
One unwelcome invader to our rivers is the North American Signal Crayfish, a ferocious cannibal that will eat anything that comes its way, fish eggs, ducklings, young Moorhens and has all but finished off our indigenous species. Apart from doing harm to our wildlife they can collapse a river bank by their constant burrowing. The River Ock has its share of this monster and Steve has been doing his best to control them (over 100 in 3 days from a 10 meter stretch) You have to be licensed by the E.A to catch them and putting them back is forbidden, (failure to comply carries a hefty fine) but they do make for good eating!

Category Archives: wildlife
Swan Upping 2014

The Swan Uppers completed their five day annual census of swans in Abingdon-on-Thames this afternoon.

They caught a swan and 5 cygnets off Wilsham Road in Abingdon.

Swan Upping is partly ceremonial and partly scientific. Swans are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released.

There were more swans on the Thames this year than last.

The ceremonial part ended at Abingdon Bridge with a toast to ‘The Queen’.
Old Gaol Heron Moved On

The tree in front of the Old Gaol was chopped down last week as development work moved to the Old Gaol itself and the waterfront.

The Old Gaol Heron will have to find another roost.

Here is a flash back to how the tree used to look – pictured for posterity.
Car Crash and Coots Nest
Thanks to Steve for some pictures.

He says “The first was taken at 7.30am yesterday. Not sure if you’ve seen the various rubber marks in the new road surface along Preston Road? But clearly the local nutcases are enjoying the quicker, smoother tarmac. And this car was buried in the hedge outside Thameside School!”

Steve also send a picture of some of the new artwork on Preston Road.

And “a Coots nest along Wilsham Road, sited among the rubbish.”