Return of the Otter

In Feburary I found an otter spraint under the bridge where the Ock flows underneath the A34. Since then I have  regularly checked the site to find if there are more spraints and nine months later I have at last found a new fresh one:
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Like it's predecessor, it was taken home  (in a plastic pot I reserve for such matters) and dissected it.  The best way I've found is to soak it water, not only does it come apart but the jasmine smell becomes stronger - making it evident that is an otter.
I suspected that it might contain signs of crayfish - as I have found two dead ones in the past twelve months (one almost definately a victim of an otter), instead it consisted of small fish bones (like the first one), the 1p coin is to give a sense of scale:
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When leaving the bridge, I thought I saw something swim across the river - to big to be a water vole and definitely not a moorhen, although one was making a swift exit.  So not only have I found another spraint, but perhaps I got a quick glimpse of one of the rarest and elusive creatures in Oxfordshire.
Like the best animal mysteries, no photographic evidence was recorded.

Murmurations

Throughout the spring and summer, starlings have been raising their young in the eves of the some of the houses in south Abingdon.  Now their young have fledged and are now joined by migrants from europe who enjoy the advantage point provoided by the roofs and aerials of the local houses.
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Before roosting, probably in the nearby hedges, or when they're startled by a passing sparrowhawk they form flocks which can be quite impressive, consisting of probably more than 100 birds.

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However, for truley impressive murmurations (the collective name for starlings) in Oxfordshire is the RSPB reserve at Otmoor, just north of Oxford, where the flocks can consist of thousands birds:

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As autumn turns into winter and more and more migrants move to the area, the display can become so impressive as the murmations now consist of hundreds of thousands of birds and these gatherings are now so popular that the RSPB are holding organised walks on 14th and 28th September

Seeing such vast numbers, it is hard to believe they are classified as red listed by the RSPB (a bird of high conservation concern) as starling numbers have declined by 60% since the 1970's.  This decline is blamed on the change to mixed farming, a decline in their food sources like leatherjackets (the larvae of craneflies) and a loss of nesting sites. This is despite starling numbers actually increasing dramatically since the 1800's as europe moved to more managed agriculture.  
Despite this decline, hopefully sites like Otmoor will continue to host displays that are so impressive they make you want to burst into a spontaneous round of applause:

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The BBC website has some very interesting information on murmurations as well as some impressive footage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9175000/9175793.stm

Ock Meadow

In recent weeks this blog has ventured further afield, exploring  the delights of autumn in near (and not so near) locations.  However, it had a bit of shock when it returned to it's natural environment of the river Ock.
This is what the Ock Meadow looked like in early June (more at: http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.com/2010/06/meadows.html):
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And this is what it looks like today:
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Although the land is owned by the Vale of White Horse district council it has been leased out to another land owner who is left it fallow, possibly using it as a part of a set aside scheme. 
Either the land has changed hands and is now has a different manager or the current ones have decided to change tact and use the land for crops.
Whatever the reason, the ploughing has been quite brutal as no verges have been left.  This may annoy local dog walkers who use the field as part of circular walk::
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At least the footpath that forms the 'ock valley walk' has been left:
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With this verge and the ladygrove meadow on the other side of the river, there should be enough habitat left for the water voles.  But what the effect will be on the bank voles, field voles and the mice which in habit the ock meadow and the buzzards and kestrels that feed on them, only time will tell.  Let alone the plants and insects that had formed the meadow.
The ploughing is very deep, probably with purpose of these plants not becoming weeds.
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Instead of a varied flower meadow, it looks like we could have yet another field of rape seed and as anyone who lives nearby will testify, giving the rivers propensity to flood, growing crops next to it is a risky endeavour.

A day at the beeches

Located between Slough and High Wycombe, Burnham Beeches is a 500 acre beech woodland and like Wytham Woods it is lucky to have a wealthy benefactor - the Corporation of London
In 1880 it was threatened with destruction as part of planned housing development, so the Corporation purchased it as an area of recreation of the residents of London. Now they employ six keepers, a full time ecologist and several regular volunteers (I was one once when we lived near Maidenhead) who help maintain these fantastic woodlands and deal with the 500,000 visitors to the site each year.
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One of the things the beeches are famous for is what  the poet Thomas Gray described as 'reverend vegetables' - the ancient  beech and oak pollards. 
These pollards were formed when the beeches were common land by the commoners who cut the trees at head height to gather wood  and stop their grazing animals from eating the regrowing shoots (as would happened if the trees had been coppiced).  Such pollarding has prolonged the life of the trees, some are now several hundred years old:
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Now the commoners have gone, it is responsibility of the keepers to maintain these impressive trees as they form an important and unique habitat for birds, bats, fungus and insects and maintain it's reputation as national nature reserve and an internationally important site for wildlife.

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Whilst some of the trees have maintained their girth, some have practically rotted away, this tree, named the ballerina, now stands on a very thin trunk, most of it has now rotted away and eventually the tree will collapse.  Any pollards that do fall are left in-situ as dead the dead wood helps support the internationally rare fungus and insects that are found at the site.
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Another thing Burnham Beeches is famous for is as a film location. It is where Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves set up camp; Harry Potter met the Thestrals and apparently it's where the Spice Girls met space aliens....