1

OXFORD WILDLIFE NUMBER 97 NEWS SPRING 2013

2

NEWS FROM BOUNDARY BROOK NATURE PARK As you might expect Boundary Brook was under snow and ice at the beginning of the year and when that melted many areas were flooded. The constant water-logging of the site this spring has held up some of the jobs.

Two of our committee have undertaken to refurbish the Organic Kitchen Garden. The wooden surrounds to the beds, in place for many years, are now rotting and need to be replaced. The surrounding hedge has grown to tree height both around this area and the demonstration Wildlife Garden. Both are now in the process of being cut down to a height more in keeping with a garden, as the idea is to encourage people to use similar methods to encourage wildlife to our gardens i.e. by using organic methods, insect attracting plants and composting waste.

One priority this winter was to clear the land to the west of the northern extension so that the 150 trees, supplied by OxTreeGen as part of our grant from TOE, could be planted on the planned tree-planting event on 16 March.

Sadly, although cleared in time, the land was so wet that tree-planting was not practical. We have now fixed a new date of Saturday 20 April and hope it will have dried out enough by then (see rear cover for details).

In the first week in March Alan was very pleased to see a Brimstone butterfly at Boundary Brook. He also saw the native wild daffodils in the bird orchard flowering as well as coltsfoot on the pile of hoggin. Presumably imported from their original habitat in the hoggin deposits in Bletchington.

! Umbellifer in the snow by Annie Batten

We are waiting to see if our many ash trees in our woodland areas will be affected with Ash dieback.

We were disturbed to find that two trees had been felled in the northern extension near the boundary with Howard Street without our knowledge or permission. We are trying to find out who did it and why.

" # $ % " # $ %

EVENTSPast . . . Stuart Mabbutt’s talk on Gardening with Wildlife in Mind at Science Oxford gave us some valuable tips on how to attract more wildlife to our gardens. He also showed us the different sorts of bird and bat boxes he makes, explaining the reason for the different types and where to locate them best. He brought some for sale. Have a Hoot in February, in East Oxford Community Centre, was a great success. A very large number of children came and they had great fun doing the activities organised by BBOWT, having a session with the owls and doing our feely boxes and other wildlife puzzles. We also sold most of the beautifully presented packets of seeds prepared by Pat Hartridge. Winter walk in Port Meadow. The snow, sleet and rain of the morning had cleared by the time we assembled at the entrance to Port Meadow in February. Andy Gosler met us and the first thing we did was to stand in the car park surrounded by trees and listen to the birds. We heard a vocal robin nearby and many other birds including passing black-headed gulls and a distant mistle thrush. We then walked along the bank of the Thames and saw

many typical river birds including moorhen, mallard and great crested grebe, but also redwings and a treecreeper that followed us. We entered Port Meadow which was virtually a huge lake liberally sprinkled with water birds of many species. We were able to identify many species of bird, often with the help of Andy’s very powerful binoculars. We saw lapwings, greylag geese, teal, shoveler, pintail and 1000 wigeon grazing, and periodically we would see a huge cloud of about 500 golden plovers taking off and swirling over the meadow. Launch of Oxfordshire Science Festival We had a stall in Bonn Square at this popular event. We sold books and seeds for plants which would attract wildlife and the most popular part was the puzzles for children on life cycles and the feely boxes. Mercifully, as it was an all-day event, there was no wind, little rain and it was warmer than the following days. As already explained our tree-planting event has been postponed and in the event we were proved right as heavy rain the night before topped up the water in the already sodden soil. At the time of writing the Spring Open Day is yet to come – here’s hoping for a heat-wave and drought after the recent rain and snow!

" # $ % " # $ % Cover photos: Launch of Oxfordshire Science Festival in Bonn Square (Janet Keene). Top: Interested visitors at our stall our stall (Janet Keene), Below: Children doing the Life Cycle puzzles (Official Festival Photographer).

3

Future events. . . On Sat 13 April we hope to take part in the Fritillary survey in Osney Mead 10.30-12.30 date as plans are not yet finalized please contact me first if you would like to come – see p12 for further details. Saturday 20th April: Sadly 2 events clash. It is the delayed tree-planting day at Boundary Brook (see page 2 and 12) and it is the annual Oxfordshire Goes Wild event. This is normally in the Natural History Museum in Oxford but as that is still closed for renovation it will be at the Earth Trust Farm at Little Wittenham, a wonderful location on the Downs. Nature and wildlife groups from across the county will be sharing their knowledge: getting you and your family closer to nature. It invites you to:

Meet live bats, owls and bugs Dissect an owl’s breakfast Find out what lives in a pond

Discover micro monsters Make a red kite nest Track animals on the Clumps

Refreshments are available and admission is free although you are invited to make a donation: Adults £2, Children £1. For more details contact: Tel: 01865 407792, Email: admin@earthtrust.org.uk or look at the website www.earthtrust.org.uk

We are having a guided walk on Saturday 27 April around the CS Lewis Reserve in Headington starting at 2pm These wooded slopes on the side of Shotover were part of the garden of CS Lewis and were thought to be the inspiration for Narnia. His friend JRR Tolkien certainly visited frequently so it probably influenced him as well when he was writing about Middle Earth. It is a wonderful area with a large lake surrounded by thick mature woodland.

For our AGM on Wednesday 15 May we will put up our new marquee, and start at 6.30pm. We will follow the AGM by a picnic and a chance to walk around the Park. So bring some food and something to drink.

Twenty-five years ago our Group had its first meeting in Oxford Town Hall. Since then the group has gone from strength to strength and so we decided to hold a 25th Anniversary celebration. On Sunday 16th June we will hold our normal summer Open Day at Boundary Brook starting at 2pm and we hope to have some live music but at 4pm we’ll have a bring-and-share picnic and invite some local guests. Do come along and celebrate with us.

An advance notice is that on Friday 12 July we will be taking part in the Oxford Festival of Nature which will be based behind the West Oxford Community Centre in the Botley Road. Following last June’s “First Ever Urban Bioblitz” there will be a second one this year. Last year they found 777 species in the St Clements area in spite of the torrential rainfall in the night. This included a species of ladybird and a beetle never before found in Oxfordshire, and a bee which was only the second one ever found in the county. Can they beat it this year? It starts at 1pm on Friday and continues through the night until 5pm on Saturday. We are contributing to the Family Fun Day on Saturday with activities for children from 12-5pm.

" # $ % " # $ %

Grant from Oxford City Council We are delighted to have received a generous grant of £2,405 for general running costs for Boundary Brook Nature Park during the financial year 2013-2014. This will be a tremendous help in allowing us to manage and improve the Nature Park without the worry of how to fund it. We now need some dry weather to allow us to do the work on our long task list.

" # $ % " # $ %

Wanted a newsletter editor This is OUWG Newsletter No 97. I took over editing it when Nigel Dobbyn and Sue Antrobus moved north in 1992. I’m happy to continue until Christmas and issue 100 but after 86 issues I think it is time for a change. Would anyone or a team like to take over? It could be gradual if you want to learn the ropes over the next issue or so.

Let’s have some new exciting ideas or just continue as we are for the time-being. Please contact me if you want to find our more. I can continue to do the printing side of it unless you know of a comparable organisation to do the printing – one day in colour perhaps! Please contact me with offers or questions. Janet Keene 01865 820522 or keene@ouwg.org.uk

" # $ % " # $ % A new blue plaque

As you may know we now have a blue plaque in the south of the city, that of Ronnie Barker in Church Cowley Road near the old BBONT office. I have started reading a biography of him and it turns out he was interested in wildlife as a child. He reminisces that countryside was not abundant in the area, but there was enough and it seems he was attracted to Sandford stream where he would catch grass snakes and newts.

The snakes gave off a smell which he thought had something to we subduing their prey. One day he took a snake to school to show off to his friends, this he hid in his desk. Alas at the wrong moment the snake popped up through the ink well earning the young Barker a caning from the headmaster! Obviously the removal of such creatures is offensive today, yet it shows the abundance of wildlife in the 30s which was taken for granted at the time. Richard Barrett

4

Members’ observations Please continue to let us have some of your wildlife observations for the next issue, giving place and date.

One goldfinch more or less Looking out of our large rear windows at the ever changing garden is a daily pleasure. Right in the middle of the scene, is a plastic tube bird feeder with the usual holes. Goldfinches visit, often ten at a time. I estimate the Headington flock to be about 50. Sunflower hearts are their favourite. After many years of trouble free use it had never occurred to me that such a feeder could cause harm but, as our plastic perches had aged, the acrobatic magpies had broken a couple of them and I had to make thick fence-wire replacements. These worked well for a year or two.

Then, one morning in October 2012 I drew back the curtains and was shocked see a goldfinch hanging by its head from one of the feeder holes. I immediately investigated and it seemed to be dead. However, I couldn't easily remove the corpse (a young hen bird). If there was any spark of life left in it, pulling would break its neck. Back in the kitchen I took the feeder apart and using a thin twig I managed to push the beak and dislodge the head.

Pangs of guilt ran through me when I realised that when the top surface of the seed was out of reach she had reached down from an upper hole and got her head wedged between my makeshift wire perch and the inside wall of the tube. No sign of life from her and it would have to be a hen bird wouldn't it? Goldfinch cock

birds seem to hugely outnumber the hens. Before carrying her out to the garden for a quick burial, I checked for any sign of life. The neck was not broken because when I moved the body the head didn't flop around. Eyes were both shut.

Then I thought I could detect shallow breathing movements. I warmed my hands on a radiator, placed her on the palm of my left hand, then placed my right hand about two inches above her, palm down. I closed my eyes and imagined myself with magnetic hands that pulled towards each other with the bird in between. I did this for about 5 minutes. I put her in different positions, moved her legs – everything was limp and unresponsive. Then she opened one eye and I knew I had something. She had moved from an apparent zero on a scale of ten to level two or three. I placed her in a small box on a window sill above a radiator and covered it, leaving room for air to get in. There comes a point when you need to step away and see if things might improve quicker without you. Like England playing football. The only way they'll score is if I don't watch!

While having a cup of coffee with my wife 20 minutes later we thought we heard a noise in the kitchen. The goldfinch was awake and desperate to escape. She flew off across the rooftops with my apologies and my hope for her full recovery. I purchased a new feeder the same day.

Mike Hallam

Photo: Peter Keene

" # $ % " # $ %

Foxes in Summertown As I drew back the bedroom curtains at about 6a.m. on December 18th, I saw a fox trotting up the pavement – it was in the area in front of my drive and, as I watched, it went past my next-door neighbour and then crossed the road and presumably jumped the fence into the grounds of the late Freemasons’ building and The Oxford Centre at 333 Banbury Road.

Earlier evidence of a fox’s visit was the previous week when we found a piece of ‘cowhide’ – this as dog owners will know – is cowhide made into the shape of a joint and bones and dogs apparently love it. This specimen – with

one end well-chewed – was buried near the surface of the side fence in the back garden. We realised this must be the result of a fox having found a dog’s toy and taken it away, and the conclusion is that it must have been a fox.

In January 2011 I found a cock pheasant (headless) partially buried in a hole where I had had an Acer which had developed Honey Fungus and had to be dug up.

On 7th January I saw 2 bumblebees of different types (one had a white-tipped abdomen) on my winter-flowering honeysuckle. The next day there was a honey bee on the same plant.

Delia Twamley

5 Ivan Wright comments on the bumblebees (see previous page) in N. Oxford in January:

This is not particularly unusual. As soon as the temperature comes up a bit a honeybee colony will send out a few individuals to top-up on supplies: water, nectar - but much less likely to be pollen. I don't know what the honeysuckle provides - probably nectar. If it's warm enough for the honeybee, it's certainly warm enough for the bumblebee queen to fly out and top-up.

In these circumstances the most useful and interesting observation these days would be to see a winter bumblebee with pollen on its back legs (easily seen). There is a lot of interest in this as it indicates an over-wintering colony - a relatively new phenomenon in UK particularly in urban environments where it's warmer than the countryside and there's pollen from the garden exotics.

Ivan Wright " # $ % " # $ %

OXPENS MEADOW PROTECTED Oxpens Meadow has finally been secured as an open space. Councillors have agreed to dedicate it to HM The Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year under a 'fields in trust' scheme which protects green spaces for the future. Campaigners Friends of Oxpens Meadow have been working towards getting it 'Town Green' status, but the Fields in Trust scheme gives the same result: preserving the Oxpens Meadow as an area of public open space. That's a great result. Oxpens Meadow is right at the heart of Oxford, a lovely green space beside the ice rink on Oxpens Road. It is used all year for public recreation as well as organised events such as festivals and circuses. The meadow was acquired by Oxford City Council in 1923 from Christ Church. Over the years, bits of it have been built on. Both Oxford and Cherwell College and the ice rink stand on what used to be the meadow. But what is left of the original 16 acre site now looks to be safe for future generations. (CPRE News, 20 Dec)

" # $ % " # $ % Would you like your newsletter folded? or online?

There is no pressure but there was a suggestion that some people might prefer to read their newsletter (in colour) online, receiving an email notification when it was in place. This of course saves paper, printing costs, stamps etc. but it does mean you aren’t preserving a hard copy for posterity! Someone else said they are happy to receive a folded copy – at the moment the stamp for A5 is not very much less than the A4 version although envelopes too are cheaper. If you prefer either of these options please let me know – my contact details are at bottom of back page. Janet Keene

" # $ % " # $ %

Hogacre Common I had an email from Annie Batten, a new member, who wrote, “I don't mind the snow and although it was too cold to plant more apple trees in our local community garden project I went 'Wassailing' to ensure the health of the unusual apple trees we have growing at Hogacre Common and it was wonderful (see photo below)!” By coincidence over the page you’ll see more on this Eco Park. If you visit it do look at the apple trees and see if Wassailing did the trick! I hope Annie will give us updates on this interesting project. Janet Keene

! Photo: Annie Batten

6

No Such Thing as a Free Launch It's tempting to visit your favourite wildlife sites again and again. In the last few months I tried the opposite: seeking out the newest projects and learning what they hope to achieve. In times of austerity, recession and .......... (add your own source of doom here - many are available), it's topical to ask where the money came from. Idealism is not enough, so let's trace the financial reserves behind four of the latest nature reserves.

The first is Heyford Meadows, which is close to Heyford Hill and Oxford's biggest branch of Sainsbury's. It's a small site beside the Thames between Iffley and Sandford Locks. The riverside public path is on the opposite bank, so you won't chance upon Heyford Meadows on the way to somewhere else. You have to know it's there and pass through a smart-looking housing estate called Broadhurst Gardens to find it. Part of this land was a scrapyard but The Oxford Preservation Trust cleared a vast amount of debris and opened it to the public in 2011.

Heyford insect heaven. A dead pollarded willow

The Trust call it their first nature reserve but they also own Wolvercote Lakes, which I wrote about two years ago. Perhaps they mean that Heyford Meadows is their first reserve with full public access, for you can only visit the Lakes on a special open day. Both Heyford Meadows and Wolvercote Lakes were left to the Trust in the wills of local supporters. The current tax rules mean that if a person's estate is worth more than £325,000, inheritance tax takes 40% of anything over that amount. Money or property left to a registered charity is exempt from tax. Even if you're not a millionaire and you expect to live forever (I'm not and I do), this is useful to know. Grants to pay for the reserve's restoration work came from Pond Conservation, a national charity, Waste

Recycling Group, who collect and distribute the landfill tax, and The Four Pillars Hotel Group, who have a hotel nearby.

This new reserve is eleven acres in size but - like Doctor Who's Tardis - its bigger in value because it extends the ancient wildlife corridor of the river and its margins. Its value to humans is enhanced by a long wooden boardwalk to get you over the wet ground. It even has a bench attached. There's also a bird-hide made from hurdles overlooking a scrape (a shallow pond) and information boards with photos of species you might see, such as dragonflies and grass-snakes. At 8am on a Sunday morning, what I mostly saw was dog-walkers from the houses nearby and boats chugging past on the Thames. A patient bird-watcher could do better at a quieter time and a lover of wildflowers could see more in the summer months. If you go for curiosity's sake, it's a pleasant, level walk whenever you have an hour to spare.

Wildlife haven number two is Hogacre Common Eco Park, which is close to Folly Bridge via Whitehouse Road and a footbridge over the railway tracks. This used to be the sports ground of Corpus Christi College. You can still visit the handsome pavilion, but the pitches are now grassland or woodland-in-waiting after large-scale planting of mixed tree species, a hedge and an orchard. I went along on a Sunday afternoon in October and by chance discovered the Harvest Festival which was taking place. The former tennis courts have become vegetable patches for a group called OxGrow, and their harvest was the occasion for an outdoor party.

Hogacre a welcome sign

Corpus Christi still own the land but lease it to West Oxford Community Renewables, who aim to fund the Eco Park in future with earnings from low-carbon, energy-saving projects. They have volunteer helpers, private donors and - from what I saw - local supporters of all ages. Hogacre is the name of a stream which borders the site. It's very much a work in progress and similar to OUWG's Boundary Brook Nature Park in its early days, I would guess. Once again, if you have an hour to spare and can manage the steps up and down the railway bridge, it's well worth a look.

Project number three is Upper Ray Meadows, which is owned and managed by BBOWT. One of their managers once told me that the Wildlife Trust's strategy is to expand reserves they already have by buying neighbouring land. They are doing this at their largest reserve - Chimney

7 Meadows near Bampton - where they've just added 27 acres to the 615 they already have. I wrote about working with the Chimney Meadows volunteers in the past, so this time I'll follow the River Ray upstream from Otmoor to look at Upper Ray Meadows. It's a cluster of reserves beside the A41 a few miles south east of Bicester.

Gallows: a water meadow in winter

Wellies won't help you on a flood plain this winter, as my photo shows. I don't have a canoe, so I chose Gallows Bridge Farm because the access track is passable. This reserve was bought in 2007 at a cost of £850,000. BBOWT raised that sum with a legacy, £200,000 from the Waste Recycling Group (landfill tax again) and £344,000 from the Tubney Charitable Trust, which has a fascinating story I'll tell later. The final £150,000 came from a public appeal. You can see the appeal's web-page at www.justgiving.com/bbowtappeal. In 2008 the last donor gave £10, to which Giftaid (a tax refund) added £2.82. In total the Trust collected 102% of its target.

In early 2013 we've seen how online shopping has taken business away from well-known stores such as Comet, Blockbuster and HMV. They all have or had branches in Oxford. The internet's effect on nature conservation looks a lot more positive. Online fund-raising is the most obvious example, but email bulletins sent to regular supporters, web-pages promoting individual reserves and online petitions rallying public support or opposition are other persuasive devices. BBOWT are expert at making it feel as if your £5 is the difference between buying a wonderland for nature or losing the chance forever. They've done the same in three campaigns - for Chimney Meadows, Gallows Bridge Farm and Leaches Farm (another part of Upper Ray Meadows bought in 2009). OUWG is not bad at websites either!

Gallows: the bird hide !

Back to Gallows Bridge: most of it is fenced off from nosy wanderers like me because it's a 'Sensitive Conservation Area'. You can however choose from two bird hides overlooking a large pond and record your sightings in a log-book which is left there. A few local birders go out every day and record species such as peregrine falcon, kingfisher,

heron, little egret and reed bunting. One of them saw a mink. If you have the patience for this, you should go too with flask and sarnies. I prefer to be out and about in open country, so I'll explore the neighbouring reserves in spring. BBOWT have a 30-year mission to restore these meadows and wetlands for wading birds. Can you see the scale of financial planning, fund-raising and publicity which it takes to make that happen?

A map of the two reserves

Site number four is Rushy Common near Ducklington, south of Witney. This new reserve is a former gravel pit funded by a private company called Smiths Bletchington. Before the pit opened, they promised to restore the land when the work was finished. Now you can visit the result. There's a car-park and a bird-hide 'for key-holders only' - it'll cost you £10 for a key but maybe that will keep out vandals. The path around the neighbouring reserve Tar Lakes is fun and free. In fact the Lower Windrush Valley has about 50 large holes in the ground left by the extraction of minerals since the 1940s. One of them is Dix Pit, a county council waste tip. Most are filled with water and used for fishing, sailing or - in this case - attracting birds such as coot, great crested grebe and tufted duck. The species count for birds at Rushy Common is 120 by now. Smiths are careful to point out that before they started digging, the land was improved grassland with a much lower diversity of wildlife species. 'Improved' in this context means seeded and chemically-treated for maximum growth of grass.

The minerals industry often gets a 'Boo Hiss!' from nature lovers, but if we want gravel paths, dry stone walls, concrete and most types of construction, we have to get the materials from somewhere. You can build a home from timber, haybales and compressed earth, but I don't think you can house an urban population in that way. A few years ago the government set a target of

2.1 million tons of aggregate (sand, gravel and crushed rock) per year to be dug out of Oxfordshire. The County Council reduced that to 1.26 million tons and now have to plan where

8 this should come from. There are protest groups called PAGE (Parishes Against Gravel Extraction), CAGE (Communities Against can you guess?) and OUTRAGE (Oxfordshire Upper Thames Residents with a war-like acronym). If you add in the lorry movements, the noise from processing plants and the effect on house prices nearby, you can see why they're upset.

Rushy Common: a conveyor belt for gravel !

What about the future for local reserves? BBOWT are campaigning against the route proposed for the High Speed 2 railway from London to Birmingham. It runs much closer to Aylesbury, Brackley and Banbury than it does to Oxford and will cost us all £34 billion. It's called HS2 by the way because it follows HS1, the rail link from the Channel Tunnel to London. The Trust say the proposed route will run through 150 wildlife sites in total, including their own reserves Calvert Jubilee and Finemere Wood. It will also run beside Bernwood Forest and disturb the habitat of Bechstein's Bats, which can only live in ancient woodland. It's not enough to say, 'We don't want it!' The Trust argue that the government broke European Union rules by failing to properly consider the harmful effects on wildlife. A lot of environmental law seems to sprout from Brussels. Perhaps the EU has given an unseen boost to nature conservation, just like the internet.

Another hidden helper is the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has given £1049 million to Land and Biodiversity projects since 1994. That's about 20% of all their spending. In the year 2012 to 2013 they had £375 million to fund Landscape Partnerships. That means nature reserves which develop with several payments over several years. The size of such grants is from £100,000 to £3 million. An example of a local site which has grown with help from the Fund is the RSPB's Otmoor Reserve. Since 1997 they have received six grants worth a total of £2,183,000. All of this information comes from the excellent website www.hlf.org.uk. I've never bought a lottery ticket but I love Otmoor, which shows that you don't have to be in it to win it.

And the Tubney Charitable Trust which I mentioned earlier? Tubney is a village near Abingdon which was home to Miles and Briony Blackwell of the famous Oxford book-selling and publishing family. They both died unexpectedly in

2001 and left about £65 million to this trust. Its aims were to protect the UK's natural environment and to improve the welfare of farm animals both here and internationally. Pond Conservation, the charity which helps many local reserves, had a large grant for example. The Blackwells' home, Tubney House, is now the HQ of Oxford University's WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit).

The Tubney trustees were friends and work colleagues of the Blackwells but not experts in managing a charity. In the early days they admit that they judged grant applications with 'the wet finger test'. That means trying to smudge the signature at the bottom of a

letter to see if it's hand-written or printed. They rejected the printed ones. The Blackwells wanted their trust to spend all its money and then close down, which it did in 2012. You can read the full story in 'Giving Our All' at www.tubney.org.uk. At a time when the rich are often accused of not paying their fair share, I think this generosity is quietly heroic.

One last thing: a question. Who has 30 nature reserves in Oxfordshire which have no names and no signs? Answer: Oxfordshire County Council. Whilst writing this article I stumbled on the fact that our County Council runs Road Verge Nature Reserves. These are marked with posts so that staff do not mow them until autumn, which allows wild flowers to drop their seeds for next season's growth. The

Council invite parishes to nominate new road verges, which is surely a job for a steering committee? If the Ecologist Planner can find enough species from Oxfordshire's Rare Plant Register, the verge becomes an RVNR. Should your wildlife group want to help out by raking up cuttings, you'll need high-visibility clothing and £10 million in public liability insurance cover.

That's enough of my grubby talk about money. The snow has melted, spring is coming and I'm off to find what I can find in our local countryside. This reminds me of two cows who met each other in a nature reserve in January. 'I'm Friesian,' said the first one. 'I'm a bit cold myself,' said the other. I'll just get my coat . . . John Gorrill.

! Hogacre: an Oxgrow volunteer!

9

From Stuart Mabbutt the wildlife gardening specialist Hoverflies

These brightly-coloured insects do look like wasps sometimes, but are stingless flies. They are cleverly avoided by predators as they look like dangerous wasps. 240+ hoverfly species are in Britain. Adults are found on flowers throughout spring, summer and autumn. Hoverfly larvae, sometimes even resemble small slugs. They all have different feeding habits. They may eat plants, feed on rotting wood and fungi, dine on dead insects. They can be found between March and November, depending on the species.

Keep an eye out for them hovering near and resting on flowers.

Many seem to enter conservatories and greenhouses too. The adult hoverflies like flowers where there is easy access to the nectar. Good plants to encourage these helpful insects

are Aster, poached egg plant, baby blue eyes, ice plant, Phacelia, ivy and poppies.

Some of these plants are great for growing in tubs and containers on patios so, even if you don’t have a great expanse of garden, you can still play your part in attracting them.

Have a look out in your garden and see what other plants hoverflies are attracted to, we would love to know and expand our own knowledge.

Wildlife in the hedge Look into even the tiniest of gardens and most will have a hedge of some description. They can be the perfect shelter and even a food source for many forms of wild creatures.

Best planted between early October and early April, its ideal to choose plants that happily grow wild in the area within which your garden is situated. When finalising the choice of plants, go for a mixture which will attract more life that just one type of plant.

Dig a big trench and fill with ample quantities of garden compost. The hedge will be there for a long time so you need to give those hungry young plants the best start possible. Planting a double row if you can will provide a much denser hedge in the end.

For the initial three years after planting, the new hedge line will be susceptible to wind rock and invasion of competing plants. As the plants grow, layer more compost and lawn mowings around them to counteract these ongoing threats.

When the hedge is well established, try planting some climbers to grow amongst it, brambles and honeysuckles are ideal.

Planting the odd small tree along the hedge line will work wonders too, for example Crab Apples give extra height and fruit during autumn and winter. Your hedge doesn’t have to be totally level, so the odd tree is great.

Hedges are ideal sources of nectar if planted correctly, so have a go at growing a native mixed hedge and watch the bee’s move in.

Stuart Mabbutt

Wildlife Gardening Specialist 01865 747243

10

EVENTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS (For contacts see page 11 unless otherwise listed) APRIL Tuesday 2, Wed 3, Thurs 4: Spring into Spring 10am - 4pm. Blow those cobwebs away and get ready for spring with wild activities to get the whole family excited about nature. Exciting exploration, outdoor games and natural art. Activities take around two hours, and there’s no need to book – so just drop in! Fun for all ages! Picnics welcome. No dogs please. Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, nr Didcot, Oxon, OX14 4TE. £3 donation/child. Contact: 01235 862024. sceec@bbowt.org.uk (BBOWT) Thursday 4: Illustrated Talk - Madagascar's Ghosts - Rare and Elusive Lemurs. Michael Leach explores lemur

behaviour and their unique habitat - a habitat threatened by accelerating climate change. 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 8: Jaws: the evolutionary assembly of modern back-boned animals by Dr Matt Friedman. Over 99% of all animals with backbones have jaws. Using clues from development, anatomy and the fossil record, evolutionary biologists are beginning to shed new light on the early history of jawed vertebrates. Venue: The European Studies Centre, 70 Woodstock Road, Oxford . Members free, non-members £2. (ANHSO)

Wednesday 10: Sooty Terns in the Seychelles by Dr Chris Feare. 7.45pm Stratfield Brake Sports Ground Kidlington. Members free, non-members donation. Details: Barry Hudson 01993 852028. (OOS)

Sunday 14: Fritillary Sunday The Fritillary field at Ducklington will be open to the public from 11.30 am with Ploughman's being served in the Village hall from 11.30am-2.30 pm and cream teas from 2.30-5 pm. It is a rare opportunity to see the Snake's head Fritillary in the carefully managed setting of the water meadows.

Sunday 14: Moor Green Lakes, Berks. Gravel pits. Field Outing: contact Steve Alley 01608 659628 (OOS) Saturday 20: Newts and Amphibians at Little Wittenham. This outing, timed for the Loddon Lilies, will be led by one

of the wardens and will culminate in afternoon tea! 7.30 to 9.30pm. Members free, non-members £2. (ANHSO)

MAY Thursday 2: Ethiopia - Its Landscapes, People and Wildlife: an illustrated talk by Martin Davies on the variety of

wildlife rich in species found nowhere else in the world, conservation issues and the indigenous people of Ethiopia. . 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)

Saturday 4: Withymead Reserve, 2-4pm Come and learn about the newts and other amphibians which live in our ponds and wider landscape. Members free, non-members £2. (ANHSO)

Tuesday 7: The Arctic: Pandora's box of infectious disease and climate change a talk by Claire Heffernan. It has been argued that health in general, and infectious disease in particular, should be viewed as the end result of climate change itself. The talk explores the recent emergence of human, wildlife and domestic animal diseases in the Arctic ecosystem. 7.45 pm. At the Old Schoolroom, Wolvercote. Members free, non-members £2. (ANHSO)

Wednesday 8: Annual General Meeting - Two member talks. 7.45pm Stratfield Brake Sports Ground Kidlington. Members free, non-members donation. Details: Barry Hudson 01993 852028. (OOS)

Sunday 12: Spring Walk on Shotover. A walk around the woods and fields of Shotover Hill and Brasenose Wood to enjoy the spectacle of our English springtime with your family and friends. Meet at the Shotover Car Park. All welcome. 10 -12.30pm. (SW)

Sunday 12: Pulborough Brooks, W. Sussex RSPB Wetland. Field Outing: contact Steve Alley 01608 659628 (OOS)

Sunday 19: Coach Trip to Little Paxton Pits, Cambridgeshire. An extensive area of former gravel pits, meadow, grassland, scrub and woodland next to the River Great Ouse where one can enjoy a wealth of wildlife all year round where warblers, nightingale and kingfishers breed. Coach leaves Headington Hill Hall (Brookes University) at 8am. Visitor centre serves light refreshments. Price: About £17 depending on numbers attending. Booking essential Telephone: 01865 723868. E-mail: anne@anclark.force9.co.uk (RSPB)

JUNE Tuesday 4: Beneath the Trees: the plants of Wytham Woods by Dr Keith Kirby. The distribution and changes in

abundance of flowers, ferns and grasses in Wytham Woods over the last 40 years reflect the effects of historical land-use differences, modern forestry practice, natural events such as storms and the depredations of deer. 7.45 pm. At the Old Schoolroom, Wolvercote. Members free, non-members £2. (ANHSO)

Sunday 9: Stoke Row, Oxon. Chiltern woodlands. Field Outing: details contact Steve Alley 01608 659628. (OOS)

Saturday 15: Grasses Identification workshop. 9am-4pm Horspath Village Hall. A stand-alone workshop. £20.00 (members £10.00) irwright@shotover-wildlife.org.uk (SW)

Sunday 16: Evening Car Trip to Snelsmore Common, Berkshire a large heathland site with a series of valley mires, surrounded by woodland. The habitat attracts nightjar, woodcock and tree pipit. For car sharing meet at Headington Hill Hall (Brookes University) for a 7pm departure. Alternatively meet at Snelsmore Common car

11 park (SU463710) at 7.45pm.Toilets available in the car park. Insect repellent advisable. Cost of travel shared by car occupants. Tel: 01865 723868. E-mail: anne@anclark.force9.co.uk (RSPB)

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 by email: keene@ouwg.org.uk. The final deadline is by the end of May.

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

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 SS Mary & John Churchyard Group, Ruth Conway Oxford 723085 Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC) Gavin Bird Oxford 815411

UNIVERSITY of OXFORD – Department for Continuing Education DAY COURSES Saturday 27 April: Grassland Ecology and Management. A one day course at Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve from 10am-5pm. Dr Kerry Lock will give overview of grassland types in the UK, their importance and ecology Fees £60.

Saturday 20 April: The Evolutionary Origin of Animals - genes and fossils Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford. Fees from £60, 9.45am-5pm. Paul Smith speaks about the Evolutionary origin of animals – causes and effects, Life before animals, Windows into early animal ecosystems, Exceptional preservation and the Burgess shale, and the great Ordovician Biodiversification event. It includes sessions exploring the evidence from museum specimens.

Saturday 22 June: Bugs in your home and garden. Rewley House. Speakers: Lawrence Bee, Steve Gregory, Dr Thomas Hesselberg, Darren Mann. Fees from £60 Rewley House, Wellington Sq., Oxford. 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. Fees from £60. 9am-5pm

WEEKLY CLASSES

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

APRIL WORK PARTIES Sundays at Boundary Brook Nature Park: between 10am and 1pm.

Refreshments provided. Saturday 13: Snake’s-head Fritillary Survey in Osney Mead. Meet on the south side of Botley Road

at SP 492063 by the traffic lights at the entrance to the Seacourt Park & Ride at 10.30 am-12.30 pm. As plans are not yet confirmed contact Janet Keene 01865 820522 (keene@ouwg.org.uk) if you would like to come. If late just walk through the nature park and join us on Osney Mead.

Saturday 20: Tree planting in the Northern Extension at Boundary Brook. We will be planting the 150 trees donated by our TOE2 grant and grown by Ollywood. 10am-1pm. Do come and help – wear warm clothes and stout footwear, refreshments will be provided.

Saturday 20: Oxfordshire Goes Wild – 11am-4 pm this year at the Earth Trust Farm, Little Wittenham as the Natural History Museum is closed. We plan to have a stall there with mini-pond-dipping and other activities for children at this free event for families. See page 3 for more details. Contact: cynth@oncf.org.uk

Saturday 27: Explore the CS Lewis Reserve. Meet at 2pm at reserve entrance in Lewis Close, off Kiln Lane, Risinghurst. We will be shown around the reserve by someone connected with BBOWT and will have a brief talk about CS Lewis himself, by Peter Cousin.

MAY MAY WORK PARTIES Sundays at Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am

and 1pm. Refreshments provided. Wednesday 15: OUWG Annual General Meeting 6.30pm at Boundary Brook Nature Park. All

members welcome, Bring a picnic for after the meeting when there will be a chance to chat.

JUNE JUNE WORK PARTIES Sundays at Boundary Brook Nature Park: work party between 10am

and 1pm. Refreshments provided. Sunday 16: 25th Anniversary Celebrations and Early Summer Open Day 2-5pm We will start with

our normal open day with guided walks stalls selling native wild plants, seeds and cottage garden plants to attract wildlife to your garden this year as well as booklets about wildlife. We also hope to have live music. There will be children’s activities. Children under 14 to be accompanied by an adult. Wheelchair access, admission free. We will start at 2pm and at 4pm we will have a bring-and-share celebratory picnic with some specially invited guests.

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 often someone working at Boundary Brook 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.