Wildlife

Aston’s Eyot is home to a wide range of animals and plants. As you enjoy the reserve, take a look around and see how many different species you can spot. Deer and foxes are regularly seen during the day, you might see a badger or bats flying at dusk, and there are lots of different birds, butterflies, moths and other insects, frogs and toads, and the occasional (harmless) grass snake.

Aston’s Eyot was once a flood meadow, but you might be surprised to know that it was used as Oxford’s rubbish tip from Edwardian times to the 1940’s! Keep an eye out for interesting fragments of bottles and ceramics dating from that time. Since then it has developed into a mosaic of habitats with woodland (both planted & spontaneous), scrub, and open areas of nettle with some grassland. For over a decade, The Friends of Aston’s Eyot has taken practical action to manage the land, restore and create habitats, and introduce paths and ensuring a mix of open areas, scrub and woodland that has wide local appeal. For more details on how we do this, you can learn how we manage the eyot.

The Kidneys is the City Council owned nature reserve that adjoins Aston’s Eyot, and can be accessed from Meadow Lane or across the footbridge from Aston’s Eyot. For both the wildlife and people, the two together a single unit in many ways with complementary habitats. The wildlife also moves to and from the adjoining flood meadows Long Meadow and the low extension to the Kidneys Swan Island (also called Iffley Island or Great Kidney), neither of which are accessible to people.

What can you find on Aston’s Eyot and the Kidneys?

As the habitats range from grazed water-meadow (Long Meadow) through rough grassland and hay meadow (The Kidneys) to tall herbs, flower rich grassland, bramble patches, scrub and woodland (Aston’s Eyot), with waterways added, there is quite a range of species of animal and plant found on the site.

Lists of the animals and plants we have found are in the links below, but here are some key ones to look out for.

Larger animals

There are two species of deer here: Muntjac and Roe deer are regularly seen, most easily in winter when the nettles are down. There are usually 4-6 Roe; they are shy, graceful animals. Muntjac are more numerous (up to 18) and about the size of a large dog – you may see one crossing the path in front of you, and hear their curious barking call.

Animals love following paths, and the Eyot is criss-crossed with tracks used by deer, foxes and badgers. You’ll know they are not human paths when they dive through low hanging branches and brambles! Look out for footprints – the “slot” prints of deer are the most recognisable.

Foxes can sometimes be spotted crossing a path or resting among the vegetation. Badgers are strictly nocturnal but occasionally seen at dawn and dusk.  There are numerous burrows of both species, the badgers concentrated in three main setts in secluded areas but with odd burrows popping up anywhere. Fox burrows tend to be round, whereas badgers have slightly larger ones more like the top half of a circle. Foxes will sometimes take up residence in badger setts too. You can also find badger latrines – small holes dug in which they defaecate – and patches of digging where they are looking for earthworms.  You’ll also find numerous molehills as earthworm numbers are high, but you are very unlikely to see a mole.

Good sightings: weasel, otter, water vole. We hope you don’t see a mink, but let us know if you do, as with anything of interest.

Birds

The Eyot is an excellent area for common woodland and wood-edge species not often found in urban areas. Breeding birds include sparrowhawk, stock dove, green woodpecker, blackcap, garden warbler, whitethroat and long-tailed tit. Kites, buzzards, jays and kingfishers are regularly seen. In winter redwings and fieldfares join local thrushes on the berries, while siskins and goldfinches feed on the alder seeds, with occasional redpolls. Moorhens and occasionally water rail lurk in the ditch. See the list in the links below with more details.

Frogs and toads

They used to be more numerous than they are now – most often seen hopping away when we’re doing conservation work. Smooth newts are found in the ditch and ponds. Grass snakes are occasionally seen, usually in the water or along the banks; if you see a snake it will be this harmless snake not an adder which are not seen in Oxfordshire now.

Butterflies

Very numerous. Plantation Path is a particularly good place look on a sunny day. The less common Brown Hairstreak is hard to see but lays eggs on the blackthorn.

Plants

Over 430 species have been recorded here, see the list in links below. Here are a few to look out for:

Flowers. What plants you see will depend on the habitat, with different assemblages in woodland, grassland and other open areas, and along the water’s edge. In woodland, look out for garlic mustard (white flowers), ground ivy (low plant with blue flowers), wild garlic, primrose, foxglove, green alkanet (comfrey like with blue flowers) and lords and ladies (an arum) – with Red Campion only in deer exclosures. Along path edges and unprotected grassland: ground ivy, welted thistle, ragwort, ox-eye daisies, yellow cinquefoil. On the Old Knotweed Patch add wild marjoram, yellow toadflax, Lady’s bedstraw, mullein and weld. In grassland deer exclosures  you may see a wide variety of meadow species (cowslips, knapweeds, geraniums, scabious, campions, yellow rattle, daisies, teasels and hogweed). On the Kidneys Field, the deer graze less, and there are swathes of yarrow and blue chicory, with many other plants in the pollinator patches here (including a non-native Salvia). On ditch and river banks look out in spring for cuckoo-flower, and snakes head fritillaries on Swan Island (or Iffley Island / Great Kidney) adjacent to the Kidneys; later in summer find purple loosestrife, hemp agrimony, marsh woundwort, orange balsam, yellow flags and other classic Thames-side plants (look particularly in fenced deer exclosures as most of these are very palatable). Good sightings: orchids, Star of Bethlehem

Trees. The commonest large tree is the ash, with their delicate multi sectioned (pinnate) leaves. Crack willows are the trees which often drop large branches, with the very old ones along the water’s edge pollarded (cut regularly to a certain height) to prolong their lives. Some of these hollow ones near collapse have wonderful shapes. Look out also for oaks and alder.  Smaller trees and shrubs are mostly flowering and include hawthorn, field maple, elder, rowan, wild cherries, blackthorn, hazel, spindle, dogwood, guelder rose (a viburnum) and dog roses. Look out too for fruit trees, mainly apple but also cherry plum, pear and walnut.

Our conservation

The Friends of Aston’s Eyot is the charity which looks after the eyot. We are a passionate and committed group of local residents, carrying out conservation work.

Nature lists

What to look for?

We’ve put together a series of guides designed around each month on the eyot. You can download the monthly guides to help you identify the flora and fauna you may come across on the eyot.

Wildlife cameras

We have camera traps set up on Aston’s Eyot. From badgers, to curious muntjar deer, our cameras always throw up something interesting. We’ve put the best clips on a dedicated page for you to see.