Tag Archives: BBOWT

Dancersend BBOWT Nature Reserve and Fungi

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17th October 2024

We were lucky enough to attend a special BBOWT trip to the Dancersend Nature Reserve to explore the reserve’s woodland areas in search of fungi, guided by a knowledgeable fungus expert who has written several guidebooks on British fungi.

The journey to Dancersend was an adventure in itself, as we navigated narrow, single-track country roads. Thankfully, the drive was smooth, with no encounters requiring a tricky reverse! Upon arrival at the site, which also houses an extremely impressive Edwardian-looking Thames Water pumping station, we were warmly welcomed by representatives from BBOWT. Before setting out, we gathered for an informative talk about the reserve and what we might discover.

Dancersend, in the Chiltern Hills, is a diverse and rich nature reserve, nestled, known for its variety of habitats, including ancient woodland, grassland, and chalk streams. This blend of ecosystems makes it a haven for wildlife and fungi alike. Established in 1941, it was one of the first nature reserves in the region and has since been carefully managed to support rare and endangered species.

As we began our walk, we were reminded of the vital role fungi play in woodland ecosystems. These incredible organisms recycle nutrients, break down dead matter, and form symbiotic relationships with trees. The dying and dead ash trees, victims of ash dieback disease, proved to be hotspots for fungal growth. Initially, we struggled to spot anything, but as our guide shared tips and tricks, our eyes quickly adjusted. Soon, we were finding a wide variety of fungi, each with its unique shape, colour, and texture.

We were treated to tea and cakes back at base where R found several boxes of natural history themed books for sale. She bought only three being, apparently, “severely hampered by lack of cash”.

We had visited Dancersend before, sometime in the last century. A colleague from Walker days, Jan, had lived there for a while,

Dancersend Nature Reserve
Dancersend Nature Reserve
Dancersend Nature Reserve

Visit to Oxford to Listen to Isabella Tree

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11th July 2024

A trip into Oxford for the day. Silly Steve forgot his bus pass and had to pay £2.00 each way from the Bicester P&R to Oxford. It was a lovely hot sunny day, and we spent our time walking around Oxford. First it was the shops, and then down to the Botanic Garden where we had our first glimpse of the sculpture commemorating Philip Pullman’s daemons and Lyra’s and Will’s bench.

Next, we had an early supper at a Japanese restaurant called Edamamé. An exceedingly small restaurant. Today, Thursday was ‘Sushi day’, it was serving ony Sushi. Despite arriving early, the restaurant was almost full. It was efficient; orders taken, the food soon arrived and we were on our way.

We walked along the Cherwell and University parks, visiting ‘The J.R.R Tolkein’ memorial seat before heading to the Natural History Museum to hear Isabella Tree talk to a few select BBOWT members. We were initially entertained with canapes and drinks before the talk started. Isabella Tree had on display signed copies of her latest book, The Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding, Big and Small (Bloomsbury, 2023). The talk introduced the contents in the book, how she and her husband set about rewilding 3,500 acres of terrible farmland at Knepp in West Sussex.

An interesting talk which makes one think about the changes we can make to our gardens and lifestyles. Thankfully her techniques do not require us to become total vegetarians, animals are a prime driver in the rehabilitation of the land. It does though require us to be more selective in the meat we eat. The rewilding has been a success, with many different breeding raptors, and ‘turtle doves’, almost extinct in the UK. Cattle, beavers and pigs manage the land. The pigs and cattle adding some income through the butchery.

After the talk we headed on home.

Oxford Botanic Garden, Phillip Pullman, Tolkein
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
Oxford Botanic Garden
J.R.R Tolkien
J.R.R Tolkien
J.R.R Tolkien

BBOWT College Lake Tring

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10th October 2023

The College Lake, near Tring, but in Buckinghamshire, serves as the flagship location for the Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), of which we are members. Apparently, the acquisition of this quarry by BBOWT is steeped in historical significance. Originally a working chalk quarry, the site underwent transformation in the mid-20th century into a nature reserve due to the collective efforts of conservationists and the local community. This shift from industrial use to a conservation area marked a pivotal moment in the history of BBOWT, signifying their dedication to preserving natural habitats and fostering biodiversity.

Returning from our holiday in France, we intended to make Tuesdays special with an outing. Our first visit would be to College Lake, an attraction long overlooked despite our longstanding membership and support of BBOWT. The day boasted ideal conditions—abundant sunshine and warmth—perfect for a leisurely walk around the lake, an exploration chosen for its length, preceding a well-deserved lunch break.

The trail predominantly comprises cement pathways, ensuring accessibility even during soggy weather in the winter months. However, the paths unfortunately veer away from the lake’s edge, posing challenges for wildlife observation and photography. Though hides offering closer proximity to potential wader sightings were present, the allure of lunch prompted a deferment of this exploration.

On the far side of the lake stood a collection of antiquated farming machinery, serving as an intriguing interlude during the walk.

Upon our return to the BBOWT shop, we had lunch outdoors.

College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake
College Lake

Wells Farm, BBOWT Reserve

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12th July 2023

We visited Wells Farm in Little Milton. This was an organised trip by BBOWT. The reserve is a working farm, managed on a traditional rotation basis. The hedge margins are more than six meters wide, giving plenty of habitat for insects and birds. The fields have a mixture of soils. from chalk to sand and wet clay. Walking the fields, it became obvious as the soil types changed.

We were given tea and coffee in the Little Milton village hall. A wonderful village hall with an integral community run post office, shop and cafe.

The fields had many flowers and insects. The bird life was sparse, but then there was a group of 40 plus people walking around. It would be interesting to spend time there quietly.

BBOWT have the land on a 999-year lease, on the condition it is managed as an environmental farm. The lease was gifted to them by the previous owner. One does wonder how we could survive if all agriculture was performed in this same way…..

Gallows Bridge BBOWT

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Rosemary and I, along with a few others, had a tour of the BBOWT wetlands nature reserve at Gallows Bridge.  This is one wetland reserve of many they own on the Upper River Ray.  Gallows Bridge has the Tetchwick Brook flowing through it which is a tributary of the Ray, joining the Ray at Three Way Meadows.  Tetchwick Brook should be well known to readers of this blog, as the river (stream, ditch) over which we have a tug of war over.

The morning was misty, not ideal for photography.  The warden explained the type of management the reserve received, and why.  Interestingly we heard how some of the land had been ploughed years ago with a technique called ridge and furrow which causes long ridges to form in the fields which remain today and are now protected.  Many of the nesting wetland birds are predated by animals, mink and fox being the main culprits.  An effort is made before the breeding season to trap and kill the mink, and reduce the number of foxes in the area.  The trap at this time of year contained a mud pad which was used to estimate the number of river mammals living in the area. Paw prints of Mink and Otter could be seen.

BBOWT had been creating a number of ponds and scrapes to keep water on the site over the summer season, providing feeding areas for Snipe, Lapwing and Curlew . Grass has to be managed in several ways allowing for short and long grass to suit different species of bird.  The reserve is also a habitat for Short Eared Owls, Barn Owls, Hobby and Kingfishers.   After the tour we stayed in the hides for a while in the hope of seeing the Kingfisher.  Alas we didn’t, just saw a few LBJs.

Bird song day

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A three-day holiday, but what horrible weather.  Rained all day on Saturday, Rosemary went to visit her parents, I  did Tescos and installed a wireless link at the neighbours so they could access the internet through our broadband.  The took us our for a meal at the Pheasant in Brill.

Ah Saturday, up at 3:45 to meet up with some other lunatics at Finemere wood to hear the dawn chorus.  I have never heard so much noise from a group of people trying to keep quiet.  People should not wear all those expensive Gortex jackets.  Hey a quite fleece was all that was needed on this rainless warm early morning.  We heard some birds, (too numerous for me to name) and then had a walk around in the light to see the bluebells.  Finished off with a bacon roll and then back to the house by 8.00 for the rest of the day.  This was organised by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.  Finemere wood is about two miles from us.  Though we have never walked through it, we have often visited the pond near by.

A little git of gardening  in the afternoon while the weather was fine.

Sunday started off wet and miserable, so a day in front of the PC I think.  Maybe a quick visit to the P&A in the evening to sort out the Tug of War.