Friends of Lye Valley
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friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Friends of Lye Valley
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
860 followers 290 following 2.5K posts
We care for this 14,000 year-old internationally rare habitat, a tufa-forming alkaline spring fen, together with the calcareous grassland of Rock Edge. Headington, Oxford.
www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk
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friendlyevalley.bsky.social
A very cold and frosty morning for our volunteers today, but at least we had sunshine!
#OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration #OX3 @judywebb.bsky.social
A landscape view down a shallow valley. Almost everything is covered with frost. Starting at the bottom right corner and snaking the full length of the valley is a boardwalk. Near bottom right a man in a hi-vis jacket and carrying a dark rucksack is walking away from the camera. At upper right and in the distance are a number of trees, some of which still have autumn coloured leaves. Low sunshine is hitting the right hand side and middle distance of the view. The sky is blue with a few low white clouds.
November 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
It's remarkable how much #FenRestoration (and other #conservation work) comes down to the repetition of these two simple tasks. Scything and raking. Maybe not glamorous (especially the raking!), but vital to controlling rank vegetation and letting other plants thrive.
#OxfordshireFens #GreenSpaces 🌍
Roughly in the centre of the photo a man with wellies, light coloured trousers and shirt with a darker anorak is raking a large pile of cut reed down a slope towards him. In the background a large stand of reed waiting to be cut. Roughly in the centre of the photo a man facing to the left with dark trousers and wellies with a blue checked shirt is using a scythe to cut the reed in front of him. In the foreground a heap of material he has already cut, while on the left of the photo an area waiting to be cut. In the background is a mostly featureless area of short mostly greenish vegetation.
November 25, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
guyshrubsole.bsky.social
‘Is there anything we can do to alleviate flash flooding?’

Lots - & it’s good to see @floodmary.bsky.social talking here about working with nature, reducing paved areas & rain gardens

But we also need land use change across whole catchments - more trees, restored peat
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Is there anything we can do to alleviate flash floods in the West Midlands
Experts say housebuilding and concrete drives are making floods worse, but that there are things we can do.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
tombedford.bsky.social
-3° in the Lye Valley, Oxford, this morning, but wintering warblers were the highlight. A record winter count of 6 Blackcaps, plus 2 Chiffchaffs, were present. Pyracantha berries were most popular with the Blackcaps.
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
#patchbirding
#oxford #ukbirding
Two male Blackcaps Female type Blackcap Fox and Muntjac Deer A frozen Lye Valley boardwalk
November 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Autumn in the Lye Valley.
Our scything team have done a great job in cutting large parts of both the east and west SSSI. Lots still to do though, and we've now got a huge backlog of cut material waiting to be taken off the fen.
#OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration #OX3 🌍
A view looking south down a shallow valley. In the foreground scattered brownish cut material. Large parts of the Valley have short green vegetation, though some areas still have longer brown vegetation. On the right of the photo starting at the centre point and old Willow pollard with thin branches growing up. A brown boardwalk snakes through the centre of the Valley, while in the background are a number of trees, mostly without leaves, though a few have yellowish leaves still. The sky is grey with some darker clouds present.
November 20, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
judywebb.bsky.social
Luscious Guelder Rose berries for birds & attractive coloured leaves on Wild Service trees & Turkey tail fungi in Lye Valley. I love autumn! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
oxfordclarion.bsky.social
*looks out the window*
Is this a good time to remind you all about our guest article on helping to prevent flood risk with plants?!

oxfordclarion.uk/how-plants-c...
How plants can help reduce flood risk
When I lived in Scotland, people often used to say to me “Don’t worry if you’re not happy with the weather, it’ll change in 15 minutes.” And they weren’t lying. It wasn’t uncommon to have all four sea...
oxfordclarion.uk
November 14, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
judywebb.bsky.social
Good news; the section of Lye Valley fen boardwalk destroyed by arson in the summer has been repaired by Oxford City Council Parks staff- thanks! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 3:48 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
For those that had trouble spotting the bird, here's a cropped image showing a Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) rather more clearly.
#Birds #UKWildlife #UrbanBirding
Just to the right and slightly above centre is a small bird facing away from the camera. The overall impression is light grey, though its flanks and the base of its tail are yellow. To its right is some low growing green vegetation, while the rest of the background shows very shallow water with lots of dead Willow leaves.
November 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
An easy one for Monday morning. Spot the bird. 😃
#birds #UKWildlife
A photo of mixed green vegetation with shallow running water going from roughly top left to bottom right.
November 10, 2025 at 9:49 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Decades ago, part of the Lye Brook was deepened and widened, with peat piled on the banks. One side effect was to block the flow of spring water here. We've made a start on reprofiling this part of the fen, with a view to rewetting this currently dry area. 🌍
#OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration
Roughly in the centre of the photo two men with spades are standing on a raised area of ground. Behind them is a mass of green vegetation, and in front of them bare earth. They're gradually removing peat from this raised area (and mostly our of shot, piling it up to make a bund). To their right is a small trench with a black pipe in it, and at extreme right a couple of dark rucksacks.
November 8, 2025 at 9:23 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Finally some dramatic autumn colours in the Valley. The three tress on the right are some of our disease resistant Elms planted around seven years ago with help from @upperthames.bsky.social to try to attract White-letter Hairstreak butterflies. None yet, but fingers crossed!
#HabitatRestoration 🌍
In the background of the photo to the left is an Oak tree with a mixture of coloured leaves, some still green, some yellow and some brown. To the right are the Dutch Elm disease resistant Elms, which have predominantly yellow leaves. The sky is a mixture of light grey and white. In the foreground is a strip of dead brown vegetation, while immediately behind it is a strip of Reed which is a mixture of brown and green.
November 7, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
tombedford.bsky.social
Bringing the Birds of the Lye Valley to the people of Headington Quarry, Oxford, this evening. Great to share pictures and stories about local birds with so many interested people. I’m repeating this talk in January, watch this space!
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
#patchbirding #headington #Oxford
November 6, 2025 at 9:44 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Delighted to spot this Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in the Valley this morning. An occasional visitor here, they love fishing in our ponds. 😍
#birds #UKWildlife #OX3 #OxfordshireFens 📷
@everyheron.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social
A medium sized all white bird with a black beak, black legs, and yellow feet is perched on a branch of an oak tree. To the left of the photo from top to bottom is the tree trunk. The Egret is surrounded by still mostly green leaves, while in the background are a number of fallen autumn-coloured leaves.
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
tombedford.bsky.social
Finally caught up with the Kingfisher that has been visiting the Lye Valley top ponds. Also a Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs are still hanging on into November in the Lye Valley woods.
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
#ukbirding
#OxonBirding
Kingfisher, Lye Valley, Oxford.
November 3, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
judywebb.bsky.social
We in @friendlyevalley.bsky.social would like to thank all at @oxconservation.bsky.social vols for a great work session last weekend, raking cuttings up & lots of scrub work at the #LyeVally #SSSI south #fen section. This maintains this tiny site in private ownership's stunningly rich biodiversity.👏
October 30, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
tombedford.bsky.social
If you are in the Oxford area next Thursday, I’m giving a talk on the birds of the Lye Valley area. It’s a multimedia presentation (pictures and calls!) covering the resident and migratory birds recorded in this part of the city. See you there!

@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
#Oxonbirding
#Oxford
Flyer designed by the local eco group. Thursday 6th November, 7:30pm, Coach House, Quarry Road, Oxford OX3 8NU - see you there!
October 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Another day, another #IDRequest. 😀
Does anybody know what this tiny orange weevil is? Found on our boardwalk a couple of days ago.
#insects #invertebrates #OxfordshireFens
In the centre of the photo a small orange weevil seen from the side and behind. The typical elongated head is slightly out of focus. The left diagonal part of the photo is black, while the rest shows a dark brown boardwalk made of recycled plastic.
October 24, 2025 at 8:36 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
We unearthed this Silphid (?) beetle this week. We understand they eat snails? Anyway, can anybody give an ID from this photo?
#IDRequest #insects #beetles #invertebrates
@judywebb.bsky.social
A small black shiny beetle is facing top left. Its antennae are just about visible, as are a couple of legs. It's sitting on a dark brown plastic boardwalk.
October 23, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
tombedford.bsky.social
The first hour of light produced a decent selection of overhead migrants over the Lye Valley area, Oxford, this morning, incl the 8th Linnet and 5th Brambling records for this site. The audio highlights are here:

macaulaylibrary.org/asset/643926...

@friendlyevalley.bsky.social
#ukbirding
#vizmig
ML643926755 - Soundscape: A montage of bird calls over Warneford Meadow, Oxford. Beginning with calling Goldcrests (0:02) and autumn-singing Chiffchaffs (0:17); then migrating Chaffinches (0:25); a fl...
Macaulay Library ML643926755; © Tom Bedford; Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
macaulaylibrary.org
October 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
With four scythers on site this morning, we're making great progress with clearing the fen. We cut a block on the east side of the Valley, and a larger area on the west side (pictured below). Lots more work for our rakers though... 😀
#OxfordshireFens #Conservation #FenRestoration #OX3 #SSSI
🌍
In the foreground, and just to the right of centre a man in short sleeves wearing blue trousers and wellies is using a scythe. In the distance are a number of trees, while in the mid ground a gently sloping area of green, mostly short vegetation.
October 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Our seed collection continues. This time from two of our commoner plants, Angelica and Purple Loosestrife. Both are firm favourites with bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The seed will be spread in areas of the fen we're still restoring.
#OxfordshireFens #OX3
A woman with a light blue hat, blue top with white sleeves and light coloured trousers is facing to the right. She has a small bright red rucksack on her back. In her left hand is a large black plastic bag, and in her right, a pair of secateurs. She's surrounded by waist high vegetation which is mostly reddish brown. A woman in a bright red and dark blue anorak with a small black rucksack is standing on a boardwalk with two small plastic bags in her left hand and a pair of secateurs in her right. She has light blue jeans and green wellies. She's facing a mass of almost head height vegetation.
October 21, 2025 at 9:04 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Scything Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris). Near Threatened in England, it flourishes here. Once cut it will be used as "green hay" in areas of the fen we're restoring to reinforce its local population.
#FenRestoration #OxfordshireFens #RedList 🌍
@bsbibotany.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social
A man wearing a blue checked shirt, dark blue peaked cap, and light grey trousers is using a scythe to cut an area of brown vegetation in front of him. The background is a mix of green and yellowing shrubs.
October 19, 2025 at 9:19 AM
friendlyevalley.bsky.social
Delighted to welcome two new volunteers to the Valley this week! They were quickly put to work raking the west fen and carrying the cut material to build up the eroded banks of the Lye Brook.
#OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration #OX3 #SSSI #LocalWildlifeSite @judywebb.bsky.social
🌰🌍
To the left of the photo a young man in dark blue clothing is holding a rake with yellow prongs above a pile of cut reed and rush. In the centre a young woman in bright red bobble hat, dark top and bright green leggings also has a rake. Immediately behind the cut reed is a dark green drag sheet, and running from left to right is a brown boardwalk. Behind that is an area of green vegetation. At the far left of the photo a young man in dark clothing with his sleeves rolled up is wearing dark gloves. In the centre of the photo a young woman in bright red bobble hat, dark top and yellow wellies is carrying a drag sheet stuffed with a roll of cut reed and rush. She's walking over an area of short green vegetation while in the background are carious mostly dark green shrubs and ivy plants.
October 17, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Friends of Lye Valley
judywebb.bsky.social
Oxford Brookes Uni students had a great time recently in #LyeValley #fen learning various coring techniques, studying peat & tufa sediments. They learnt what hard work it was! but some very interesting layers discovered, now for some lab study...
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM