Doncaster Naturalists’ Society
Wednesday 27th August 2025 – Visit to Woodfield Country Park

This species list(s) to be read in conjunction with the summarised report found here

 

Table 1. – A Preliminary list of Species by CAH

Scientific name Vernacular name Location Grid ref/ Notes
Trees, Shrubs & woody climbers      
Acer platanoides Norway Maple St Catherine’s Plantation  
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore St Catherine’s Plantation  
Aesculus hippocastanum Horse Chestnut Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall ? One of largest in the region. 

SE5661 0016

Araucaria araucana Monkey Puzzle Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall SE5670 0014
Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree Sunken garden east of Walled Garden  
Castanea sativa Sweet Chestnut St Catherine’s Plantation  
Corylus avellana Hazel St Catherine’s Plantation  
Corylus colurna Turkish Hazel Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall SE566 001
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn St Catherine’s Plantation  
Fagus sylvatica Beech St Catherine’s Plantation  
Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ Fern-leaved Beech Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall SE5667 0013
Ficus carica Fig Sunken garden east of Walled Garden  
Fraxinus excelsior Ash St Catherine’s Plantation  
Hedera helix Ivy St Catherine’s Plantation  
Ilex aquifolium Holly St Catherine’s Plantation  
Juglans regia Walnut Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Ligustrum vulgare Wild Privet St Catherine’s Plantation  
Malus x domestica Apple Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Magnolia acuminata Cucumber Tree Border, south-west of St Catherine’s Hall SE5672 0014
Morus nigra Black Mulberry Lawn east side of St Catherine’s Hall SE5677 0013
Prunus avium Wild Cherry St Catherine’s Plantation  
Prunus idaeus Raspberry St Catherine’s Plantation  
Prunus persica Peach Trees Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Pterocarya fraxinifolia Caucasian Wingnut Border (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall SE5672 0014
Quercus cerris Turkey Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Quercus palustris American Pin Oak St Catherine’s Plantation SK566 998
Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Quercus rubra American Red Oak St Catherine’s Plantation SK566 998
Rubus fruticosus agg Bramble St Catherine’s Plantation  
Sambucus nigra Elder St Catherine’s Plantation  
Sorbus aucuparia Rowan St Catherine’s Plantation  
Taxus baccata Yew St Catherine’s Plantation  
Tilia x europaea Lime St Catherine’s Plantation  
Ulmus procera English Elm St Catherine’s Plantation Suckering from pre Dutch elm disease population.
       
Herbs      
Achillea millefolium Yarrow Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Agrostis capillaris Common Bent-grass Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent-grass Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Anthriscus sylvestris Cow Parsley St Catherine’s Plantation  
Arctium minus Lesser Burdock St Catherine’s Plantation  
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Bryonia dioica White Bryony Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Centaurea nigra Common Knapweed Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Chenopodium rubra Red Goosefoot St Catherine’s Plantation  
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle St Catherine’s Plantation  
Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Cynosurus cristatus Crested Dogs tail Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Dactylis glomerata Cock’s-foot Grass Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Geum verum Lady’s Bedstraw Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed St Catherine’s Plantation  
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire Fog Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Holcus mollis Creeping Soft-grass St Catherine’s Plantation  
Iris foetidus Stinking Iris In flower bed adjacent to car park to east of Hall.  
Leucanthemum vulgare Ox-eye Daisy Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle St Catherine’s Plantation  
Plantago lanceolata Lanceolate Plantain Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Prunella vulgaris Self-heal Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup St Catherine’s Plantation  
Rumex acetosella Sheep’s Sorrel Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock St Catherine’s Plantation  
Rumex obtusifolius Common Sorrel Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
Nicandra physalodes Shoo-fly Plant Walled Garden  
Torilis japonica Upright Hedge Parsley St Catherine’s Plantation  
Urtica dioica Stinging Nettle St Catherine’s Plantation  
       
Hymenoptera (Bees & Wasps)      
Apis mellifera Honey Bees (workers) Walled Garden. 9 specimens collecting water on concrete paving after recent rain shower.
Bombus terrestris or lucorum Bumble Bees (workers) Walled Garden Nectaring on potted Mentha sp. Species of bee difficult to separate.
       
Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)      
Acrocercops  brongniadella Oak Cloud Micro moth Oak leaf blotch miner Formerly very local in southern counties. In recent years it has spread north. The first Yorkshire records (1999) were raised from Oak leaves on Potteric Carr.
Anthophila fabriciana Nettle-tap Moth St Catherine’s Plantation  
Cameraria ohridella Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner St Catherine’s Plantation & the huge Horse-chestnut on the park grassland opposite the Hall. 1st UK record in 2002. Mass arrival in Yorks 2007. Now difficult to find a Horse-chestnut not colonized by this micro-moth.
Cydalima perspectalis Box-tree Moth Adult photographed on Hall garden wall. First UK record in Kent in 2007.1st Yorks record in 2014. Now widespread and the scourge ornamental box hedges. Dye-back noticed on box hedges throughout the gardens.
Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing St Catherine’s Plantation Hind wing on shrub suggesting remains of prey of Brown Long-eared Bat.
Pararge aegeria Speckled Wood St Catherine’s Plantation  
Phyllonorycter leucographella Firethorn Leaf-miner Leaf mine photographed on Pyracantha east of Hall. 1st UK record in 1989. Arrived in York (Doncaster) 1996. By 2001 its leaf-mines were on Pyracantha hedges & shrubs throughout the county.
Pieris rapae Small White Butterfly Walled Garden  
       
Diptera (Flies)      
Episyrphus balteatus Marmalade Hoverfly Walled Garden  
Syrphus ribesii  A Common Banded Hoverfly Walled Garden  
       
Odonata (Dragonflies & Damselflies      
Aeshna mixta Migrant Hawker Lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall.  
       
Arachnida (Spiders etc.)      
Phalangium opilio female A Harvest spider Female on lawn opposite (south-west of)  St Catherine’s Hall  
       
Mollusca (Slugs & Snails)      
Deroceras reticulatum Grey Field Slug Walled Garden. On concrete paving after recent rain shower.  
       
Plant Galls (a preliminary list)      
Aceria erinea Walnut Blister Gall (mite) on Walnut leaves St Catherine’s Plantation  
Aceria tristriatus on Walnut leaves St Catherine’s Plantation See Nora Boyle photo
Andricus aries Ram’s Horn Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Andricus fecundatrix Artichoke Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Gall St Catherine’s Plantation  
Andricus lignicola Cola-nut Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Andricus lucidus Hedgehog Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Oak. St Catherine’s Plantation  
Andricus quercuscalicis Knopper Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Neuroterus anthracinus Oyster Gall (gall wasp) on Pedunculate Oak St Catherine’s Plantation  
Psyllopsis fraxini A Psyllid Bug on Ash St Catherine’s Plantation  
 Eriophyes exilis On Lime Tree  St Catherine’s Plantation See Nora Boyle photo
Mammals      
Sciurus carolinensis Grey Squirrel St Catherine’s Plantation  
       
Birds      
Columba livia domestica Feral Pigeons Colony on St Catherine’s Hall  

CAH.