Front Cov St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 Contents Contents ................................................................................................... 1 Foreword .................................................................................................. 2 Introduction .............................................................................................. 3 About The Nature Reserve ........................................................................ 3 About This Report ................................................................................... 3 More Information .................................................................................... 4 Birds ........................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ........................................................................................... 5 Species List ............................................................................................ 5 Mammals ................................................................................................ 14 Amphibians ............................................................................................. 15 Invertebrates .......................................................................................... 16 Introduction ......................................................................................... 16 Butterflies ............................................................................................ 17 Moths .................................................................................................. 19 Dragonflies (order Odonata), with some aquatic and other species .............. 21 True Bugs (order Hemiptera) .................................................................. 22 Beetles (order Coleoptera) ..................................................................... 23 Flies (order Diptera) .............................................................................. 24 Ants, Bees and Wasps (order Hymenoptera) ............................................. 26 Spiders, Harvestmen and other orders ..................................................... 27 Herbaceous Plants .................................................................................... 29 Developments in 2013 ........................................................................... 29 Plants identified in 2011 and 2012, and confirmed still present in 2013. ....... 32 Trees and Large Shrubs ............................................................................ 38 Fungi & Lichens ....................................................................................... 41 Appendix One: The Recording Map for the reserve ....................................... 43 1 St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 Foreword Rain, sun and frost. Muddy wellies, warm scarves and funny looking sun hats; binoculars, pencils, magnifying lenses and cameras at the ready. All you need now is the Wildwatch group and you have yourself a St Nicks adventure. Another carefully recorded year of every flap, buzz and scurry of the wildlife on the nature reserve. It has been a great growing year on the nature reserve for flora, fauna and the Wildwatch group. We have welcomed new members to the main group and started a group for students, assisted by a Wildwatch member. New members are adding to their skills and the skills and enthusiasm of the group. There have also been some exciting sightings of Water Voles, the Girdled Snail and the Floronia bucculenta money spider as well as over 450 other species on our diverse 24-acre nature reserve. Tom Waring Chief Officer Friends of St Nicholas Fields 2 St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 Introduction About The Nature Reserve St Nicholas Fields Local Nature Reserve, about a mile from the centre of York, is a 24 acre (9.7 ha.) site comprising a managed mixture of scrub, woodland and grassland. Osbaldwick Beck enters the reserve on the Southern boundary and is then culverted under the reserve, where it joins up with Tang Hall Beck, which leaves the reserve on the Northern boundary. Formerly a brickworks and clay extraction site, then a landfill site from 1950 to 1974, the site was taken over by York City Council and designated an Urban Nature Park in 1993. A clay cap was laid over the site to seal in hazardous pollutants before the land was opened to the public, and this clay has had some influence on the habitat. In February 2004, St Nicholas Fields was officially designated as a Local Nature reserve. The nature reserve forms just one of the aspects of St Nicholas Fields, and more information on the many activities on the site can be found on the website: www.StNicks.org.uk About This Report This is the third annual Wildlife Report for the reserve. A “Friends of St Nicholas Fields Wildwatch Group” meets weekly (Wednesday mornings, 10 am to 12 noon) to walk round the reserve and record what is seen. During the year, the number of people on the Wildwatch Wednesday walk steadily increased, and at times, there were more than a dozen people participating. This enabled us to split into a number of sub-groups, with each sub-group concentrating on different aspects of nature. This report is drawn mainly from the Group’s observations, with other contributions from the reserve’s Rangers, other volunteers, visiting specialists and members of the public. Location references in this report (e.g. W5a) denote areas marked on the Recording Map in Appendix One. We, Kaye Green, Ian Traynor and Cliff Wilton, the compilers of this report, appreciate that, although knowledge of the wildlife on the reserve is increasing, there is still much to learn about what is present on the St Nicks Local Nature Reserve. 3 St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 More Information An informal, illustrated record of the Friends of St Nicholas Fields Wildwatch Group’s activities is maintained on the St Nicholas Fields blog: http://stnicks.org.uk/get-inspired/blog/ .. and a photo record of the reserve is maintained on The Friends of St Nicholas Fields Flickr page: www.flickr.com/groups/stnickscameraclub/ All photographs in this report were taken on the reserve in 2013. Front cover: Small Copper butterfly on a Teasel head. The Wildwatch Group is part of St Nicks (charity registered as Friends of St Nicholas Fields, No: 1153739). 4 St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 Birds Introduction * = new record for the reserve in 2013 (R) = birds on the “Red List” – birds of national conservation concern The “York Recording Area” is some 550 square miles around York Records are compiled mainly from the weekly reports of the Wildwatch Group. However, records are also received from St Nicks staff, visitors to the reserve and from Wildwatch members making independent visits. Abundance: Some indication has been given of the likelihood of visitors to the reserve seeing specific species. Where “abundance” is expressed as a percentage, this relates to the number of “Wildwatch Wednesdays” when this species has been recorded. Species List Greylag Goose Anser anser Resident breeder in the York area Abundance was the same as in 2012 – 16%, always flying over the reserve and never landing. Canada Goose Branta Canadensis Resident breeder in the York area One record this year, compared with six last year. As with Greylag Geese, the sightings were only “fly-overs”. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Resident breeder nearby Abundance 53%, slightly lower than last year. As in 2012, sparse sightings in July and August. The only juveniles (one seen left) were seen in Osbaldwick Beck, supporting the theory that breeding took place in the nearby Hull Road Park. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Resident breeder in the York area A single “heard only” record in late November constitutes the only record of this species. Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Resident breeder in the York Recording Area One flew over the reserve in mid May, first record since 2011. 5 St Nicholas Fields Wildlife Report 2013 Grey Heron Ardea cinereo Resident breeder in the York Recording Area After a gap of a couple of years, one was seen flying over the reserve on 7th August and on 20th November. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Resident breeder and passage migrant in the York Recording Area Abundance: 33% Over the past few years, there has been a steady increase in sightings – all “fly-overs”. This may be due to improved observer awareness. Sightings: 2011: 7; 2012: 10; 2013: 16. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Resident breeder nearby Only two sightings this year, much fewer than in 2012, both in February. * Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Passage migrant and scarce breeder in the York Recording Area A single flyover sighting on 24th July, a new record for St Nicks. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Resident breeder and winter visitor in the York Recording Area One flushed from the Bund Path in W4a on 20th November. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Resident breeder, winter visitor and passage migrant in the York Recording Area Abundance 40%. Seen regularly January to April and October to December. A single sighting on 26th June was the only summer record. A flock of 50+ birds on 23rd January was unusual for the reserve. All sightings were birds flying over the reserve, with the exception of birds on the becks on 23rd January. * Common Gull Larus canus Winter visitor and passage migrant in the York Recording Area A single sighting on 11th December was a new record for the reserve. This species