View from the window

Looking out of the top window of my house gives me a bird’s-eye view of the neighbourhood with each back garden showing its individuality – perfect rows of vegetables and a well kempt lawn in one, gravel and weeds in another, a pond buzzing with wildlife in a third . . . Strips of beech hedge, rows of espalier or simple fences divide the plots, but what strikes me most of all is that I can see all the way to Boars Hill with its band of woods overlooking the city.

Turning a blind eye

Maybe I am turning a blind eye to the buildings, cars and tarmac, but it astonishes me that there is so much green space in our city. This is good, not only for wildlife, but also for us. It has been shown that people who have access to good quality natural green space near to where they live tend to be more active, have a reduced risk of obesity and heart disease, and have lower stress levels.

Running wild

Perhaps this is what has led me to combining my two favourite pastimes – wildlife enthusiast and keen runner. Although occasionally I still find myself pounding down a pavement or impatiently jogging on the spot at the side of the road, inhaling traffic fumes while waiting to cross, on the whole I have found places to run that have opened up a world of wildlife to my eyes.

Heart of Oxford

The River Thames is at the heart of Oxford providing a corridor for wildlife through the city; it helps many different species, such as otters and bats, to move around the countryside. Jogging along the towpath is the obvious place to experience the freedom of running surrounded by stunning scenery and combined with the chance of spotting the metallic blue flash of a passing kingfisher or the still reflection of a heron watching its prey.

But if you turn off the towpath into BBOWT’s Iffley Meadows, you will discover a floodplain meadow which is rich in wildlife. At this time of year, the hay has been cut and Belted Galloways (a rather handsome breed of cattle) are grazing. This practice, known as ‘aftermath grazing’, encourages the fantastic display of flowers that can be seen in spring starting with the nodding heads of hundreds of purple snake’s-head fritillaries.

Fantastic view

If I fancy a more challenging circuit, I wind my way out of the city towards Risinghurst where I run up through BBOWT’s CS Lewis Nature Reserve, perhaps stopping to see dragonflies darting over the pond. From here there is a lovely, if a bit steep, public footpath which leads on to Shotover Country Park with its fantastic view of the city below. On the way back down, I try to go from one green space to another, taking in the Lye Valley and Warneford Meadow. This way I am stopped in my tracks by fascinating wildlife not by a stream of traffic.

Get involved To find out more about BBOWT’s nature reserves in Oxfordshire, or about volunteering with the Trust (another great way to combine getting fit with wildlife spotting), visit www.bbowt.org.uk or call 01865 775476.