Introduction
This site is an impressive area of seasonally flooded wet grassland, which has survived the agricultural intensification that has been the fate of most of the floodplain land in the upper Thames catchment. These wet pastures are inhabited by a large range of meadow plants and other wildlife.
This site is part of a much larger nature reserve which is managed by Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust. It now makes up the largest area of surviving lowland meadow and grazing marsh on the upper Thames. Much of the land around the National Nature Reserve (NNR) is in the process of being restored from arable farmland, back to its former glory using seed from the NNR .
Habitats
Lowland meadows and floodplain grazing marshes
Bordered on their south-western and south-eastern sides by meanders of the River Thames, the six flood meadows of the NNR are exceptional examples of the wildflower rich meadows that were once common in the upper Thames catchment. They provide an undisturbed environment for breeding waders and wintering wildfowl.
River
The Upper River Thames (from its source in Gloucestershire to Oxford) is a wildlife-rich corridor that passes through some of England’s more intensively farmed landscapes. Its gravel beds, reedbeds, and floodplain meadows support a diverse range of wildlife. Fish include eel, chub, dace and barbel, along with birds such as mute swan, kingfisher and grey heron.
Marginal habitats
The meadows of the NNR are surrounded by drainage ditches which are full of reeds and sedges. These provide a different habitat to the seasonally grazed fields, including some open water areas for species such as water vole.
Pollarded crack willows and hedges are also a typical feature of this site.
Key species
Meadow plants
The drier meadows of the NNR furthest from the river have a wide range of plants typical of neutral grasslands such as fairy flax, cowslip, marsh bedstraw, yellow rattle,
pepper-saxifrage, meadow crane’s-bill and meadow rue. Green-winged orchid and snake’s head fritillary also occur here.
The wetter areas are more dominated by sedge beds, and here the small adder’s-tongue fern is very abundant along with water horsetail.
Breeding birds
The site is a great haven for birds with a breeding population of curlew, snipe and lapwing. A variety of warblers, reed bunting and stonechat inhabit the sedge beds within the site, and the drainage ditches around it.
The wealth of insect life such as dragonflies provide food for many of the birds including hobby that can be seen hunting over the site in the summer.
Other species include cuckoo, red kite, short-eared owl and barn owl.
Mammals
The site provides good habitat for otters and water vole. A range of deer species are also present.
Further info
Oxfordshire NNRs:
BBONT Wildlife Trust
https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chimney-meadows-incl-duxford-old-river
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