The natural world is bursting with activity at this time of year
JUSTINE FARRANT from the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) suggests some restorative reserves to visit this May.
AS though in the blink of an eye, spring is now in full bloom and summer around the bend.
Our natural world is bursting with colour, song and activity and offers the perfect backdrop for spending time with family and friends and boosting our wellbeing.
This month has seen Mental Health Awareness Week and we believe spending time immersed in nature is one of the best ways to support mental health.
With more than 80 nature reserves across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, BBOWT offers countless opportunities to enjoy inspiring wildlife moments and revitalising green spaces.
Here are six spectacular sites to explore this May to re-charge your batteries, ground yourself, and take pleasure in all that nature has to offer.
Bowdown Woods
This complex of woodlands near Newbury is a feast for the senses in May.
Ancient trees and woodland flowers, including sweeping bluebell displays, line paths that rise and fall through three distinct areas: Bowdown, Baynes and a historic bomb site.
The mix of damp valleys and drier slopes supports a wide range of birds, butterflies and spring blooms.
A circular six-mile trail links the reserve with nearby countryside for those seeking a longer escape.
Download the Wild Walk One route from bbowt.org.uk/wild-walks
Loddon Nature Reserve
On the edge of Twyford, Loddon Nature Reserve is a peaceful 14-hectare site transformed from a former gravel pit into a vital wetland habitat.
The reed-fringed lake and surrounding scrub are a magnet for wildlife in spring, especially breeding wetland birds.
Look out for great crested grebes performing their elegant courtship dances, and listen out for the call of reed warblers hidden among the reeds.
As dusk falls, bats skim low over the water in search of insects, making this reserve a serene spot for wildlife watching at any time of day.
Aston Clinton Ragpits
Just a few minutes’ walk from Wendover Woods, this small but ecologically rich reserve bursts with life in spring.
Eight species of orchid and over 25 butterfly varieties have been recorded here, making it a perfect choice for nature lovers.
Visit on Sunday, May 25, to join a guided walk with the warden and gain deeper insight into this abundant chalk grassland habitat.
Dancersend with
Pavis Woods
In this tranquil Chiltern valley near Tring, spring arrives in waves – first the bluebells
and primroses, then the fluttering butterflies of early summer.
Dancersend’s ancient woodland glades and wildflower meadows support rare species like the chalkhill blue and the elusive wood vetch, found nowhere else in Buckinghamshire.
Warburg Nature Reserve
Hidden in a quiet Chilterns valley near Henley-on-Thames, Warburg Nature Reserve is a place of serenity and seasonal splendour.
In May, early purple orchids and carpets of bluebells fill the ancient woodland, while butterflies dance across the sunny chalk grasslands.
Red kites soar overhead, and bird song fills the air.
The reserve is hilly in places, and a tramper mobility vehicle can be booked in advance to help less mobile visitors explore.
Hartslock Nature Reserve
Perched above a bend in the Thames near Goring, Hartslock boasts one of Oxon’s most iconic views, and one of its rarest flowers.
The steep chalk slopes here are home to a thriving population of monkey orchids, which bloom in mid-May and are found in only two other places in the UK.
Incredibly, Hartslock is also the only site where a natural hybrid of the monkey and lady orchid has been recorded.
No parking is available onsite, so enjoy a short scenic walk from Goring along the Thames Path to get there.
For more information including directions, opening times and accessibility, visit bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves.
