Leaders : Ian Farmer & Tom Higginbottom

Holmes Carr Great Wood is a large woodland which borders the edge of Rossington and  what would have been the Rossington Main Colliery coal tip. There were many mature Pedunculate Oaks which were host to a number of galls. The most exciting galls were found in the more open parkland before we entered the wood. On the underside of an Oak-leaf we discovered 5 examples of the rare gall Cynips longiventris, the Striped Pea Gall.  A distinctive gall but one which is not frequently recorded.

In the wood we also found examples of Cynips divisa. Ian Farmer checked by pressing the galls, there is no doubt it was C. divisa the gall which is thick walled, whereas C. agama, similar looking gall is thin walled and collapses when pressed.

The wide-open pathways led to the discovery of galls on herbaceous plants.  The wasp Liposthenes glechomae causing galls on the buds of Ground Ivy.

After lunch we decided to investigate another nearby woodland, Hurst Plantation. We were fortunate to have the knowledgeable expert Jim Burnett to lead us through the woodland and ponds, remaining from sand and gravel extraction.

 The most significant discovery was an  old example of Andricus lucidus,  often referred to as the hedgehog gall,  a gall wasp rarely seen in the north.

Alder was common beside the ponds and host to the common mite galls Eriophyes inangulis  forming  pimples along the main vein of the leaf and E. laevis forming pimples all over the leaf. Slopes near the ponds were covered in  yellow Evening Primrose.

The most significant galls were discovered towards the end of our meeting. Jim had indicated that in 2022  a large part of the woodland had been burnt by an extensive fire. Many conifers and remaining Birch trees were silhouettes with  Bracken covering the understory.  But in the last part of the woodland not far from the car park,  Rosebay Willowherb was the dominant plant growing beneath the silhouettes of burnt trees. It has been often described as Fireweed. In our searches for galls Ian Farmer found the  leaf roll formed by the midge,  Dasineura kiefferiana and the even more unusual swelling of the stem formed by a moth, Mompha sturnipennella.

Tom Higginbottom

Holmes Carr Great Wood, Rossington (2024)

HOST PLANT	COMMON NAME	GALL INDUCER	COMMON NAME
SK 608976
Acer campestre	Field Maple	Aceria macrochela	Mite
Filipendula ulmaria	Meadowsweet	Dasineura pustulans	Midge
Galium aparine	Cleavers	Dasineura aparines	Midge
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed	Macrolabis heraclei	Midge
Prunus spinosa	Blackthorn	Eriophyes similis	Mite
Pteridium aquilinum	Bracken	Dasineura pteridis	Midge
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Cynips longiventris	Wasp
Rubus sp.	Bramble	Dasineura plicatrix	Midge
Uritca dioica	Common Nettle	Dasineura urticae	Midge
SK 607977
Alnus glutinosa	Alder	Acalitus brevitarsus	Mite
Alnus glutinosa	Alder	Eriophyes inangulis	Mite
Alnus glutinosa	Alder	Eriophyes laevis	Mite
Corylus avellana	Hazel	Phytoptus avellanae	Mite
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	Phyllocoptes goniothorax	Mite
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash	Psyllopsis fraxini	Psyllid
Glechoma hederacea	Ground-ivy	Liposthenes glechomae	Wasp
Prunus sp		Phyllocoptes eupadi	Mite
Prunus spinosa	Blackthorn	Eriophyes similis	Mite
Prunus spinosa	Blackthorn	Eriophyes homophyllus	Mite
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus lignicolus	Wasp
Rubus sp.	Bramble	Dasineura plicatrix	Midge
SK605976
Cirsium arvense	Pedunculate Oak	Puccinia punctiformis	Fungus
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus aries	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus foecundatrix	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus lignicolus	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus quercuscorticis	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Cynips divisa	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Macrodiplosis roboris	Midge
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Neuroterus numismalis	Wasp
Salix alba	White Willow	Euura proxima	Sawfly
Salix caprea	Goat Willow	Melampsora caprearum	Fungus
Salix caprea	Goat Willow	Euura pedunculi	Sawfly
Tilia sp.	Lime	Eriophyes tiliae	Mite
Tilia sp.	Lime	Eriophyes exilis	Mite
Uritca dioica	Common Nettle	Dasineura urticae	Midge
Hurst Plantation
SK637985
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore	Aceria cephalonea	Mite
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore	Aceria pseudoplatani	Mite
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus aries	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus lignicolus	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus lucidus	Wasp
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	Andricus solitarius	Wasp
Rubus sp	Bramble	Dasineura plicatrix	Midge
SK636989
Alnus glutinosa	Alder	Eriophyes inangulis	Mite
Alnus glutinosa	Alder	Eriophyes laevis	Mite
Salix caprea	Goat Willow	Euura pedunculi	Sawfly
Sambucus nigra	Elder	Epitrimerus trilobus	Mite
SK639988
Chamerion angustifolium	Rosebay Willowherb	Dasineura kiefferiana	Midge
Chamerion angustifolium	Rosebay Willowherb	Mompha sturnipennella	Moth
Quercus cerris	Turkey oak (catkins)	Andricus grossulariae	Wasp

 
Tom Higginbottom
 
In the afternoon we all adjourned to Hirst Plantation off Bawtry Road.
 

Hurst Plantation

Taxonomic Name	Vernacular Name	SK/6398	SK/6399
VASCULAR PLANTS
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore	*
Artemisia vulgaris	Mugwort	*
Agrostis capillaris	Common Bent-grass	*
Alchemilla mollis	Lady’s Mantle	*
Alnus glutinosa	Common Alder	*	*
Anagalis arvensis	Scarlet Pimpernel	*	*
Anemone nemorosa	Wood Anenome	*
Anthriscus sylvestris	Cow Parsley	*
Aphanes arvensis	Parsley-piert	*
Bellis perennis	Daisy	*	*
Betula pendula	Silver Birch	*	*
Blackstonia perfoliata	Yellow-wort	*	*
Bryonia dioica	White Bryony	*
Buddleja davidii	Buddleja	*
Carex pendula	Pendulous Sedge	*	*
Castanea sativa	Sweet Chestnut	*
Centaureum erythraea	Centaury	*	*
Ceratocapnos claviculata	Climbing corydalis	*
Chamerion angustifolium	Rosebay	*
Cirsium arvense	Creeping Thistle	*
Cirsium palustre	Marsh Thistle	*	*
Cirsium vulgare	Spear Thistle	*
Corylus avellana	Hazel	*
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	*	*
Cytisus scoparius	Broom	*	*
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot Grass	*
Digitalis purpurea	Foxglove	*	*
Dipsacus fullonum	Teasel	*	*
Echium vulgare	Vipers Bugloss	*
Erodium cicutarium	Stork’s-bill	*
Equisetum arvense	Common Horsetail	*	*
Ficaria verna	Lesser Celandine	*
Filago vulgaris	Cudweed	*	*
Galium aparine	Cleavers	*
Geranium dissectum	Cut-leaved Cranes-bill	*
Geranium robertianum	Herb Robert	*
Geum urbanum	Wood Avens	*
Hedera helix	Ivy	*
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed	*
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog	*	*
Holcus mollis	Creeping Soft-grass	*
Hyacinthoides non-scripta	Bluebell	*
Hypericum tetrapterum	St John’s-wort	*
Ilex aquifolium	Holly	*
Juncus articulatus	Jointed Rush	*	*
Juncus conglomeratus	Compact Rush	*	*
Juncus effusus	Soft Rush	*	*
Juncus inflexus	Hard Rush	*	*
Lamium album	White Deadnettle	*
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy	*	*
Lolium perenne	Ryegrass	*
Lonicera periclymenum	Honeysuckle	*
Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-foot Trefoil	*	*
Lycopus europaeus	Gypsywort	*	*
Mercurialis perennis	Dog’s Mercury	*
Odontites verna	Red Bartsia	*	*
Onothera biennis	Evening Primrose	*
Pentaglottis sempervirons	Green Alkanet	*
Phramites australis	Common Reed	*	*
Pinus nigra	Corsican Pine	*
Plantago coronopus	Buck’s-horn Plantain	*	*
Plantago lanceolata	Lanceolate Plantain	*	*
Plantago major	Rat-tail Plantain	*
Poa annua	Annual Meadow-grass	*	*
Potentilla anserina	Silverweed	*	*
Potentilla reptans	Creeping Cinquefoil	*	*
Prunella vulgaris	Selfheal	*	*
Pteridium aquilinum	Bracken	*
Quercus robur	Common (Pedunculate) Oak	*
Ranunculus repens	Buttercup (Creeping)	*	*
Ranunculus sceleratus	Celery-leaved Buttercup	*	*
Rosa canina	Dog Rose	*
Rubus frutucosus agg.	Bramble	*	*
Rumex acetocella	Sheep’s Sorrel	*
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock	*
Salix cinerea	Grey Willow	*	*
Sambucus nigra	Elder	*
Scrophularia nodosa	Figwort	*
Scrophularia auriculata	Water Figwort	*	*
Silene dioica	Red Campion	*
Silene latifolia	White Campion	*	*
Sisymbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard	*
Solanum dulcamara	Bittersweet	*	*
Sonchus asper	Prickly Sow-thistle	*
Sorbus aucuparia	Rowan	*
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort	*
Stellaria holostea	Great Stitchwort	*
Taraxacum agg.	Dandelion	*
Teucrium scorodonia	Woodsage	*
Trifolium dubium	Lesser Trefoil	*	*
Trifolium pratense	Red Clover	*
Trifolium repens	White Clover	*	*
Ulex europaeus	Gorse	*	*
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle	*	*
Verbena officinalis	Vervain	*
Veronica hederifolia	Ivy-leaved Speedwell	*
Viola riviniana	Dog Violet	*
BIRDS
Columba palumbus	Wood Pigeon	*
Cyanistes caeruleus	Bluetit	*
Erithacus rubecula	Robin	*
Fringilla coelebs	Chaffinch	*
Parus major	Great Tit	*
Phylloscopus collybita	Chiffchaff	*
Troglodytes troglodytes	Wren	*
Turdus merula	Blackbird	*
Fulica atra	Coot	*	*
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	Sedge Warbler	*	*
Gallinula chloropus	Moorhen	*	*
MAMMALS
Talpa europaea	Mole (hills)	*
Oryctolagus cuniculus	Rabbit (warrens, diggings, latrines)	*	*
Meles meles	Badger (sett on western boundary)	*
INVERTEBRATES
Orthetrum cancellatum	Black-tailed Skimmer	*	*

C.A. Howes.
 

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A joint meeting with Sorby Natural History Society with Jim Horsfall from YWT

Leader : ?
Meet : 10 am in the car park on Stoneywell Lane SK555917 (S66 7QN)

Report :

 

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Leader : Jim Burnett
Meet : at 1:30 pm in the Highwayman car park or on the B1220. Grid Ref SK543071 (DN6 7HT).
Objective : For a walk round Highfield Lake looking for Bee Orchids

Report :

 

Species List :

Woodlands Country Park (SE/5407)

Taxonomic Name	Vernacular Name
VASCULAR PLANTS
Acer campestre	Field Maple
Acer platanoides	Norway Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore
Achillia millefolium	Yarrow
Aesculus hippocastanum	Horse Chestnut
Allium ursinum	Ramsons
Alnus glutinosa	Common Alder
Alyssum maritima	Alyssum
Anthryscus sylvestris	Cow parsley
Arctium minus	Lesser Burdock
Artemisia vulgaris	Mugwort
Arum maculatum	Arum
Asplenium scolopendrium	Hart’s-tongue Fern
Ballota nigra	Black Horehound
Brachypodium sylvestris	Wood False-brome
Bromus erectus	Upright Brome
Bromus sterilis	Barren Brome
Bryonia dioica	White Bryony
Calystegia sepium	Hedge Bindweed
Campanula glomerata	Clustered Bellflower
Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd’s purse
Cirsium vulgare	Spear Thistle
Ciscium arvensis	Creeping Thistle
Corylus avellana	Hazel
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot Grass
Daucus carota	Wild Carrot
Dryopteris filix-mas	Male Fern
Epilobium hirsutum	Hairy Willowherb
Filipendula ulmaria	Meadowsweet
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash (+ huge population of seedlings)
Galium aparine	Cleavers
Geranium robertianum	Herb Robert
Geum urbanum	Wood Avens
Glechoma hederacea	Ground Ivy
Hedera helix	Ivy
Heraclium sphondylium	Hogweed
Hippiphae rhamnoides	Sea Buckthorn
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog
Hordeum murinum	Wall Barley
Iris pseudacorus	Yellow Iris
Lamium album	White Deadnettle
Lamium purpureum	Red Deadnettle
Lapsana communis	Nipplewort
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy
Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Medicago lupulina	Black Medic
Mercurialis perennis	Dog’s mercury
Myosoton aquaticum	Water Chickweed
Nuphar lutea	Yellow Waterlily
Ophrys apifera	Bee Orchid (56 flowering Spikes on steep grassy bank)
Pentaglottis sempervirens	Green Alkanet
Phragmites australis	Common Reed
Potentilla reptans	Creeping Cinquefoil
Prunus avium	Wild Cherry
Reseda lutola	Weld
Rhamnus cathartica	Purging Buckthorn
Rosa canina	Dog Rose
Rubus frutucosus agg.	Bramble
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock
Salix babiylonica	Weeping Willow
Salix viminalis	Osier
Salix x fragilis	Crack Willow
Sambucus nigra	Elder
Scrophularia auriculata	Water Figwort
Senecio vulgaris	Groundsel
Silene vulgars	Bladder Campion
Sonchus asper	Prickly Sowthistle
Sonchus oleraceus	Smooth Sowthistle
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort
Symphorecarpus albus	Snowberry
Sysimbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard
Taxus baccata	Yew
Tilia x europaea	Common Lime
Trifolium repens	White Clover
Ulmus glabra	Wych Elm
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle
BIRDS
Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard
Columba palumbus	Wood Pigeon
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow
Gallinula chloropus	Moorhen
Sylvia atricapilla	Blackcap (Recently fledged young)
Troglodytes troglodytes	Wren
Turdus merula	Blackbird (Singing)
Turdus philomelos	Song Thrush (singing)
MAMMALS
Rattus norvegicus	Brown Rat
Talpa europaea	Mole (Hills)
INVERTEBRATES
Aphantopus hyperanus	Ringlet Butterfly
Cameraria ohridella	Horse Chestnut Leaf miner
Gonepteryx rhamni	Brimstone Butterfly
Maniola jutina	Meadow Brown Butterfly

C.A. Howes.

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Leader : Tricia Haigh
Meet : 

Report : 

Species List :

Doncaster Naturalists Society excursion to Finningley Churchyard (SK/6699)
15 June 2024.

Taxonomic name	Common Name
Acer campestre	Field Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore
Achillia millefolium	Yarrow
Anthoxanthem odoratum	Sweet Vernal Grass
Anthryscus sylvestris	Cow parsley
Arctium minus	Lesser Burdock
Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass
Artemisia vulgaris	Mugwort
Asplenium ruta-muraria	Wall Rue Fern
Ballota nigra	Black Horehound
Bromus sterilis	Barren Brome
Bryonia dioica	White Bryony
Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd’s purse
Centaurea nigra	Knapweed
Cirsium vulgare	Spear Thistle
Ciscium arvensis	Creeping Thistle
Convolvulus arvensis	Field Bindweed
Cotoneaster sp.	Cotoneaster sp.
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn
Cynosurus cristatus	Crested Dog-tail
Dactylis glomerata	Cock’s-foot Grass
Galium aparine	Cleavers
Galium verum	Lady’s Bedstraw
Geranium robertianum	Herb Robert
Geum urbanum	Wood Avens
Glechoma hederacea	Ground Ivy
Hedera helix	Ivy
Heraclium sphondylium	Hogweed
Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog
Hordeum murinum	Wall Barley
Ilex aquifolium	Holly
Jacobaea vulgaris	Common Ragwort
Lamium album	White Deadnettle
Lamium purpureum	Red Deadnettle
Lapsana communis	Nipplewort
Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye Daisy
Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Lunaria annua	Honesty
Pentaglottis sempervirens	Green Alkanet
Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain
Poa annua	Annual Meadow-grass
Poa pretensis	Smooth Meadow-grass
Potentilla reptans	Creeping Cinquefoil
Prunus spinose	Blackthorn
Rhinanthus minor	Yellow Rattle
Rubus frutucosus agg.	Bramble
Rumex acetosa	Common Sorrel
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad Dock
Senecio vulgaris	Groundsel
Silene dioica	Red Campion
Sonchus asper	Prickly Sowthistle
Sonchus oleraceus	Smooth Sowthistle
Sorbus aucuparia	Rowan
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort
Stellaria graminea	Lesser Stitchwort
Stellaria holostea	Greater Stitchwort
Trifolium repens	White Clover
Ulmus glabra	Wych Elm
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle
Veronica chamaedrys	Germander Speedwell
Vicia sativa	Common Vetch
BIRDS
Columba palumbus	Wood Pigeon
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow
Erithacus rubecula	Robin
Troglodytes troglodytes	Wren
Turdus merula	Blackbird (Singing)
Corvus monedula	Jackdaw
Corvus frugilegus	Rook
INVERTEBRATES
Eristalis pertinax	Dronefly
Lucilia sericata	Common Green-bottle Fly
Oniscus asellus	Common Shiny Woodlouse (in damp vegetation and brickwork)
Philoscia muscorum	Common Striped Woodlouse (in damp grass turf)
Procellio scaber	Common Rough Woodlouse (in the dry conditions under slates)
Coccinella 7-punctata	Seven-spot Ladybird
Harmonia axyridid	Harlequin Ladybird
Propylea 14-punctata	Fourteen-Spot Ladybird
Bombus terrestris/lucorum	Buff-tailed or White-tailed Bumblebee
Vespula vulgaris	Common Wasp
Lumbricus terrestris	An earthworm (under bricks)
Cecidophyes rouhollahi	Gall on Cleavers

C.A. Howes.