We have two nature reserves in our area, where volunteers from WildCookham work to improve the space for nature.
The Harris Woodbridge Reserve is a small area of old garden/woodland off Dean Lane in Cookham Dean, owned by the Parish Council. WildCookham maintain it as a wildlife area on behalf of the Council. It was very overgrown when we took it over but already several working party groups have brought more light into the land to encourage some of the hidden plants to grow and clear space for more wildlife to move into it.
Battlemead is a 110-acre area of land between Maidenhead and Cookham, which was bought by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidennesting head in 2018. 90 species of bird are seen there. Many are birds nesting in the Spring and Summer in the hedgerows and woodland areas, as well as ducks, geese, swans and kingfishers in the wetland areas and along the stream. The flooded areas in the winter attract wild ducks, including teal and wigeon, coming to Britain from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and beyond. Migrant and breeding waders can also be seen there – oystercatchers, lapwing, occasional snipe and sandpipers.
Raptors, in the form of kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards and red kite are regulars there and, in the summer, the rarer hobby is there catching dragonflies and other insects. Barn Owls were breeding there until, sadly, the disturbance caused by human visitors was the likely cause of this ending recently. Tawny owls and Little owls also nest locally.
Roe deer and muntjac are frequently seen, along with foxes, hares and moles. There is also evidence of otters visiting.
Butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies are among the many insects seen (just over 100 species so far reported), including recent finds of two rare damselflies spotted close to Battlemead suggesting they will also be on the site near White Brook. Well over 130 plant species have been identified there so far.