Doncaster Naturalists’ Society
Field Trip to Warren Wood – April 14th, 2001 (2.30 – 5-15pm)
Recorders
Colin Howes
Helen Kirk
Pip Seccombe
Derek Allen
Frank Devine
Helen Devine
Megan Gerich
Sheila Hill
Louise Hill
Meeting place was Warren Lane at the junction with Bessacarr Lane (SE619002).
There are plans to put in an access road in connection with a housing estate, through Warren Wood. We spent the first part of the afternoon in Warren Wood and then went to Back Wood where some tree girth measurements were taken as well as a species list.
Warren Wood
Warren Wood is a small piece of relict woodland running between and parallel to the Great North Road and Warren Lane, plus a sandy / heathy area which was once part of the Golf Club prior to the building of the M18.
Dominant trees are Oak, many specimens with bifurcated trunks, and some Birch with a few Sycamore and Sweet Chestnut. There were some examples of young Holly and Yew, presumably bird sown.
The understory is relatively open giving an impression of wood pasture rather than woodland.
Ling and Bell Heather were both found on the relict heath together with leaves of Field Mouse-ear and Common Bird’s Foot, both locally significant species.
Species List
| Acer pseudoplatanus | Sycamore |
| Achillea millifolium | Yarrow |
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch |
| Calluna vulgaris | Ling |
| Cardamine hirsuta | Hairy Bittercress |
| Cerastium arvense | Field Mouse-ear |
| Cerastium fontanum | Common Mouse-ear |
| Cerastium semidecandrum* | Little Mouse-ear |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Claytonia perfoliate | Spring Beauty |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Erica cinerea | Bell Heather |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Galium Saxatile | Heath Bedstraw |
| Hedera helix | Ivy |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly |
| Lamium purpureum | Red Dead-nettle |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Luzula campestris | Field Wood Rush |
| Ornithopus pinnatus | Common Bird’s-foot |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadow Grass |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Quercus robur | Oak |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Rumex acetosella | Sheep Sorel |
| Senecio sp. | Ragwort |
| Stellaria media | Chickweed |
| Taraxacum agg. | Dandelion |
| Taxus baccata | Yew |
| Teucrium scorodonia | Wood Sage |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle |
| Additional Species | |
| Coccinella septempunctata | 7 Spot Ladybird |
| Adalia decempunctata | 10 Spot Ladybird |
| Bombus sp. | Bumble Bee |
Back Wood – SK6199
This wood appeared denser with dominant Oak and Birch, with mature specimens of Yew, Holly and Rowan. The ground flora included plenty of Climbing Corydalis and some dense clumps of Bluebell. Several species of fungus were seen.
Species List
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch |
| Ceratocapnos claviculata | Climbing Corydalis |
| Corylus avellana | Hazel |
| Chamerion angustolium | Rosebay |
| Cytisus scoparius | Broom |
| Digitalis purpurea | Foxglove |
| Dryopteris dilatate | Broad Buckler Fern |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed |
| Holcus mollis | Creeping Soft Grass |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Bluebell |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Quercus robur | Oak |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Sambucus nigra | Elder |
| Sorbus aucuparia | Rowan |
| Taraxacum agg. | Dandelion |
| Taxus baccata | Tew |
| Teucrium scorodonia | Wood Sage |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle |
| Additional Species | |
| Fungi | |
| Betulina Piptoporus | Birch Polypore |
| Fomes fomentaria | Hoof Fungus |
| Mammals | |
| Oryctolagus cuniculus | Rabbit |
| Sorex sp. | Shrew |
| Birds (both Woods) | |
| Cyanistes caeruleus | Blue Tit |
| Phylloscopus collybita | Chiffchaff |
| Sitta europaea | Nuthatch |
| Periparus ater | Coal Tit |
| Phylloscopus trochilus | Willow Warbler |
| Turdus merula | Blackbird |
| Parus major | Great tit |
| Carduelis carduelis | Goldfinch |
| Troglodytidae Troglodytes | Wren |