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.