Snakeshead fritillaries of Ducklington Mead SSSI

On Sunday 19^th April Ducklington Mead was due to be opened up to the public for Fritillary Sunday, an annual event where visitors can walk through the meadow and admire the Snakeshead fritillaries. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled this year but we’re sharing some photographs from previous years… we’ll have to wait until 2021 to see the real thing!

Spring 2018

Ducklington Mead lies just south of Witney and is the only meadow of its type in the Lower Windrush Valley. It is designated a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) both for its rare hay meadow plant community and its population of snakeshead fritillary.

 

Spring 2019

The rare snakeshead fritillaries at Ducklington Mead are only found on a handful of sites in the UK. They tend to be associated with meadows as they need to flower and set seed in order to survive. The traditional hay cut in early July enables this to happen; they do not survive in areas subjected to grazing in spring.

This photograph shows the meadow later in the season - Summer 2003

Wildlife at home

Our gardens, both small and large, can be a haven for wildlife. With people spending more time than usual at home this Spring, here are some of our suggestions to keep you busy and give wildlife a helping hand:

• Create a small pond in an old washing up basin or large planter.

RSPB has a guide to creating a small pond like this here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/createaminipond/

• Create a hedgehog highway

In other words, create small openings between boundaries (fences or walls) so that Hedgehogs can move easily between gardens – ask for permission before making any holes in fences!

• Build a Bug Hotel

It doesn’t have to be as large as this! You could even use an old plastic milk or drinks bottle with the end cut off.

Again, RSPB has a nice guide for this activity: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/build-a-bug-hotel/

• Let your grass grow

Leave some of your lawn unmown to benefit wildflowers and insects

If you’re keen to record wildlife in your garden there are many surveys to take part in from home. Here are a few of our favourites:

PTES Living with Mammals  

BTO Garden BirdWatch

Butterfly Conservation Garden Butterfly Survey

Freshwater Habitat Trust Spawn Survey