Committee trip to Otmoor – June 24th 2003
|
The Hemel Hempstead group committee with Neil
Lambert (right - in the white shirt) |
Eight members of the committee drove out to Otmoor, near
Oxford for an evening guided tour with the Warden, Neil Lambert. Some took the
scenic route via Wendover, Thame and Oxford crematorium; “There should have
been a right turn to Beckley before now” came the cry from the back seat. We
arrived in good time despite the detour and in time for a thirst-quencher in the
Abingdon Arms at Beckley (interesting menu!).
We met Neil in the Otmoor reserve car park and with the aid of large map he told
us of the history of the area, of the enclosure of the land and failed drainage
attempts in the 18th century and more successful drainage works in
the 1960’s and 1970’s. The RSPB became involved in 1996 by buying some of
the now arable land and starting to convert it back to wet grassland.
Neil gave us a tour of the reserve, concentrating on a conservation area where
new ditches have been dug using a new ditching machine that can dig wide,
shallow ditches at the rate of 1 – 1.5 miles per day to maintain the water
level in the wet grassland. We also saw where reeds are grown from seed in a
poly-tunnel for planting out to make reedbeds suitable for bitterns and the part
of the reserve which is used as a reservoir to hold water before it is released
into the reserves ditches.
Otmoor is going to be a low-key reserve as far as human visitors are concerned
without a visitor’s centre and without hides for the time being. It will be a
reserve for wildlife, particularly the already nationally significant numbers of
wintering wildfowl (Teal, Tufted Duck and Pintail) and nesting waders (Lapwing,
Redshank, Curlew and Snipe).
Neil is a very knowledgeable warden; he showed us the significant plants as well
as dragonflies, moths and butterflies. He is justly proud of what has been
achieved at Otmoor since 1997.
Otmoor is about 42 miles (60 minutes by road) from Hemel Hempstead depending on
which way you go. I shall certainly be going again.
| Little Grebe |
Grey Heron |
Mute Swan |
| Greylag Geese & goslings |
Canada Geese & 'creche' |
Mallard |
| Tufted Duck |
Red Kite (on the way there) |
Moor hen |
| Coot |
Lapwing |
Snipe |
| Curlew |
Redshank |
Black-Headed Gull |
| Woodpigeon |
Turtle Dove (heard) |
Little Owl (on wires as we were leaving) |
| Swift |
Green Woodpecker |
Skylark |
| Swallow |
Wren (heard) |
Dunnock |
| Robin |
Blackbird |
Song Thrush (heard) |
| Mistle Thrush |
Sedge Warbler |
Reed Warbler (heard) |
| Whitethroat (heard) |
Blackcap (heard) |
Chiffchaff (heard) |
| Blue Tit (heard) |
Jay |
Magpie |
| Carrion Crow |
Starling |
Chaffinch |
| Bullfinch |
Yellowhammer (heard) |
Reed Bunting |
Reeds being grown in the poly-tunnel
One of the lagoons at dusk
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