Districts:
South Oxfordshire Parishes
Sandford-on-Thames
The following wildlife habitats fall within this parish. They are listed according to their associated landscape type or local character area.
If you want more information about any of the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) listed below, take a look at English Nature's Nature on the Map website. It may also be possible to find out a bit more about the unnamed wildlife habitats in the parish by contacting the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (owls@oxfordshire.gov.uk) and quoting the site code next to the habitat description.
The majority of these wildlife habitats are on private land and access to them is not possible without permission of the landowner, unless there is a statutory right of way. However, many wildlife habitats in the county are open to the public. More information on these can be obtained from the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum.
Wildlife Habitats
Alluvial Lowlands
Site Code: 50Q07
Area: 14.1ha
This site is an area of long established woodland surrounding an electricity substation. The woodland is very mixed with sycamore, ash, oak, birch, alder, willows and planted poplar. There are also areas of scrub. There are a few woodland wildflowers including pignut and goldilocks buttercup. Early purple orchid has been recorded in the past. There are open grassy areas with oxeye daisy where common spotted orchid has been seen in the past and damp areas with bugle.
The site provides good habitat for birds. Song thrush, which is priority for nature conservation due to the rapid decline in its numbers, nests here. Other birds present include whitethroat, garden warbler, dunnock and blackcap.
River Meadowlands
Site Code: 50G11
This site is an area of tall wetland vegetation. It is dominated by large sedges, reeds and bulrush. This habitat is known as swamp because it is regularly inundated with water. This type of habitat is rare in Oxfordshire and it is a national priority for nature conservation. Such habitat is usually valuable for birds The site also has drier areas with tall purple flowered willowherb.
Site Code: 50G16
Area: 2.5ha
This riverside pasture is quite wet and has escaped agricultural improvement through the use of herbicides and fertilizers or ploughing and reseeding. It is rich in wildflowers and has patches of tall wetland vegetation. This type of wet grassland is a national priority for nature conservation.
The field has a mixture of grassland and wetland wildflowers. These include the rare snake’s-head fritillary, which is found in only a few meadows mainly along or close to the Thames, the uncommon marsh stitchwort and common spotted orchid.