Thames Valley Park Management aim to maintain and enhance existing habitats in the 24-acre nature reserve and floodplain with the support of ecologist Jonathan Adey. In addition to providing a pleasant and peaceful environment at the park, TVP aim to grow the diversity of wildlife onsite.

By working with Jonathan and implementing a habitat management plan, TVP ensure habitats will continue to evolve by reviewing the habitat establishment and plant survival. This in turn helps us to understand the habitat development and diversification from the original planting specification. The result of this will provide a range of habitats for invertebrates, birds, herpetofauna and mammals.

The larger meadows adjacent to the River Thames were sown with wildflower seeds in Summer 2020, with the intention of creating a species diverse area. This acts as a seed dispersal site for diversifying neighbouring areas of grassland. Seven months on and the grassland is already starting to show signs of greater diversity, with plant species including salad burnet, wild carrot, and ox-eye daisy being present throughout.

Since 2020, a total of 64 bird species have been recorded on the park – an increase of 24 species since 2014. The majority of these species are associated with the woodland, ponds and the River Thames. Bird species include red kite, shoveller ducks and linnet. While bird species have increased, wintering bird numbers have declined, including teal and tufted ducks. This is likely to be a result of water bodies being more open since tree felling around the ponds has become more frequent.   

Bush cricket species, butterflies and dragonfly numbers remain the same, with downy emerald and hairy hawker dragonfly commonly seen around the pond areas.

The chart below shows the types of birds that are currently present at the park. A status of each of bird is listed to show red, amber, or green according to their conservation concern.

No.Common nameScientific nameStatus20142020
1Black headed gullLarus ridibundusAmberXX
2BlackbirdTurdus merula XX
3BlackcapSylvia atricapilla XX
4Blue titCyanistes caeruleus XX
5BuzzardButeo buteo XX
6Canada gooseBranta Canadensis XX
7Carrion crowCorvus corone XX
8Cetti’s warblerCettia cettiWCA X
9ChaffinchFringilla coelebs XX
10ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita XX
11Common ternSterna hirundoAmberXX
12CootFulica atra XX
13CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo  X
14CuckooCuculus canorusRed, BAPXX
15DunnockPrunella modularisAmber X
16Egyptian gooseAlopochen aegyptiacus  X
17FieldfareTurdus pilarisRed, BAP X
18GadwallAnas streperaAmber X
19Garden warblerSylvia borin XX
20GoldcrestRegulus regulus  X
21GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis  X
22Great crested grebePodiceps cristatus  X
23Great spotted woodpeckerDendrocopus major XX
24Great titParus major XX
25GreenfinchCarduelis chloris XX
26Green woodpeckerPicus viridis  X
27Grey wagtailMotacilla cinereaRed, BAP X
28HeronArdea cinerea XX
29House sparrowPasser domesticusRed, BAP X
30JayGarrulus glandarius  X
31JackdawCorvus monedula XX
32KestrelFalco tinnunculusAmberXX
33KingfisherAlcedo atthisAmber, WCA X
34Lesser black-backed gullLarusfuscusAmber X
35Lesser spotted woodpeckerDendrocopus minorRed, BAP X
36Little egretEgretta garzetta XX
37LinnetLinaria cannabina  X
38Long-tailed titAegithalos caudatus XX
39MagpiePica pica XX
40MallardAnas platyrhynchosAmberXX
41Mandarin duckAix galericulata X 
42MoorhenGallinula chloropus XX
43Mute swanCygnus olorAmberXX
44NuthatchSitta europaea  X
45PheasantPhasianus colchius  X
46Red kiteMilvus milvusWCAXX
47RedwingTurdus iliacusRed, BAP X
48Reed buntingEmberiza schoeniclusAmberXX
49Reed warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus XX
50RobinErithacus rubecula XX
51Sedge warblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus XX
52ShovelerAnas clypeataAmber X
53SkylarkAlauda arvensisRed, BAPXX
54Song thrushTurdus philomelosRed, BAP X
55StarlingSturnus vulgarisRed, BAPXX
56Stock doveColumba oenasAmberXX
57SwiftApus apusAmberXX
58TealAnas creccaAmber X
59Tree creeperCerthia familiaris  X
60Tufted duckAythya fuligula  X
61WhitethroatSylvia communis  X
62Willow warblerPhylloscopus trochilusAmberXX
63Wood pigeonColumba palumbus XX
64WrenTroglodytes troglodytes XX

If you would like to find out more information on the local wildlife at Thames Valley Park, please contact General Manager, Rachael Millward at Rachael.millward@savillspm.co.uk.