Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve (NNR)
Natural England's brochure and Environmental Education Pack
Natural England's brochure and Environmental Education Pack
Judy was awarded the 2013 Natural England GRAFTA* in the Individual Volunteer category for species-recording work at
Aston Rowant (Oxon), Cothill Fen (Oxon) and Barton Hills (Beds) NNRs (National Nature Reserves).
*GRAFTAS = Green Awards for Terrific Achievers
Aston Rowant (Oxon), Cothill Fen (Oxon) and Barton Hills (Beds) NNRs (National Nature Reserves).
*GRAFTAS = Green Awards for Terrific Achievers
8 December 2023 Tweet by Stephanie Wilson, Natural England Reserve Manager, Thames Valley Team - Area 10: 'All this fog recently at Rowant NNR and across the Chilterns, has made for a very atmospheric landscape! Our ewes sneaking up on some of our volunteers'. Judy Webb added: 'Vital woolly graziers on the job making quality chalk grassland biodiverse next summer (or more likely they are thinking have you humans any extra snacks for us today?) ' |
24 July 2023
Stephanie Wilson, Natural England Reserve Manager, Thames Valley Team - Area 10, tweeted: 'Our fantastic volunteers at Aston Rowant NNR - despite the rain there is always tree popping* to do!' Judy replied:l'A great group to join every Monday, really feel good after a work session and nice company. Earlier I was scything off Tor Grass seeding heads from patches and raking up and bagging to prevent it spreading and suppressing the beautiful diverse chalk grassland flora here'.
Photo above taken by Stephanie - Judy is on the far right. (*removing self-seeded trees)
Stephanie Wilson, Natural England Reserve Manager, Thames Valley Team - Area 10, tweeted: 'Our fantastic volunteers at Aston Rowant NNR - despite the rain there is always tree popping* to do!' Judy replied:l'A great group to join every Monday, really feel good after a work session and nice company. Earlier I was scything off Tor Grass seeding heads from patches and raking up and bagging to prevent it spreading and suppressing the beautiful diverse chalk grassland flora here'.
Photo above taken by Stephanie - Judy is on the far right. (*removing self-seeded trees)
28 March 2023 Judy tweeted:
Excited to find LIVE specimens of a snail I have been diligently searching for in Aston Rowant NNR hot, dry, chalk grassland - the Large Chrysalis Snail Abida secale, Nationally Scarce. Found five together in a scrape entrance to a rabbit hole in damp conditions. Only took me 10 yrs of searching! Full-size photos here
Excited to find LIVE specimens of a snail I have been diligently searching for in Aston Rowant NNR hot, dry, chalk grassland - the Large Chrysalis Snail Abida secale, Nationally Scarce. Found five together in a scrape entrance to a rabbit hole in damp conditions. Only took me 10 yrs of searching! Full-size photos here
13 September 2022 Tweet by Judy
Spectacular red & blue staining Lurid Boletes Suillellus luridus and rooting boletes Caloboletus radicans appearing at Aston Rowant NNR with Rockrose and Hornbeam mycorrhizal hosts. The instant blueing of the latter on cutting or damage a source of wonder to volunteers who made discoveries. Photos by Judy Webb |
30 August 2022 Tweet by Judy
Fun surveying for interesting roses last weekend with @Blysmus* in quality chalk grassland at Aston Rowant NNR. Rubbing leaves to smell apple scent, looking for resinous glands, hairs, acicles, sepals up or down and shapes of prickles. The findings? Expert says lots of sweet briar hybrids! * David Morris, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) Oxfordshire v.c. 23 Recorder and Freshwater Habitats Trust Senior Plant Ecologist, seen in left of photo, taken by Judy. He replied: 'Here’s the list for those interested. Good diversity (R. arvensis also about but not seen). Old places like Rowant NNR = lots of time for roses to move in and get frisky interbreeding, all part of the importance and fascination of plant diversity' - shown in Tweet. Photos by Judy Webb 8 August 2022 In a specially disturbed area, a former arable chalk field, Judy discovered: 'candytuft, Iberis amara, flowers, difficult to spot against chalk unless they are nicely lilac-tinged, but seed pods easy to spot and very pretty' Photo by Judy Webb
30 June 2022 Judy was recording species in an arable reversion field at Bald Hill, part of the NNR since the construction of the M40 cutting. Info from Judy: 'Chalkiest end (rest is clay cap) of a 20-year arable reversion field. It is interesting to chart the return of grassland species. Some return fast - large thyme, bedstraws, clovers, bird's foot trefoil, fairy flax, quaking grass, pyramidal orchids, hawkbits and squincywort have made it there from the SSSI nearby. Others have not got there yet even in 20 years of intermittent sheep grazing management. But I'm really interested in what has NOT made the trip, even just over the hedge nearby, from the SSSI - the really slow movers (perennial stayers?): rockrose, horseshoe vetch, milkworts, restharrow. How long will it take for them? Sheep move seed and some goes by wind'. Judy's photos |
Photo above taken by Michela Sisti, who is learning plant identification and management of habitats at Aston Rowant and is shadowing Judy, as she wishes to transfer to a career in ecology. Judy's note: 'The rain clouds are a spectacular back-drop but I had not noticed them, as I was intent on botanical recording. Shortly after this we had to shelter from a rainstorm!
14 June 2022 sheep-shearing time at Aston Rowant - Tweet by Steph Wilson. More about the sheep in item 16 Jan 2022, below.
11 June 2022 Tweet by Judy;
Drought this spring prevented normal spring fungi emerging. Recent rains have resulted in fruiting in St George's Mushroom (normally April) and encouraged normally later Stinkhorn (usually autumn) at Aston Rowant NNR grassland & woodland.
Chaos, the #Climatechange New normal - photos here
18 May 2022 Tweet by Judy: Checking the junipers @RowantNNR, delighted to find so many of them showing the specific strange rust fungus Gymnosporangium clavariiforme or Tongues of Fire. Known from old lists but spectacular abundance just at the moment - something about drought spring followed by rain? To see Judy's photos full size, click here
11 June 2022 Tweet by Judy;
Drought this spring prevented normal spring fungi emerging. Recent rains have resulted in fruiting in St George's Mushroom (normally April) and encouraged normally later Stinkhorn (usually autumn) at Aston Rowant NNR grassland & woodland.
Chaos, the #Climatechange New normal - photos here
18 May 2022 Tweet by Judy: Checking the junipers @RowantNNR, delighted to find so many of them showing the specific strange rust fungus Gymnosporangium clavariiforme or Tongues of Fire. Known from old lists but spectacular abundance just at the moment - something about drought spring followed by rain? To see Judy's photos full size, click here
27 April 2022
Early purple orchids, Orchis mascula, are not common in chalk grassland but there are usually good numbers of them on a west-facing slope at Aston Rowant. However, this year Judy found only 10 short ones where normally there would be hundreds. She attributes this to the drought conditions. |
27 April 2022
Judy tweeted: 'Found this attractive (to me) little dandelion (actually 2 the same) growing, half buried, from old molehills on Bald Hill chalk grassland'. She asked for help with its identification. Results/more photos here |
16 January 2022
Oxford Conservation Volunteers were on site cutting down dogwood regrowth. The photo above was taken by Steph Wilson, Natural England Reserve Manager, Thames Valley Team - Area 10, who tweeted: 'Brilliant task day at Aston Rowant NNR with the Oxford Conservation Volunteers team - cutting dogwood regrowth. Thanks team!' |
The sheep belong to Natural England. They are brought to the site, and managed by Steph, to keep rank vegetation in check, so wildflowers are not smothered. Photo by Steph. More of Steph's photos taken over the last couple of years are here |
23 November 2021 Another tweet with photos by Adam Bows, this time about Aston Rowant's nests of yellow meadow ants, Lasius flavus
See full-size version of this great close-up of a worker yellow meadow ant, taken by Michal Kukla, and also other photos on Antwiki.
|
22 November 2021
Adam Bows, MSc Conservation Ecology student at Oxford Brookes University, tweeted: 'Brilliant fungi tour of Aston Rowant NNR today with the incredibly knowledgeable @judyweb32049878 [Judy Webb]'. Fungi photos taken by Adam and Judy during that visit and earlier in November are here Adam has since been awarded his MSc |
17 November 2021 Judy tweeted: 'More Aston Rowant NNR lovely fungi. Our bird surveyors found this Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas in soil on steep dry chalk near beech and I found this little waxcap jewel that does not smell of honey, so considering limestone waxcap Hygrocybe calciphila but maybe my nose lies' Photos below by Judy Webb
15 November 2021 Judy tweeted: 'Just look at those whiskers! the highlight of a recent Fungus Survey of Oxfordshire group survey visit to Aston Rowant NNR - the whiskery milkcap Lactarius mairei. On top of the Chilterns on clay with flints, a sp. mycorrhizal with the pedunculate oaks there. Grassland fungi still few'. Photo below by Judy Webb
15 November 2021 Judy tweeted: 'Just look at those whiskers! the highlight of a recent Fungus Survey of Oxfordshire group survey visit to Aston Rowant NNR - the whiskery milkcap Lactarius mairei. On top of the Chilterns on clay with flints, a sp. mycorrhizal with the pedunculate oaks there. Grassland fungi still few'. Photo below by Judy Webb
Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas Limestone waxcap Hygrocybe calciphila? Whiskery milkcap Lactarius mairei
14 October 2021 Tweet by Judy: Grassland fungi just starting at Aston Rowant NNR on chalk. Surprised by large numbers of white dapperlings Leucoagaricus leucothites, which look like mushrooms but are not (white gills), plus these small yellowing mushrooms Agaricus sp. and grassland puffballs Lycoperdon lividum Tweet with photos
12 October 2021 Judy tweeted:
Autumn at Aston Rowant NNR. Carline thistle and hawkweed seeds are ready to go, the guelder rose leaves have turned nice red and nearly trod on this woodmouse? baby crouched in the middle of footpath. All ears & legs! Moved to long grass, unharmed & scuttled off.. See Judy's photos full size here |
12 October 2021
Judy tweeted: Dear sawfly experts, can you help with this larva found at Aston Rowant NNR in chalk grassland? found curled around dead stem of small scabious. looked a bit dark for Abia sericea but need expert opinion please. Reply from Andy Musgrove: Tenthredo thompsoni, also goes by Tenthredo marginella |
28 August 2021 Tweet from Judy, with photos 'Found in an area of the Aston Rowant chalk grassland site not previously known for gentians. Love the crinkly corollas and the 'Mr Whippy' twirled white-topped buds on these Chiltern gentians. Over 900 counted. Due to wet year?' Judy's photos are here Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) has a website page showing how to tell the difference between Chiltern gentians and the very similar Autumn gentians
15 July 2021 Judy tweeted photos of volunteers removing scrub that threatened biodiverse old anthills at Aston Rowant NNR.
Built by yellow meadow ants, Lasius flavus, they are valuable for many other species. Judy's tweet included a link to a video made by Dr Tim King which explains why this ant is the most important invertebrate in many grasslands.
Built by yellow meadow ants, Lasius flavus, they are valuable for many other species. Judy's tweet included a link to a video made by Dr Tim King which explains why this ant is the most important invertebrate in many grasslands.
26 June 2021
Judy's tweet: ‘Views of a female of the strange, scarce, honeybee-mimic hoverfly Microdon devius from west-facing chalk grassland slope at Aston Rowant NNR. Sitting on a yellow meadow anthill; larvae live in the ant nest, where they feed on eggs and brood of ants. Found only here on site.’ Full size photos |
8 July 2021 Judy tweeted
'Frog orchids are the devil to spot - small and well camouflaged; can be greeny-yellow through to pinky maroon. A lot of searching to find these little lovelies at Aston Rowant NNR recently' Judy's photos, full size, are here |
2 June 2021 Judy's tweet (with photos): 'Surveying at Aston Rowant NNR I was delighted to come across a good colony of hairy rock cress Arabis hirsuta (over 200 in flower) in chalk downland on anthills. Seen only one previously but never walked over this bit of turf before at this time. Scarce in Oxon. Few recent records.
22 December 2020: Judy tweeted from Aston Rowant NNR 'Mezereon (Daphne mezereum) in flower already at Aston Rowant NNR ! Another flower that thinks it is spring with current mild weather'. In response to a query 'Isn't that a bit early Judy?', Judy tweeted: 'Definitely. This bush last in flower at Aston Rowant on Jan 13th 2020 Photos by Judy
10 December 2020: photos tweeted by Judy from Aston Rowant NNR of volunteers tackling dogwood
'Dogwood. Can be the bane of a chalk grassland reserve manager's life. Here at Aston Rowant NNR his week volunteers for Natural England braved freezing fog to continue dogwood scrub removal on high quality short-turf grassland on steep slopes.'
'Dogwood. Can be the bane of a chalk grassland reserve manager's life. Here at Aston Rowant NNR his week volunteers for Natural England braved freezing fog to continue dogwood scrub removal on high quality short-turf grassland on steep slopes.'
21 and 29 October 2020 While sitting on an anthill having lunch at Aston Rowant's chalk grassland, Judy noticed some thyme that looked a bit odd. She took a specimen home and confirmed thyme rust gall on Thymus polytrichus, found on five anthills. An expert at Kew searched the Fungarium database and said this was only the second British record in the last 50 years. For further photos, see Judy's tweets, 21 and 29 October 2020
Aston Rowant page of Oxford Conservation Volunteers website
Slideshow of some of Judy's Aston Rowant fungi finds - Autumn 2020
(when viewing photos full size, click on 'i' icon, top right, to see information)
3 October 2020 A tweet by Judy reported her discovery a few weeks earlier of Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas
'A new important site record! Verified by expert Alan Hill. UK Red List
Most exciting fungal discovery of my 9 yrs so far surveying for NE there'.
Judy's comments in full and her full-size photos are here
Slideshow of some of Judy's Aston Rowant fungi finds - Autumn 2020
(when viewing photos full size, click on 'i' icon, top right, to see information)
3 October 2020 A tweet by Judy reported her discovery a few weeks earlier of Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas
'A new important site record! Verified by expert Alan Hill. UK Red List
Most exciting fungal discovery of my 9 yrs so far surveying for NE there'.
Judy's comments in full and her full-size photos are here
Some of the fungi found in 2020 by Judy at Aston Rowant - see also slideshow of others she found there that year
Tweet 26 Nov 2020 'Late fungi - the time for the Olive Earth tongues - Microglossum sp (maybe olivaceum) at Aston Rowant NNR ancient diverse short grassland. Tops look like dead leaves, worm casts/sheep's poo, but just look at those turquoise stipes! Rare and priority sp'
Tweet 7 Nov 2020 "Very pleased to find these green slimy parrot waxcaps (now Gliophorus psittacinus) & golden spindles (Clavulinopsis sp., waiting on spores now). Fairly common low nutrient grassland fungi, BUT exciting because at
Aston Rowant NNR in an arable reversion field - back to grassland only since 2000!"
Tweet 27 Oct 2020 "A first for me - Agaricus porphyrrhizon (lilac mushroom) & prob var cookei, as in Cortecuisse & Duhem text. From Aston Rowant NNR chalk/claycap ancient grassland, new to the species list!
Tweet 22 Oct 2020: Spotted blewit Lepista panaeolus 'More are fruiting at AstonRowant NNR than I have ever seen before in 9 yrs of recording, including an amazing ring of 100s of caps that was 28m in diameter. Research gives an estimate of a growth rate of a fungal 'fairy ring' as up to 20cm/yr outward expansion of the mycelium in the soil! This may vary with sp. of course. So possibly this 28m wide ring could be 140 years old, since the original spore landed & germinated!'
Tweet 9 Oct 2020: Mycorrhizal associates of rockrose, Cortinarius anomalus/epsomiensis, stinking sulphur knight Tricholoma sulphureum and much zoned milk cap Lactarius evosmus
Tweet 12 Sept 2020: Caloboletus radicans. Mycorrhizal with oak on clay with flints at the top of the hill
Tweet 26 Nov 2020 'Late fungi - the time for the Olive Earth tongues - Microglossum sp (maybe olivaceum) at Aston Rowant NNR ancient diverse short grassland. Tops look like dead leaves, worm casts/sheep's poo, but just look at those turquoise stipes! Rare and priority sp'
Tweet 7 Nov 2020 "Very pleased to find these green slimy parrot waxcaps (now Gliophorus psittacinus) & golden spindles (Clavulinopsis sp., waiting on spores now). Fairly common low nutrient grassland fungi, BUT exciting because at
Aston Rowant NNR in an arable reversion field - back to grassland only since 2000!"
Tweet 27 Oct 2020 "A first for me - Agaricus porphyrrhizon (lilac mushroom) & prob var cookei, as in Cortecuisse & Duhem text. From Aston Rowant NNR chalk/claycap ancient grassland, new to the species list!
Tweet 22 Oct 2020: Spotted blewit Lepista panaeolus 'More are fruiting at AstonRowant NNR than I have ever seen before in 9 yrs of recording, including an amazing ring of 100s of caps that was 28m in diameter. Research gives an estimate of a growth rate of a fungal 'fairy ring' as up to 20cm/yr outward expansion of the mycelium in the soil! This may vary with sp. of course. So possibly this 28m wide ring could be 140 years old, since the original spore landed & germinated!'
Tweet 9 Oct 2020: Mycorrhizal associates of rockrose, Cortinarius anomalus/epsomiensis, stinking sulphur knight Tricholoma sulphureum and much zoned milk cap Lactarius evosmus
Tweet 12 Sept 2020: Caloboletus radicans. Mycorrhizal with oak on clay with flints at the top of the hill
Photos, right, and others - full size, see Judy's Tweet 29 September 2020:
"Volunteers back at Aston Rowant NNR on the Chilterns have been helping our precious junipers survive by removing bramble, hawthorn and other scrub threatening to shade them and, of course, re-homing a resting brimstone butterfly disturbed in all the work!" |
Chiltrern gentians - see Judy's tweet 25 August 2020
Judy at Aston Rowant on 27 January 2020
examining what had dropped out on beating the canopies of junipers to see which invertebrates are using them in winter. The old junipers had a good number of juniper shield bugs.
Photos taken by Judy of the bugs and of other volunteers working at Aston Rowant that day, as well as mosses and lichens she found there on 29 January 2020, can be seen here
All the photos below were taken by Judy at Aston Rowant
First row, left to right: Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, fungus Amanita echinocephala, Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae
Second row: Clustered Bell Flower, Campanula glomerata, Small Elephant Hawk Moth, Deilephila porcellus, Crimson Wax Cap, Hygrocybe punicea
First row, left to right: Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, fungus Amanita echinocephala, Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae
Second row: Clustered Bell Flower, Campanula glomerata, Small Elephant Hawk Moth, Deilephila porcellus, Crimson Wax Cap, Hygrocybe punicea
Photos taken by Judy Webb at Aston Rowant in May, June and July 2014
They include Early Purple Orchids on Bald Hill, Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Small Elephant Hawk moth
Photos taken by Marilyn Cox during one of Judy's earlier visits to Aston Rowant, 20 August 2012