Barnsley Nats

Our next Wednesday evening field visit (21 June) is a welcome return to Boylin’s, the area near Strafford industrial park. It’s off the road (Gilroyd Lane) between Gilroyd and Stainborough.

It’s a general nature walk in an area with a stream (Stainborough Dike), reedbeds ( Strafford Mine Water Treatment Plant), grassland and woodland. So looking for plants, birds, butterflies and other invertebrates. It’s part of the Falthwaite and Lowe Wood local wildlife site. The Dove Valley Trail (TPT) skirts the site.

Meeting: We are meeting for 7pm at the Strafford industrial estate car park: SE324041. The selected ‘what three words’ location is ///launch.water.beast !

We have a species count of 103, many of which we see regularly. There will be more to add to the list when we get the insects species from one of our members. Birds that we saw ot heard include wren, reed warbler anf young bluetits. Insects were a snout-nosed moth, clearwing (possibably lunar hornet moth) nurseyweb spider and bishop’s mitre shieldbug. Plants included enchanters nightshde, crosswort, goats rue, everlasting pea and yarrow (flowers are just opening). Galls midge, Dasineura acrophilia, gall on ash; two mite galls, Eriophyes inangulis and E. laevis on alder; wasp gall, Andricus curvatur, on oak sessile

Our next field visit is to Phoenix Park near Thurnscoe. It’s a general nature ramble on a restored colliery site, now managed by The Land Trust. Grasses, wildflowers, hopefully insects if warm enough, birds and woodland.

We’ll meet as usual at 10am and stay until around 1.00pm.

Meet at the main car park for Phoenix Park on Barrowfield Road, Thurnscoe. Three words: //save.prepared.perfected [!!] Grid Reference: SE461052. There are brown signs to Phoenix Park from the A635 roundabout junction with the B609.

A joint field visit with South Yorkshire British Naturalists’ Association.

Our field visit on Wednesday 24 May was to Netherwood Country Park and Nature Reserve, at the side of the river Dove, between Wombwell and Darfield.

As well as the river and large ponds, there are open grassy areas, scrub and a bit of woodland. Not much in flower yet but it was good to identify what was there, as well as other wildlife.

We managed 13 birds including Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. The young of the Greylag and Canada geese were a delight!

Our nine insect species included Red & Black Froghopper, the Soldier beetle: Cantharis rustica, Redheaded Cardinal beetle, and 7 spot and 14 spot ladybirds as well as Early bumblebee, Red tail bumblebee and Common carder bee.

Of particular interest were the Oak Current Gall, the gall wasp of which creates oak spangle galls in a later stage; and a spiral gall on some fantastic Black Poplar trees.

On our field visit on Saturday 13 May to New Hall Farm, between Ardsley and Darfield, David and Helen Rhodes showed us their approach to arable farming which aims to encourage wildlife whilst ensuring their farm is viable; they maintain hedgerows and hay meadows, and have a variety of features that support birds, insects and other wildlife. It was a really interesting visit.
More later.

Our Saturday 22nd April field visit to Adwick washlands, was led by Linda Graham in association with Colin and Linda’s birdwatching group. It’s a familiar area of farmed fields transformed into wetlands, wet grassland and marshes; a rich site for breeding waders including Avocets.

A total of 56 bird species were seen, the highlights included Lapwing chicks, many Avocets on eggs, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Bar Tailed Godwits, a Sandwich Tern, a House Martin, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler and a Kingfisher.

Now with SSSI status, its mix of reedbed, fen, scrapes, marsh, meadows and wet woodland makes Carlton Marsh a great place to visit, in any season. 

It was quite quiet when we visited; we were pleased to see the two Whooper swans, as well as mallard, moorhen, gadwall and almost 20 teal; and in the bushes some dancing long-tailed tit. And of course we looked at the fungi, lichens and plants.

A highlight was searching for over-wintering herald moths!

https://www.ywt.org.uk/nature-reserves/carlton-marsh-nature-reserve