A number of ecological reports and surveys have been carried out at the Radley Lakes in recent years. Several of them were carried out by the original Save Radley Lakes campaign.
*****
On 14 May and 12 June, David Guyoncourt and Abingdon Naturalists carried out surveys of the orchids on Thrupp Green.
Full details are in this pdf file.
Early Marsh Orchids have declined over the last decade but Common Spotted Orchids are now more abundant. The Trust would like to carry out a project in the area to encourage the spread of orchids.
The Southern Woodland area is west of the railway line, between Thrupp Green and the Thames. In May, volunteers from Abingdon Naturalists carried out surveys of the area.
There is a wide variety of largely undisturbed habitats in the area. Notable plants and trees were recorded including a large Oak and Grey Willow. Full details are available in this pdf file.
The Trust would like to carry out a number of projects in the area.
Raspberry Slime Mould. Copyright David Guyoncourt
David Guyoncourt carried out a number of surveys of Fungi at Barton Fields during 2024. David was unable to explore the Willow Carr area this year owing to an overgrowth of nettles. However, he still recorded 29 fungus species and one slime mould bringing the total to around 150 since 2004.
The details are available as an Excel file here or as a pdf (including photographs) here.
Common Centaury © Michael Bloom
David Guyoncourt and other volunteers undertook a botanical survey of part of Thrupp Green.
The area is developing into a grassy meadow with a reedy area in the south. There were two main habitats: sections 1 to 4 were grassland and sections 5 and 6 were from the reedy area. The new glade and part of the northern track were also surveyed briefly.
The survey was undertaken by Steve Badcock, Michael Bloom, Nigel Gregory, David Guyoncourt and John Killick.
The document is intended to be read in spreadsheet format as an Excel file which can be found here. Alternatively, a text format PDF file is available here.
David Guyoncourt and other volunteers, mostly from Abingdon Naturalists Society, undertook a botanical survey of the areas Radley Lakes Trust seeded last year.
Interesting points include:
The survey was undertaken by Graham Bateman, David Guyoncourt, Harriet Moggridge, Martin O'Brien and Ian Smith.
The document is intended to be read in spreadsheet format as an Excel file which can be found here. Alternatively, a text format PDF file is available here.
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle at Radley Lakes. Copyright David Guyoncourt
Flower Beetles. Copyright David Guyoncourt
List of True Bugs (Hemiptera) and Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Radley Lakes area compiled by David Guyoncourt and Linda Losito, including John Cambell’s recent surveys.
The document is intended to be read in spreadsheet format as an Excel file which can be found here. Alternatively, a text format PDF file is available here. You may need to increase the magnification to read the PDF version on screen.
Swollen-thighed Flower Beetle. Copyright David Guyoncourt
Survey areas
David Guyoncourt and colleagues from Abingdon Naturalists Society undertook a botanical survey last week of the areas Radley Lakes Trust seeded in the Spring (working with Earth Trust volunteers).
Interesting points include:
The survey was undertaken by: Steve Badcock, Graham Bateman, Nigel Gregory, David Guyoncourt and Ian Smith.
The full survey report is available here.
Redhead roundhead fungus
Yellow brain fungus
On 17th October 2022 David Guyoncourt carried out a search of the Radley Lakes area to record fungi. David recorded twelve species, none of them rare. David hopes to do another survey in November.
The results of the survey are here.
In the summer of 2021, Ecoconsult ltd carried out a survey and published a report on the likely ecological impact of a car park in the Sandles area of the lakes. You can read the survey here.
Photographs of the North East of the survey area
This report by the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre considers whether the Radley Gravel Pits qualify as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS). LWS are areas of land recognised for having high wildlife value containing rare or threatened habitats and species. The report can be read by clicking here.
Basil Crowley made over 1000 observations of the flora and fauna at Radley Lakes between 2004 and 2015. He reported the results to iRecord whose owners have provided them to the Trust.
The document is intended to be read in spreadsheet format as an Excel file which can be found here. Alternatively, a text format PDF file is available here. You may need to increase the magnification to read the PDF version on screen.
This major document combines three surveys carried out by Save Radley Lakes. It focuses on the species observed between 2003 and 2013. It was authored by R M G Eeles, B J B Crowley, J Cartmell and D M Guyoncourt.
The document is intended to be read in spreadsheet format as an Excel file which can be found here. Alternatively, a text format PDF file is available here. You may need to increase the magnification to read the PDF version on screen.
Bee orchid and white hellibore. Photographs © B J B Crowley 2005.
This summary ecological report by R M G Eeles focuses on Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes. Appendix 1 lists the names and letters of all the lakes which may be helpful in reading other reports on this page.
This addendum corrects one observation.
Photograph © R Eeles 2005
Ecology Summary Report giving additional information on otter, water vole, badger and bat activity and distribution at Thrupp and Bullfield lakes up to 2006 by R M G Eeles, B J B Crowley and J Cartmell.
Ecology Summary Report giving additional information on birds at Thrupp and Bullfield lakes up to 2006 by G M M Guyoncourt. The introduction gives a full account of the Radley Lakes and their history in the context of birdlife.
The Outfall Pool, Pumney Brook, 12 August 2005. ©B J B Crowley 2005
This survey report by R M G Eeles from 2006 gives the results of sampling the Pumney Brook PFA effluent outfall pool. It assesses the ecological status and water quality compared to its condition in the past.
This 2005 report by R M G Eeles, B J B Crowley and J Cartmell assesses the conservation values of lakes infilled with PFA (A-D) compared to the remaining lakes (E-F).
This survey records bird sightings at the Radley Lakes between 1995 and 1997. The file was passed to the trust by Paddy Dockar-Drysdale in 2000. Please contact the trust if you know the author of the survey
This report by M G Wilson covers bird life in the general area from the 1960s up to 1993. The report is published by kind permission of the Oxford Ornitholgical Society.