OXFORD WILDLIFE
NUMBER
78 NEWS
SUMMER 2008
NEWS FROM
BOUNDARY BROOK NATURE PARK
e’ve had
some interesting visitors at Boundary Brook. A ring-necked parakeet has been
around on and off during the last couple of months and has been heard
calling – perhaps vainly trying to find a mate? As well as the usual
warblers this year we have seen and heard several garden warblers providing
good practice in distinguishing their song from the more common
blackcaps. Two mallards have moved to the pond and we suspect they are
nesting. All the tit boxes, except two, are now occupied by bluetits (as
well as nesting in the sparrow house which is close to the large pond) and
the three roosting pouches, kindly donated by a member, are in place ready
for the winter. The base to our new storage shed will be ready for the
erection of the shed which will solve all our storage problems for our
valuable (and invaluable) new equipment.
Work is
steaming ahead on the new areas and other improvements. As a by-product of
Alan and Peter's months of hard work we’ve filled yet another skip with
rubbish that has been unearthed during the preparatory work and there is
more to come. A vast mound of hoggin has arrived ready for the path
improvements. After all the setbacks with the weather (rain, snow and
flooding) the last of the hedging plants are now in and, thanks to the still
wet soil, they appear to be settling in well. In spite of torrential rain
the base to the new shed has been laid. The next big project is to excavate
the new pond in the new extension area ready to increase the types of
habitat and also we hope to provide more rapid drainage for the waterlogged
areas.
Grace has
worked on the raised Sensory Bed in the demonstration Wildlife Garden which
had become rather overgrown, A range of herbs and other aromatic
interesting plants provide scent, colour, texture and, with suitable
caution, tastes for visitors. Hopefully it will again be an inviting
butterfly and wheel-chair friendly corner. The cornfield looks as if it will
be a riot of colour soon as the corn cockle and other cornfield plants start
to flower.
On one
occasion we had two red kites, a buzzard and a sparrowhawk at the same time
over Boundary Brook; not bad for a mile from Carfax. We now have all our
boundary field gates erected. Before posts could be put into one set of
pre-prepared holes we had to rescue amorous frogs which had been attracted
by the rain-filled holes; they had got in but could not get out again. There
were eight frogs, plus spawn, in one post hole which had to be scooped out
by hand before we could put in the post. While the reedbed is alive with
tadpoles the big pond seems devoid of them. Strange since there was the
usual huge amounts of spawn there earlier. The herons no doubt took their
toll but some should have survived.
Fox cubs
have been reared under the mound in the wildlife garden. Peter Wilkinson
told us that at the end of May “the cubs were playing in the kitchen garden
with the dog fox nearby. The cubs ran off but the dog fox just looked at me
and sat down. We eyeballed each other for about five minutes; he didn't seem
too bothered until a magpie came along and started to scold and harass him.
The magpie eventually drove it off. I was by the fedge, the fox was on the
path between the penultimate and furthest beds. The foxes all looked in
excellent condition.”
he Spring Open Day in April had to be cancelled
because of the snow and even though it soon melted the ground was too wet
and slippery for safety. We enjoyed Phil Pritchard’s Permaculture
talk which gave us some excellent insights on living sustainably.
The Fritillary Survey showed a slight increase in the number of
flowers on Osney Mead this year although apparently the number at Iffley had
decreased.
he Twentieth Anniversary Celebration
in the Botanic Garden was a wonderful afternoon. Sue Antrobus, who was
instrumental in starting the group and was our first Chair had come down
from Cleveland to be with us. She gave an interesting and amusing speech
telling us how the group had started and something about the early days.
Afterwards, the Lord Mayor, John Tanner, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress,
both complete with gold chains of office, cut the beautifully decorated cake
that Kathy Chicken had made for the occasion. It was so hot we gathered
under the shade of the Black Pine rather than be based in the conservatory
as planned. Altogether it was an interesting get-together, full of
reminiscences as we thumbed through the old photo albums and met old
friends.
Grace Donnelly
(Founder Member and previous OUWG Chair) wrote:
hat a wonderful afternoon
this was – a celebration of our 20-year existence, and a reunion of many of
us who were there when the little seedling first broke through the ground
and grew into the OUWG. It was particularly great to see Sue Antrobus
again, well remembered from those early days for her infectious enthusiasm,
remarkable energy and vivacity, and eye-catching red hair. There was a
moment, too, to remember old friends who gave so much to the Group during
their lifetime. When we started we all said the same thing – ‘we don’t
know much at all about urban wildlife, but were willing and eager to
learn.’ Twenty years later I know a little bit more, mostly that it is
endlessly fascinating. New members since those early days are not now, of
course, new at all, and the active core are outstandingly hard-working and
forward-looking. I am already looking forward to the next re-union.
ater in May we surveyed Cripley Island but had to
call off our survey of Long Bridges bathing site as it had become so
overgrown and access would not have been possible. The weather was kind for
our Open Day at Holywell Cemetery and on one of the guided walks for
wildlife we spotted a fox.
nother pleasant occasion was the
celebration for the newly planted Butterfly Garden in the
Ss Mary and John Churchyard. We joined the members of their
group and had activities for children and, during the afternoon, Ivan Wright
of Shotover Wildlife ceremonially planted an alder tree in the dampest part
of the churchyard.
he walk around Warneford Meadow was
well-attended and very interesting. Sietske Boeles, of the Friends of
Warneford Meadow, updated us on their campaign to preserve this green space
which forms part of the green corridor between Shotover and the River
Thames. Dr Allister Smith led us round the meadow and eventually to the old
orchard. On the way he showed us many interesting plants and
invertebrates. We found mouse runs through the long grass and as we watched
the resident kestrel hovering high over the meadow he told us that kestrels,
as well as having keen eyesight, can also see ultraviolet light. Apparently
mice and other small rodents urinate fairly continuously, marking their
runs, and as this trail fluoresces in UV light the kestrels can see where
there is a likely place to watch.
The
Open Day on 1st June was a great success which was pleasing given that
two earlier events this year were cancelled due to flooding and snow. Pond
dipping was enormously popular, at times there was a queue of children
waiting to have a go. The large pond was nearly overflowing (over the small
platform). One small beastie was caught, which for a while no one could
identify; it turned out to be the larva of a great silver water diving
beetle (identified by Brian Harding). A pair of mallard ducks flew in and
settled on the pond for a while. We were hoping that they might nest as
they have visited the pond several times in the past weeks but nothing has
happened, they are obviously just good friends.
Future . . .
e are having two more surveys this year; both are a
contrast to our normal ones. On 7 July we will be
looking for and learning to identify relict hedges in north Oxford
and consider how public awareness could be raised. Alan Spicer will lead it
and we will walk south into the City for as long and far as we all wish. For
details see rear cover. The second is a repeat of our successful moth survey
at Boundary Brook in May 2005 but held later in the year to see other
species.
Do you want to get away from the hurly
burly of life for a few hours? Visit Boundary Brook Nature Park for a few
hours on Sunday 7 September for a
Craft/Activity Day held in conjunction with BBC Breathing Places “Do
One Thing for Nature Today!”. Our project will be making things to feed
birds.
For the
grown ups why not just sit and listen to the birds, watch the wildlife,
bring a book, do some painting or if you are feeling more energetic do some
light gardening. For the children we plan many activities such as Feely
boxes (children have to guess what is inside the boxes without looking),
making a dragonfly, do the Treasure hunt or the Bug hunt - with prizes.
There will be other puzzles and a chance to do some hurdle making and pond
dipping.
n
September 18th a tree expert, Ian Gourlay is giving a talk called
Off with their Heads. This is about the treatment of mature trees in
Oxford which has aroused controversy recently, for example the felling of
the Osney willows and the death sentence on the trees of the Westgate/Bonn
Square area. This promises to be a stimulating evening.
We are
having the usual participation in some interesting local events – please
come along and maybe help for an hour? Come to Boundary Brook for the
August picnic and maybe for a work party – you would be most welcome even if
you only come and watch!
See the
back page for details and note them in your diary – NOW!
NEWS
FROM THE TRAP GROUNDS
fter
their long, expensive and intensive legal battle the Friends of the Trap
Grounds were able at last to celebrate the registration of the Trap Grounds
as a Town Green at their first formal AGM on 4 March. However, they have not
stopped their practical struggle with rubbish and rampant vegetation. The
developments at the Trap Grounds continue unabated. Invasive willows have
been cleared from the reed bed and rubbish is still being cleared from the
scrubland. Work continues apace and in March several dozen members, some
from as far afield as Benson and Sutton Courtenay met to carry out a massive
clearance.
Catherine Robinson reports: “The city council's Countryside Team has
pollarded the unsafe willows along the eastern and northern edges of the
site. The landscape looks rather denuded as a result, but the willow stumps
will soon start sprouting again. Photo: Alan Allport
Ø
The
weather was kind for our Bramble Blitzes on three successive Saturdays, when
we waged war on the brambles that had invaded the grassland. We restored the
warmer drier habitat of the reptiles and butterflies, and we look forward to
seeing the wildflowers that will emerge in the meadow in the summer.
The Litter Blitz on 15 March was a
horrible job but a huge success. Alan Allport's photo shows some of the
rubbish that would not fit into the 22 wheelie bins that we managed to fill
with broken glass and rusty scrap metal. The council's waste-disposal team
removed the whole lot with impressive efficiency.”
Their
next task was for the Countryside Team who tackled the Giant Hogweed. They
are also talking to Phil & Jim School about ways of involving children in
projects on the Trap Grounds; ideas include the provision of a pond-dipping
platform and engaging an artist to work with the children on a creative
project.
× Snowdrop Path in snow, 6
April 2008 by Polly Holbrook
For details of their annual
Glow-Worm and Bat Expeditions in early July, ring the Secretary of the
Friends on 01865 511307.
Bird
ring recovery
On 4 June 2007 I was rung by a person in Kennington who had a bird fly into
the window of his house and kill itself. The bird had a ring on it and he
asked how he should report it. I offered to report it to the BTO (British
Trust for Ornithology) which I did. The bird was believed to be a great tit
and the ring was numbered TJ25640. Time passed and I heard nothing; in fact
I forgot about it until in early May I received a report from BTO which is
précised below. Unfortunately I have lost contact details of the person who
found the bird; he may have found my name in this publication in which case
if he rings again (my number is inside back cover) I will be glad to forward
the full report to him.It was a great tit, it would have been in juvenile
plumage so perhaps not readily recognisable as a great tit. It had been rung
as a nestling, one of a brood of nine (sexes unidentified) by a ringer from
the Edward Grey Institute in Oxford on 20 May 2007. The nest was located at
grid reference SP514012 in Bagley Wood.
The unfortunate inexperienced bird had a very brief life, fifteen days after
being rung in the nest it had fledged, flown the short distance to the
nearby village of Kennington and into someone’s window.
Peter Wilkinson
I saw a youngish badger in my garden last night.
First time in 20 years, though I did know that they live in other parts of
Bainton Road which abut wilder areas close to the Berkeley Homes
development. You will remember the care which Berkeley Homes had to take
some years ago (OUWG helped then!) not to damage a sett on part of
their site near Woodstock Road.
Nancy Druker
Note
from Judy Webb:
ou may
have read about the projected new 'Weston Otmoor Eco-town' near Weston on
the Green, north of Oxford. The plans for this are viewable at the
developer’s website
http://www.parkridge.co.uk. A good
link to see the Parkridge proposals is
http://tinyurl.com/46r7v5 which
takes you straight to the Eco town section of their website.
They
claim to have done an ecological survey and state the area is "mundane"
ecologically. However, Butterfly Conservation have records for Brown
Hairstreak and the rarer Black Hairstreak butterflies nearby or actually in
the southern portion projected for development. The southern portion of the
area includes an ancient (SSSI) meadow with numerous orchids owned by BBOWT
(Woodsides meadow). Also the development impacts two ancient woodland sites
and is only 500 metres from an SSSI fen (Weston Fen) which may have its
hydrology affected.
Dave
Redhead and other Butterfly Conservation volunteers will be out in the next
few weeks trying to map where all the hairstreaks actually are, then they
will put in their letter of objection to this 'Eco' town. If you feel
strongly about the need to protect the butterflies and other wildlife of the
area you may wish to look at the BBOWT website (http://www.bbowt.org.uk)
for more information The RSPB (http://tinyurl.com/5wnvmv)
has also issued a press statement opposing the proposed eco-town. Also look
at the website of the local community group, the Weston Front (http://www.westonfront.com).
For CPRE Oxfordshire press release see:
www.cpreoxon.org.uk . The key
person at CPRE for the campaign against this town is Dr. Helena Whall. You
could also write to Andrew Smith M.P. and to Tony Baldry M.P. (he is the M.P.
for the Weston Otmoor area).
If you want to write a letter of
objection, it should get in before the consultation deadline of 30th June
although if after this it may be considered later.
Will Oxford be affected?
t is
remotely possible that Oxford itself may be affected by this proposed
development, by extra run off into water courses which eventually drain into
the Cherwell – which could be bad news perhaps for the St Clements area and
possibly Marston Meadows! The demand for water supply for this town will be
huge and it will all have to come from Farmoor, as there is no water
available in the rivers or aquifers locally.
Farmoor
will not be able to cope; therefore making it essential that a huge
reservoir be built near Abingdon and more farmland that we will need in the
future for growing our own food will disappear! Traffic problems in Oxford
will increase because people will live in this new town and commute into
Oxford and not all will use the rail link if they work a distance from the
station. The A34 and ring road will be more clogged, if possible.
Marston
meadows have been getting wetter over the last 25 years and are halfway to
fens because they are flooded for too long in the winter by the Cherwell
(and last year in the summer!) in my view. But I am not a hydrologist, and
proving such a suspected connection will be very difficult, if not
impossible.
Oxford
residents living near the Cherwell should be asking the question of their
local councillors - 'will this new town increase the flooding risk in my
area?'
PS Dave
Redhead joined members of New Marston Wildlife Group to search in Marston
Meadows for the eggs of the Brown Hairstreak butterfly. They were delighted
to find some eggs there.
f you wish to write a letter
to object to the development Judy’s main points are summarised very briefly
below. To read her full letter of
objection look at our website
www.ouwg.org.uk it is added below
the text of our current newsletter.
Water Supply
The
proposed development is in a designated ‘high water stress’ area.
Average summer precipitation may be reduced by up to 60% by the 2080s so the
new reservoir to the South West of Abingdon on productive farmland will
become an absolute necessity.
Drainage & Sewage
Current
sewage works would be inadequate so upgrading the present works or a new
sewage works would be essential. The developers envisage the new town may
eventually increase to hold 35,000 people – this would create a massive
increase in water demand and sewage output!
Hydrology and flooding
risks
Effluent
from the town’s sewage would eventually drain into the Cherwell increasing
the risk of flooding events downstream. The land to be developed is 84%
permeable, green-fields, where rainwater can infiltrate and percolate slowly
to streams, a new town here would increase flood risk, especially flash
floods, as there could be up to 30% more rain in winter by the 2080s in
Oxfordshire.
Traffic congestion and
other transport issues
Congestion on A34 and the Oxford ring road would inevitably increase even
more as residents would commute to Oxford, Abingdon or even Didcot. The
cost of the planned free rail travel between Bicester and Oxford for
residents of Weston Otmoor and a free tram/bus service around the new town
is likely to fall on the county’s ratepayers.
Damage to wildlife and
important habitats
The
proposed development impacts directly on several SSSI ancient meadows and
two ancient woodlands. Nearby is a rare type of calcareous fen which is
totally dependent on an unpolluted and constant good quality water supply.
The flora of New Marston Meadows SSSI may also suffer increased damage if
flooding increases. As well as the rich and diverse flora of this area it
is close to populations of the rare Brown and Black Hairstreak butterflies.
'Seeing
is believing' you may agree, but how about the other way round: do we learn
a thing about nature and then see what fits our facts? Take churchyards for
instance. You and I have heard that yew trees were planted there because
the surrounding wall stops cattle and horses getting in, eating the leaves
and being poisoned. Maybe your history teacher added that longbows were
made from yew wood, so the trees had special protection until they were
needed to shoot at French people. Obviously the church arrived first, then
the churchyard and the yews came next.
But
maybe they didn't. The oldest tree in Oxford is a common yew (Taxus
baccata) at St. Mary's Church in Iffley. That tree could be 1600 years
old whereas the church was built in 1170 - about half the age of the tree.
That age has to be an estimate because the well-known method of counting the
growth rings doesn't work with yew. Sometimes the width of the trunk does
not increase for hundreds of years, because the trunk is hollow and an
aerial root grows down the middle to rejuvenate the tree. In effect there
is a tree within a tree. Sometimes the branches touch the ground, root and
form a cluster of trees. The trunk of the Iffley yew is a hollow shell
about 6 feet tall with thick, healthy branches at many angles - see for
yourself in the photos.
The tree surrounded by gravestonesÙ
hristianity arrived in Britain nearly 2000 years ago and took perhaps 1000
years to push aside earlier beliefs. The oldest church in Oxford for
example was built in 1122 - it was St. Martin's at Carfax, demolished in
1820 but the west tower survives, dodging the buses and telling the time.
There may have been wooden churches before stone-built ones of course, but
all trace has been lost. The oldest tree in Britain (and in Europe) is at
Fordingall in Perthshire, Scotland. Guesses at how old it is range from
2000 to 6000 years, with 3000 being the favourite. Putting these numbers
together, you can see that an ancient yew may pre-date the church it stands
by. I say 'ancient' here because the Victorians planted many Irish yews (Taxus
baccata 'Fastigiata'). You'll see a lot of their tall, green columns in
cemeteries.
So where
did the common or English yew come from? Some people say it was the
original forest tree and that old trees survive only in churchyards because
they've been wiped out everywhere else - maybe for making longbows. Others
say the yew were planted in sacred groves by pre-Christian religions at
places important to the believers - burial mounds, hill forts, beacon
fire-sites and so on. Fordingall for example has a Bronze Age tumulus and
it's said to be near the geographical centre of Scotland - but don't ask me
how to work that out before satellites came along, as Scotland is a very odd
shape.
When the
evergreen yew grows so slowly and appears not to die, you can see how it
might become a symbol of eternal life and the focus of religious rites.
Just as the Christian calendar takes in festivals that derive from earlier
beliefs, so perhaps the churchyards were sacred places before any Christian
church was built or before the Christian faith arrived. Tree worship, the
Tree of Life, Druids, Celts and even a tradition that Jesus' cross was made
from yew ... I'll never look at churchyards the same again.
The tree
alone is a paradox: it looks like a conifer but it doesn't grow cones.
Instead it has red ‘berries’ in autumn - that's what 'baccata' means
in the Latin name. If birds eat those berries, do they die? No, the fleshy
part is edible but the seed inside (and every other part of the tree) is
deadly. Apparently it takes between 50 and 100 grams/ 2 to 4 ounces to kill
an adult and twice that for a horse. Pigs and cattle need to eat a lot
more. The poison acts as a cardiac depressant, so death is due to heart
failure. Life may spring from an anti-cancer drug called Taxol, which is
taken from the inner bark or cambium of the Pacific Yew. Herbalists and
Native Americans have also treated rheumatism with yew, but don't try that
at home.
One more
loose end - why is the yew so good for shooting arrows? The formal answer
is its high tensile strength. Bending a bow compresses the inner face of
the wood, so it's better to spread that stress over a long bow. Hence the
name 'longbow': it can be as tall as the person who holds it. The weapon
was most valued in the 13th to 16th Centuries with the Battle of Agincourt
in 1415 being a famous example of its lethal effect.
The
ancient yew trees we see in churchyards now were probably never used for
warfare, because the best wood (the stave) comes from a straight trunk. You
can't get it from a branch or a gnarled stem. When the English supply of
useful trees ran out, yew staves were imported from Spain and the Alps. In
those places too the yew became rare and expensive, so archers used White
Ash for a practice bow and yew for matters of life and death. They also
poisoned their arrow-heads with a liquid distilled from yew seeds. Modern
longbows are made from up to three different woods laminated together or
from carbon fibre.
f our
ancestors treasured the yew, more recent folks have vandalised it. The tree
at Fordingall is surrounded by a 6-foot wall and iron railings because
Victorian souvenir-hunters were cutting so much of the wood. At Iffley,
people have stripped bark from the trunk. At All Saints Church in Didcot,
another old yew was deliberately set on fire. At St. Mary's, Cholsey, near
Wallingford, an ancient yew died a natural death. It collapsed during a
storm in 1990 and was found to be completely hollow. I mentioned that
churchyard in Wildlife News a few years ago because it holds the grave of
Agatha Christie, who died 32 years ago.
The
church at Cholsey was founded in 984, so here's a mystery Hercule Poirot and
Miss Marple might have solved. You too can ponder it at other churchyards.
Which came first: the tree or the church? If the tree was first, how did it
get there? Why was a church built nearby? Nobody can prove the answers of
course, and the yew (a much older species than we are) is keeping its
secrets.
ere's
another tasty crust for the bird-table of OUWG thinking: a fascinating take
on Oxford place-names. According to the City Council's website (www.oxford.gov.uk/planning/trees-in-oxford/cfm.),
48 of our streets are called in full or in part by tree-names. Examples
given are Oakthorpe Road, Thorncliffe Road, Plantation Road, Hollybush Row,
Aspen Square (it's in Blackbird Leys) and even Botley Road, for Botley comes
from Bota's Lea, a grove of trees belonging to Bota. They don't list the
other 42 tree-streets, but Copse Lane in Marston could be one of them ...
and Lime Walk in Headington ... and ...? If you're stuck in traffic or
can't sleep tonight, there's something to puzzle over.
Finally,
are you on an email list? I get messages from the Oxford Conservation
Volunteers. Recently I saw one with the title 'Wrecking bars'. This
promised to be a lively social event, until I found that it's about new
tools for taking fences apart. Wild life and wildlife do not mix, I
suppose.
John Gorrill.
A date
for your diary:
n Saturday 4th October John has kindly
agreed to lead A Walk to Iffley and Oxford's Oldest Tree. This would
be a circular walk meeting at Boundary Brook at 2pm (or for
non-walkers 2.30pm at St. Mary's Church, Iffley). Details will be in the
next newsletter but we would probably return via Iffley Lock and back to
Boundary Brook by the Thames towpath beside Iffley Meadows, emerging at
Donnington Bridge.
Why
not organise a Visit to Boundary Brook
f you
have children or grand-children at school in Oxfordshire do remind the staff
of the facilities we have at Boundary Brook. We now have a greater range of
equipment for school groups and we can supply education packs full of useful
information and projects as well as someone to guide them around the park,
help with pond-dipping and generally giving advice. We do all this free of
charge. We are willing to arrange for school groups to come round at any
time of year and in addition for a membership fee and a small deposit
schools (or OUWG members) can have a key and come in at any time to carry
out projects. An additional advantage is that we are near a bus route and
there is parking for cars and even coaches in the road nearby.
We
are also happy to have visits from groups of people, for example WIs,
special interest groups, Scouts, Guides and other youth groups. Much of the
site is accessible for wheelchair users. Visits can be arranged during the
day or evening and could always include bringing a picnic if the weather is
suitable.
Contact Vicky Hunt (Oxford 748331 email:
vickyhunt@talktalk.net) for further details or making a booking
Champions
of Recovery at Shotover
hotover Wildlife has for some time, been concerned about the decline and
fragility of a number of plant species at Brasenose Wood and Shotover Hill
SSSI, near Oxford. Several plant species are very close to being lost.
Others have been thought lost for some time, yet have recently re-appeared
in response to habitat changes.
In order
to address our concerns, the organisation launched a Species Recovery
Programme in October 2006. The aim of the Programme is to understand the
requirements of each species and to manage their habitat in a sustainable
way to encourage lasting optimum conditions.
There
are currently 20 species in the Recovery Programme. Vulnerable plants occur
across most of Shotover’s habitats, from heathland species such as the
beautiful blue, county-rare Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpilifolia)
and the locally declining wetland plant Marsh Valerian (Valeriana dioica),
to the almost-invisible epiphytic liverwort Minute Pouncewort (Cololejeunea
minutissimum) which grows on the bark of trees. Shotover is only the
second known location for the liverwort in Oxfordshire.
To
manage the needs of so many species, Shotover Wildlife has gathered a
team of Species Champions to undertake the necessary work in bringing
the plants back to stability and health. Whilst a few plants only need
monitoring, others need a more pro-active approach. Champions investigate
their plant’s requirements, undertake any collecting and growing of seed,
measure and monitor growth, and record progress via a log of actions through
the year.
So how
can we secure a better future for Shotover’s plants?
The
answer lies primarily in habitat management. If the plant’s habitat is
managed in the right way, the plant is given the best chance of recovery,
stabilization and expansion in growth in response to the improved
conditions. By managing the habitat for the recovering plants, other
wildlife can benefit too. For example, the creation of bare soil on the
heath is just one of the many objectives of ongoing heathland management,
and not only develops the right conditions for the Heath Milkwort, it
provides additional opportunities for heathland mosses, lichens and basking
reptiles.
Species
such as Orpine (Sedum telephium) and Heath Woodrush (Luzula
multiflora) are particularly vulnerable to local extinction, so minimal
samples have had to be removed from the site in order to stabilize the
species under controlled conditions before returning them to the reserve.
Where it has been possible to restore the habitat the invigorated plants can
be returned to the original location; or a different one, depending on the
reason for the original decline.
In
contrast, some of the mosses and liverworts in the Recovery Programme are
much more difficult to manage. They are small plants that are especially
sensitive to local conditions such as micro-climate and air pollution. In
addition, some of them are limited in their ability to disperse to new
locations. Under these circumstances, we can only attend their habitat needs
in a general sense, and closely monitor the plants for signs of (hopeful)
increase.
Straw
Bristle-moss (Orthotrichum stramineum) is particularly vulnerable at
Shotover, and the minute liverwort Tree Fringewort (Ptilidium
pulcherrimum) has only been found in a single small patch. Recent
focussed surveying effort has shown both of these bryophytes to be very rare
in Oxfordshire.
Restorative habitat work has recently been completed in one of Shotover’s
marshes. A team of SW members built a micro-dam across part of the marsh to
raise the water table for the vulnerable Marsh Valerian. We are eagerly
awaiting the results!
Shotover Wildlife would like to acknowledge the permission and financial
support of Natural England for the Species Recovery Programme.
Inspired to join us in this rewarding work?
If you
would like to contribute to this, or any of the other SW initiatives, do
visit our website or get in touch. Species identification work, surveys and
research are conducted throughout the year. Applied habitat restoration work
at Shotover is undertaken via our Conservation Work Days.
SW
Conservation Work Days take place on the Second Sunday of each month
(Meet 10am at Shotover Car park).
Work
Days focus on improving habitat quality and increasing species diversity at
Shotover and Brasenose Wood (based on the results of our survey work). We
also offer opportunities to learn Conservation Leadership Skills, and have a
number of ‘learner leaders’ currently building their skills. If this is for
you, get in touch!
Jacqueline A
Wright
jawright@shotover-wildlife.org.uk
www.shotover-wildlife.org.uk
ake the most of your
potatoes grown in pots. When they are ready for harvesting remove the plant
carefully from the pot. Then take off the larger potatoes. Add some fresh
compost in the pot and replace the plant after removing surplus roots. Water
well. In a month or so you may find more potatoes.
A
helping hand for slow-worms
It had been many years since we had seen
slow-worms in the garden but we took advice from Jacqueline Wright of
Shotover Wildlife and in April put down two black rubber car mats and an old
carpet tile on the South-facing overgrown bank of our front garden and were
rewarded immediately by nine taking up residence under them.
Sometimes they are all under one mat and at others
they spread themselves around. On very hot days they disappear - presumably
to somewhere cooler. A very successful outcome.
Pat Hartridge
Some
interesting facts about slowworms
·
Slow-worms are reptiles but they are legless lizards – not
snakes.
·
Like lizards, and unlike snakes they have small eyes with
eyelids that can blink, they have visible ears, their tongue is notched not
forked and they shed their skin in patches rather than in one piece.
·
Like other reptiles they are ‘cold-blooded’ and warm up by
basking in the sun. They are often found under pieces of carpet, black
plastic and especially corrugated iron.
·
If they are grabbed by the tail they can shed it (called
autotomy) and escape. The tail re-grows but not usually to the original
length.
·
They are viviparous i.e. they give birth to live young. When
females bask it speeds the growth of their unborn young.
·
They can be a blessing in gardens as they eat many pests such
as slugs, snails and insects.
·
It is supposed to be the longest living lizard, living about
30 years in the wild and up to 54 years in captivity.
·
Although they can thrive in gardens their main enemy is the
domestic cat although they may also die if they eat slugs or snails poisoned
by eating pellets put down by gardeners.
·
They hibernate from October to February/March in cracks, piles
of leaves, tree roots, compost heaps or buried in soft substrates with just
their head showing.
·
Although they mate in April and May the sperm are stored and
do not fertilise the eggs until June when eggs enter the oviducts. Females
may mate with several males and an average of 6-12 young are born after a
gestation of 3-5 months.
Judy Webb replies:
to Steve Woolliam’s question in the last newsletter about fungi on his
apple trees
teve,
your apple tree fungus looks very much like a clump of Oyster Fungus (Pleurotus
ostreatus) to me. That lives on dead wood, is the right colour and has
gills. It does also fruit at odd times of year depending on the weather.
It is
edible (indeed it is sold in Sainsbury's these days) but one should always
check with a more knowledgeable person who has seen the actual specimen
before you have any for breakfast!
I'm still busy surveying old
orchards for invertebrates and rare fungi so would be glad to hear from
anyone about other old fruit trees with fungi on them.
Judy Webb (01865 377487)
A Young Bird’s Fancy
Oh do look at her dainty hop
Twitter, twitter, twitter,
tweet
She’s just gorgeous from
bottom to top
How unutterably sweet
Look at the feathers on her
tail
Tchi-tchi, tchi-tchi,
tchi-tchi, whistle
I’m glad that I’m a
hot-blooded male
As I watch her flit from
thistle to thistle
See how she swoops low under
that bridge
Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo-oo, coo
How skilfully she catches
that midge
I’m glad that love has come
anew
Oh my darling, my all, my
best
Tell me we can build our
nest.
Catherine Bradbury
May 2008
EVENTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS
(For contacts see next page unless
otherwise listed)
JULY
Sunday 6: Plant Lore.
10.30am-12.30pm. They are all beautiful but some have touched our lives
in many ways; what can you do with the pungent elder flowers? Why do we have
'hearts of oak'? Join Dr Andrew Lack at Seacourt Nature Park and Osney Mead
to hear of the many tales of plants and our relationship with them. Fee £2
per head. No need to book in advance. Meet at the entrance to the Nature
Park, Opposite the Park and Ride, between the George Public House and Wickes
DIY. (OCCCS)
Sunday 6: Cowley Road
Carnival – A
multi-cultural celebration. Oxford's most exciting, flamboyant and fun
event! Come and help us celebrate the diversity of the East Oxford
community, and enjoy a host of entertainment for all the family. 12-6pm.
Saturday 12: Donnington
Doorstep Party to celebrate their new building. Free entrance with
stalls, music, food and fun. Lots of activities for children of all ages.
11am-2pm. Off Donnington Bridge Road heading away from the Iffley
Road, turn left into Townsend Square and it is in SW corner.
Sunday 13: Stanton St John. Further information Steve
Alley (Field Trip Secretary). Tel. 01608-659628. (OOS)
Sunday 13: Wendlebury
Meads near Charlton-on-Otmoor. Meet at crossroads north of the village
(SP560 163) on minor road between Islip and Ambroseden at 2.30pm.
Flower-rich meadows in River Ray catchment area. 2 ¼ miles. Leader: Ray
Edwards. (WOFC)
Sunday 20:
Dragonfly and Butterfly Walk in Marston Meadows led by Rod d' Ayala.
2-4pm. Binoculars may be useful for spotting the dragonflies. There
will be a small charge of £1 per person. Booking required, max. 45. Call
Curt on 07763-191072. Meet: the lowest end of Edgeway Road. (OMWG)
AUGUST
Saturday 9: Coach
Trip to Burnham Beeches, an ancient woodland in Buckinghamshire.
The coach can be boarded at three different pick up points in Oxford
between 9.00 – 9.35 a.m. Coach price per person is £10.00. Coach to leave
Burnham Beeches between 3.30-4.00 p.m. Contact Imogen Parker on (01235)
554608 or at
mogsternz@hotmail.com for further details. £2 charge for non-members.
(ANHSO)
Sunday 10: Rye House Marsh, Herts (all day).
Further information Steve Alley (Field Trip
Secretary). Tel. 01608-659628. (OOS)
Saturday 16: Elder Stubbs
Allotment Festival (East Oxford) 12 noon – 5pm.
Come and enjoy the festival – food, stalls, entertainments, organic
produce, willow sculptures, activities, etc.
Tuesday 12: Asham Meads
BBOWT reserve. Meet (SP590 142) at this small reserve on fringe of
Otmoor at 6.30pm. Damp meadows with typical flora and fauna including
hairstreak butterflies and Emperor dragonflies. Leader: Ray Edwards (WOFC)
Saturday 16: The
Changing Face of Port Meadow 10.30am-12.30pm Discover something of the
prehistory, history and wildlife of "Oxford's oldest monument" from the end
of the last ice age to the present day. This walk will be similar to the one
held in February but will approach the Meadow from the northern end and take
in more of the archaeological sites and flora. A FREE event. Meet in the Car
Park at Godstow Road, Wolvercote, Oxford OX2 8PG. For details call Anthony
01865 467244 or email countryside@oxford.gov.uk. (OCCCS)
SEPTEMBER
Thursday 11:
Time to Fly – Bird Migration
by Graham Appleton. Graham is head of Fundraising & Publicity with BTO.
Sandhills Primary School,
Terrett Ave, Headington, opposite Thornhill Park & Ride. 7.45pm.
Non-members welcome, entrance £3, Students £2. Details: Wendy
Black 01491-612600. (RSPB)
Saturday 13: Hedges,
Hips and Haws. Plants and landscape history walk in Marston Meadows.
Led by Judy Webb. 2-4pm Marston Meadows, meet at the lowest end
of Edgeway Road. (OMWG)
Saturday 13:
Florence Park Flower Show and Charity Day 1-6pm. The Royal Oxfordshire
Horticultural Society, in partnership with Oxford City Council. Large
exhibition marquee and entertainment throughout the day.
Saturday 13: Stories by Starlight.
Join Nik Luker and Felicity Cormack for a
candlelit evening of myth, music and moonlight deep among the trees.
7.30 - 9.30 pm. Tall tales to make you
laugh, dark tales to make you shiver, all interwoven with the song of the
violin! Suitable for older (8 yrs+) children and adults, small amount of
walking involved. Meet in the Car Park, Shotover Country Park, Old Road,
Headington. Call the Oxford City Council Countryside Service on 08000 521
455 for details or email
countryside@oxford.gov.uk. (OCCCS)
Sunday 21: Lodmoor RSPB
Reserve and Portland Bill, Dorset Coach 7.30am. The open habitats
favour migratory birds resting and feeding-up before their sea-crossing.
Book with Anne Clark 01865 723868 or David Rolfe 01993 773123 (RSPB)
INVERTEBRATE
IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOPS AT HILL END 2008
Sunday 21
September 9.30 am 3.30 pm Snails
Cost £25.00. Tutor: Steve Gregory (Northmoor Trust)
Please make cheques payable
to Oxfordshire County Council. To confirm a place please send cheque for
course fee to address below. The workshops are aimed at enthusiastic, adult
beginners and will provide a basic introduction to the identification of the
different invertebrate groups. Microscopes will be used where appropriate,
but experience in microscope use is NOT ESSENTIAL. Equipment will be
supplied but, if possible, please bring hand lens,
Please bring your own packed lunch - coffee and tea are
provided.
For further information or to make a booking please
contact Lawrence Bee at:
Hill End Field Study Centre, Eynsham Road, Farmoor,
Oxford OX2 9NJ Tel: 01865 863510 Fax: 01865 862065
Email: lawrence.bee@oxfordshire.gov.uk
NEXT NEWSLETTER
Please send your copy
for the next newsletter as soon as possible to: Janet Keene, 7 Norwood
Avenue, Southmoor, Abingdon, OX13 5AD or if possible email: keene@ouwg.org.uk.
The final deadline is by the end of August.
Contact numbers
Kathy Chicken: Boundary Brook Nature Park
Information Oxford 770742
Janet Keene: Newsletter
Oxford 820522
Pat Hartridge: Membership
Secretary Oxford 874487
Delia Twamley:
Planning Oxford
554636
CONTACTS FOR
OTHER ORGANISATIONS
Ashmolean Natural History Society of
Oxfordshire (ANHSO): Lin Baldock Oxford 762951
Botanic
Garden: Oxford 286690
British Butterfly Conservation: Dave Redhead
Oxford 772520
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
01296 330033
Forest of Oxford: John
Thompson Oxford 513528
Friends of the Earth (Oxford):
Jackie Walkden
07981 572629
Local Wildlife Trust (BBOWT):
Oxford 775476
New Marston Wildlife Group: Curt Lamberth
07763-191072
Oxford City Council Countryside Service (OCCCS): countryside@oxford.gov.uk.
Oxford. 715830
Oxford Conservation Volunteers (OCV):
Paul 07812 494164
Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum (ONCF):
Oxford 407034
Oxford Organic Group (OOG): Sandra Simpson
01993 778608
Oxford Ornithological Soc. (OOS):
Barry Hudson 01993 852028
Oxford Tree Club
(OTC): Ian Gourlay 01993 773921
Oxfordshire Badger Group:
Julia Hammett Oxford 864107
Oxfordshire Bat
Group: David Endacott 01235 764832
Rare Plants Group (RPG):
Sue Helm 01993 851842
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB):
Peter Wilkinson Oxford 452579
Shotover Wildlife (SW):
Chair: Ivan Wright
Oxford 874423
West Oxford Wildlife Group: Julia
Hamer-Hunt Oxford 240904
West Oxfordshire Field Club (WOFC) 01993
775020
|
UNIVERSITY of OXFORD – Department for Continuing Education
Day or Evening Classes:
The
Natural History of Britain
Tue 30 Sep to Tue 9 Dec 2008. 2.00-4.00pm. 10 meetings. From
£105.00. Discover more about Britain’s natural history. Analyse the
threats to British wildlife communities and learn about today's
exciting projects conserving our natural heritage.
Birds of the
British Isles Tue 20 Jan to Tue 31 Mar 2009.
2.00-4.00pm. 10 meetings. From £105.00. Improve your skills in bird
identification and your knowledge of their habitat requirements.
Take part in bird recording and conservation as well.
Part-time learning in Environmental
Conservation. A range of courses includes:
Undergraduate Diploma in
Environmental Conservation
2 years part-time (1 year per module) Fee £915/year.
Module 1 starts September 2008.
Saturdays 10am-5pm
This part-time modular
course in British wildlife and countryside conservation. Preparatory
course for new students on 5 and 11 July 2008
Undergraduate
Advanced Diploma in Environmental Conservation: Starts Sat
20 September 2008 Fee £890. For volunteer and professional
conservationists.
And Short
Courses for Professionals.
For more information
contact the Administrator, Day & Weekend Schools, OUDCE, 1
Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA. Tel 01865 - 270380 or by email:
pp@conted.ox.ac.uk. Website
www.conted.ox.ac.uk. |
OUWG EVENTS
www.ouwg.org.uk
JULY
Sunday 6: Cowley
Road Carnival – OUWG stall in Ss Mary & John Churchyard 12-6pm.
Monday 7:
Survey of relict hedges of North Oxford
led by Alan Spicer. Meet at junction of First Turn and Woodstock Road at 6.30pm. Coming
from the City, First Turn is the last street on the left before the
Wolvercote roundabout. This leads to Upper Wolvercote where there should be
parking and it is on No 6 bus route (it stops in Magdalen St West).
Friday 11: Moth
Trapping Evening at Boundary Brook Nature Park 8.30-10.30pm (or later).
We will be using a variety of lights sited in different areas of the reserve
to attract moths. As many of the moths as possible will be identified on
the night with the aid of books and magnifying glasses. Come and see the
moths and other insects attracted to the lights and help to identify them
for the county records. Bring a picnic if you like and anti-midge cream.
Saturday 12:
Donnington Doorstep OUWG stall 11am-2pm (see p 10 for details).
Sunday 13:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
Sunday 20: Summer
Open Day at Boundary Brook Nature Park 2-5 p.m. Come and see the summer
flowers, butterflies and pond-life. Try your hand at pond-dipping. Book
stall, plant stall and guided walks.
Sunday 27:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
AUGUST
Wednesday 6:
Picnic at Boundary Brook Nature Park between 6 and 9 p.m. Bring a
picnic, stroll round the reserve and there will be a chance to try
pond-dipping as well. As it gets dark we hope to listen and watch for
bats. Anti-midge cream may be advisable if needed. Children under 14 to be
accompanied by an adult.
Sunday 10:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
Wednesday 13:
OUWG Boundary Brook meeting. On site at Boundary Brook at
6.30pm.
Saturday 16: Elder Stubbs
Allotment Festival (East Oxford) 12 noon – 5pm.
OUWG stall at this lively event (see p10).
Sunday 24:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
Sunday 31:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 7:
Craft/Activity Day at Boundary Brook Nature Park
in conjunction with BBC Breathing Places “Do One Thing
For Nature” events 1-5pm. Try your hand at a range of crafts –
make a bird feeder or a model dragonfly. An activities area is provided for
children (puzzles, bug hunt, feely boxes, paper and crayons). Under 14s to
be accompanied by an adult. Admission free but donations welcome to
cover cost of materials.
Wednesday 10: OUWG
General meeting - Gladiator Club (corner of Iffley Rd and Percy St)
at 7.15pm
Saturday 13:
Florence Park Flower Show and Charity Day OUWG stall. 1-6pm.
ROHS & OCC (see p 10).
Sunday 14: Oxford
Open Doors 2008 - Boundary Brook Nature Park will be open from 1-5pm
(events as July 20th).
Thursday 18: Off
with their Heads an illustrated talk by Ian Gourlay 7.30-9 pm.
Ian contrasts the policies of Oxford’s City Fathers with some interesting
views on tree planting and treatment of mature trees in urban Paris.
Science Oxford (on St Clements next to the traffic lights at the bottom
of Headington Hill). Free for members of OUWG and Oxford Trust, non-members
£3. Wheelchair access.
Sunday 21:
Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided
BOUNDARY
BROOK NATURE PARK. Come and help us to manage the Nature Park. You can
choose your task from a variety of jobs. A warm welcome guaranteed. You
need not come for the whole time. Please ring on the day of the work party
to ensure it has not been cancelled through bad weather etc. Contact: Alan
Hart 07979608013 or Kathy Chicken
01865 770742. There is usually someone working at Boundary Brook most days
so, if you want to come at other times, find out who will be there and when
by ringing Alan Hart 07979608013.
Bus routes
Cityline 4A, B or C; Stagecoach Route 3
OXFORD URBAN WILDLIFE GROUP If you wish to contact OUWG or would like
to become a member write to the editor:
Janet Keene, 7 Norwood Ave, Southmoor, Abingdon OX13 5AD or phone/fax Oxford
820522. E-mail:
keene@ouwg.org.uk
Registered charity
no 1101126 Printed on paper from
sustainable forests.
