The start of the year is a time for looking back at 2025 and giving some thought to what’s coming up in 2026. For Cuttle Brook Conservation Volunteers (CBCV) 2025 was a big year. There were some welcome signs of success from our on-going work to increase the amount and variety of wildlife using the reserve. For example, our May bird survey produced some of our best results ever both in terms of the absolute numbers of birds seen and also in the number of different species. it’s been especially rewarding to see that nearly all of our recent arrivals - such as Cetti’s Warblers and Little Egret - are now regular visitors.
We’ve added several new plant species to the reserve’s list, mainly moisture loving plants colonising the new scrapes (despite the extended drought). Some new insects were seen too. This is an area where we need some help with identification to fully appreciate what we’ve got but the standout example has to be the Brown Hairstreak butterfly found and photographed by John Morris.
Our Otter population continues to do well, although they are secretive and rarely seen. No doubt they are benefitting from the improvements to the Brook and the excellent fish survey results which both the Environment Agency (EA) and the River Thame Conservation Trust (RTCT) recorded during the year. It has been a real pleasure and hugely empowering to continue CBCV’s close working relationship with the EA and particularly with RTCT. The improvements to the brook made directly by RTCT, including removal of a redundant weir that was blocking fish passage and digging two new scrapes on the reserve has been added to by CBCV creating four in-flow deflectors to reduce silt deposits, improving the brook bed for invertebrates and fish. The fish populations have responded immediately - but there’s more to come in ’26.
Some incoming species are less welcome than others and in 2025 a lot of effort was put into removing the invasive Himalayan Balsam from the brook’s banks downstream of the reserve. It will be an ongoing battle to keep it at bay. The arrival in the area of Ring-necked Parakeets is similarly unwelcome but harder for us to do anything about. If any of these bright green parrots visit your garden, please don’t feed them!
We can celebrate another year of failing to find any signs of the invasive American Mink on the reserve. This gives hope that our work to develop quiet ’nature first’ areas for Water Voles on the reserve may eventually bear fruit, especially given RTCT’s recent news that voles have been filmed nearby in the Thame catchment.
Areas of the reserve where we put nature first are vitally important given that the land occupied by the reserve could otherwise be a bottleneck in the Cuttle Brook corridor. But we also need to provide safe ‘highways’ for invertebrates, birds and mammals moving through the reserve, connecting the River Thame with a large part of its catchment south of the town. To this end we were fortunate to receive funding from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment to establish a new fence and hedgerow alongside the upstream scrape above Watkins’ Bridge. When established this hedge will provide the twin benefits of a quiet, nature first area around the scrape and a new, safe route connecting through the southern meadow.
So 2025 was a big year. Looking forwards into 2026 we will essentially be pushing forward with more of the same: the brook needs a few more deflectors, it needs more light so reducing the shading from bank-side shrubs, and we have plans with RTCT to improve the bottom profile of the brook by introducing gravel into selected lengths. It will be exciting to see how the scrapes continue to develop and we will be using trail cameras provided by RTCT to help us monitor the changes and the activity in and around the scrapes.
Look out also for exciting developments on Rycote and Nontron Meadows. These are our most important wildflower meadows and it has been a long-term aspiration to improve them further with a light grazing regime as well as continuing the annual hay cut. Maybe, just maybe, 2026 will be the year we can finally make it happen.
I can’t round up 2025, or indeed plan for 2026, without acknowledging and celebrating all of CBCV's brilliant partnerships. We are very grateful for the generous and hugely beneficial support that we get from Thame Town Council - both councillors and staff - CBCV simply couldn’t operate without this. I must also reiterate the support that we get from RTCT, providing us with the expert backing and practical assistance without which we would struggle.
Finally, a big thank you to all of our volunteers, the heart and soul of Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve.
New volunteers are always welcome, no experience necessary, just come along to the Scout Hut car park at 10:00 a.m. on the third Sunday or last Wednesday of each month. Gloves, boots and old clothes are advisable!
See you in 2026.
Mike Furness
Chair CBCV
