This project was completed by Abingdon Naturalists with advice from Barn Owl Conservation for Oxfordshire and was funded by a grant from Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment. Great teamwork everyone!

Barton Fields is a fantastic wildlife site, comprising unimproved grassland and lowland fen - an ideal habitat for voles and mice, the main prey of owls. The provision of suitable nest boxes will now allow these species to take advantage of the site, helping to reverse their decline.

Bonus picture of this beautiful Common Blue Butterfly that was spotted. They can sometimes be found into late October, particularly following hot summers.

Some of the area remains to be scythed and we hope to arrange for another group of enthusiastic scythers to finish the job later this autumn. If you are interested let us know in the comments and we will send you some more info.

The plant diversity of the meadow is developing nicely as we continue to scythe it each year. Unfortunately the Lapwing that used to nest there have not done so now for two years, but we are hopeful they will come back soon.

Then over drinks and nibbles we'll discuss your thoughts on Radley Lakes and how we can do our very best to protect and enhance this special area for the local community.

Please RSVP to info@radleylakestrust.org so we can organise refreshments appropriately.

The late mowing allows plants to shed seed and insects to complete their life cycles. To maintain low fertility, the cut hay is raked off the grassland and stacked in compost heaps. Heat generated by decomposition of the herbage makes ideal sites for grass snakes to lay their eggs!

Annual mowing keeps the meadow healthy and full of wildflowers. It:
🌼 Stops scrub & trees taking over
🌼 Helps wildflowers outcompete coarse grasses
🌼 Boosts biodiversity for bees, butterflies & birds
🌼 Keeps soil nutrients balanced

Hi Martin nice to see you too! Good point we'll add the Bluesky link to the website. See you at Lakes and Cakes!