Otmoor RSPB reserve

RSPB Otmoor is a nature reserve, run by the RSPB, within the wider area of Otmoor, in Oxfordshire, England. It was established in 1997 and restored large areas of marshland.

Otmoor is primarily wetland and in winter provides a home to thousands of waterfowl. It is increasingly becoming a vital wintering ground for thousands of wildfowl and waders. Over a thousand wigeons and teals have been recorded, whilst birds of prey such as merlins and peregrines are regularly seen. Large areas of Otmoor have benefited from extensive agriculture using traditional methods, resulting in good numbers of songbirds which are otherwise declining in the UK. These include: bullfinches, skylarks, reed buntings, grasshopper warblers and European turtle doves.

Spring and autumn both produces good numbers of passage migrants, including waders in the spring and common redstarts and whinchats in the autumn. The best time for marsh harriers is late April to mid-May. There are good numbers of breeding waders and recent RSPB work has increased the number of pairs of northern lapwings and common redshanks.

External links

• RSPB web page
• RSPB Podcast from Otmoor
• The wider Otmoor area
• Oxford Ornithological Society Otmoor Page