Otmoor
update
See
also OOS
http://www.oos.org.uk/Otmoor/Otmoor.htm
Visiting Otmoor and need accommodation- click here
One of the hides
Otmoor update
Planning
to visit?
If
you
intend to visit, please use the
reserve car park at the end of Otmoor Lane, Beckley (Grid ref. SP570126).
Please note that facilities are
limited and there are no toilets on site or in the nearby villages.
Access along the visitor route can be difficult in wet conditions. Wellingtons are essential after heavy rain. For further details contact: RSPB, Tel: 01865 848385
Otmoor from the Hide 18 Jan 04
Bewick's Swans over Otmoor 25th January 2003
Ameri
A
"revolutionary " machine called a rotary ditcher has been in action on
the reserve this autumn. The six-tonne monster from Ohio has been munching it's
way through thousands of tonnes of soil, creating 15 kilometres of shallow
ditches on the reserve. Designed to help drain arable land in the USA, it has
been adapted to help with the management and restoration of our wetlands,
especially to increase populations of breeding wading birds such as lapwing,
redshank and snipe.
A
massive tractor provides the power to run the ditcher. As the ditcher is pulled
along by the tractor, its two bulldozer blades carve out the ditch. A spinning
wheel, two and a half metres in diameter, pulverises the soil and throws it up
to 30 metres through the air, spreading it thinly across the field. The ditcher
can create three‑metre wide, 30 cm deep ditches at a rate of over 200
metres per hour-ten times faster than traditional excavators.
These
shallow ditches will provide wet, muddy conditions supporting large populations
of invertebrates and therefore more food for the wading birds. More birds will
be able to find enough food,
increasing the chances of chicks fledging.
Since arriving in the UK, the ditcher has created 35 kilometres of ditches on three RSPB nature reserves. It will be in action on many sites across the country cutting over 170km of ditches in the next two years-the same distance as London to Birmingham. The purchase of the ditcher has been generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Alice Mary Lakin.
Farewell and welcome!
After three years dedicated service Assistant Warden, Paul Eele, has migrated to the RSPB's Titchwell Marsh nature reserve in Norfolk. Paul established himself as invaluable and much-liked member of the team and we wish him every success in the future. Nick Droy has swooped in as the new man. Nick joins us from the Berkshire, Buckingham and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. His responsibilities include organising the reserve management especially the establishment of the reedbed, bird monitoring and health and safety issues. He is also responsible for the Church Wood nature reserve in Buckinghamshire.
Not just for birds
Local volunteer, Ellen Lee, has been busy collating all the
records collected on the reserve over the last five years. From beetles to
worms, over 3,000 records have been computerized. Ellen is now looking for
volunteers to survey invertebrates on the reserve. Please contact Ellen on 01865
848385 or email ellen.lee@rspb.org.uk if you can help.
Rare plants
Several new species have been found on the reserve this
year. In April, Nick Stewart from Plantlife spent two days looking for Tassel
Stonewort, one of the UK's rarest plants. Found at only 19 sites across the
country, Nick found three small colonies on the reserve with a total of 40
plants. Measuring just a few centimetres, Tassel Stonewort grows in temporary,
shallow pools where the mud is regularly disturbed by cattle or machinery.
Water violet, another nationally scarce plant, was also
seen for the first time this year as was adders tongue fern. This fern is
associated with ancient hay meadows. Forty plants were found in the meadows
where soil disturbance trials were carried out last autumn (see Putting back the
flowers).
Ratty moves in to new home
Water voles are quite a rarity on the reserve and the first sighting by Nick Droy of one on the reedbed is cause for celebration. With more wetland habitat being restored on the reserve, this species has a real chance of increasing on Otmoor despite an 80% national decline.
Otmoor from the Oddington Track 25 January
2003
Bird News
Breeding wading birds
The national "birds of wet meadows survey" was
our first opportunity to survey the breeding wading birds on Otmoor since
establishing the reserve in September 1997. That year, only 41 pairs of four
species lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew - bred on the moor.
Curlews and Snipe mostly breed on the eastern side of
Otmoor, where lighter soils provide good feeding habitat. The curlew population
has risen to 16 pairs and 43 curlews was the biggest flock recorded in the
county. Disappointingly, the large numbers of snipe present in early April only
led to five pairs staying to breed - the lowest number for several years -
possibly due to the mini-drought we had in the second- half of April.
The two new species are little ringed plover and
Oystercatcher. Little ringed plovers have bred on the reserve every year since
1998, whilst a pair of Oystercatchers made two breeding attempts on the reedbed
- the first time they are known to have nested on the moor.
Other breeding bird highlights
During surveys, a number of other species were recorded on
the reserve. Water rails bred for the first time and we were hopeful that
Cetti's warbler would also breed, but after singing on the reserve for several
weeks, the Cetti s warbler moved into a scrubby hedgerow just off the reserve.
Hobbies performed their aerial acrobatics throughout the summer and at least one
pair bred locally.
This year, thanks to the co‑operation of local
landowners and tenants, RSPB staff resurveyed large parts of the moor outside
the reserve. The picture is much brighter now. In 2002, 130 pairs of six species
were seen.
Lapwing numbers have shot up to 85 pairs (55 pairs on the
reserve) and redshank to 26 pairs (21 pairs on the reserve).
Record breakers and visitors
The wet weather has seen record numbers of duck pour onto
Otmoor. The 3,900 Wigeon and 3,600 Teal are both new Oxfordshire records.
Four Glossy Ibis were the biggest rarity of the summer.
Believed to be part of a flock of eight birds that arrived in the UK from the
continent, they spent a morning feeding on the reedbed before flying off - they
were seen flying along the Norfolk coast just a few hours later! The only
previous record in Oxfordshire was a single bird shot in 1916.
Passage wading bird numbers were lower than previous years,
though there was still plenty of excitement. A Temminck's Stint in the spring
was the highlight followed by a Pectoral Sandpiper.
Peregrines, Merlins and Hen Harriers have all returned to the moor for the winter. A record eight Short-eared Owls have been seen over the reserve.
Bitterns and reeds
The first Bittern is on the reserve this winter and is a
fantastic reward for all the hard work that is taking place to create a reedbed
where we hope they will eventually breed. Reed warblers bred in the reedbed for
the first time this summer, a sure sign that the reed really is beginning to get
established
Over 200 volunteers and staff helped plant 25,000 reeds
during the summer twice as many as any previous year. This is the equivalent of
over six kilometres of reeds! We may even have found a record for the youngest
reed planter ever in Harry Drewitt from Beckley ‑ aged just two!!
Volunteer groups from the RSPB in Banbury and our headquarters in Bedfordshire
joined regular volunteers and BTCV volunteers with this mammoth task.
Putting back the flowers - update
In this edition of Otmoor Update we catch up with the
progress on the restoration from hay meadows to flower rich meadows.
The most degraded meadow, Sally's Field, has now been
"inoculated" with hay full of flower seeds, taken from a meadow on the
Otmoor Site of Special Scientific Interest. Sally's Field was cut and hayed to
remove as much of the existing vegetation as possible. This created bare patches
of soil and to give the new flower seeds a greater chance of germinating.
Then, with permission from English Nature, DEFRA, the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the tenant farmer, Terry Moore, RSPB volunteers
cut small areas of the flower rich meadow between late June and early August.
The cut material was raked up and then spread across Sally's Field.
As the cuttings dried, the seed will have ripened and
dropped into the meadow. Cattle were then allowed onto the meadow to graze any
growing grass and to push any seeds into contact with the soil so they can
germinate and grow. The meadow will be surveyed next year to assess the success
of this approach.
Small areas were rotovated in two other meadows to discover
if disturbing the soil would allow buried flower seeds to germinate.
Unfortunately, there appear to have been virtually no seeds left in the seed
bank, so we will be investigating the possibility of introducing flower rich hay
from a local donor site here too.
Dragonfly news
A single downy emerald dragonfly was reported along one of
the shady ditches on the reserve in June. It was only seen briefly and is likely
to have been blown to the reserve from nearby sites to the south by strong winds
during the previous days. A reserve regular, hairy dragonfly, was seen for the
fifth year in a row since its discovery by Neil Lambert in 1998.
Hairstreak Update 2002
Butterflies were under the spot light again with black,
brown and whiteletter hairstreaks all being recorded. Ellen Lee, our
biodiversity volunteer, surveyed both black and white-letter hairstreaks,
finding singletons of both. A site visit by the Upper Thames
Family fun
Children from the age of two to eleven led their parents on
a voyage of discovery during the reserves first family fun day in early July.
With twenty volunteers and eight members of staff, there was plenty of help to sweep the grasslands for all manner of insect and other creepy crawlies, delve into ditches for dragonfly larvae and water scorpions, produce artistic representations of the wealth of aquatic plant life, scan the reedbed for a variety of birds and of course, get as muddy as possible planting reeds. A great time was had by all.
Wren-ovation
Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN) is funding a variety
of projects on the reserve through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. Partnership
funding is being provided by Vauxhall Motors Ltd. The £80,000 grant will
support the reedbed creation work and a range of community projects for three
years. This includes the voluntary warden scheme involving 40 local volunteers
providing information to visitors, guided walks, talks, a family day and the
production oh Otmoor Update. WREN is supporting six other projects on RSPB
reserves across the UK.
Reserve wins European support
The reedbed work at Otmoor is one of 19 reedbed projects
across England that is being supported by the European Union. The RSPB and eight
partner organisations have secured £4 million, including support from the
European Union Life Fund, to improve and create reedbed habitats for breeding
bitterns over a four‑year period. The aim is to double the number of
booming bitterns in the UK to 65.
The funds will assist with a range of tasks on the reserve.
Up to 100,000 reed seedlings will be grown and planted. In their first year,
these will be protected from being eaten by coots and swans by erecting
horticultural netting. Competitive plants, such as rushes and willows, will be
controlled by mowing and digging them up. Water levels will be carefully managed
to provide ideal planting conditions and fish populations monitored to ensure
that there is sufficient food for bitterns to breed.
Peat-free reed
Following successful trials in 2001, all the reed seedlings
at Otmoor are propagated and grown in peat‑free compost. Terra Eco
Systems' high performance mufti‑purpose compost is proven to match the
best available peat-based composts. We would like to thank Terra Eco Systems, a
division of Thames Water, for donating all our compost requirements for reed
production on the reserve.
The RSPB urges gardeners to use peat free growing media,
such as the Terra Eco System range. The Terra range, which also includes a soil
improver and grow bags, is endorsed by the RSPB as a green alternative to peat.
With every bag of Terra you buy, you make a donation to the RSPB.
Lowland peatlands are now very rare in the UK: 94% have
been lost. Today, lowland peatlands and their wildlife are still threatened
through peat extraction for garden composts and other uses. Why not visit the
Terra website: www.terraecosystems.com
Thames Water
Thames Water has awarded Otmoor a £50,000 grant under the
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. The funds will improve access to the reserve,
purchase a mower and create additional water features on the reserve with the
rotary ditcher.
Each year, areas of the reserve are mown to ensure the
grass is the right height for breeding waders. The new flail mower will allow us
to achieve this more effectively. It will also be used to manage rushes, docks
and thistles.
A special thank you
We continue to receive generous donations for the reserve.
Thank you to the following who have given essential support since the last
Otmoor Update.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The
Environment Agency The Heritage Lottery Fund The Cooper Charitable Trust Don
f> Grace Bowley‑Booth Terra Eco Systems Thames Water Vauxhall Motors
RSPB Local Groups:
Aylesbury Coventry and Warwickshire Hemet Hempstead North
Bucks Oxford Solihull Vale of White Horse in memoriam donations: Anthony Gilbert
Gore Alice Mary Lakin
Otmoor
update No. 8 April 2002
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' nature reserve in the heart of England.
Welcome
to the latest Otmoor Update, the RSPBs newsletter about the development of its
reserve on Otmoor in Oxfordshire:
Planning
to visit?
If you intend to visit, please use the reserve car park at the end of Otmoor Lane, Beckley (Grid ref. SP570126). Please note that facilities are limited and there are no toilets on site or in the nearby villages.
Access
along the visitor route can be difficult in wet conditions. Wellingtons are
essential after heavy rain. For
further details contact RSPB, c/o Lower Farm, Noke, Oxford OX3 9TX Tel: 01865
848385
Revolutionary
restoration
The
RSPB is progressing with the restoration of wet grassland on the 39 hectares p
purchased last spring with the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund,
the Environment Agency and The Department of Environment
Food
and Rural Affairs.
We
are going, to create a network of shallow ditches which will be kept wet by
pumping ,hater from a pool or series of pools in the lower lying areas of the
land. These shallow ditches and pools will provide excellent feeding conditions
for wading birds and them chicks. Each winter, rainfall will refill the pools in
time for the spring breeding season.
The
design is an adaptation of the water meadow systems found along rivers such as
the Test and Itchen, in Hampshire. The
system re-circulates the water around the ditches, thereby' minimising the
amount of water
required
to create good conditions for birds.
We
are considering buying a specialised piece of equipment to excavate the
ditches The machine, called a rotary ditcher, will be quicker and cheaper
than using diggers. One of the types
of rotary ditchers that we are considering
buying is only currently in use in the USA. The field will then be fenced off
and sown with a grass seen mix to create a hay‑meadow which will be rich
in insects for the birds.
Appeal
for volunteers
With
so much work to do, we are looking to set up a new mid‑week volunteer
workday on Thursdays. You would be involved in a wide variety of habitat and
estate management projects including reed planting, ragwort pulling and fencing.
Volunteering at Otmoor provides you with an opportunity to learn more about the
reserve and visit parts of the reserve that are not open to the public. A lot of
the work involves bending and lifting so you need to be reasonably fit.
Please
contact Paul Eele on 01865 848385 if you would like to lend a hand.
Volunteers
working hard
Management
work has now switched from the reedbed to the hedgerows and scrub habitat around
the reserve. Our volunteers have been busy working on our new block of land
getting it ready for the ditching works this summer. We have been clearing scrub
for a new fenceline around the field and coppicing the willows.
Work
to boost the numbers of black and brown hairstreak butterflies has been carried
out on the reserve and at the Ministry of Defence's Otmoor Site. Blackthorn
coppicing on the Ministry of Defence's Site of Special Scientific Interest is
continuing, after Foot and Mouth Disease stopped us from finishing work last
year. After an increase in black hairstreak numbers last year, it is hoped that
once this management is completed, these butterflies will increase further. This
work is being supported by English Nature. With financial support from DEFRA, 20
volunteers from British Telecom helped plant 2,000 blackthorn saplings in new
hedgerows on the RSPB reserve. This will provide additional habitat for these
rare butterflies.
We
have also been cutting rushes and digging up willow saplings in the reedbed. If
we do not remove these invasive species, they will swamp out the young reeds.
All of the islands have now been cut and will provide extra open areas for
breeding waders this spring.
Wildlife News
Brown hairstreaks on the increase?
Once again, Nick Bowles, David Redhead and other volunteers from Butterfly Conservation braved a cold, frosty New Years Day to survey blackthorn bushes for brown hairstreak eggs. Having seen very few adults last summer, it was great to find 19 eggs, mainly in the field next to the car park.
Mild weather lowers bird numbers
The number of waterfowl has been lower this winter, probably due to the mild temperatures in Europe. This means the birds do not have to move as far south or west to survive, hence less birds visiting the reserve.
Maximum counts this winter have included 1,000 Wigeon, 900 Teal, 220 Pintail, 103 Shoveler, 49 Gadwall, 1,000 Lapwing and 1,000 Golden Plover. Five White‑fronted Geese visited the reserve at the end of December ‑ only the second record for this species since the reserve was established. The most exciting record was a count of over 300 Snipe; a record number for Otmoor: three Jack Snipe have also been seen.
Wintering birds of prey returned in similar numbers this winter with at least three Hen Harriers, three Merlin and two Peregrine Falcons hunting the moor along with Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and Buzzards.
Otmoor in January
Looking forward to the breeding season
Breeding wading birds began arriving in late February with over 30 pairs of Lapwing displaying by the first week of March. Also present were 43 Curlew (the highest single count ever in Oxfordshire), 10 Redshank and a pair of Oystercatchers. Another reserve "first" was a singing Cetti's Warbler; could this be our next new breeding species?
Fancy helping a Bittern?
We are still busy creating the largest reedbed in Central England. When established, it should attract rare species such as Bittern, Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit along with other rare species including water vole and otter.
During the past three years, staff and volunteers have planted over 25,000 reeds. Our plans to plant another 30,000 to 40,000 in 2002 will only succeed if more volunteers help out. Reed planting is an easy task but does involve lots of bending. Young seedlings are planted in shallow water and then protected by putting up netting to stop coots and other birds eating them.
If you want to spend a day or more helping us bring breeding Bitterns back to Otmoor, please contact Paul Eele (01865 848385). We will be planting reeds on:
29 and 30 June; 13, 14, 27 and 28 July; 3, 4, 17 and 18 August.
The RSPB works for a healthy environment rich in birds and wildlife. It depends on the support and generosity of others to make a difference. www.rspb.org.uk
Otmoor Challenge
Register now for this year's event and raise money for the reserve and other local charities. The main event is a half marathon run or walk. There is also a shorter five-mile route. Reserve staff and volunteers will be at the event to answer questions about the reserve. If you want to know more, please come along. This year's event takes place on Saturday 1 June. For more details and an entry form contact Mr Ogden on (01865) 351421 between 6pm and 8pm only.
International Support
The RSPB works with bird and habitat conservation organisations in a global partnership called Birdlife International. Site manager, Neil Lambert, visited Costa Rica to record birds in the Monteverde Conservation League's cloud forest reserve and help local researchers with a bird ringing project looking at the effects of deforestation.
A special thank you
We continue to receive generous donations for the reserve. Thank you to all of the following who have given essential support since the last Otmoor Update:
The Countryside Agency
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Environment Agency
The Heritage Lottery Fund
Bartlett Taylor Charitable Trust
Colin and Charlotte Franklin Trust
Don & Grace Bowley‑Booth
RSPB Local Groups:
Aylesbury, Chorleywood and District, Hemel Hempstead, Mid‑Nene, Milton Keynes Phoenix, North Bucks, Solihull, Vale of White Horse, Watford, Wokingham & Bracknell, Worcester and Malvern.
October 2001
Putting
back the flowers
The RSP13 is working with local farmer, Terry Moore, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), English Nature and the Upper Thames Tributaries Environmentally Sensitive Area (UTTESA) to restore flower rich hay meadows on Otmoor. Four meadows covering over 13 hectares (33 acres) are involved with three different techniques being used. The first meadow is still quite rich in flowers and is near wonderful hay meadows that have already been restored. Hay will be cut later in the year here to allow plants to finish flowering and set seed first. Seeds from the Seeds from the adjacent hay meadows will also spread naturally. The other three meadows are isolated and have few surviving flowers. Two were known to be beautiful meadows until quite recently so there might still be seeds lying dormant in the soil. Small areas have been carefully disturbed to raise any seeds to the surface. If flowers appear next spring, the technique will be applied across both meadows. adjacent hay meadows will also spread naturally. The final field has been ploughed and reseeded in the past so it is unlikely that any flower seeds are left in the soil. Hay from a flower rich meadow on the MoD's Otmoor rifle range will be scattered over this field. This will contain many seeds that will drop to the ground as the hay dries. Cattle grazing the meadow will then push the seeds into the soil where they can germinate.
Black
Hairstreak
-
first for RSPB
Site Manager, Neil Lambert, discovered the first black hairstreak butterflies on the reserve in June. This nationally rare butterfly is only found at around 35 sites in the UK in a thin belt between Oxford and Peterborough and Otmoor is the only RSPB reserve where black hairstreaks are found. This winter (with an UTTESA grant) 600 metres of new blackthorn hedges will be planted to provide more vegetation for the caterpillars to feed on. The young growth will also provide excellent habitat for brown hairstreaks and as the blackthorn trees mature we hope that black hairstreaks will be able to spread.
Not
forgetting the birds
Monitoring work was affected by foot and mouth restrictions but surveys we were able to complete show that breeding wading bird numbers were similar to 2000 with 23 pairs of Redshanks, two pairs of Curlew and one pair of Snipe. The 35 pairs of Lapwing were a significant decrease from 1999. However, the fall appears to be a due to increased habitat improvement elsewhere. The wet winter meant more arable land was entered into set-aside or sown in the spring creating suitable nesting areas away from the reserve.
A pair of Garganey was present again during the spring and at least four pairs of great crested grebes nested. Common terns successfully raised two chicks and at least five broods of Pochards were seen.
This
autumn's passage began early and has been more exciting than the spring.
Peak numbers included 20 Black-tailed Godwits 20 Little Ringed Plovers,
14 Whimbrels, 10 Greenshanks, nine Black Terns, four Wood Sandpipers,
three Curlew Sandpipers and four Little Egrets. The supporting cast has
included Red Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone and
Spotted Redshank.
Demonstrating
success
Liz Forgan, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) visited with Graham Wynne (RSPB Chief Executive) in September to see how the habitat restoration is progressing. They were accompanied by Tessa Hilder (HLF Regional Manager, Eastern England), Corinna Woodall (HLF Policy Research Officer), Steve Holliday (RSPB Regional Manager) and Louise Doret (RSPB Grants Development Manager).
The flood defence managers from the Environment Agency's south‑east and south‑west regions visited us in July along with the Wise Use of Floodplains Project team (a European Union funded project working on three floodplains including the River Cherwell).
Neil Lambert returned to eastern Europe in May to discuss grassland recreation techniques with colleagues from Holland, Lithuania, the UK, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The
RSPB has just completed the purchase of 47 hectares of land adjacent to the
Otmoor Site of Special Scientific Interest. Purchase of the land and habitat
creation are both supported by a significant grant from the Heritage Lottery
Fund. Most of the land is currently sown with wheat. After the harvest this
autumn, work will begin to restore it to wet grassland. The field will be
reseeded with a grass seed mixture arid shallow water features will be created.
The
remaining land is already grassland and is managed within the Environmentally
Sensitive Area Scheme. In the next few years, we will be improving its wildlife
interest. The area may already support one of our rarest grassland plant
communities, dominated by meadow foxtail and greater burnet. This grassland,
known as MG4, only occurs in the UK and there are just 4000 hectares left in the
whole country. Malcolm Ausden, an RSPB ecologist, will carry out a botanical
survey to see if it is MG4 and decide the best way to manage it.
The
RSPB has also taken on a five‑year tenancy of a small grassland field
belonging to the Ministry of Defence. With support of the neighbouring farmer,
Terry Moore and the ESA scheme, we are hoping to increase the botanical
diversity of the grassland and provide more habitat for the rare black and brown
hairstreak butterflies.
Grants
for grassland
With
the completion of grass re‑seeding in early October 2000, the last portion
of the reserve has been entered into the Upper Thames Tributaries
Environmentally Sensitive Areas (UTTESA) scheme. This agri‑environment
grant scheme supports work to enhance the conservation and landscape value of
farmland. The scheme provides an invaluable contribution to the cost of managing
the grassland habitats on the reserve.
The
ESA is open to all farmers in the Upper Thames Tributaries and most Otmoor
farmland is already in the scheme. Recently, two neighbouring farmers have
returned large areas of arable land to grassland under the scheme. Grassland
management and water bodies will provide more habitats for the wildlife of the
moor, especially breeding wading
birds such as lapwings and
redshanks.
Wildlife
News - Still breaking records
Wintering
waterfowl numbers continue to increase. Overall numbers have exceeded 10,000 for
the first time. Peak counts include 2277 Wigeon, 2000 Teal, 396 Pintail, 4500
Lapwing and 2500 Golden Plover. The supporting cast includes Shoveler, Gadwall,
Mallard and Pochard. The Wigeon and Pintail counts along with the 70 little
grebes in October are the highest numbers of these species ever recorded at a
single site in Oxfordshire.
It
has been another good winter to enjoy the aerial acrobatics of birds of prey. In
addition to the resident kestrels and Sparrowhawks, the Peregrine Falcons,
Merlins and Hen Harriers are regular performers. The field next to the car park
proved a reliable location for stunning views of hunting Barn Owl during
January.
Enthusiast
uncovers rare beetle Peter Whitton, has completed his study of the ground
beetle, Badister meridionalis. After months of fieldwork, Peter has found
that it is widespread on Otmoor, prefers tall vegetation near water and is much
easier to find when the area floods. We can now do more to ensure suitable
conditions are provided for this special beetle.
Volunteers
from Butterfly Conservations' Upper Thames Branch joined up with RSPB volunteers
in February for the annual brown hairstreak butterfly egg hunt. We searched a
wider area than usual and found 13 eggs in three areas. The species appears to
be spreading as this included two new sites.
Staff
and volunteers have been busy with a myriad of projects of the winter months. We
have been coppicing willows, planting blackthorns and mowing invading rushes.
The wettest winter on record has kept us busy dealing with the flood waters on
the reserve - even a wetland can be too wet!A
new sluice has been constructed with funding from the Trust for Oxfordshire's
Environment. This will improve the control of water levels and reduce the use of
electrical water pumps on part of the reserve.
Conservation partners target rifle range
RSPB
volunteers and staff are carrying out work on the Ministry of Defence's Otmoor
Rifle Range. Following advice from Butterfly Conservation and the Oxford
Ornithological Society, blackthorn scrub is being coppiced in the best areas for
brown hairstreak and black hairstreak butterflies. The work is supported by a
grant from English Nature grant and will benefit a variety of birds.
RSPB
staff will be managing water levels during the spring to improve conditions for
breeding waders and ducks. Excess floodwater will be released whilst maintaining
areas of standing water using a system of simple water control structures
provided by the Environment Agency.
If you are visiting, please keep to the public rights of way to avoid disturbing the birds. Limited parking is now available in the small car park . This is located at tile northern end of Otmoor Lane, Beckley (Grid ref. SP570126)
Danger
-
red flag changes
The
neighbouring Territorial Army firing range may be active every day except Monday
(formerly Tuesday) and Thursday. If the
red flags are flying do not enter the rifle range area.
Local
Reserve Office
RSPB
reserve staff, Neil Lambert and Paul Eele are now working out of a new, local
office. After 18 months of commuting
from the Regional Office in Banbury, they are just 300 metres from the edge of
the reserve.
Contact
details: RSPB, c/o Lower Farm, Noke, Oxford OX39TX Tel: 01865 848385
Otmoor Update mailing list If you live locally and wish to receive Otmoor Update please write to the Regional office at the address below. Please note that for administrative purposes your name and address will he stoned on a computer database to produce address labels. This will be treated as confidential formation. We do not sell our mailing lists to other organisations. If you do not wish your details to be stored in this way, please write to our office at the address below. Otmoor Update is published by the RSPB Central England office Registered charity no 207076
Hairy Dragonfly
In
1998, Neil Lambert found the first hairy dragonfly on the reserve - the first
record in Oxfordshire for around 25 years. Thorough searching in 1999 found six
males busily defending territories suggesting this is now a resident species.
The annual brown hairstreak egg hunt confirms that this butterfly is still
breeding successfully on the reserve. Members of Butterfly Conservation braved
the cold in November and found eggs in the same areas as previous winters.
Underfoot
and underwater!
Two
hours spent digging out the Land Rover from the middle of the reserve in June is
proof it is becoming a wetland again. More exciting indicators are the wildlife.
A survey of aquatic beetles confirms that the ditch quality is already good.
Twenty six species including two nationally rare species were found in one day.
There
are already 11 species of aquatic plants and a large, healthy stickleback
population in the reedbed. Gillian Gilbert (RSPB Bittern Researcher) caught her
largest ever stickleback during a fish survey last Autumn. Fish populations are
also building up in the wet grassland ditches. Big shoals of perch and many
small pike are living in the established ditches. These are quickly spreading
into the new ditches.
Working together
- Thanks
to our volunteers
Volunteers
are helping Neil and Paul with an increasing variety of work. Our voluntary
wardening team provide information about the reserve and monitor visitor
numbers. One volunteer, John Boxall, is coordinating the team -organising rotas,
resources and meetings. Reed planting, fencing, tree coppicing, path maintenance
and tree planting in the car park are some of the tasks involving volunteers. A
hearty thank you to everyone giving so much time, sweat and expertise.
The Environment Agency
The Doris Field Charitable
Trust
The Heritage Lottery Fund
Department for Environment,
Food
and Rural Affairs
Thames Water
Bartlett Taylor Charitable
Trust
A S Butler Charitable Trust
The James Cadbury Trust
Douglas Heath Eves
Charitable
Trust
Miss W E Lawrence 1973
Charitable Settlementhe
Revd Canon Peter Bugg
RSPB Members Groups
Aylesbury
Chorleywood and District
Hemel Hempstead
Solihull
Vale of White Horse
Thanks
for your support