Whilst the primary aim of Dane Valley Woods is to plant trees on this community site, we are very keen on other wildlife too, and to record what we see and share it with others. Search through the tabs above to see what can be found.
Since the start of this year, we have been trying to accomplish a more complete audit of our wildlife, so check out our list below!
Mammals
- Woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
- Common shrew (Sorex aeaneus)
- Pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus)
- Bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus)
- Field vole (Microtus agrestis)
- Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Weasel (Mustela rivalis)
- Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
Birds
- House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
- Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
- Blackbird (Turdus merula)
- Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
- Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Reptiles and amphibians
- Viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
- Common frog (Rana temporaria)
Insects
- Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator)
- Migrant hawker (Aeshna mixta)
- Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum)
- Ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)
- Blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
- Brown argus (Aricia agestis)
- Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Common blue (Polyommatus Icarus)
- Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
- Small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Large white (Pieris brassicae)
- Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
- Peacock (Aglais io)
- Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Triangle plume moth (Platyptilia gonodactyla)
- Knot grass moth (Acronicta rumicis)
- Herald moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix)
- Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
- Oak eggar moth (Lasiocampa querus)
- Five-spot burnet (Zygaena trifolii)
- Ruby tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
- White ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
- Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
- Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
- Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri)
- Speckled bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima)
- Field grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
- Meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)
- Red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- Rove beetle (Oxyporus rufus)
- Dock bug (Coreus marginatus)
- Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
- Soldier fly (Statiomyidae sp.)
- Crane fly (Tipulidae sp.)
- Green bottle fly (Phaenicia sp.)
- European garden spider (Araneus diadematus)
- Four-spotted orb weaver (Araneus quadratus)
- Cucumber green orb spider (Araniella cucurbitina)
- Wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi)
Flowers
- Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
- Alexander (Smyrnium olusatrum)
- Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
- Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
- Bramble (Rubus fruticosa)
- Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica)
- Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Wild teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Everlasting pea (Lathyrus grandiflorus)
- Evergreen bugloss (Pentaglottis sempervirens)
- Yellow vetch (Vicia lutea)
Trees have been planted on the site for several years since 2003, and although many of them are still small, they can still be found. The map at Dane Valley Woods Trees shows the progress that the group has made so far.
Wild flowers are one of the key features of Dane Valley Woods and have been recorded by Sefton Paine. It will be interesting to see how the floral assemblage changes as the site becomes more shaded. Flowers currently recorded at the site include:
- Alexanders
- Bindweed
- Bramble
- Bristly Ox Tongue
- Fennel
- Hogweed
- Ox Eye Daisy
- Salsify
- St John’s Wort
- Stinging Nettle
- Teasel
- Yarrow
On Saturday 29 September 2012, Dane Valley Woods teamed up with Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) in an exciting new partnership, to try and identify the extent of biodiversity on the site. The results have been analysed by the university’s team (pictured below, with DVW volunteers), and are published underneath the photo – click on the species name to learn more about each one found within the woods’ boundary.
Grid Ref Species recorded (common name in brackets)
TR365698 Acer campestre (Field maple)
TR634698 Acer psuedoplatanus (Sycamore)
TR634698 Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
TR365700 Aeshnidae sp. (Dragonfly)
TR364698 Araneus diadematus (European garden spider or orb-weaver spider)
TR365697 Betula pendula (Silver birch)
TR366698 Brassica nigra (Black mustard)
TR365697 Buxus sempervirens (Box tree)
TR365698 Calystegia sepium (Hedge bindweed)
TR366698 Cantharidae sp. (Soldier beetle)
TR366698 Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)
TR365697 Castanea sativa (Sweet chestnut)
TR634698 Centaurea nigra (Common knapweed)
TR365700 Chaoborus sp. (Glassworm)
TR366698 Chorthippus brunneus (Field grasshopper)
TR365698 Chorthippus parallelus (Meadow grasshopper)
TR365698 Cicadellidae sp. (Leaf hopper)
TR364698 Cirsium arvense (Creeping thistle)
TR365698 Cirsium palustre (Marsh thistle)
TR365700 Class Clitellata (Annelid worm)
TR634698 Class Diplopoda (Millipede)
TR366698 Class Gastropoda (Slug)
TR366698 Coccinella septempunctata (Ladybird)
TR365700 Coenagrionidae sp. (Damsel fly nymph)
TR634698 Conopodium majus (Pignut)
TR366698 Convolvulus arvensis (Field bindweed)
TR365697 Cornus sanguinea (Dog wood)
TR365697 Corylus avellana (Hazel)
TR366697 Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn)
TR365700 Cyperaceae sp. (Sedge)
TR365698 Dactylis glomerata (Cock’s foot)
TR634698 Dipsacus fullonum (Wild teasel)
TR366698 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
TR366698 Fagus sylvatica (Beech)
TR365698 Festuca rubra (Red fescue)
TR366697 Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)
TR366698 Formica rufa (Wood ant)
TR366698 Formicidae sp. (Ant)
TR366698 Galium aparine (Cleaver)
TR365700 Gerridae sp. (Water boatman)
TR365700 Haliplus sp. (Beetle)
TR634698 Hedera helix (Ivy)
TR365698 Lavatera arborea (Tree mallow)
TR364698 Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye daisy)
TR634698 Ligustrum sp. (Privet)
TR365698 Lolium perenne (Rye grass)
TR365700 Lymnaea stagnalis (Great pond snail)
TR364698 Malus domestica (Apple tree)
TR365700 Mentha aquatica (Water mint)
TR365698 Microtus agrestis (Vole)
TR365700 Notonecta sp. (Common backswimmer)
TR365700 Order Cladocera (Crustacean)
TR365698 Orobanche minor (Common broomrape)
TR366698 Oxyporus rufus (Rove beetle)
TR365698 Phleum pratense (Timothy-grass)
TR366698 Phylum Bryophyta (Moss)
TR366698 Pica pica (Magpie)
TR634698 Pieris brassicae (Cabbage white butterfly)
TR365700 Planorbis corneus (Great ramshorn snail)
TR634698 Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort plantain)
TR366698 Platyptilia gonodactyla (Triangle plume moth)
TR365700 Plea leachi (Pygmy backswimmer)
TR634698 Quercus sp. (Oak)
TR366698 Ranunculus acris (Meadow buttercup)
TR364698 Rosa canina (Dog rose)
TR365698 Rubus fruticosus (Blackberry or bramble)
TR365698 Smyrnium olusatrum (Alexanders)
TR364698 Sorbus aucuparia (Mountain ash or rowan)
TR365700 Stratiomyidae sp. (Soldier fly)
TR365700 Sympetrum sanguineum (Ruddy darter)
TR364698 Syringa vulgaris (Lilac)
TR366698 Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
TR365698 Tipulidae sp. (Crane fly)
TR366698 Trifolium pratense (Red clover)
TR365698 Trisetum flavescens (Yellow oatgrass)
TR365698 Urtica dioica (Nettle)
TR366698 Viburnum opulus (Guelder rose)
TR364697 Zootoca vivipara (Common lizard)