Report by Martin Sell

The walk continued downwards through the reserve. Close to the western car park was an area of woodland with a particularly rich selection of plants, including Solomon’s-seal, Pignut, Three-nerved Sandwort, Yellow Archangel, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Sorrel, Wood Anemone, Wood Speedwell, Common Dog-violet, Bugle and Red Campion. The path continued down to a fenced off area, protecting a recently-coppiced section from browsing deer. The flowers of Moschatel, Yellow Pimpernel and both Wavy and Hairy Bitter-cress were identified in the area next to the fence. Continuing downwards to the bottom of the wood, the ground became wetter under foot. On the left of the path was a clump of 3 Early-purple Orchids and further on another single specimen was seen. The tiny plants of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage were abundant next to a particularly damp section of the path. The route then turned back upwards towards the top of the reserve. A wave of perfumed scent came from the sheets of Bluebells on the bank to the right of the path. Half way up the valley was a series of ponds. Dragonfly nymphs were spotted in the water, but despite careful searching, no tadpoles were seen. In the marshy area next to the ponds were yellow Marsh-marigolds and Lesser Spearwort. Continuing upwards, the path climbed back onto the acid soils of the top of the reserve. The leaves of Spotted-orchids, with prominent transverse purple spots, were growing conspicuously beside the path. The group then retraced their steps back to the car park. Birds seen or heard during the walk included Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Jay, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests.

Pictures by Rob Stallard, Laurie Haseler and Jan Haseler

Work on the new Fobney Island Wetland Nature Reserve was completed in November 2012. It was a joint project between the Environment Agency, Reading Borough Council, Thames Water, and the Thames Rivers Trust to transform an area of rough grassland between the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal into a 5 hectare wetland nature reserve with riverine and floodplain habitats, pathways for public access and wildlife viewing hides. There was a Shelduck on the first pool, and on the pools beyond were a few Gadwalls and Tufted Ducks and a pair of Mallards with 2 small ducklings. A Little Ringed Plover was on the mud at the edge of the water and there were several Pied Wagtails on the bank. The walk continued to Fobney Lock, where Butterbur plants with pink flower spikes carpeted the river bank.

The return route followed the southern bank of the Kennet. New gravel beds in the river have created faster-flowing shallows, providing good spawning habitat for fish. Crowns of the willows on the south bank have been thinned to let in more light, helping river vegetation to become established and a few trees have been felled into the water to create debris features. Two Mandarin Ducks were spotted next to one of the felled willows. Continuing back along the towpath, the alarm calls of a Wren alerted the group to the presence of a Barn Owl, which had been roosting under the railway bridge. It flew off across the meadows. Finally, a bat was spotted in the gathering twilight.

Pictures by Rob Stallard

The walk continued back westwards across Bottom Wood. Two Roe Deer were seen. At the far side of the wood, there were sheets of bright green Wood Melick. A few of the plants were already showing their dark flower buds. Southern Wood-rush, with an asymmetric flower head, was growing on a bank nearby. Leaving the wood, the route continued along the lane through Path Hill, then followed another footpath across a steep valley. On the far side was a bank with interesting chalk flora, including Hairy Violets, Salad Burnet, Hound’s-tongue, Cowslips and Glaucous Sedge. Finally, in the last field before returning to the cars, the delicate leaves of Pignut were seen and a Greater Stitchwort plant was just coming into flower.

Pictures by Chris Ash and Jan Haseler

RDNHS excursion to Bottom Wood, Mapledurham, 28 April 2013
Leader: Janet Welsh

Plants in Bottom Wood

Plants on chalk bank and beyond

Birds (song or call)

List by Renée Grayer

Leaving Lynch Wood, the route crossed back through Lambourn, with House Sparrows and Starlings noted on the way, then followed a footpath upwards across fields to the south of the town, where singing Skylarks were heard. Next stop was Watts Bank, a nature reserve of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). Hairy Violets were dotted across the grass and the first Cowslips were coming into flower. There were numerous round-leaved rosettes of Hoary Plantain. In the wooded area at the far end of the reserve were many Primroses and a few plants of Goldilocks Buttercup. Spurge-laurel plants, with small trumpet-shaped greenish flowers, were growing beside the track next to the reserve. The walk continued up the hill beside Thornhill Copse, where the woodland floor was carpeted with Bluebell leaves, with many Wood Anemones in flower. Cresting the ridge, there was a wonderful view of Lambourn and the valley of the River Lambourn. The path dropped down to the river, then followed the route of the old railway back up the valley. The river was crystal clear, with Stream Water-crowfoot Ranunclus pencillatus in flower. Most of the party then had lunch in the George Hotel in Lambourn.

Pictures by Rob Stallard, Chris Ash and Jan Haseler

Pictures by Rob Stallard

RDNHS excursion to Morgaston Wood, 13^th April 2013

Plant species observed:

Fungi:

Birds:

 List prepared by Renée Grayer

The pictures below show Chris presenting the cheque to Dr Kate Dent, BBOWT’s Head of Conservation & Education for Berkshire, and with Lynn Hughes, the Environmental Education Manager who was showing him two (non-native) beetles, which are among the ‘living visual aids’ that are used in the classroom.

The walk continued into the woodland on the steep north side of the reserve. A few big Juniper bushes were growing beside the track. The next Talking Trail sculptures were a Ring Ouzel installation and a delicate structure representing a home for a Dormouse. The route then turned steeply downwards through the woods. A former quarry site had the characteristic track-way for the extraction of material leading out of it. Looking back up the slope, lines of ridges and dips contouring round the hillside perhaps indicated the traces of former ploughing and terracing. An unfamiliar tree with black leaf buds and tufted flower buds was identified as a Wych Elm. Silvery leaves on the ground betrayed the location of Whitebeam trees. A number of pieces of fallen wood were stained bright blue-green by the Green Elfcup fungus. At the bottom of the hillside, Chris pointed out a steep valley from which a thicket of ash had recently been cleared. It was hoped that this would give a scrub layer a chance to develop and provide more suitable habitat for the woodland birds. The route then returned back up a sunken track-way. A steep diversion to the side of the track revealed the site of a former saw pit. At the top of the hill, there was an area with Male Ferns, perhaps indicating a pocket of damper clay. In the same area was a magnificent circle of big cherry trees, probably originating long ago from a single tree. The walk was followed by lunch at the Carriers Arms near Watlington.

The route then continued back up onto the gravels at the top of the central ridge of the common. Most of the stones of the gravel were angular flint, but there were also some rounded pebbles, which must have been on a beach at some point in their history. Gorse was in flower and three Exmoor ponies were grazing amongst the heather. Another track led steeply down to the western boundary ditch and fence. The fields below marked the transition onto the chalk, laid down about 85 million years ago. The bright green of the grass was in marked contrast to the dull browns of the vegetation on the common. Continuing northwards along the boundary, on the lowest sandy layer of the Reading Beds, a series of circular depressions on the right of the path marked a line of swallow holes, where acid water from the common had dissolved the underlying chalk. Some of the trees on the sides of the swallow holes sloped inwards, indicating that the holes had continued to develop after the trees had started to grow. Some of the bigger trees had a series of curves in their trunks, indicating that they had bent back to the vertical, and then been tilted again by continued growth of the hole. On the walk back to the car park, a Sparrowhawk was spotted, flying low above the ground along the edge of the trees.