Ashlawn Wildlife

The winter season can mean that wildlife is easier to spot by virtue of there being less vegetation coverage, A recent visitor to the cutting has been the water rail. This species was last seen around 10 years ago! It’s not rare but is typically very difficult to spot.

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Ashlawn Update

It has been several months since we reported on progress in the cutting. There has been a lot of work carried out, and plenty more still to do!

Here is a brief summary of tasks completed:

  • All required grass cutting and raking off completed
  • Maintenance and improvement to hedgerows
  • Cleared the site of the former encampment
  • Prepared the encampment site for scrub and grass regeneration
  • Coppiced a portion of willow in the marsh
  • Created an informal hedge barrier to the northern edge of the marsh by pushing over willow
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Full Steam Ahead for the Autumn Season

The Ashlawn volunteer group have been working for a few weeks on cutting and raking off of the path side verges and grassland sections. This will continue for many weeks to come! This is done to keep the nutrient levels lean, to encourage better growth of native wild flowers and grasses rather than an excess of scrub and rank vegetation.

There is a balance to strike, as some vegetation needs to be kept long to protect invertebrate life in its many forms through the winter.

The most recent work session was centred on the path down from Ashlawn Bridge car park and the verge at the base of that path. The gallery gives a flavour of the work being done.

An Interesting Find

While cutting the verge south of Ashlawn Bridge, a volunteer spotted an interesting spider. Initial evaluation suggests that it is a Wasp Spider. This finding is subject to confirmation by the British Arachnological Society.

Don’t be frightened, unless you are a male of the species!

Wasp Spider
Wasp Spider

The Big Butterfly Count 2023

The Big Butterfly Count begins on Friday 14th July 2023 and will run until Sunday 6th August.

This is a UK-wide survey aimed at helping Butterfly Conservation assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) we see.

More information is available on the dedicated survey website. From here, you can download an identification chart to assist with the survey. Alternatively, why not download the free app to assist with both identification and submission of results. This is available for both iOS and Android.

By taking part, your data will contribute to conservation science and research.

Hedgehog Awareness Week

Hedgehog Awareness Week runs from 30th April to 6th May 2023 and is organised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It takes place every year and aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how you can help them.

Click on this link to take you to the Society’s web page for this awareness week. It will give you valuable guidance on what you can do to help. If you have a garden, the number 1 priority is to ensure that hedgehogs can get in and ideally be able to move to your neighbours gardens as well.

Please do all that you can to help these much loved creatures!

The Canal Glade/Old Orchard Progress

Our conservation work has now completed for the season. Our last few sessions have focused on the area adjacent to the Oxford Canal. There used to be a house sited here and a variety of fruit trees would have been there. Most/all have been lost to the vigorous growth of scrub and ivy. The volunteers have been clearing this ground and will restore to semi-shaded flowering grassland.

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Butterflies enjoying the warm weather

Over the last few weeks, a lot of our conservation effort has gone into removing non-native and invasive species. Some passers-by think we are destroying bluebells, but the only ones in Ashlawn are the non-native Spanish variety. If left unchecked, they would spread rapidly, to the detriment of more valuable native flowers. It is the native wild flowers and grasses that are of paramount importance to invertebrate life.

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