What did you miss at the YNU trip to Brockadale - YWT Reserve near Wentbridge this July 2022??

  

Clustered Bellflower growing
in the scorched meadow after
Monday and Tuesdays record
temperatures (almost 40 degrees)

Just a small selection of pictures form the wonderful day spent at Brockadale with the Yorkshire Naturalists Union on Sat 16 July 2022.

Brockadale is a YWT reserve (with an adjacent Plantlife field) on magnesian limestone on either side of the river Went. 

(Wentbridge on the A1 is nearby). Water cut through here in the last glaciation forming the steep sided valley.

The reserve is 78 miles (1hr 45min) from where I live- yet
still in the same county of
North Yorkshire.

Joyce Simmons gives an introductory talk. The YWT carpark is full, but they have arranged permission to park in a small area  the bone dry meadow next to it.

I go on a guided tour led by Joyce with Paul simmons as the backup  sweeping us with his net. Paul Simmons.  

First interesting plant is a Barberry bush in the hedgerow. This shrub is native to UK - or at least present since neolithic times. 

Barberry flowers

Barberry Rust 

Don Grant showed us some
Elm-leaved Blackberry -
Rubus ulmifolius in the hedgerow

There were two species of Astragalus that I had never seen before 

I soon got way behind, Paul obligingly waited.
We are heading for the patch of woodland ahead.

Part of the woodland had had
some conifers cleared about 7 years earlier.
Natural regeneration was taking place,
However some extra trees had been planted -
here we are looking at a planted Small-leaved Lime.

The small leaved lime has rust coloured hairs
where the veins join the main vein

It was good to take photographs of butterflies

Silver Washed Fritillary we think

Large Skipper

Comma

Meadow Brown

This is a Pretty Chalk Carpet moth that had been
caught early in the morning.
See distribution map below

Distribution of Pretty Chalk Carpet Moth
Our dot is the one just to the right of Leeds

. 

At the bridge over the Went we stopped and looked down at the river. It is a tiny river/slow flowing stream for such a huge valley. Here is some Unbranched Bur reed- Sparganium emmersum. It rarely flowers. If you look carefully at the top left you can see a  Banded Demoiselle entering the picture

At the foot of the north facing Pantlife Meadow on the south bank of the stream

After the walk we head for   Kirk Smeaton Church where we hold th "the end of meeting tea and reporting session"

This has swift boxes built into the bell tower.  Must be a bit noisy for them, but they happily came and nested here as soon as the boxes were put in.  See the holes - some above the slats, some in the slats

 After the reports, a member Don Grant tells us about an interesting specimen he has found near where he lives, Manna Ash he has found in Wakefield.

The next Yorkshire Naturalists Field Meeting is on Sat 14 August at Humberstone Bank Farm (half way between Fewston Reservoir and Greenhow village) in Nidderdale AONB / in the Yorkshire Dales/

It is high up with rough pasture and some moorland - stretching up towards the Simon's Seat Area.

YNU details of the visit 

Humberstone Hub Official Web Site

Any person who is a member of a local natural history society  (including the YWT) is welcome to come on the trip