British Plant Gall Society Field Meeting with the Doncaster and Barnsley Naturalists’ Society’s at Worsborough Reservoir Country Park and Bidwell Wood SSSI, Barnsley.
Leader: Tom Higginbottom
At 10.30am a large group of participants (including 5 Doncaster Nats members) met in the car park of Worsborough Mill Country Park. The group progressed at snail’s pace examining every tree, shrub and herb beside the track along the southern side of the reservoir and on to Birdwell Wood SSSI.
These notes are subsidiary to those of the main party and relate to a shorter (though extensive) round walk made by Nora Boyle and Colin Howes, leaving the main group at the path junction at SE346031 and returning to the car park via the trail round the perimeter of the reservoir, flooded woodland and the reservoir dam, arriving back at the Mill around 3.pm.
The following list has been compiled from notes made within Worsborough Country Park (SE3403) by NB and CAH.
| BOTANICAL NAME | VERNACULAR NAME |
|---|---|
| Acer campestre | Field Maple |
| Acer platanoides | Norway Maple |
| Acer pseudoplatanus | Sycamore |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow |
| Alliaria petiolata | Jack-by-the-hedge |
| Alnus glutinosa | Common Alder |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley |
| Arctium minus | Lesser Burdock |
| Arrhenatherum elatius | False Oat-grass |
| Artemisia vulgaris | Mugwort |
| Arum maculatum | Arum |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy |
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch |
| Brachypodium sylvaticum | False Brome |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgar | Spear Thistle |
| Conopodium majus | Pignut |
| Convolvulus arvensis | Field Bindweed |
| Cornus sanguinea | Dogwood |
| Corylus avellana | Hazel |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Dactylis glomerata | Cock’s-foot |
| Dryopteris filix-mas | Male Fern |
| Elymus caninus | Bearded Couch-grass |
| Epipactis helleborine | Broad-leaved helleborine 8 fine specimens (in seed) near angling jetty |
| Equisetum arvensis | Field Horsetail |
| Fagus sylaticus | Beech |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Meadowsweet |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Geranium robertianum | Herb Robert |
| Geum urbanum | Wood Avens |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground Ivy |
| Gymnadenia conopsea | Fragrant Orchid |
| Hedera helix | Ivy |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed |
| Holcus lanatus | Yorkshire Fog |
| Hypochaeris radicata | Common Cat’s-ear |
| Impatiens glandulifera | Indian Balsam |
| Iris pseudacorus | Yellow Iris |
| Lamium album | White Dead Nettle |
| Lapsana communis | Nipplewort |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | Ox-eye Daisy |
| Ligustrum ovalifolium | Garden Privet |
| Lolium perenne | Perennial Rye-grass |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Matricaria matricarioides | Pineappleweed |
| Mercurialis perennis | Dog’s Mercury |
| Persicaria amphibia | Amphibious Bistort |
| Petasites hybridu | Butterbur |
| Phragmites australis | Common Reed |
| Phyllitis scolopendrium | Hart’s –tongue Fern |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Plantago major | Rat-tail Plantain |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadow-grass |
| Poa pratensis | Smooth Meadow-grass |
| Poa trivialis | Rough Meadow-grass |
| Polygonum aviculare | Knotgrass |
| Potamogeton natans | Floating Pondweed |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping cinquefoil |
| Prunus spinosa | Blackthorn |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Quercus robur | Pedunculate Oak |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Rosa canina | Dog Rose |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Rubus idaeus | Raspberry |
| Rumex obtusifolius | Broad Dock |
| Salix fragilis | Crack Willow |
| Salix viminalis | Osier |
| Sambucus nigra | Elder |
| 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 |
| Symphoricarpos albus | Snowberry |
| Tamus communis | Black Bryony |
| Tanacetum vulgare | Tansey |
| Taraxacum officinale agg. | Dandelion |
| Torilis japonica | Upright Hedge-parsley |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover |
| Ulmus glabra | Wych Elm |
| Ulmus minor | Small-leaved Elm (with corky-bark) |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle |
| Viburnum opulus | Guelder Rose |
| PLANT GALLS | |
| Acalitus stenaspis | Mite gall causing a roll on the edge of Beech leaves. |
| Aceria nervisequa | Mite gall causing a transparent patch on the undersides of Beech leaves |
| Euua proxima formerly Eupontania proxima. | A Gall Wasp producing the red bean gall on Crack willow leaves. |
| DIPTERA (Flies) | |
| Myathropa florea | An impressively large Hoverfly popularly known as the ‘Batman Hoverfly’ due to the face pattern on its thorax. It was in abundance nectaring on Ivy flowers. |
| Eristalis tenax | Dronefly in abundance nectaring on Ivy flowers. |
| LEPIDOPTERA (Moths) | |
| Acronicta psi | The caterpillar of the Grey Dagger Moth on Hazel leaves. |
| COLEOPTERA (Beetles) | |
| Agelastica alni | Alder-leaf Beetle (see note below) |
| HYMENOPTERA (Bees, wasps etc.) | |
| Apis melifera | Honey Bee |
| HEMIPTERA (Bugs) | |
| Pentatoma rufipes | Forest Shieldbug |
| BIRDS | |
| Blackheaded Gull 20+ | |
| Canada Geese 13+ | |
| Canada x White farm goose hybrid | |
| Chaffinch | |
| Coot 8+ | |
| Great Crested Grebe (Young) | |
| Great Tit | |
| Heron | |
| Kingfisher (had been seen) | |
| Long-tailed Tit | |
| Magpie | |
| Mallard 25+ | |
| Moorhen 1 | |
| Muskovy Ducks 2 | |
| Mute Swan 3 | |
| Robin | |
| Sparrowhawk | |
| White (farm) Geese 2 | |
| Wood Pigeon | |
Note on the Alder-leaf Beetles
This now ubiquitous and vastly abundant beetle which renders Alder (Alnus glutinosa) leaves to lace, was thought to have become extinct in the UK as no records existed from 1946 to 2003. Then in 2004 larvae and adults were found in the Manchester area from whence they have spread, certainly into South Yorkshire.
A mystery aggregation of 28+ Alder beetles had gathered on the metal locking device on the footpath barrier near the footpath junction at SE346031. Interestingly the identical (reciprocal) device at the opposite side of the path was entirely ignored. One of the Barnsley Nats suggested a sugary soft drink may have been spilled onto the metalwork, thus attracting the beetles.
2. ‘Batman Hoverfly’ Myathropa florea. Photo by Nora Boyle
3. The Red bean gall on Crack willow leaves is Euua proxima formerly Eupontania proxima. Photo by Nora Boyle
4. Mite gall Aceria nervisequa under Beech leaves. Photo by Nora Boyle
5. This gall causing a roll on the edge of a Beech leaf is a mite gall Acalitus stenaspis. Photo by Nora Boyle
Five members met at the visitor centre, Sherwood Forest on Tuesday 6th September 2022.
Leader Les Coe
After a brief look around the old photos on display at the visitor centre, the party made their way into the woodland on well defined footpaths. Soon, the main footpaths were left behind as the lesser travelled paths were explored on the way to the Centre Tree, where a brief stop for refreshments was taken. At this juncture, two members decided to leave the party and make their own way.
The remaining party further explored the interesting byways of the forest before venturing into a totally different habitat of Budby Common. Here we were fortunate to come across a pair of Redstart resting on path side fence posts.
Back into the forest again, we made our way to the visitor centre along well signposted footpaths, passing on the way a bird feeding station that had attracted coal tits, great tits and a nuthatch. Coffee was partaken at the visitor centre before the party left for home.