Pictured near the River Ock. I thought it best to leave them for any birds that may need them over the winter. I wasn’t sure they were really cherries.

Having done yesterdays post on the basis of a dog walk I got some more expert information from the people who live and breathe Barton Fields and so am rewriting it in their words, but will leave the old one in place – so 2 days with the same pictures and different words …

The Longmead Lake area and its surrounding reedbeds and ponds has been sold to a private individual who it is understood will be using the lake for angling. The lake and surrounding area were restored under the regulation of the County Ecologist and includes a number of ponds and reedbeds. This area is a haven for wildlife including Water Voles, which have declined drastically in the UK in recent years.

The tree under threat of felling is one of only 2000 to 3000 Native Black Poplars left in the UK and are UK Biodiversity Action Plan species. Members of Abingdon Naturalists Society will do their utmost to preserve this tree, which has a preservation order on it. Old and rotting trees are havens for all sorts of wildlife including rare and endangered invertebrates.

The closely mown wildflower meadow in Barton Fields has recently been sown with a wildflower seed mixture and nearly 500 plants of species appropriate to a floodplain meadow. This is part of a Breathing Places project (Lottery funded).

With the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change in five weeks time there is the chance to influence it and maybe save some trees by sending a Rainforest SOS message.

Longmead Lake has now been sold – I believe to a private concern. It is very close to, and overlooked by, the Sophos Offices on Abingdon Science Park. ( I don’t know whether Sophos or somebody else bought it.)

This tree will soon need to be felled. It is near the top of the permissive footpath that crosses direct from Barton Lane to the River Thames.

And there are notices saying that the Abingdon Naturalist Society Green Team and other volunteers are creating a 2 acre wild flower meadow using native species.