Page 5 - Wildlife News Dec 2017

WALK Game for a longer walk? Try one of our Wild Walks, including two
ON
taking in Greenham and Crookham Commons. Wander over to
bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/wild-walks

A SLEEPING LANDSCAPE by Adrian Wallington,
land management officer

As you stride out into the exhilarating chill from the persistent Stonechat. (MEL MASON) Dartford warbler. (Paul roberts)
breeze that blows across the expanse of Greenham and
Crookham Commons you can’t help but be struck with a sense the expanse of gravels host the lilting song of the woodlark, a
of awe. Then there’s that connection to wildlife as the landscape reminder that spring isn’t far off.
sleeps, buckled down for winter.
The wind eases as you head down the sloping sides of the
It is 20 years since these Berkshire commons reopened to the common into ancient woodland along one of the spectacular
public. Strolling along the elevated gravelly plateau, where once alder gullies. Here the trees continue to stand strong after 400
military aircraft skidded on landing and the shouts of Cold War years – now twisted, gnarled and exposed without their summer
protests filled the air, you can now enjoy an uncluttered view cloak of leaves.
of an ever-changing skyscape. Low winter sunshine highlights
dramatic clouds, the distant rolling hills of Watership Down and, Come and explore this timeless landscape. An invigorating
on the edge of the Common, the stark forbidding mass of cruise wander taking in ancient heath, Cold War relics and vibrant
missile shelters. wildlife under a dramatic sky awaits.

The remnants of the hard, concrete infrastructure that once
formed the American airbase have softened as nature reclaims
it. A metal fire hydrant stands among a carpet of bright green
mosses and lichens. The peace symbols graffitied onto an old
concrete post are joined by fungi under a canopy of scrub and
trees. The remains of the once formidable runway is an ideal
resting place for flocks of starling or golden plover that can
whoosh past as you approach. Jackdaws, too, gather to roost on
winter evenings.

As you leave the open gravels, peer carefully into the heath
and gorse around the rusty remains of a mock aircraft. If you
are lucky you may see a resident Dartford warbler or stonechat
dancing in and out of the undergrowth. Then in late winter,

Best of the rest

Our nature reserve managers choose their favourite places for a bracing winter walk

Dancersend with Pavis Woods, Sydlings Copse, Hosehill Lake,
near Wendover near Oxford near Theale

Explore the extensive network of paths Frosty days transform this incredibly The reeds look great in the late
for wildlife treats such as flocks of tits diverse nature reserve into a magical afternoon sun and if it’s really cold you
and thrushes feeding on hawthorn winter wonderland, as the earliest gorse can watch the ducks skating on the ice!
berries. You may even glimpse the flowers poke through their frosted If you are lucky you might spot a bittern
strikingly camouflaged woodcock, leaves. Watch for linnet flying between among the reeds. The nearby pub does
flushed up from the edge of the path as the gorse, and long-tailed tits flitting great chips to warm you up once you’re
you wander through the deeper parts of through the canopy of the ancient done!
the woodland. woodland.
Alex Cruickshank,
Mark Vallance, Martyn Lane, Senior Land Manager, Berkshire
Reserves Manager, Buckinghamshire Senior Reserves Manager, Oxfordshire

Woodcock. (margaret holland) Linnet. (JON HAWKINS) Mute swans. (BBOWT)
Wildlife news / December 2017 5