The following extract is taken from 'Otmoor update' the RSPB's newsletter on the creation of its Otmoor Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire. 

Otmoor management
We are restoring and enhancing the wetland habitat at our Otmoor nature reserve, in Oxfordshire, which is one of the most important wetland sites in central England. A portion of the site is lowland wet grassland within a river floodplain.  The RSPB bought the site in 1997 when it had been identified as one of the top potential wetland restoration sites in the country. Since then, the site has been added to as we bought additional land to restore the former wetland within the reserve. The total amount of land now owned by the RSPB at this site is over 260 ha.

In the 1960s and 1970s about a quarter of the land at Otmoor had been drained for intensive arable farming. In 1994, a scheme called UTTESA - The Upper Thames Tributaries Environmentally Sensitive Area - was established to try and restore the area and improve the river valleys flowing into the floodplain. However, by 1997 only one farmer had restored arable land to grassland and no other action was forthcoming. At that time, Otmoor was the most important single site within the Upper Thames Tributaries ESA area as it was home to 41 pairs of breeding wading birds, including lapwings, redshanks, snipe and curlews. We began to restore the site in 1998 in partnership with the Environment Agency and with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and many others. A project team of RSPB and Environment Agency staff have overseen the work from concept to the present day. They designed the habitats, completed feasibility studies, and involved a number of people from conservationists and ecologists to landscape architects, land agents and civil engineers.

Since 1998 new species have been attracted to the reserve Otmoor now has a lot more birds and wildlife. There are three times as many breeding wading birds, and ten times as many wintering ducks such as wigeons and teals. New species have also been attracted to the reserve, including pochards, tufted ducks, common terns, ringed plovers, little ringed plovers and great crested grebes. Corncrakes are also believed to have bred. Hairy dragonflies, Roesel's bush crickets and black hairstreak butterflies have colonised.

To find out more about the results of our work on this reserve have a look at 'What we have achieved'. 

Source: Conservation management department
Contacts
Neil Lambert
Reserve manager
E-mail: otmoor.admin@rspb.org.uk

Otmoor RSPB Reserve:  This new reserve has proved to be an excellent site for water fowl and waders in particular.  However it must be stressed that the reserve is designed as one first for the birds and second for people.  The car parking is very limited and there are no other facilities available.  However you will probably find the reserve worth visiting.  If you are considering a visit by a group then please contact the office on:  01865 351163

                                                           © RSPB Central England Region

The new RSPB hide    

Oxford is better known for the University, its architecture, its appalling traffic problems, and a certain car company, than as a centre of bird watching excellence! However, to the west of the city are numerous gravel pits, and the open water of Farmoor Reservoir. To the east are the Chilterns, with their well-established population of Red Kites, whilst the Thames is an important beacon for birds to follow. To the north of the city is Port Meadow, which can give spectacular bird watching in winter. Finally, to the north-east is Otmoor, a huge area of former flat farmland, part of which has been purchased by the RSPB.  The RSPB has changed the area back to what it had formerly been until the end of the Second World War - a real wetland reserve.  Two large reed beds have been created to act as reservoirs to enable the whole of the area to be kept wet even in times of drought.  This has resulted in a massive increase in the numbers of waders and wild fowl seen.  Breeding has been a great success as well.  Hopefully we will have Bitterns here on a regular basis once the reeds have developed sufficiently.  The reserve has been developed primarily for the wildlife and not for visitors though birdwatchers are always welcome to the reserve and to enjoy sights from the first of two viewing screens.  Keep in touch and we will try to keep you up to date with what is happening at Otmoor.

The following photos show four of our local bird watching hotspots...

Pinkhill: situated between Farmoor Reservoir and the Thames, this Thames Water/NRA reserve is a great place to see waders, and Kingfisher.    Bittern, Barn Owl, and Great Grey Shrike have also been seen here.

                                                                           © P W Mallett

                                                                     © P W Mallett