Author: Barnsley_Nats

Return of our Winter indoor meetings

Our winter programme has been published for both indoor and outdoor meetings. Look for the ‘programme’ page on this website! Here are some tasters of what is coming up.

The indoor meetings will include our Christmas get-together on December 18th; with the ever popular (fun) quiz, compiled by Jill. We will be starting off with Gardening for Wildlife on October 23rd. And we also have a presentation on Bees, Beekeeping and the Asian Hornet to look forward to.

Our next outdoor field visit on October 12th takes us to a local nature site at Stairfoot. Then on November 9th, we have our annual fungi walk. A chance to share knowledge into the fungi we observe, as we often find over 20 different species. This often sees many of us on our knees for a closer look at what we find and get some good photos.

As usual our outdoor meeting may change from the published visit, as they all depend on a successful reconnaissance of the group leader for the day. And of course the British weather can have an impact on our walks too.

On Saturday November 16th the YNU (Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union) will be having their AGM in Barnsley. at the Library@the Lightbox. Barnsley Nats are hosting the event. There are two presentations and a blue plaque is being unveiled.

Information on our meetings is also emailed to people on our email list. To be included please drop us an email at [email protected]

Stainborough Dyke, Boylins Walk

There has been a change to our planned field visit for the 13th of April, which now takes us to the woodland around Stainborough Dyke and by the reedbeds near Boylins. This is an area that we visit occasionally and offers a very good scope on many aspects of nature. It’s mainly within the Lowe Wood and Falthwaite Local Wildlife Site.

We will be meeting in the Strafford Industrial Estate car park off Gilroyd Lane for a 10:00am start. Grid ref SE 324 041; what3words: ///launch.water.beast. Please dress for the weather, as it could be muddy in places. Leaders: Annefie Roberts and Doug Brown.

Nine members attended with the weather was warm with April showers. We took a circular route past Boylins and the bottom of Lowe Wood, over what is then Horse Carr Dike and along to the reedbeds of Strafford Mine water treatment works and then back to the cars via the TPT . We looked mostly at plants and were pleased to see some ancient woodland indicators, but fungi and birds were observed . A highlight for me were six House Martin seen over the reed beds. Doug

Thanks to Doug Brown and Gill Richardson for the species list.

Field Visit to Whitwell Moor

Whitwell Moor, near Stocksbridge, is an area of former Grouse Moorland with heather and grassland areas and a beech plantation at its southern end. Eleven of us, led by Doug Brown and Chris Tomson, visited Whitwell Moor on the morning of Tuesday 3rd October. We gathered in the rain at the western end of Long Lane.


There’s a plantation at one end of the moor, and owing to the weather we first went there, finding Russula, Bolete, and Amanita species. Porcelain fungi being one of the prize species.

As the weather improved we headed towards the open moorland around the trig point where the terrain is acid grassland. We thought that this area might be good for waxcap species but we found other species.

The party then headed back along the ridge, looking at an ancient stone wall a site that made millstones in the plantation.

The moor is part of the Broomhead Estate and is no longer managed for grouse shooting. We were keen to have to see any changes due to the natural progression of the moor since management was withdrawn.


The moor was no longer a mosaic of new and old heather. Scrub and some trees had taken hold; Birch and Bracken were spreading. Rewilding?

Finally better weather brought out butterflies including Red Admiral.


Well worth visiting again!


Trees in Winter

Saturday 14th March
On this field visit we will be led by Doug Brown; looking at the trees in Cawthorne Park.
With the recent restoration work in the park it is expected to still be muddy in places. Please dress for the weather
The meeting point will be the main car park at Cannon Hall; SE272079, post code S754AT. Meeting for our usual 10am start. This is a pay and display car park, £1 for two hours and £3 for all day. For anybody travelling by bus you need the 94 route from Barnsley. This is a limited service on Saturdays. Please check time with the service operators; it is a approximately one hour travel time and then a walk to the meeting point.

Rockley

On Saturday 8th February, we have a field visit to Rockley. Our leader for this will be Geoff Jackson. There is usually plenty to see on our, now annual, visit to Rockley. As the weather is some mild just now we could be in for some early sightings.
We will be meeting at 10:00 am at the car parking area for Rockley Furnace on Rockley Lane which is opposite to the entrance to Rockley Abbey Farm S75 3DS (Grid Ref. SE337020). Please take care not to block any of the residents access when parking. If needs be please park under the MI flyover and walk back down to the meeting point

The area is usually quite muddy; please dress for the weather; boots, hats, gloves etc…

Hedgerows in the Landscape

On Wednesday 5 February, we have a presentation on ‘Hedgerows in the Landscape’ by Catherine Artindale. It covers their history and importance in the landscape as well as their natural history. 
Catherine led two very popular and informative field visits last year – to hedgerows in the Stairfoot and Hoyland areas. Where we tested out the Hooper hypothesis on dating a hedgerow.
It will be interesting to hear more, from Catherine, about this topic.

Room 11, Barnsley Town Hall, 7 pm, Wednesday 5 February Experience Barnsley Entrance. The security staff will advise you on the room number; if we have had to move for any reason.

Members Presentation Evening

Wednesday January 22nd.
With the diversity of our members personal topics being so vast, this is a highly interesting evening. Filled with short talks, photo and video clips, as well as hands -on samples for us to observe. Fell free to add to the evening or just come and see what others have brought along.

Our members presentation evening was, as usual, action packed with a wide range of topics. Both hands-on and projected images.
May I offer a very big thank you to everybody for their presentations.

Barnsley Canal and Wilthorpe Marsh

Our field visit on the morning of 11 January is a circular walk along Barnsley Canal and Wilthorpe Marsh.

We are meeting at 10am in the car park down Smithies Lane opposite The Fleets (a former pub now a Barnsley College sports centre).
Grid Reference: SE346078. Postcode S71 1NL.
If the car park is full, there are local side streets. Bus number 12 runs regularly down Smithies Lane: the 09.37 and 09.52 buses from Barnsley Interchange get there for 10am.

Looking forward to seeing everyone

2020

May we take this opportunity to wishing everybody a Happy New Year.
You are more than welcome to come along and join us for any of our meeting or field visits.

We kick start 2020 with an indoor meeting on January 8th.
This will be a presentation by Alwyn Timms; entitled The Discreet World of Barnsley’s Small Blue Butterfly

We also have a field visit on January 11th. Details to be confirmed.
And on January 22nd our indoor meeting is a members short presentations. This is very much a nature wide array of topics.

Our updated 2020 Spring Summer Programme will be available for viewing shortly.

Saturday 7th December we have a field visit

This field visit will take place at the Anglers Country Park . Our group leaders for this field visit are Colin and Linda Graham. Colin and Linda will be giving us an insight into the Gull Roost at this park. This is a popular area for winter ducks too.

We are meeting at 1 pm in the main car park at Anglers Country Park, Haw Park Lane, Wintersett, WF4 2EB, grid reference: SE375153.
Good footwear and warm clothing may be a good idea. The cafe there will be open when we arrive.

We do have a later start time for this field visit of 13:00.

Bees

Our next Barnsley Naturalists meeting is Wednesday 27th November.

Bilberry bumblebee. Image: John Fielding / Bombus monticola / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tom Aspinall, from Moors for the Future, is our guest speaker for the evening. Tom is giving a talk on bumblebees and solitary bees. This will include identifying the different species, where you may find them, their behaviour and life-cycle. 
Lots to interest us.
All welcome, Barnsley Town Hall, 7pm.