The Lye Valley - January to June 2022
2013 - 2020 2021 July to Dec 2022 2023 2024
Rare creeping marshwort (re)introduced to the Lye Valley 9 February 2022
2013 - 2020 2021 July to Dec 2022 2023 2024
Rare creeping marshwort (re)introduced to the Lye Valley 9 February 2022
MSc dissertation by Oxford Brookes student Adam Bows on fen restoration in the Lye Valley (and in Chilswell Valley and Raleigh Park) is available here as a PDF
MSc dissertation by Oxford Brookes student Darcey Haldar on estimating the carbon stock in the Lye Valley’s peat fen and also an estimate by Judy Webb of the carbon in the North Fen, based on this data, are available here as PDFs. An abstract is provided for both theses.
25 May 2022 Friends of Lye Valley welcomed a group from Oxford University's Department of Zoology who are involved with the Oxford Nature-Based Solutions Initiative for a tour to look at how the fen works and see some nature-based solutions for tackling brook-bank erosion. Photos tweeted by Judy include one of Rod d'Ayala at work on one of the small-scale dams, which restrict loss of valuable spring water. Lots more photos taken by Aline Soterroni, one of the group.
1 February 2022
New recruits to the Freshwater Habitats Trust were given a tour of the Lye Valley by Judy Webb. For three of them it was their first day at work. The recruitment was funded by two grants to the FHT totalling £888,000. As well as examining some of the shallow pools on our SSSI, they also found time to check on the current phosphate and nitrate levels of water from the storm drain at the head of the Valley. Details of new recruits are here and also in captions for photos taken by Dr Tony Gillie, one of the Friends of Lye Valley, who tweeted: 'Lots to discuss about this internationally rare habitat, and our work in caring for it. Geology, flora, tufa-forming springs, and of course Fen Restoration. Our on-site stash of fossils and tufa-covered twigs was passed around and discussed. Blessed with bright sunshine, we think everyone enjoyed the tour!'
|
Friends of Lye Valley website
FoLV Twitter timeline Past Lye Valley events, and talks by Judy Chairman's report 2020-2021 by Judy Webb Judy's 'Wild Oxford' Lye Valley reports are on the BBOWT website (links at bottom of that page). Some Lye Valley flowers and insects Peat and Carbon in the Lye Valley Fens Judy explains the importance of peat in combatting climate change. 'The Lye Valley fens store more carbon than the same area of tropical rainforest.' (PDF) Alkaline Fens and the Importance of the Lye Valley SSSI Fens within Oxfordshire and Nationally/Internationally, by Judy Webb 2014 Planning Applications/Consultations PHOTOS: Unless indicated otherwise, all photos on this page, and in linked Google albums, were taken by Tony Gillie. An album of some of the wonderful Lye Valley photos taken and tweeted by Tony is being added to
Lye Valley digital jigsaws created by Tony Gillie 9 June 2022 Tweet by Judy:
It's cotton-grass (Eriophorum sp.) seeding time in Lye Valley SSSI fen. Beautiful, tall, broad-leaved cotton-grass - over 100 flowers in South fen. Common cotton-grass shedding in North fen, so a helping hand given spreading the seeds in fluff to new suitable bare, tufa spring areas - hope liked. Judy's photos full-size are here 17 May 2022 After seeing the first common butterworts, pinguicula vulgaris, in flower in the Lye Valley the previous week, Judy tweeted: 'There should be more than ever this year. Obviously they like the very short sedge fen now present in areas where the reed is nearly entirely gone due to cut & rake'. A further photo taken by Judy shows them in flower on 25 May 2022
19 May 2022 Ponds - reduction of tall emergent reed and reed sweet grass to keep some open water for damselflies, dragonflies and hopefully kingfisher (photo by Tony Gillie, 6 Jan 2022). Scything and shearing some areas and leaving long vegetation for odonata nymphs to climb up out of water and adults to emerge - for photos see Judy's tweet 11 May 2022 20 early marsh orchids, Dactylorhiza incarnata, the highest count ever. All mainly pink and slightly different in their flowers - see Judy's photos here
2 May 2022 Reintroduction of Black (or Common) Sedge, Carex nigra, to the Valley This now brings the total of Sedge species here to 18, albeit that number includes unwanted Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula)! See Judy's Tweet for photos 22 February 2022
Judy tweeted: 'Lovely warm sunshine for Oxford Conservation Volunteers and Friends of Lye Valley to work together reducing willow and other marginal scrub on the small but important Lye Valley south fen SSSI*. Thanks to all the vols and the owners for allowing this important work removing shading from fen'. *The triangle of land clear of trees between Lye Valley road and the golf course, bordered on the west side by the Boundary Brook. See Judy's photos here 1 February 2022
Judy tweeted: 'The other day I received this unexpected & lovely gift - a crochet version of one of my favourite flowers found in Lye Valley fen ....it's so good I'm sure you can work out what it is. I wish I had such creative talent! Photo by Judy 6 January 2022 Volunteers working in last year's growth on our willow fences to reinforce them. They're made from material cut on site. Once pressed into the fen, the branches carry on growing!
Full-size photos available via Tweet |
Below are more lovely photos of wildlife taken between Jan and June 2022 in the Valley by Tony Gillie and Tom Bedford.
Photos on this page were taken from tweets by Tony, unless otherwise indicated.
For full-sized versions, go to Google albums: for Tony's photos and for Tom's
Photos on this page were taken from tweets by Tony, unless otherwise indicated.
For full-sized versions, go to Google albums: for Tony's photos and for Tom's
17 March 2022
'This is one very lucky Robin, Erithacus rubecula, and one very unlucky earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris.' 17 February 2022 Tweet by T. Gillie:
A wrenTroglodytes troglodytes picking off tiny insects (gnats?) from underneath an old bracket fungus ... I'm amazed it didn't overbalance! Full- size photo, and others by Tony Gillie, are here 14 January 2022
Green woodpecker Picus viridis seen in Lye Valley. Tony Gillie tweeted: 'Spent far too long playing Hide and Seek with this Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) in the Lye Valley this morning. I think on balance it probably won'. 6 January 2022
A beautifully camouflaged tree creeper, Certhia familiaris, hunting for insects in bark crevices.Tony Gillie tweeted: 'Fun fact: they always work upwards. When they get to the top of a tree, they fly down to the bottom and start again!' 15 Jan 2022 Tweet - area behind ponds being cleaned prior to introduction of rare Creeping Marshwort |
13 April 2022 An unexpected visitor in the Lye Valley - a Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, looking very splendid, if somewhat out of place!
15 March 2022 Tweet by T. Gillie:
'First Peacock (Inachis io) of the year for me, nectaring on Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) blossom in the Lye Valley, Oxford, this morning. Fair to say it seems to have had a rough winter...' 8 February 2022
This very smart but rather skittish Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) was eyeing up the ponds at both ends of the Valley 17 January 2022
Field vole, Microtus agrestis, found in a log pile in the Lye Valley. Judy Webb commented: 'Really shows why log piles are so good for wildlife'. 6 January 2022
A kingfisher, Alcedo atthis Tony Gillie tweeted: 'Only taken me about five years of looking! The highlight of a very cold and frosty morning'. |
13 April 2022
Tom Bedford tweeted 'At least 3 Willow Warblers were new in this morning, all giving subdued bursts of song'. 26 February 2022: Tom Bedford tweeted: Superb visit to the Lye Valley this morning. Highlights were territorial Red Kites, 50 Siskin, 4 Redpolls and best of all, two glimpses of my first Brambling here, the second site record. See Tom's photos in a Google album Tom 's Lye Valley photos featured in an Oxford Mail article, on 9 Jan 2022 4 January 2022
Volunteers spent weeks clearing a steep sunny bank of nettles and brambles. They then sowed Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) seed. Much loved by bees and butterflies, it will be a useful addition to the other limestone grassland plants already present. 4 February 2022
Steve Woolliams of the Upper Thames branch of Butterfly Conservation found 31 eggs of the Brown Hairstreak butterfly, including the group of four shown in his photo above. 23 were on on cherry plum, Prunus cerasifera, and the rest on blackthorn, Prunus spinosa. Photo by Steve Woolliams |
Lye Valley officially designated a Local Geology Site by the Oxfordshire Geology Trust - Oxford Mail, 13 July 2017
Two reports on the Lye Valley, commissioned by Oxford City Council:
* Environmental Impact Assessment
- Investigation of the possible ecological effects on the Lye Valley Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the riparian zones of the Lye and Boundary Brooks as a result of development on Southfield Golf Course . A pre–EIA* assessment.
Report by Dr Judith A Webb to Oxford City Council, October 2007
- Investigation of the possible hydrological effects on the Lye Valley Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the riparian zones of the Lye and Boundary Brooks as a result of development on Southfield Golf Course'. A pre–EIA* assessment.
Report by Dr Curt Lamberth to Oxford City Council, 2007
* Environmental Impact Assessment