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

keene@ouwg.org.uk) 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:

victh@btinternet.com). 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: keene@ouwg.org.uk 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 jawright@shotover-wildlife.org.uk

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: jawright@shotover-wildlife.org.uk

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

educationgroup@anhso.org.uk.

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: wendypyrton@btinternet.com (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 chrisdonaldson@bbowt.org.uk. 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)

10

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: anne@anclark.force9.co.uk (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

katiefenton@bbowt.org.uk. 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: wendypyrton@btinternet.com (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: wendypyrton@btinternet.com (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: anne@anclark.force9.co.uk (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: keene@ouwg.org.uk. 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: parks@oxford.gov.uk

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: pp@conted.ox.ac.uk. Website: www.conted.ox.ac.uk.

12

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:

victh@btinternet.com). 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:

keene@ouwg.org.uk

Registered charity no 1101126 Printed on paper from sustainable forests.