Our October talk took us on a fascinating virtual tour of the RSPB's Otmoor reserve, courtesy of Gordon Hurst. It was an excellent evening, with a great turnout and plenty of interesting information, surprising facts and wildlife stories.

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A special place for wildlife

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Established 28 years ago, Otmoor covers 506 hectares of grassland, marsh, reedbed, hedgerows and scrub. Its wetlands are fed by a channel, and the flat landscape is grazed by cattle. Interestingly, there are deliberately no visitor facilities – no shop, café or toilets – at the request of Beckley residents.

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The reserve has a fascinating history. Once unenclosed grassland used for common grazing, it was enclosed in 1815, triggering the Otmoor Riots of 1829–30. It is also believed to be the inspiration for the chessboard landscape in Alice in Wonderland and served as a military practice area during the Second World War.

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Otmoor narrowly escaped being cut through by the M40 in the 1980s, thanks to a clever campaign by local opponents. Today, it faces a potential new threat from the proposed Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor.

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Keeping the reserve thriving

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Otmoor relies heavily on its dedicated volunteers, who work alongside reserve wardens to maintain and improve habitats. Their activities include coppicing, creating habitat piles, repairing fences, hedge laying, removing ragwort and even repairing potholes.

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Fencing helps protect ground-nesting birds from predators such as foxes and badgers, although defending them against aerial predators, including red kites, is much more difficult.

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Each winter, the annual reed cut creates a variety of habitats by leaving some reeds long while cutting others short, providing different types of shelter and nesting opportunities for birds.