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 name | Scientific name | Status | 2014 | 2020 |
1 | Black headed gull | Larus ridibundus | Amber | X | X |
2 | Blackbird | Turdus merula | X | X | |
3 | Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | X | X | |
4 | Blue tit | Cyanistes caeruleus | X | X | |
5 | Buzzard | Buteo buteo | X | X | |
6 | Canada goose | Branta Canadensis | X | X | |
7 | Carrion crow | Corvus corone | X | X | |
8 | Cetti’s warbler | Cettia cetti | WCA | X | |
9 | Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | X | X | |
10 | Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | X | X | |
11 | Common tern | Sterna hirundo | Amber | X | X |
12 | Coot | Fulica atra | X | X | |
13 | Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | X | ||
14 | Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | Red, BAP | X | X |
15 | Dunnock | Prunella modularis | Amber | X | |
16 | Egyptian goose | Alopochen aegyptiacus | X | ||
17 | Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | Red, BAP | X | |
18 | Gadwall | Anas strepera | Amber | X | |
19 | Garden warbler | Sylvia borin | X | X | |
20 | Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | X | ||
21 | Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | X | ||
22 | Great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | X | ||
23 | Great spotted woodpecker | Dendrocopus major | X | X | |
24 | Great tit | Parus major | X | X | |
25 | Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris | X | X | |
26 | Green woodpecker | Picus viridis | X | ||
27 | Grey wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | Red, BAP | X | |
28 | Heron | Ardea cinerea | X | X | |
29 | House sparrow | Passer domesticus | Red, BAP | X | |
30 | Jay | Garrulus glandarius | X | ||
31 | Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | X | X | |
32 | Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | Amber | X | X |
33 | Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | Amber, WCA | X | |
34 | Lesser black-backed gull | Larusfuscus | Amber | X | |
35 | Lesser spotted woodpecker | Dendrocopus minor | Red, BAP | X | |
36 | Little egret | Egretta garzetta | X | X | |
37 | Linnet | Linaria cannabina | X | ||
38 | Long-tailed tit | Aegithalos caudatus | X | X | |
39 | Magpie | Pica pica | X | X | |
40 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Amber | X | X |
41 | Mandarin duck | Aix galericulata | X | ||
42 | Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | X | X | |
43 | Mute swan | Cygnus olor | Amber | X | X |
44 | Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | X | ||
45 | Pheasant | Phasianus colchius | X | ||
46 | Red kite | Milvus milvus | WCA | X | X |
47 | Redwing | Turdus iliacus | Red, BAP | X | |
48 | Reed bunting | Emberiza schoeniclus | Amber | X | X |
49 | Reed warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | X | X | |
50 | Robin | Erithacus rubecula | X | X | |
51 | Sedge warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | X | X | |
52 | Shoveler | Anas clypeata | Amber | X | |
53 | Skylark | Alauda arvensis | Red, BAP | X | X |
54 | Song thrush | Turdus philomelos | Red, BAP | X | |
55 | Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Red, BAP | X | X |
56 | Stock dove | Columba oenas | Amber | X | X |
57 | Swift | Apus apus | Amber | X | X |
58 | Teal | Anas crecca | Amber | X | |
59 | Tree creeper | Certhia familiaris | X | ||
60 | Tufted duck | Aythya fuligula | X | ||
61 | Whitethroat | Sylvia communis | X | ||
62 | Willow warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | Amber | X | X |
63 | Wood pigeon | Columba palumbus | X | X | |
64 | Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | X | X |
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.