Leader : John Scott.
Members present : CB; CH.

The group met at 10.30 am in the Car Park at Sykehouse Lock on the New Junction Canal (OS Grid Ref. SE639 162. Post code DN14 9AL).
We walked south along the eastern bank of the canal examining the hedgerow, grassy bank and the riparian/aquatic vegetation along the canal path. Due to the absence of a canal crossing at Smallhedge Bridge and the long walk to the next crossing point, the group decided to leave the elevated canal bank via the overgrown wooden staircase to Stony Lane & Smallhedge Lane and return to the car park via Fishlake Covert, Pennyshore Lane and Kirk Lane.

Notes of interest:
1. Considering the absence of any exposed solid geology in this region of heavy clay soils, Stony Lane lived up to its name by revealing a number of water-worn pebbles of carboniferous sandstone. These would have been deposited here from the northwest by glaciofluvial action at the end of the last glaciation.

2. Three aquatic invasive alien species occurred along the canal, Himalayan Balsam, Orange Balsam and Floating Pennywort. The honey-scented Himalayan Balsam, much beloved of Bumble Bees, was a 19th century horticultural import. Though not known in South Yorkshire according to Lees’ Flora of 1888, it now occurs in profusion along water courses throughout the Doncaster district, characteristically in association with Nettles and Hemlock.
The equally glamorous Orange Balsam was first noted in the NJ Canal (its first Doncaster locality) by Louise Hill in September 2008. The Nats two visits to the Canal this year witnessing its spread. The Floating Pennywort, first noticed in the Don in 2010 has only recently colonised the NJ Canal, its presence not mentioned here in the South Yorkshire Plant Atlas (2011). Our visits this year have found it, sometimes in large floating mounds, from the Went Footbridge in the north to Smallhedge Bridge.

3. John drew our attention to subtle east/west ‘ridge and furrow’ undulations in the floor of Fishlake Covert. This indicated the site had been under arable management prior to its establishment as a Hunting Covert. Presumably this land-use change took place after the local (Hatfield, Thorne, Fishlake, Stainforth & Sykehouse) enclosure award was enacted in 1825. The wood is currently managed for game bird (Pheasant) rearing.

Table 1

Common Name	Latin Name	SE6316 Canal Bank	SE6315 Canal Bank	SE6314 Canal Bank	SE6314-15 Fishlake Covert	SE6315 Pennyshore Lane	Notes
Alder, Common	Alnus glutinosa	*	*	*
Alder, Italian	Alnus cordata					*
Amphibious Bistort	Polygonum amphibium		*	*
Angelica	Angelica sylvestris			*	*	*
Annual Meadow-grass	Poa annua	*	*	*	*	*
Arum	Arum maculatum					*
Ash	Fraxinus excelsior	*	*	*	*	*
Balsam, Himalayan	Impatiens glandulifera	*	*
Balsam, Orange	Impatiens capensis	*	*	*
Bindweed, Great	Calystegia silvatica					*
Bird’s-foot Trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	*	*	*
Black Bryony	Tamus communis					*
Black Medick	Medicago lupulina	*	*	*
Blackthorn	Prunus spinose	*	*	*
Bracken	Pteridium aquilinum				*	*
Bramble	Rubus fruticosus agg.	*	*	*	*	*
Broad-leaved Dock	Rumex obtusifolius	*	*	*	*	*
Broad-leaved Willowherb	Epilobium montanum					*
Burdock, Greater	Arctium lappa					*
Buttercup, Creeping	Ranunculus repens	*	*	*	*	*
Chickweed, Common	Stellaria media	*	*	*
Cleavers	Galium aparine				*	*
Clover, Red	Trifolium pratense	*	*	*
Clover, White	Trifolium repens	*	*	*
Cock’s-foot Grass	Dactylis glomerata	*	*	*	*	*
Coltsfoot	Tussilago farfara	*	*	*
Corn Mint	Mentha arvensis			*
Couch Grass	Agropyron repens					*
Cow Parsley	Anthriscus sylvestris	*	*	*	*	*
Cranesbill, Cut-leaved	Geranium dissectum					*
Creeping Cinquefoil	Potentilla reptans	*	*	*
Creeping Soft-grass	Holcus mollis		*	*	*	*
Currant, Red	Ribes rubrum agg.				*
Daisy	Bellis perennis	*	*	*
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	*	*	*
Deadnettle, White	Lamium album	*	*	*	*	*
Dog Rose	Rosa canina	*	*	*	*
Dogwood	Cornus sanguinea					*
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill	Geranium molle	*	*	*
Elder	Sambucus nigra	*	*	*	*	*
Enchanter’s Nightshade	Circaea lutetiana				*
False Fox-sedge	Carex otrubae	*	*	*		*
False Oat-grass	Arrhenatherum elatius	*	*	*		*
Fat Hen	Chenopodium album
Fern, Broad-buckler	Dryopteris dilitata				*	*
Fern, Male	Dryopteris felix-mas	*	*	*	*	*
Field Maple	Acer campestre		*	*
Fleabane, Common	Pulicaria dysenterica			*
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea				*
Giant Fescue	Festuca gigantia				*	*
Gipsywort	Lycopus europaeus	*	*	*
Goat Willow	Salix caprea					*
Greater Pond Sedge	Carex riparia				*
Greater Stitchwort	Stellaria holostea	*	*	*	*	*
Ground Ivy	Glechoma hederacea					*
Groundsel	Senecio vulgaris				*	*
Hawthorn	Crataegus monogyna	*	*	*	*	*
Hazel	Corylus avellana	*	*	*	*	*
Heliotrope sp.	Petasites sp.					*
Hemlock	Conium maculatum		*	*	*	*
Herb Bennet	Geum urbanum	*	*	*	*	*
Herb Robert	Geranium robertianum	*	*	*	*	*
Hogweed	Heracleum sphondylium	*	*	*	*	*
Holly	Ilex aquifolium				*
Honeysuckle	Lonicera periclymenum				*	*
Horse Chestnut	Aesculus hippocastanum	*	*	*
Ivy	Hedera helix	*	*	*	*
Knapweed, Common	Centaurea nigra	*	*	*		*
Knotgrass	Polygonum aviculare	*	*	*
Lesser Pond-sedge	Carex acutiformis				*
Mallow, Musk	Malva moschata	*	*	*
Maple, Field	Acer campestre					*
Maple, Norway	Acer platanoides		*
Meadow Vetchling	Lathyrus pratensis	*	*	*
Meadowsweet	Filipendula ulmaria	*	*	*	*
Mouse-ear, Common	Cerastium fontanum	*	*	*
Mugwort	Artemisia vulgaris	*	*	*
Mustard, Hedge	Sisymbrium officinale	*	*	*
Nettle	Urtica dioica	*	*	*
Nightshade, Woody	Solanum dulcamara	*	*	*
Oak, Pedunculate or Common	Quercus robur	*	*	*	*	*
Oat, Common	Avena sativa					*
Osier	Salix viminalis					*
Ox-eye Daisy	Leucanthemum vulgare	*	*	*
Pennywort, Floating	Hydrocotyle ranunculoides	*	*	*			Also SE6416 + 6417
Perennial Rye-grass	Lolium perenne	*	*	*		*
Perennial Sow-thistle	Sonchus arvensis	*	*	*
Plantain, Rat-tail	Plantago major	*	*	*		*
Plantain, Ribwort	Plantago lanceolatum	*	*	*		*
Plum, Wild	Prunus domestica					*
Privet, Wild	Ligustrum vulgare				*
Ragwort, Common	Senecio jacobaea	*	*	*
Reed Sweet-grass	Glyceria maxima	*	*	*	*	*
Scentless Mayweed	Matricaria perforata					*
Silver Birch	Betula pendula				*	*
Skullcap	Scutellaria gallericulata	*	*	*
Soft Rush	Juncus effusus			*
Stinging Nettle	Urtica dioica	*	*	*	*	*
Sycamore	Acer pseudoplatanus				*
Tansy	Tanacetum vulgare	*	*	*		*
Thistle, Creeping	Cirsium arvense	*	*	*	*
Thistle, Marsh	Cirsium palustre				*
Thistle, Spear	Cirsium vulgare	*	*	*
Three-veined Sandwort	Moeringia trinervia				*
Trifid Bur Marigold	Bidens tripartita		*
Upright Hedge Parsley	Torilis japonica					*
Wall Barley (grass)	Hordeum murinum
Willowherb, Great	Epilobium hirsutum	*	*	*
Willowherb, Rosebay	Chamerion angustifolium	*	*	*
Wood Brome	Bromus ramosus					*
Wood Millet	Milium effusum				*
Woundwort, Hedge	Stachys sylvatica	*	*	*
Woundwort, Marsh	Stachys palustris	*	*	*
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	*	*	*
Yellow Waterlily	Nuphar lutea	*	*	*
Yorkshire Fog	Holcus lanatus	*	*	*

 

Sykehouse Lock, New Junction Canal, Fishlake Covert & Pennyshaw Lane

Common Name	Latin Name	Notes.
Invertebrates
Common Darter	Sympetrum striolatum	Hunting insects along ditches and paths around Fishlake Covert.
Green-veined White Butterfly	Pieris napi	Fishlake Covert
Hornet	Vespa crabro	Active nest in upturned tree root-plate in ditch adjacent to Fishlake Covert. Much ‘toing and froing’ of hornets while we sat on adjacent log having lunch. Most emerging hornets headed off on same compass-bearing (south-west) to forage.
Nurseryweb Spider	Pisaura mirabiis	In dry grass adjacent to Fishlake Covert
Pond Skaters	Gerris (? lacustris)	Large numbers along all sections of the canal, concentrating within 3m of the bank.
Red Admiral Butterfly	Vanessa atalanta	Fishlake Covert
Speckled Wood Butterfly	Pararge aegeria	Fishlake Covert
Herptiles
Common Frog	Rana temporaria	Bright yellow/green young specimen by ditch along Pennyshaw Lane.
Birds
Blackbird	Turdus merula	All in or over Fishlake Covert
Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus
Buzzard	Buteo buteo
Magpie	Pica pica
Robin (singing)	Erithacus rubecula
Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus
Mammals
Mole	Talpa europaea	Fresh hills along canal bank
Roe Deer	Capreolus capreolus	Footprints (slots) in clay soil of paths and ditches in and around Fishlake Covert.

CAH.
 

Leader : Tom Higginbottom.
Members present : IF, TH, TH, NB, CH, SB, JC and SC.

Joint meeting with the British Plant Gall Society at the Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard.

We assembled in the car park and then followed a trail up towards Bracken Hill. The main focus for members of the British Plant Gall Society was to make a complete list of galls found and their hosts. Tom has compiled the list for the BPGS and the Arboretum. This report will mention a few galls but also feature some  other species  which were photographed by Tricia Haigh and myself and a spider discovered by Colin. To identify the photographer each figure number is followed by either NB for Nora Boyle or TH for Tricia Haigh.

We had only just started looking at oak trees when we came across 3 species of fungi, Fly Agaric, Weeping Widow and Southern Bracket.

See figure 1 (NB) Weeping Widow, figure 2 (NB) Southern bracket
 

Most of the galls we discovered were on species of Oak of which there were many, so many that when you enter the arboretum you can pick up an Oak Tree Trail to follow.

Of particular interest was an example of both the sexual generation and asexual generation of Andricus grossulariae on Lebanon oak Quercus libania. The asexual generation forms  on lateral and terminal buds and has long thin green rectangular spines bright green at first but then going bright red. Seen here with old Knopper galls, figure 3 (NB) .

The sexual generation is rounded with an apical point ,green at first then becoming brown as it hardens. The latter persisting on trees until the autumn. See figure 4 (NB).

Another gall which was new to me which appears in the centre of figure 5 (NB) Is an early stage in the development of Andricus glandulae which is caused by a gall wasp. When mature it is pear shaped and hairy.

Figure 6 (TH) shows Silk button spangle galls Neuroterus numismalis found on an oak tree near to the lake. Interestingly there were only a few examples found. 

As mentioned previously a variety of oak species were found, these two with interesting acorns. The first figure 7 (NB) on Quercus x kewensis and the second figure 8 (NB) on Quercus macrolepis Valencia Oak.

As Tricia was walking round the Arboretum she photographed several examples of sawflies. The white fluffy larva in figure 9 (TH) is an early instar stage of the Alder Sawfly Eriocampa ovata on the underside of an Alder Alnus glutinosa leaf. The white powdery layer is supposed to camouflage the larva as a bird dropping! Later instars loose the white powdery camouflage layer and reveal themselves as actual sawfly larvae with a green appearance. Colin Howes discovered these sawflies by the lake devouring a common waterside Sallow Salix sp. of some sort, figure 10 (TH).

Another sawfly found was Tenthredo scrophulariae, the figwort sawfly which are still feeding, primarily on figwort leaves, in September but will soon hibernate in October, figures 11 (TH) and 12 (TH).

Another interesting find was the bright red and yellow larva of the moth Grey Dagger Acronicta psi figure 13 (TH) which will pupate later in the year and overwinter as a pupa.

Tricia photographed many species, some photographs of which can be seen at the end of this report but this one fly Sturmia bella figure 14 is included in this report because of its parasitic lifestyle. The female lays its eggs on nettle leaves, the food plant of several butterflies including Small Tortoiseshell whose caterpillars consume the eggs unwittingly along with the leaves. The fly maggots hatch in the caterpillars’ gut and literally eats them alive.

Colin’s interest in spiders led him to discover this  Four-spotted orbweb spider, Araneus quadratus figure 15 (NB) photographed on Colin’s gardening gloves! Notice the banded legs and 4 spots on the body.

Further photos taken by Tricia Haigh on the day.

Leader : Tom Higginbottom.
Members present : IF; JB; CH.

Location: SE235 142 between Lawns Dike to the north, Seckar Lane to the south, Intake Lane to the west and the A61 Wakefield-Barnsley Road to the east. The site car Park is off Seckar Lane.

Seckar Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, managed as a Local Nature Reserve by the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. This undulating site extends over 46.45 ha or 114.78 acres and includes a variety of habitats including ancient woodland, heathland and wetland.

Unlike sites in lowland Doncaster, Seckar Wood is positively alpine at 70m, so the Oaks are mainly Sessile Oak Quercus petraea rather than Quercus robur and the Gorse on the heathland is Western Gorse Ulex gallii rather than Ulex europaeus.

In the springtime the woodland floor is blue with carpets of Bluebells and in late summer (now) the heathland is purple and honey-scented with carpets of Heather.

For further information visit: https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/venue/seckar-wood-nature-reserve/

Seckar Wood

Scientific name	Vernacular name
AVascular P
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore
Alliaria petiolate	Garlic Mustard
Angelica sylvestris	Angelica
Arctium minus	Lesser Burdock
Betula pendula	Silver Birch
Calluna vulgaris	Heather
Carex pendula	Pendulous Sedge
Circaea lutetiana	Enchanters Nightshade
Circium vulgare	Spear Thistle
Cirsium arvense	Creeping Thistle
Corylus avellana	Hazel
Dryopteris filix-mas	Male Fern
Epilobium angustifolium	Rosebay
Filipendula ulmaria	Meadowsweet
Holcus mollis	Creeping Soft-grass
Hyacinthoides non-scripta	Bluebell (dead inflorescences)
Ilex aquifolium	Holly
Lonicera periclymenum	Honeysuckle
Pteridium aquilinum	Bracken
Quercus petraea	Sessile Oak
Ranunculus repens	Creeping Buttercup
Rubus fruticosus agg.	Bramble
Rumx obtusifolius	Broad-leaved Dock
Salix x fragilis	Crack Willow
Sambucus nigra	Elder
Stachys sylvatica	Hedge Woundwort
Ulex gallii	Western Gorse
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle
Viburnum opulus	Guelder Rose
Invertebrates
Agalis io	Peacock Butterfly (nectaring on sap run)
Pararge aegaria	Speckled Wood Butterfly (Many in sun-lit glades)
Birds
Buteo buteo	Buzzard
Erithacus rubecula	Robin
Turdus merula	Blackbird
Mammals
Capreolus capreolus	Roe Deer (2 in car park)
Oryctolagus cuniculus	Rabbit (droppings)
Sciurus carolensis	Grey Squirrel
Amphibians
Rana temporaria	Common Frog (froglets near roadside pond).

 
CAH.