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Eleven members met on a dry and relatively warm Sunday afternoon. The last time Ryenats came here was exactly seven years ago for a dawn chorus on 10 May 2008. This meeting is one of two this year which will form a study of Manor Vale for 2015. Additionally members will visit the area throughout the year and add further records to a final report at the end of the year.

Common dog violet (left) Primrose, cowslip and the hybrid between them – False oxlip (right)

Manor Vale is owned by Kirkbymoorside Town Council having been purchased in 1993 and a Management Committee was formed to look after the wood, which includes members of Ryenats. Manor Vale is an ancient woodland having been part of a medieval deer park. It is situated at the northern edge of Kirkbymoorside, SE692873 and forms a Y shape valley. There is a private road running north through the valley bottom to the Golf Club. There is full public access to the wood and a bridleway runs along the eastern edge along the top of the slope and a footpath runs E-W back towards the road.

Toothwort (parasitic on hazel roots)

Early purple orchid growing in woodland

The slopes of the wood are predominantly limestone with smaller pockets of more acidic ground. During this visit the spring flora was in full flow with dogs mercury being a dominant species along with goldilocks, wood anemone, bluebells and primroses to name the more common ones. We were very pleased to see toothwort still on show with a particularly large spread in one area. We were unable to locate the two other less common species; green hellebore and lily of the valley on this visit but it is recorded here historically. We did locate two areas of early purple orchid, the only orchid recorded for this site. The Management Committee have 176 species recorded at Manor Vale from the 1990s so it will be interesting to see our total for the year. The list of flora on our visit is detailed below.

Only five butterflies were seen but conditions were not in their favour on this visit: orange tip, green-veined white, small white, peacock and speckled wood.

Birds were singing well but we did not record a large number. Although redstart is recorded here historically it has not been seen in recent years. The bird boxes are monitored by a Ryenats member and are occupied.

We did find one spread of St George’s mushroom on the northern slope which was quite extensive. Other fungi noted were birch bracket, King Alfred’s Cakes (growing on the ancient ash) and a large bracket growing on dead timber.

Ash is one of the most common trees here at Manor Vale and we did visit the ancient ash at the northeast boundary. We measured the girth at 5.4m (17'8") (in the traditional way, using a piece of string).

Measuring the girth of the ancient Manor Ash

The Manor Ash

We also visited the young ash planted in memory of the late Ryenats member, Don Smith, whose contribution to recording at Manor Vale is very much appreciated by the Management Committee.

The meeting was concluded with delicious cake.

Species lists

Plants

Birds

Insects

Fungi

St. George’s Mushroom (part of a large fairy ring)

Bracket fungus on dead wood, possibly a Ganoderma species