Slievekirk Wood Nature Reserve Species List
The Slievekirk Wood Nature Reserve at Ardmore near Derry underwent a multi taxa ecological baseline survey to expose the habitats of the Reserve and help Celtic Titles make improvements to encourage more native species to Slievekirk.
Slievekirk woods measures approximately 3.5 acres. The woodland forms part of a larger wooded area of former farmland that was planted with predominantly birch trees approximately 20 years ago. The following species were found during the survey across the woods:
Ongoing Survey of the Woodland:
| Taxa | Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Plant | Ash | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Bramble | Rubus fructicosa | |
| Broadleaved willow herb | Epilobium montanum | |
| Buckler fern | Dryopteris dilatata | |
| Bush vetch | Vicia sepium | |
| Cleaver | Galium aparine | |
| Coltsfoot | Tussilago farfara | |
| Cock’s foot | Dactylis glomerata | |
| Couch grass | Elymus repens | |
| Creeping buttercup | Ranunculus repens | |
| Dock (broad leaved) | Rumex obtusifolius | |
| Dock (wood) | Rumex sanguineus | |
| Elder | Sambucus nigra | |
| Fox glove | Digitalis purpurea | |
| Gorse | Ulex europaeus | |
| Hawthron | Crataegus monogyna | |
| Herb Robert | Geranium robertanium | |
| Hogweed | Heracleum sphondylium | |
| Holly | Ilex aquafolium | |
| Ivy | hedera helix | |
| Male fern | Dryopteris filix | |
| Flat neckera moss | Neckera complanata | |
| Nettle | Urtica dioica | |
| Oak (Irish/sessile) | Quercus pretraea | |
| Oak (pedunculate) | Quercus robur | |
| Common haircap moss | Polytricium commune | |
| Red fescue | Fescuta ruba | |
| Rough meadow grass | Poa trivalis | |
| Scots pine | Pinus sylvestris | |
| Silver birch | Betula pendula | |
| Soft rush | Juncus effusus | |
| Sorrel | Rumex acetosa | |
| Spear thistle | Cirsium vulgare | |
| Tamarisk thuidium moss | thuidium tamariscinum | |
| Wood vetch | Vicia sylvatica | |
| Yorkshire fog | Holcus lanatus | |
| Bird | Blackbird | Turdus merula |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | |
| Blue tit | Cyanistes caeruleus | |
| Bullfinch | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
| Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | |
| Coal tit | Periparus ater | |
| Dunnock | Prunella modularis | |
| Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | |
| Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
| Great tit | Parus major | |
| Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | |
| Magpie | Pica pica | |
| Raven | Corvus corax | |
| Robin | Erithacus rubecula | |
| Rook | Corvus frugilegus | |
| Willow warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
| Wood pigeon | Columba palumbus | |
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | |
| Mammals | Badger | Meles meles |
| Fallow Deer | Dama dama | |
| Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes | |
| Rabbits | Oryctolagus cuniculus | |
| Red Squirrel | Sciuris vulgaris |
Our species list was initiated during ecological surveys by Michael McLaughlin MSc, and colleagues at (Canavan Associates released in 2022. Observations made over years with plans suggested for future surveys.)