About the Reserve
Farthinghoe Nature Reserve is 4 miles west of Brackley and is maintained by Brackley & District Wildlife Trust Local Group. The site, covering about four hectares, was once part of a railway between Brackley and Banbury and now consists of a patchwork of woodland, meadows and glades managed to achieve a diversity of habitats for wildlife. This often involves clearing large shrubs to create wider glades to allow butterflies to move along the reserve from one meadow to another. Also, by allowing the sun through this allows wild flowers to bloom giving a home and food to many insects. There is a 1 1/4 mile of paths taking you the entire length of the reserve with seating and a picnic bench.
There is wildlife interest all year round. In the summer it’s buzzing with bees and other insects, and over twenty species of butterfly are regularly recorded. Over 17 different species of dragonflies and damselflies abound in the summer months and over 800 species of moth have been recorded at the reserve!
There is also plenty of birdlife to see with flocks of finches including siskin, redpoll, brambling with fieldfare, and redwings in the winter and warblers in the summer.
Latest News
- 27th April, 2024
I regularly mow the mile and a quarter paths around the reserve.. the Mower is self propelled and pretty slow at about 2mph..which is ideal for spotting stuff as you walk along obviously keeping your eyes firmly ahead…….. so you are wandering ..why does it take him 2-3 hours to cut the paths?
Because I have to keep stopping as i’ve spotted something!!.
There was plenty of things to see you just have to look a bit harder as they were hunkering down on the vegetation but pretty sluggish in the chilly breeze. I spotted some really nice stuff I have never recorded before.. I sometimes have to collect any that need closer examination at home with microscopes and the like. so that takes even longer!
Heres a few highlights. Large Red Damselfly, Dotted Bee-fly, both the first of the year, One of theNomada bee species Nomada panzeri/ruficornis/flava/striata/villosa- resting on a Forget-me-not by grasping the stem with their jaws and just hang the sleeping.!. a couple of new beetle species- Nimbus obliteratus and Dacne bipustulata. A new plant bug Arocatus roeselii they can be found on Common alder and lastly a Cheilosia albitarsis/ranunculi agg. Hoverfly need close examination to be able to tell apart but it flew of before I could take a closer look.
I did eventually manage get the grass cut before dark!..
- 9th April, 2024
The work on the pond area continued yesterday with the crew working hard on the removal of the debris and alluvial silt being removed from the main pond. It is all taking shape nicely with the continuing of more slit being removed as the water drops.. Hopefully if the rains stops! Steve spotted the highlight of the morning several plants of Gypsywort- Lycopus europaeus growing. A new species for the reserve.. seeds must have been flushed into the pond with the flood water. Great work, thanks to Steve,Andy, Mike, Les and Graham ..
- 4th March, 2024
On a sunny morn we tackled the last scrub clearing of the spring season today around the Lower damp meadow. to open up the lower area from encroaching thorn and bramble.
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