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Transcript of Autumn 2012
OXFORD WILDLIFE
NUMBER 95 NEWS AUTUMN 2012
OTMOOR
A field pond on Otmoor An abandoned horse-drawn hayrake
A bullock’s skull found on Otmoor Not all waders are birds
2
NEWS FROM BOUNDARY BROOK NATURE PARK Work has not progressed as fast as we would have liked
these last few months. For one thing Alan has been
commuting from Newbury where he has been clearing
and selling his sister‟s house and he is also in the process
of moving so he has not been able to come to Boundary
Brook as often as normal. An exceptionally wet summer
has meant that the vegetation has grown at an unusually
rapid rate, especially the brambles and nettles, so
clearance has taken far longer than normal. We are
hoping to get more done in the autumn although Alan
and Jan made a massive effort before open day to clear
the paths, the butterfly mound and make some paths
safer.
As many of you know, we are going to re-vamp the
kitchen garden. We will redo the paths, raise the wooden
borders and put some fresh soil in the beds. When this is
complete we wondered if any members would like to be
part of a gardening group and adopt one of the beds in
order to grow vegetables or some flowers and fruit, using
organic methods of course, but using the produce for their
own consumption.
Do contact me (Janet Keene 01865 820522 or email
[email protected]) if you would like more details or if
you would be willing to take on one of the plots. Even
better would be if you would also help to do some of the
preparatory work.
We would appreciate any help you can offer at our work
parties and remember there are large-scale jobs like mowing
the hay meadow or easier jobs like preparing bamboo to put
in the hibernation tower or weeding the green roof on the
top. We are especially keen to clear the area in the new
Northern Extension in preparation for the tree planting
event early in the New Year. Always ring Alan (before you
set off) to check that the work party has not been cancelled
for some reason. If you are free at other times and would be
willing to come and help please check with him.
EVENTS Past . . . The Lye Valley
Judy Webb led a most interesting walk through the Lye
Valley in Headington. We walked down through the
woodland which opened out into what is known as
Bullingdon Bog, although in fact it is a rare fen habit
(being alkaline rather than acid like a bog). They are
alkaline because the rainwater, seeping through the
limestone of the steep valley walls, trickles down to the
flat base of the valley. Here, in the calcium-rich,
waterlogged area, we saw a wonderful collection of rare
marsh helleborines in flower. There were also many
other plants here in this “Valley-head spring-fen”, several
of which are on the Rare Plants Register for the country.
This means that they only occur in less than ten sites in
the county.
Sadly, we also saw some less welcome plants such as the
invasive Himalayan balsam as well as some Japanese
knotweed. Judy explained the ecology, the management and
the probable future of this beautiful valley.
AGM and Picnic
On Monday 23 July we reconvened for a short AGM before
the annual Picnic. As Ruth Jordan has retired from the
Committee, at least for the present, we needed to appoint a
new trustee and we are pleased to welcome Mark Franks who
has been elected as our fifth trustee. We voted to re-elect
existing officers for the year 2012-2013. We then enjoyed our
picnic.
Autumn Open Day On September 9
th we had an Open Day in connection with
Oxford Open Doors weekend. We had guided walks, book
and plant stalls and the very popular pond-dipping. Chris
Lewis coped masterfully all afternoon with the eager crowd
of children who were queuing up for a turn with a net.
Future events. . . We heard that Warneford Meadow Apple Day has been
cancelled because of lack of apples. Wolvercote Apple
Day, on October 7th
is still on although there are fewer
apples and they are relying on all the other activities to
make it a success. Please note that the Trout Inn have
now introduced rather expensive parking charges. As
usual we are having a stall at this interesting event and
plan to sample the goodies on offer in between looking
after our stall.
We are again taking part in an activity in connection with
CSV Make a difference Day. We are combining it with
an open day on Sunday October 28th
including activities
to attract children, and are hoping to gain volunteers
through publicity via the CSV (Community Service
Volunteers).
On 21 November Judy Webb will be giving us a talk on
Fungi at Science Oxford Live Bring any specimens you find
and she will identify them and tell us a bit about them.
For a change, our Christmas get-together will be held in a
member‟s home this year. Vicky Hallam has very kindly
invited us to join her, starting at 6pm on Wednesday 5th
December at her house – 5 Quarry Road in Headington (off
Old Road). Please let her know if you would like to come so
she knows how many to expect (Tel: 769780 or email:
[email protected]). We will have a quiz and we will all
bring some food and drink to share and some Christmas
Punch will be provided. Also let her know if you would like
a lift or, if you come by bus, number 4 buses stop in Masons
Road - near Quarry Rd. The number 10 bus also stops nearby.
Cover photos: John Gorrill
3
Oxford City Council grant We needed to do a tremendous clearance task in the spring to clear the
scrub which had grown up near the fencing between the northern
extension and the flats. Alan, Jan and others worked long hours and in
doing so unearthed a load of rubbish – concrete slabs, debris from the
flats etc. Oxford City Council has given us a grant of £250 to contribute
towards the skip hire needed to remove the large amount of rubbish,
concrete and vegetation from the site before the Council could carry out
the installation of the security fencing.
Charity of Thomas Dawson Trust
We have had a very generous grant for £1000 from the Charity of Thomas Dawson. Half the income of the charity is for
the upkeep and repair of the fabric of the parish church of St Clements, one quarter to the Parochial Charities of St Clements
and one quarter to the designated fund for educational purposes. Because so much of our work includes educational
activities (publications, advice and information at open days and stalls, hosting school groups etc.) we were recommended
to the charity as being suitable for funding. We are very grateful for their generous award of £1000 towards our work.
How Bee Kind is your garden? Bumblebees rely on particular flowers for food throughout the year. By using the Bee kind tool from
Bumblebee Conservation Trust, you can discover whether the flowers in your garden are bee-friendly
HELPING OUR SOGGY BEES It has been a tough summer for our bumblebees, so those
hardy individuals that are clinging on need our help more
than ever if they are to mate successfully.
The most effective thing we can all do to help is make
sure that our gardens provide flowers until at least
October.
At this time of year our bumblebee queens should be
starting to produce male bumblebees and new queens.
These individuals will leave the nest to mate with
partners from other colonies. This is an energy intensive
process so the bumblebees need a plentiful supply of
nectar from the flowers in our gardens and the wider
countryside. Once mated the new queens need to stock
up their fat reserves in preparation for hibernation
through the winter. So it is vital that there be flowers
available for them to feast upon.
If your garden is looking a little sparse then consider adding
flowers like honeysuckle, lavender, sedum and teasel to
help your local bumblebees.
For more planting suggestions, visit our Bee kind tool and
filter the flowers by 'Month of flowering' -
http://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/
We also have a section on our website dedicated to children
where you will find information and a number of free
activity sheets to download:
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/bumble-
kids/
Bioblitz – report from Science Oxford
We had over 1200 species records, with around 700
unique species. So the first thing to ask is that if you have
any more species records to send through then it will be
great if you can do so in the next week or so.
From the public point of view, around 200 members of
the public took part in our various activities, and that
would undoubtedly have been significantly higher had
we not lost Saturday evening to the weather. We had
some excellent media coverage, and I hope that you had
some positive encounters with local humans, as well as
with representatives from other species in the area . . .
The next step is for us to have a look at whether and how
we might run the event again. As you can expect, there is a
big question about money. . . So we are meeting over the
next few weeks with some of our major partners to see
whether there is an appetite to run another BioBlitz and, if
so, who will pay for it.
If you have any ideas on that front then please pass them
on! Otherwise, we will get back to everyone in a month or
so with a plan for how we proceed.
Dom, Maya and Emma (Science Oxford)
4
Moon Gardens for Bats Gardens stocked with the numerous flowers producing
evening blooms are called Moon Gardens, great for
people who work all day.
Moon Garden plants often are white, which reflects the
moon‟s light even more, plus fragrant in the evening too.
Foliage is also sometimes white which adds to the
reflective quality of the garden.
Evening Primroses, Yucca and Night Scented Stocks are
good plants for evening enjoyment, in the herb garden
mint, thyme and even basil often flower in the evening.
Plants flowering and fragrant during the day usually
attract daytime insects, but plants with evening and night
interest attract insects that are on the wing or active in the
evening too. So it‟s clear that the advantage of evening
and night flowering plants having white flowers and
foliage that stand out in the moonlight is that they are
easier to spot by the pollinating insects.
My point behind all this is that if you attract and keep
these insects in your garden in the evening you can then
expect to attract predators like bats.
Bats use huge amounts of energy so need to hoover up vast
quantities of insects. If you try to grow plants native to
Britain, you will attract native insects and native bats.
Growing trees and shrubs in a linear fashion help bats find
their way around as they memorize where the features are to
help navigate. Removing one, breaking that line of growth
may confuse them and they may not cross that void to get to
the next tree. Often early flying bats don‟t like to break
cover so losing part of a row of trees may disrupt their
movements. Later flying bats are often more adventurous
and fly in more open pastures, probably due to less
predation from owls etc.
So go on, have a go at Moon Gardening and watch the bats
share it with you.
Happy Gardening,
Stuart Mabbutt
Wildlife Gardening Specialist, 01865 747243
Members’ observations Please continue to let us have some of your wildlife observations for the next issue, giving place and date.
Cuckoo and Geese (North Oxford) I heard a cuckoo near my home in North Oxford at
6.30am one morning in mid-May. I wonder who one
should get in touch with if one has heard a cuckoo?
Can anyone explain how it is that every year - about this
time of year (August/September) – I hear, and see, gangs
of geese flying low overhead. They always come from
the south-west (Port Meadow I assume and the Isis) and
fly north-east to, I think, the Cherwell. Is always about
the same time in the morning - that is between about 6.30
and 8.30; the numbers vary – this morning there were just
seven birds whereas a few days ago there were two
flights one having I think 15 birds in it. I always think
that the Cherwell must be overpopulated and I really
wondered why they do this and why they never seem to
make the return trip. Or are they on a longer journey
eastwards? And what triggers this migration?
Delia Twamley
Where is the Green Woodpecker? (North
Oxford) I have been living in north Oxford for 27 years, about
200 yards from the Wolvercote Cemetery and Recreation
Ground. Every year until now, I have heard the Green
Woodpecker which nests in the pine trees at the cemetery
and which often flies across and sits on the top of a tall
fir tree in my neighbours' garden. Sometimes it comes
down on to my lawn at the back to feast on ants. But not
this year: it is completely absent and I miss its friendly
yaffle. Nick Burrows
Unseasonal events (Stanford in the Vale) I‟ve noticed some unseasonal plant events: I have an oxlip
plant that I bought early this year. It flowered in the spring
and during August. Also, a shrub, Daphne pontica, that
should flower in spring, flowered in December last year, I
think due to the mild weather, then again in April or so, and
now is flowering to some extent again in late August/
September. Rachel Fell
Bee Orchids (All Saints Convent, St Mary‟s Road) In July our mower needed attention and while it was away
we left a grass border un-mown for nearly three weeks.
Towards the end of this time we were surprised and
delighted to find two bee orchids had grown up. Next year
we plan to leave this grass un-mown to see whether any
more spring up. Sister Helen Mary
Squirrel problems (Southmoor) The squirrel which featured on the cover of the last
newsletter was spotted on July 10th
trying to climb the pole
to the bird feeder which had been greased in lard. It slid
down as it attempted to climb and was spotted eating the
lard but apparently not enjoying it. Janet Keene
Newsletter Online? As postage rates have gone up so much and we don‟t want to raise our annual membership to keep pace with it, we
wondered if people would prefer to receive their copy folded (unless you keep the newsletters for posterity!) or read the
online version instead. The advantage of the online version is that it is in colour, it is environmentally friendly – less paper
and ink used, it saves OUWG money and we would contact you by email to remind you when the new newsletter is on our
website (have a look at the recent issues www.ouwg.org.uk/newsletter.html). If you decide on either of these courses let me
know your choice (email: [email protected] or tel: 01865 820522)
5
Long-eared bat Walking from my sitting room to my
kitchen I saw something fluttering
overhead, which I thought was the shadow
of a large moth seen through a Velux
window in the ceiling. When it fluttered
overhead in the opposite direction I realised
it was a bat - not in the garden but in the
sitting room.
As it refused to fly out of the open door into
the garden my husband kept vigil by
sleeping on the sofa so he could find it when
it was light. At dawn it was found clinging
to the curtain and he used a transparent
plastic box lid to slide it down the curtain to
the window sill, where it took about 5
minutes to wake up.
Bat getting its bearings after release
It was a long-eared bat of which there have only been a few sighting
in this area (slopes of Shotover Hill), and I discovered from various
online sources that long-eared bats can navigate by sight as well as by
„echo sounding‟ and often „graze‟ on insects stuck to windows, so it
may have arrived via the open Velux in the kitchen.
Bat gazing wistfully out of the window after being unhooked from
curtain. The ghostly effect is created by a plastic box which is behind
it on the window sill
Very ET „GO HOME‟ effect
Pat Hartridge
INVERTEBRATE IDENTIFICATION
WORKSHOPS 2012
At Hill End Field Study Centre, near Eynsham
Saturday 17th
, Sunday 18th
and Saturday 24th
November Mosses Identification Course. Oxford
9am-4.30 pm Cost £95 waged. Students £75. Pre-booking only. Contact t [email protected]
A practical course for beginners with no previous experience of mosses. Held near Oxford with field sessions at local
reserves.
Tutor: Jacqueline Wright (County Recorder of bryophytes for Oxfordshire and Berkshire)
THE AIM OF THE COURSE
The aim of the course is to develop both the skills and knowledge required to identify mosses and liverworts. No previous
experience of bryology will be assumed but a basic knowledge of plant identification is expected.
COURSE CONTENT The course consists of a combination of indoor lab sessions with microscopes and outdoor field visits. Content includes:
structure of bryophytes, terminology, bryological microscopy techniques, microscope calibration, identification using
microscopes and keys, building field identification skills, use of the BBS Field Guide, and recording bryophytes
Contact Jacqueline Wright for further details and to book a place: [email protected]
6
Otmoor Has Got More If you're feeling a bit stale or
hemmed-in by city life, I
recommend a walk on Otmoor.
By car or bike it's easy but the
bus is more difficult - I'll add
details at the end. Why Otmoor?
Well, other reserves are too small
or too kempt for that thrill of
escape and of wildness which
makes life worth living. It's a
small adventure and with enough
daylight, snacks and water, you
can't come to much harm
between the 'Seven Towns' of
Otmoor: Beckley, Horton-cum-
Studley, Charlton-on-Otmoor,
Oddington, Noke, Fencott and
Murcott. In the past the church
bell-towers steered the traveller
across this marshy plain but now
the Beckley TV mast is a taller
guide. It even has red lights at
night to warn off aeroplanes.
A footpath through the wheat
The Romans built a road across
Otmoor as a supply route from Dorchester-on-Thames to
Alchester, which is near Bicester. You won't see a trace
of that road now, except in a Beckley street sign with the
name Roman Way. Otmoor got its own name from an
Anglo-Saxon land-owner called Otta, and 'Otta's Fen' is
what the place-name means. It was poor common land
for centuries until 1815, when an Enclosure Act put it in
private hands. When enclosing began in 1829, local
people rioted by breaking the new drainage banks,
smashing fences and uprooting the young hedges. It's
odd to think that features of the countryside which we
now see as beautiful were hated in the past because they
stopped a villager from keeping a cow or a few geese on
open land. Dry stone walls too were far from quaint
when they first went up. There's a story that Lewis
Carroll, who lived in Beckley, conceived the idea of a
landscape divided into squares like a chess-board by
looking at Otmoor and its hedges. There are urban myths
and rural myths - this could be one of them!
Otmoor clay churned up by cattle
You can still see the pattern of
medieval farming on Otmoor in
the long ridges and furrows
across what is now pasture for
cattle and sheep or scrubland
with hawthorn clumps.
Villagers would plough with
their oxen up one side of a long
strip of land and then down the
other side - a bit like mowing
the lawn from the edges
inwards till you finish that little
tuft in the middle. Over
decades turning the soil towards
the middle of a strip raises the
level of the soil there and drops
the level at the edge. The
furrow was useful as a drainage
channel between the crops.
Even today you'll see that reeds
tend to grow in the furrow
while grasses do best on the
ridge. Boots do best there too:
the quickest way over this wet
ground is to follow a ridge.
Cattle aren't so fussy. The
recent wet summer has led to deep 'poaching' of the clay
soil. If you listen to The Archers on Radio 4, you'll know
this means hooves sinking deep into the mud rather than
Eddy Grundy and his ferret hunting at night.
Another local protest came in the 1980s when transport
planners wanted to take the M40 through Otmoor.
Wheatley Friends of the Earth tied the process up in red tape
by selling off 3000 miniscule plots of land in Alice's
Meadow, a boggy field on the proposed route and named
after 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. The motorway
now runs east of Fencott but tree-planting screens it very
well. The high-speed rail project has caused a similar
rumpus recently up and down the land, but protesters can't
use the same 'mini-plot' tactics because the rules on land
registration have changed. Well, arable farming never
prospered on the drained land of Otmoor, so the RSPB were
able to buy 544 acres for their reserve. Since 1997 they
have been busily reversing history by making the wetland
wetter with man-made channels and pools. If you see these
on a map or via the Google Earth satellite, the pattern of
waterways looks like weird ancient writing. The reserve is
not the whole of Otmoor, as I'll show, but bird-watching is
what brings in most visitors.
If you're a 'twitcher', you'll already know which birds you
may see on these wetlands. Recently I saw snipe, egrets and
sedge warblers. To try a different angle, I joined a Flower
Walk on 26th June led by the RSPB estate workers Zoe and
David. I can list some of the plants we saw: Yellow Rattle,
Fleabane, Dyers' Greenweed, Field Rose, Yellow Flag Iris,
Burdock, Hemlock, Hogweed and many others to challenge
my spelling. My problem is that all birds or flowers look
the same after the first three, so I set about asking nosy
questions on behalf of Wildlife News. Firstly, why are
footpaths mown so wide and low that the countryside feels
more like a park? David said they have to ensure safe
7
access for the
public and the
worst case was the
work of a farmer,
whose tractor
doubtless cuts to a
minimum width of
six feet. The RSPB
use quad bikes with
a mowing
attachment.
Second, have you
seen any otters?
There were two
females with
young, said David,
and I have a photo
of a fish-head left
over from an otter's
dinner. It began as
a pike swimming in
a drainage ditch but
all I found was
nature's gargoyle
and a few scales.
Thirdly, why do big
military helicopters
practise noisy
manoeuvres over
Otmoor when it's a
reserve for sensitive
birds? The pilots
apparently use the
Beckley TV mast
for navigation and
clatter about nearby
although they don't
own the land underneath. It's very annoying if you go
there for peaceful wanderings. The RSPB have
complained, but the Ministry of Defence is...(wait for
it!)...sitting on dee fence.
One advantage of paths being mown is that grass snakes
use the open ground to bask in the sun. On Sunday 22nd
July I went back to Otmoor to take photos for this article.
At last there was a hot day and several times I saw a
snake glide into the long grass as I approached. One was
so dozy that I almost trod on it. I noticed that they have
great camouflage but a small problem of judging how
much of their body is hidden. Often I saw the last three
inches of a grass snake protruding onto the path and it
stayed there as if the snake didn't know it could be seen.
If you have a body growing longer by the week but your
sensors are at one end, it must be hard to know where
your back end is unless you coil yourself up. Other
surprises that day were partridges and muntjac deer,
which keep still and well-hidden until you are five feet
away. Then they explode into the open and escape with
such commotion that your heart almost stops. Grass
snakes are more subtle thankfully.
A little beyond Otmoor and beside the M40 is Merton
Borrow Pit, named after the village of Merton on the
other side of the bridge which crosses the motorway.
When contractors don't have enough soil to build
embankments for a road, a
railway or canal, they dig
a borrow pit to provide the
missing bulk. Often the
pit is left to fill with water
and after a few decades it
looks like a natural lake.
Wolvercote Lakes near the
railway track and Port
Meadow could have begun
life as borrow pits for the
Oxford Canal or the
Oxford to Banbury
Railway, for example, but
nobody knows for sure.
Merton Borrow Pit is more
recent and (to be frank)
less picturesque but it's a
well-known spot for water
fowl. If you park on the
grass verge and ignore the
traffic noise, you can have
a peaceful walk all the
way round the water and
spot the birds without
them spotting you. There
are hedges and fences to
save the unwary from
drowning, but these can be
useful bird-hides if you
want them to be.
The military rifle range is
beside the RSPB reserve.
At the north end is a stop-
butt to catch the bullets.
It's a huge pile of sand
held up by railway sleepers with a concrete bunker in front.
Squaddies hoist up a line of eight targets from that safety
trench and lower them to count the holes. On the grass
stretching south are range markers - 400 metres, 500 and so
on up to 800. If this sounds like a suicidal place for a stroll,
take comfort from the fact that red flags fly on the
boundaries when shooting happens and there are bridle paths
where you or I have a legitimate right to roam at other times.
Don’t tell him, Pike!
8
Until the 1950s, this land was an aerial bombing range
and there are signs warning people not to pick up
interesting debris. I've never found any, but I have seen
countless deer, hares and rabbits which thrive in these
unofficial wildflower meadows.
A 3rd
sign
Are they trying to put us off?
I wrote in the past about the
time a swirling flock of lapwing flew feet above my
head. I was leaning on a gate-post and wearing a tweedy
cap plus ancient green jacket, so the birds felt no fear
and I felt the draught of their wings. If nature has a
lottery, I won it on that day. If I see otters in future, I'll
be able to retire.
On Sunday 17th June I went for a ramble over Otmoor to
see what I could see - there's always something
surprising if you keep your eyes open. Being summer, I
hoped to keep my boots dry but as I got beyond the rifle
range, the puddles turned into pools and the pools into
paddy fields. I waded onwards for the fun of splashing
through warm, brown water up to 18 inches deep. Half
way to Charlton-on-Otmoor I met a bird-watcher on a
little bridge. He told me a big fish had overtaken him on
the footpath, so I got my camera ready for this surreal
event. Sadly, the fish ignored me and I came ashore at
Fencott with just my squelching boots for amusement.
Then I walked to Charlton, had a look in the church
whose tower had guided me there and set off back to
Beckley.
When your boots are all wet, they can't get wetter, so
kicking through more puddles is no bother at all. I once
went on a guided walk across Morecambe Bay from Hest
Bank to Grange-over-Sands and waded through the River
Kent on the way, but Otmoor was better because I had only
my wits and a stick to guide me. In...deep-end...ence,
you could say.
Otmoor has got more and you can see part of it just by
getting to Beckley. The village is on a ridge of sand
thrown up on an ancient sea-bed when the flood-plain
itself is flat clay. From High Street or the churchyard
you can see for miles. There are thatched cottages, a red
phone box without a phone (bring your own!), a country
church, a pub called The Abingdon Arms and footpaths
heading in tempting directions. The pub-name refers to the
land-owner, the Earl of Abingdon, rather than the town
down-river from Oxford. I've drawn the map on the
previous page to show what is roughly where. If you're
driving, you can park for free in the RSPB reserve car-park
or on Beckley High Street. Cyclists can lock their wheels to
a post in the village or a steel rack at the reserve - near the
information board where bird-sightings are written on a little
white-board. Heyfordian Travel run bus services 108 and
118 from Oxford to Bicester via Beckley twice a day. From
Otta to otter, you'll find it all.
John Gorrill
The lych-gate in Church Lane, Beckley
NOTE: We hope to arrange a walk around Otmoor next year with one of the wardens. So watch our programme dates.
Also if you want to see these photos in colour look on our website at the Newsletter section:
www.ouwg.org.uk/newsletter.html
Identification courses 2012 www.anhso.org.uk
How Plants Work 13th and 27th October, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm Hill End Field Studies Centre, Farmoor, Eynsham, Near Oxford. grid reference SP465066, postcode OX2 9NJ
Cost £80
For further information on this course phone Frances Watkins on 01865 863660 or email
Friday 13th: unlucky for hedgehogs
That day in July had almost gone by without disaster
when I opened my front door at 10.30pm. Shuffling past
was a large adult hedgehog. It didn't panic or freeze, but
sniffed around my bins and ignored me totally. Do we
have urban hedgehogs just like we have urban foxes?
They live in gardens of
course, but do they
depend on people's left-
overs more than their
natural diet? Those
small food-waste tubs
must be easier to raid
than a tall wheely bin.
Next morning I noticed
something lying in the
road and, sure enough, it
was a large adult
hedgehog with horrible
'roadkill' injuries. I
didn't want to see it
crushed into the tarmac,
so I carried the dead
body to my back garden
and buried it under a
hedge. When I picked it up, I held it by the front paw.
This was surprisingly soft and delicate like a tiny human
hand - you can see that in the photo. A week later my
German neighbour thanked me for doing this. He too
had seen the body in the road and had planned to bury it,
but I got there first. Everybody loves hedgehogs!
I don't see many in Marston and I haven't seen a squirrel for
years. What I notice is the huge number of magpies and
crows, which may be taking all the food or even killing the
young. Red kites are also a common sight higher up in the
sky. A crow will often 'mob' a kite by flying close behind
or below it to upset its
balance and force it off
the home patch. Wing
for wingspan, the crow is
much smaller but it's the
beak that does the
damage, and in that the
crow is lethal. One adult
bird I saw was carrying
lumps of stale bread to a
puddle in the gutter,
dunking and eating it
when the water had made
it soft. It must be hard to
compete with a scavenger
as clever as that.
Finally, in 2009 a
comedian called Dan
Antopolski won a prize at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for
the single funniest joke. You may disagree.
"Hedgehogs - why can't they just share the hedge?"
John Gorrill
EVENTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS (For contacts see next page unless otherwise listed)
SEPTEMBER Sunday 30: Fungus Foray at Hurst Hill with Caroline Jackson-Houlson. 2pm. Joint foray with Oxfordshire Fungus Survey at
Hurst Hill, Cumnor. From Oxford, at the top of Cumnor Hill turn left into Hurst Lane. Meet/park at junction with Chilswell
Lane on right at SP476046. Enquiries to Caroline, 01865 761110. (ANHSO)
OCTOBER Tuesday 2: Land cover representation in climate models a talk by Dr Juan Antonio Añel. His main research interest is physics
of climate, with focus on the study of climatic impacts, extreme weather events and the tropopause. 7.45pm, The Old School
Room, St Peter‟s, First Turn, Wolvercote. Members: Free, Visitors: £2. (ANHSO)
Thursday 4: A Year in Wormwood Scrubs. Illustrated talk by David Lindo. The 183 acres of Wormwood Scrubs contains
playing fields and rough grassland and is encircled by a thin band of woodland. David has been birding the area since the early
1990s and observed a variety of resident and migratory birds along with some interesting wildlife. 7.45pm. Sandhills School,
Terrett Avenue, Oxford.OX3 8FN. Free to local group members. Visitors welcome, £3 on the door. Contact Tel: 01491 612600
E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Sunday 7: North Oxfordshire Farmland. Field Outing - Deddington. Details contact Steve Alley 01608 659628. (OOS)
Wednesday 10: BTO bird tracking – Migration & Technology a talk by Nick Moran. 7.45pm. Stratfield Brake Sports Ground
Kidlington. 7.45pm. Members free, non-members donation. Details: Barry Hudson 01993 852028. (OOS)
Sunday 14: Autumn Walk on Shotover - a tour of Shotover‟s veteran and remarkable trees. Meet at the Shotover car park.
10am to 12.30 pm. Bring family and friends – all welcome. (SW)
Wednesday 17 & Thursday 18: Nature Tots 9.30-11.30am An opportunity for your pre-school little ones to interact with and
learn from nature. Outdoor nature play, games, stories and craft on our wild and wonderful nature reserve. Dress for the
weather. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Tea, biscuits and mud provided. BOOKING
ESSENTIAL. Admission: £3 donation/participating child. At Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre OX14
4TE. Contact: Christine Donaldson 01235 862024 [email protected]. Suitable for wheelchair users. (BBOWT)
Saturday 20: Outdoor Adventure Day Join us for a morning of exploration, excitement and adventure. Build shelters, learn the
skill of fire making and pop corn over your campfire. Suitable for older children. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Admission: £3
donation. Meet: Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre OX14 4TE. 10am-12noon. (BBOWT)
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Sunday 21: Coach Trip - Arne RSPB, Dorset. Coach leaves Headington Hill Hall (Brookes University) at 7.30am. An unusual
and special landscape with a vast expanse of open heathland, old oak woodland and resident Dartford warblers. Booking
essential. Price: about £20 depending on numbers attending. Tel: 01865 723868. E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Sunday 21: Know Your Local Trees. Milham Ford Nature Park with Judy Webb and Curt Lamberth. 2-4pm. A gentle walk
around the park to learn how to tell the tree species apart, hear tree folklore and to hear the story of why and how they came to
be there. Milham's young oak trees, for example, are all grown from acorns from an ancient oak on a woodbank on Shotover
Hill - why did that happen? What is interesting about the Black Poplars and why are the Wild Service trees so special and
where did they come from? (NMWG)
Wednesday 24 & Thursday 25: Nature Tots 9.30-11.30am. BOOKING ESSENTIAL details as for October 17 and 18.
(BBOWT)
Tuesday 30, Wednesday 31 & Thursday Nov. 1: Family Fun - Haunted Habitats. 10am-4pm. Discover more about the creepy,
slimy, slithery things that make their home on our nature reserve. Fun activities to get the whole family excited about nature.
Just drop in, there is no need to book. Activities will take around two hours. Picnics welcome. Admission: £3 donation per
child. Meet: Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre OX14 4TE. Contact: Katie Fenton 01235 862024
[email protected]. Suitable for wheelchair users. (BBOWT)
NOVEMBER Thursday 1: Echoes from Cape Clear. An illustrated talk by Tom Green who, with his wife, spent a year in Ireland as wardens of
the remote Cape Clear Island Bird Observatory. 7.45pm. Sandhills School, Terrett Avenue, Oxford.OX3 8FN. Free to local
group members. Visitors welcome, £3 on the door. Contact Tel: 01491 612600 E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Monday 5: Bernard Tucker Memorial Lecture: Forty years of integrated population monitoring in Treswell Wood a talk by
Chris du Feu who was an early pioneer of computerising ringing data and eventually led the group which developed the B-
RING programs. He is one of the few members of the Conchological Society who admits to being more interested in slugs than
snails (an interest provoked by the tree slugs which share his nest boxes with the birds). 7.45pm, Exeter Hall, Kidlington, OX5
1AB. Admission: £2 (ANHSO and OOS)
Wednesday 14: Newts a talk by Rod d‟Ayala. 7.45pm Stratfield Brake Sports Ground Kidlington. 7.45pm Members free, non-
members donation. Details: Barry Hudson 01993 852028. (OOS)
Sunday 18: Coach Trip - Pulborough Brooks RSPB, Sussex. Includes wetlands, woodland and heathland and is a haven for a
wide range of wildlife and birds. Arrangements as 21st Oct. Coach leaves Headington Hill Hall 7.30am. (RSPB)
Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22: Nature Tots. 9.30-11.30am BOOKING ESSENTIAL Details as for 17th and 18
th Oct.
(BBOWT)
Saturday 24: Outdoor Adventure Day 10am-12pm as Oct 20. (BBOWT)
Sunday 25: Faringdon Folly. Field Outing: West Oxfordshire Farmland. For more details contact Steve Alley 01608 659628
(OOS)
Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29: Nature Tots. 9.30-11.30am see Nov 21 and 22 for details. (BBOWT)
DECEMBER Tuesday 4: The arrival of an alien ladybird and consequences for native species by Dr Helen Roy. The harlequin ladybird
arrived in Britain in 2003 and has spread rapidly. Like most ladybirds it is a predatory insect but it has a much broader diet than
many of the other ladybirds found in Britain. Dr Roy has studied this ladybird since its arrival in Britain, focusing on the
interaction of this alien species with other ladybirds. 7.45pm. The Old School Room, St Peter‟s, First Turn, Wolvercote.
Members: Free, Visitors: £2. (ANHSO)
Thursday 6: Winter Warmer a mixed evening of members illustrated talks, articles, raffle and a bird quiz. During the interval will
be served FREE festive nibbles and drinks. 7.45pm. Sandhills School, Terrett Avenue, Oxford.OX3 8FN. Free to local group
members. Visitors welcome, £3 on the door. Contact Tel: 01491 612600 E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Sunday 9: Car Trip to Lee Valley, Hertfordshire. Meet at Headington Hill Hall (Brookes University) at 9am for car sharing.
Within this valley are canal, river, lakes, reedbeds, scrapes and woodland scrub. It is famous for its wintering bitterns. Price:
Petrol costs shared between travellers. Tel: 01865 723868. E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Wednesday 12: Marsh Tits a talk by Dr Richard Broughton. Stratfield Brake Sports Ground Kidlington. Members free, visitors a
donation. 7.45pm Details: Barry Hudson 01993 852028. (OOS)
Sunday 16: South East Oxfordshire Woodland. Field Outing - Goring Heath. Details: Steve Alley 01608 659628. (OOS)
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: [email protected]. The final deadline is by the end of November.
OXFORD URBAN WILDLIFE GROUP Website: www.ouwg.org.uk
Don't forget that we are here to help.
Please contact any member of the
committee for help or advice on
wildlife matters and we will attempt
to help or to put you in touch with someone who can answer.
Alan Hart (Warden) Boundary Brook Nature Park 07979608013
Janet Keene: Newsletter Oxford 820522
Delia Twamley: Planning Oxford 554636
11
CONTACTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS
Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire (ANHSO):
Alison McDonald 556651
Botanic Garden: Oxford 286690
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers 01296 330033
Butterfly Conservation: David Redhead Oxford 772520
Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
Christopher Gowers Oxford 512047
City's Countryside Sites or Biodiversity in Parks Oxford 252240
email: [email protected]
Forest of Oxford: John Thompson Oxford 513528
Friends of Aston‟s Eyot (FAE) Ruth Ashcroft 01865 248344
Friends of CS Lewis Reserve (FoCSL)
Helen d'Ayala Oxford 775476
Friends of Oxpens Meadow (FOM) Margaret Maden
Oxford 721372
Friends of the Earth (Oxford): Jackie Walkden 07981 572629
Friends of the Trap Grounds (FoTG)
Catherine Robinson Oxford 511307
Friends of Warneford Meadow (FoWM) Sietske Boeles
Oxford728153
Local Wildlife Trust (BBOWT): Oxford 775476
New Marston Wildlife Group Curt Lamberth 07763-191072
Oxford Conservation Volunteers www.ocv.org.uk (OCV):
Jo 07887 928115
Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum (ONCF): Oxford 407034
Oxford Ornithological Soc. (OOS): Barry Hudson 01993 852028
Oxford Tree Club (OTC): Ian Gourlay Oxford 245864
Oxfordshire Badger Group: Julia Hammett Oxford 864107
Oxfordshire Bat Group: David Endacott 01235 764832
Rare Plants Group (RPG): Sue Helm 07774205972
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB):
Peter Wilkinson Oxford 452579
Science Oxford Live (SOL) St Clements: Oxford 728953
Shotover Wildlife (SW): Chair: Ivan Wright Oxford 874423
Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC)
Gavin Bird Oxford 815411
UNIVERSITY of OXFORD – Department for Continuing Education
DAY COURSES
Human Memory and the Brain Oxford Wed. 03 Oct 2012. Every human activity requires memory. Our memory
extends not only to events, but also to movements, emotions, sequence of activity, places, people and language. This
course looks at how the brain achieves this and what happens when it fails.
New Economics and Living Sustainably in the Twenty First Century Ewert House on Saturday 02 Mar 2013. This
day school will introduce and review new approaches in economic thinking, policy and practical action and how they can
help us in the transition to a new kind of economy and a more sustainable future.
Malaria and genetic disorders: an insight into human evolution Saturday 03 Nov 2012. Oxford. Learn from
recognised experts how malaria has affected the human genome. Hear the fascinating story of how gene mutations
causing severe disease simultaneously offer protection to malaria.
Bugs in your home and garden Saturday 22 June 2013. Rewley House. Fees from £60. Invertebrates or bugs (i.e.
animals without a backbone) account for more than 95% of all animal species. Although the majority are found in the
tropics and in oceans, members of these hugely successful groups can be found in all habitats ranging from Antarctica
to the Sahara desert. Even our houses and gardens are home to an impressive range and diversity of invertebrates.
During this day school we will uncover some of their many secrets.
WEEKLY MEETINGS
Evolution of Cooperation and Cheating: From Microbes to Humans. Ewert House. 10 weekly classes on Thursdays
from 4 Oct to 6 Dec. 2012 7-9 pm. Fees from £165. Cooperation is one of the greatest achievements of evolution. In this
course we will learn how organisms as diverse as bacteria and humans live in groups, despite being constantly
challenged by selfish individuals.
2012 at Ewert House7.00-9.00pm Fees From £165.
An Introduction to Genetics: 10 weekly meetings on Tuesdays from 15 Jan to 19 March 2013 at Ewert House 7-9 pm.
Fees From £165. In this introduction to genetics course we look at the science of genes, inheritance and variation in
living organisms. We use examples ranging from plant pigments to human diseases to illustrate these principles.
Animal behaviour 10 meetings on Tuesdays. 16 Apr to 18 Jun 2013 at Ewert House. 10.30am-12.30pm. Fees From
£165. Why do animals behave the way they do? In this course we will look at the full range of behaviours found in the
animal kingdom from simple escape behaviours to complex tool use and their evolution.
Landform Ecology 10 weekly meetings on Thursdays. 18 Apr – 20 June 2013 at Ewert House 7-9 pm. Fees From £165.
The multiple interactions that give rise to landforms and their ecology are explored holistically in a practical way
allowing a more in-depth interpretation of how eco-, hydro- and geological processes shape our environment.
There are so many excellent courses coming up these are just a few of the details so visit Rewley House for leaflets
or
for more information contact the Administrator, Day & Weekend Schools, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1
2JA.
Tel 01865 - 270380 or by email: [email protected]. Website: www.conted.ox.ac.uk.
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OUWG EVENTS www.ouwg.org.uk
OCTOBER
WORK PARTIES every Sunday. Boundary Brook Nature Park: between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
Sunday 7: Wolvercote Apple Day 2 -4 pm. Taste rare apples, apple cakes and drinks. Plus apple
related games and activities including the OUWG stall. Community Orchard opposite the Trout
Inn (car park at Inn now charges so park near entrance to Port Meadow).
Sunday 28: Autumn Open Day at Boundary Brook from 2-5pm in conjunction with national Make
a Difference Day. We will have the usual stalls, guided tours, pond dipping and will also have
activities for children such as quizzes and model making.
NOVEMBER
WORK PARTIES every Sunday. Boundary Brook Nature Park: between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided.
Wednesday 21: The Fascinating World of Fungi a talk by Judy Webb. Judy will give an illustrated
talk and do bring along any specimens you find to show her. 7.30pm at Science Oxford Live.
Individuals £5, SO Friends and OUWG members free. Booking in advance is recommended tel:
810000 or online www.scienceoxfordlive.com/whats-on. Science Oxford Live, 1-5 London Place,
Oxford.
DECEMBER
WORK PARTIES Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party every Sunday (apart from December
23rd
and 30th
) between 10am and 1pm. Refreshments provided.
Wednesday 5: Christmas get-together starting at 6pm at 5 Quarry Road in Headington (off Old
Road). Please let Vicky know if you would like to come (Tel: 769780 or email:
[email protected]). More details on p2. Bring some food and drink. Quiz and Christmas punch
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. 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 but check before
setting out to make sure it is still on..
Bus route: 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 Tel: Oxford 820522. E-mail:
Registered charity no 1101126 Printed on paper from sustainable forests.