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Lotus corniculatus | Bird’s-foot Trefoil |
| Mercurialis perennis | Dog’s Mercury |
| Orchis mascula | Early Purple Orchid * (a rosette of spotted leaves, no flowering spike) |
| Phragmites australis | Common Reed |
| Pilosella officinarum | Mouse-ear Hawkweed |
| Plantago major | Pat-tailed Plantain |
| Quercus robur | Pak |
| Rosa canina | Dog Rose |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Salix babylonica | Weeping Willow |
| Salix caprea | Goat Willow |
| Spergularia rubra | Sand Spurrey |
| Tanacetum parthenium | Feverfew * |
| Taraxacum agg. | Dandelion |
| Tussilago farfara | Colt’s Foot |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle |
| Verbascum Thapsus | Mullein * |
| Viola riviniana | Common Dog Violet |
| FERNS | |
| Phyllitis scolopendrium | Hart’s Tongue * |
| Dyropteris felix-mas | Male Fern |
| Plus one other, possibly Buckler Fern, but it had very pointed ends to the pinnules and no black centres to the scales. |
Gall list compiled by Tom Higginbottom
A small by interesting list of galls, perhaps not so surprising so early in the year.
The extensive Birch scrub did not [provide any galls, it might be worth another visit in late summer. Scrub Oak, more than likely Quercus robur, was difficult to find initially. All the Oaks which were discovered had significant numbers of Andricus fecundator, Andricus kollari and Andricus lignicola.
Many Oaks were not in leaf, on the few which were, the sexual generation of Neuroterus quercusbaccarum was found on newly formed leaves.
All the galls, apart from Neuroterus quercusbaccarum, were old galls.
The bud gall Andricus ambiguous and the series of small holes in a young twig, which indicates the presence of Andricus Quercusradicis, were interesting discoveries.
| Host | Gall | Common Name | Causer |
| Phragmites australis | Lipara lucens | Cigar Gall | Fly |
| Quercus robur | Andricus ambiguous | Gall Wasp | |
| Quercus robur | Andricus fecundator | Artichoke Gall | Gall Wasp |
| Quercus robur | Andricus kollari | Marble Gall | Gall Wasp |
| Quercus robur | Andricus lignicola | Gall Wasp | |
| Quercus robur | Andricus Quercuscalicis | Knopper Gall | Gall Wasp |
| Quercus robur | Andricus Quercusradicis | Gall Wasp | |
| Quercus robur | Neuroterus quercusbaccarum | Current Gall | Gall Wasp |