where to go for wildlife

7/29/2019 Where to go for Wildlife

1/10Protecting Wildlife for the Future


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BBOWTS SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE2

Where do I start?If you are planning your first visit werecommend that you head to BowdownWoods in Berks, College Lake in Bucks, orWarburg Nature Reserve in Oxon. BothCollege Lake and Warburg have

information centres, picnic areas, wildlifegardens and lots more. You will find thesethree reserves at the beginning of thishandbook. If you are looking for othernature reserves, why not work your waythrough the rest of our best wildlifeexperiences?

Your first visitIf you are new to wildlife, going to a nature

reserve for the first time can fall short ofexpectations. You may walk for 20 minutesbefore you encounter anything at all. The

key to seeing and enjoying wildlife is towait and look, and listen and let thewildlife come to you. Why not switch offyour mobile phone, be still and silent for afew minutes and tune into the sounds,sights and smells around you. This will help

you to see and experience more wildlife.The more return visits you make, the morelikely you are to have a truly memorablewildlife encounter; perhaps youll hear thehaunting call of a curlew, or glimpse a whiteadmiral butterfly gliding by.

Many of our reserves have clearly markedcircular Wildlife Walks and informationpanels along the way. Our hides can make

watching birds and other wildlife easier stilland often these have identification chartsto help.

Getting out thereWhere to go for Wildlife is designed to help you make the most of your visitsso that you can enjoy a few hours, or a great day out, in the wild.


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Useful kit to bring Wear sturdy shoes andsensible

clothing for the weather conditions. Take a pair of binoculars to see wildlife

in the trees or across the lake. If you are visiting with children, pack

paper and pencils and get them to jotdown what they see.

Bring this handbook with you, as notall Trust reserves have signs or leaflets toguide visitors around.

What next?Some of our nature reserves are superb at aparticular time of year; you will find these inthe seasonal spectacles section. Or perhapsyou would like to be able to walk or cycle toa wild place even closer to home. Our naturereserves under the heading local treasuresare well worth visiting if you live near by.

Wildlife not to miss!From wildflower meadows to stunningautumn woodlands, each season has itswildlife highlights. On page four you will find

a quick guide to help you enjoy these wildplaces at their most glorious.

Theres nothing better than knowingyour local patch. Pick a naturereserve near to you and make it yourown. Youll see so much as the

seasons change and the relationshipjust keeps getting deeper.

Giles Strother, BBOWT

You are making a differenceThe rich mix of wildlife on Trust naturereserves is thanks to your continued support.Without you these precious fragments thatwere once widespread throughout Britainwould be lost from our countryside, and withthem the many communities of plants andanimals that need them to survive and thrive.

To find out how we care for these special

places go to page 164, for a look Behind thescenes at our busy conservationprogramme.


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BEST WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES0


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A special landscape for all. BowdownWoods is a great place to enjoy wildlifethroughout the year. Stretching from thevast heathland at Greenham Common downto the River Kennet, this reserve forms partof a landscape especially rich in wildlife.Habitats include ancient woodland,heathland, butterfly glades, streams andponds. Bowdown Woods is actually a clusterof three woods and each one is different in

character. The three sites: Bomb Site, Baynes

BowdownWoodsMysterious hidden valleys, sunny

glades and patches of heathlandhold a wealth of wildlife in thisexpanse of ancient woodland

SUMMER

PLANTSFoxglove, heathers,

dwarf gorse, yellow pimpernel,

marsh thistle

INSECTSBrown argus, smallcopper, silver-washed fritillary,

white admiral (below) and

grayling butterflies, moths,

dragonflies and damselflies,

black-headed cardinal beetle,

shieldbugs, hoverflies

BIRDSWarblers, woodpeckers

MAMMALSPipistrelle and brown

long-eared bats

SPRING

PLANTSPrimrose, bluebell,

opposite- and alternate-leaved

golden-saxifrages, moschatel,

marsh-marigold, yellowarchangel, herb-paris, Solomons-

seal, early-purple orchid

INSECTSButterflies, beetles,

hoverflies

AMPH IBI ANSNewts, frog

REPTILESAdder, grass snake, slow-

worm, common lizard (below)

BIRDSWoodpeckers, nuthatch,

woodcock, sparrowhawk

Best time to visit

and Bowdown Woods all have a car park andcircular Wildlife Walk suitable for all agesand abilities.

From bomb site to wildlife haven.TheBomb Site is so named because it was anammunition store during and after theSecond World War. It is a great example ofhow nature can thrive and develop on a sitevacated by people. Many old surfaced tracks

create a network through the young birch

WINTER

MOSSES&LIVERWORTSFairy beads,

Lyells, elegant and smooth

bristle-mosses, frizzled

pincushion

BIRDSWoodpeckers, tits (below)

and thrushes

AUTUMN

FUNGIWoodland fungi

including boletes, brittlegills,

milkcaps, turkeytail, sulphur

knight, fly agaric, snakeskin

grisette, pipe club, elfin saddle

MAMMALSDormouse (below)

STATUS

SSSI

partoftheWestBerkshire

LivingLandscapearea

11TOPLEFTTORIGHTBlack-headed cardinal beetle, Family Discovery Day, Solomons-seal


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BEST WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES2

and oak woodland that has colonised thesite. These flat tracks are ideal for lessmobile visitors and are gradually beingengulfed by nature. Young trees, plants andfungi now live on many of the old wartimestructures. Demolished buildings providebasking and hiding places for reptiles suchas adder, grass snake and common lizard,whilst dragonflies hunt by the woodlandedge. Areas of heathland dominated by

heather, bracken and wood sage can beseen from the tracks. These areas have beenextended to benefit reptiles, as well asbutterflies including grayling and the smallcopper.

Diverse ancient woodlands. Baynes andBowdown Woods offer a more shadywoodland experience. A series of smallstreams trickle through these undulatingwoodlands that slope gently downtowards the River Kennet. As you walkthrough the network of wooded valleys, youwill notice changes in the woodland floracorresponding with changing geology andmicroclimate. The wet valleys support largeareas of alder and willow with splashes ofopposite-leaved golden-saxifrage wheresprings emerge, while the dry ridges arecharacterised by towering oak and ash. Lookout for badger tracks in the heavy clay soil

which is rich with ancient woodland plantssuch as early-purple orchid, greaterstitchwort and yellow pimpernel creepingalong the woodland floor. In spring thewoodland is awash with bluebells and alive

with bird song. Listen for the drumming ofthe great spotted and lesser spottedwoodpeckers. Sparrowhawks may beoccasionally glimpsed.

In summer over 30 species of butterfly havebeen seen here and in the sunny glades youmay spot the spectacular silver-washedfritillary or the handsome white admiral.Theopen well-drained ground is dominated by

remnants of heathland with swathes ofheather and bracken.

These woodlands are well worth a visit laterin the year to experience the wonderfulautumn colour and incredible fungi.Sulphur knight, inkstain bolete, andporcelain fungus are just a few of the morestriking species you are likely to find. Lookout for the pipe club, spectacular in itsstrangeness, with long, thin stems likebreadsticks rising up from the ground, or therare snakeskin grisette growing in the valleybottom; it has a large yellowish cap withgrey, felty patches sitting on a stemresembling snakeskin.

Ponds and streams. Fifteen species ofdragonfly and damselfly have been spottedon the reserve. The shallow streams andponds provide breeding habitats and the

plentiful insect life provides prey to eat.Ponds are also home to newts as well asfrogs and toads. Giant six-foot tall marshthistles attract bees and butterflies aroundthe damp edges.


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13BOWDOWN WOODS

PICTURESCLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT

Golden-ringed dragonfly, greater stitchwort,sparrowhawk, autumn colour at Bowdown,

pipe club fungus

A living landscape. Bowdown Woods ispart of BBOWTs West Berkshire LivingLandscape Project. This project aims tocreate an expanse of interconnectedhabitats, allowing nature to live, not trappedin small pockets but able to move throughlinked areas under land managementsympathetic to nature. (Go to page 172 formore information.)

Wonderful to see how an old army basecan become a wildlife haven under theTrusts care.

Theres so much variety; we come toBowdown regularly and join the guidedwalks theyre really interesting.

BBOWT members

Volunteering gives me the chance tolearn new things heathlandrestoration, making hibernacula foradders and identifying moths. And Ienjoy meeting other volunteers and justbeing in Bowdown Woods.

Bowdown volunteer


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SUMMER

PLANTSGreat burnet, common

meadow-rue, pepper-saxifrage,

meadow vetchling, sneezewort

INSECTSDragonflies and

damselflies including banded

demoiselle (below)

BIRDSCettis and sedge warblers

SPRING

PLANTSAdders-tongue fern,

cuckooflower, marsh-marigold

(below), ragged-robin, cowslip,

snakes-head fritillary, early

marsh-orchid

INSECTSOrange-tip butterfly

BIRDSReed bunting

Best time to visit

Iffley MeadowsThe sight of thousands of purple-

and-white chequered snakes-head fritillaries at these ancient

wet meadows will take yourbreath away

Precious meadows.Thesewet meadowscrossed by old river channels with willow-lined ditches have a rich diversity of wildlifetypical of old, unspoilt meadow land. Theywere once a widespread feature of our riversystems but many have been lost to drainageand farming. In spring, the blooms ofcuckooflower mark the start of a colourfulsequence of wild flowers in the meadows.

The orange-tip butterfly can be seen

fluttering from flower to flower laying itseggs. Later, the yellow of buttercups and thereds and purples of great burnet andknapweed come to the fore.

Flourishing fritillaries. Few people realisethat each April Iffley Meadows plays host to a

wonderful wildlife spectacle where you canenjoy Oxfordshires iconic flower, the snakes-head fritillary, in bloom in its naturalsurroundings. Before BBOWT took overmanagement of the nature reserve in 1983,a mere 500 snakes-head fritillaries could befound. As a result of BBOWTs carefulmanagement of the site and controlledgrazing, numbers of the flower have shot upto over 76,000 in 2011 a huge success

story.

Rich ditches. Several species of dragonflyand damselfly patrol the vegetated ditchesduring the summer. Warblers can be heardchattering in the reeds Cettis warbler canbe distinguished by its loud, explosive song.

WINTER AUTUMN

SEASONAL SPECTACLES8

STATUS

SSSI


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metres

0 100 200

N

B4495D

onningt

on

BridgeR

oad

Abin

gdonRoad

A4144

Abingdon

RingRoad(A423)

Cowley

Oxford

City

Centre

Oxford

andcentre

RiverThames

The IsisFarmhouse

Mea

dowLane

A423

IffleyLock

Tham

esPath

Iffley Meadows

NEARESTTOWNOxfordOSSHEET164; SP 525 036POSTCODEOX4 4BL

www.bbowt.org.uk/reserves/iffley-meadows

LOCATIONOxford. Take A4144 (Abingdon Road) from Oxfordcentre or ring road; turn at B4495 (Donnington BridgeRoad); park in Meadow Lane on right after bridge; crossback over bridge; take ramp down to towpath; reserve ison right. Street parking, 300 m.

Oxford + / 1 miles;or from Oxford centre.

GETTING AROUND

SIZE33 ha (81.5 acres)Flat overall; rough underfoot in places, wet patches allyear; kissing gates and gates, 30-m 1 in 4 ramp from roadto towpath.

NEARBYThe Isis Farmhouse (refreshments).

99LEFTSnakes-head fritillariesBELOWSedge warbler

GETTING THERE

FACILITIES

Things to do See the snakes-head

fritillaries in bloom inearly April.

Oxford(1)

Oxford Centre(1)

HenleyA4074

A34

B4495Donnington

BridgeRoad

A4158

A4144

A423(T)A414

2

RingRoa

dIffley

Meadow La

mile

Annual fritillary count


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Berkshire, Buckinghamshire& Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

The Lodge

1 Armstrong Road

Littlemore

Oxford OX4 4XT

Tel: 01865 775476

www.bbowt.org.ukRegistered charity number 204330

The Berks, Bucks & Oxon WildlifeTrust owns or manages over 80nature reserves across the threecounties.

This handbook is aimed at givingyou the best possible all-roundexperience of visiting these naturereserves. Features include:

vibrant aerial photomaps colour-coded based on wildlife

interest best time to visit location notes to help you get

there.

ISBN 1-874357-50-6

where to go for wildlife

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