Banbury Ornithological Society - Pauline Flick Reserve

Location: SP323302 - access from the minor road B4026 to Great Rollright from Chipping Norton.

Postcode for SatNav: OX7 5RE What3Words: lilac.spun.cones

Please read the Risk Assessment before you visit the reserve

Open access to all members and the public.

The reserve comprises a half-mile stretch (approximately 2 ha) of disused railway line through limestone brash farmland close to Great Rollright.

There is a good variety of flora and certain areas are kept free of scrub to enable orchids and other plant species to flourish. These more open areas are also favoured by sun-loving reptiles, such as Common Lizard and Grass Snake. Glow-worm are present and a good number and range of butterflies. Hare, Weasel and Harvest Mouse are present.

Blackcap and Chiffchaff are present annually and occasionally other species of warbler. Farmland and woodland birds are present including Yellowhammer, Chaffinch and Bullfinch, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Jay, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker.

UK currently holds approximately a quarter of the global Curlew population, with estimates for England of about 30,000 pairs. National monitoring data show that this population has been in long-term decline since the 1970s and has almost halved in the UK over the last 20 years. In lowland southern England, the population has declined to about 500 pairs, with many colonies on the verge of local extinction. Read more ...

First we will hold the Banbury Ornithological Society's Annual General Meeting, quickly followed by the Annual Quiz - a great time to put formalities aside and enjoy a fun, convivial evening.

A survey where observers are each given a randomly selected 1km square and record all the species encountered and numbers of each for a minimum period of 2 hours between 9am and noon. Read more ...

Reserves

Pauline Flick Reserve

The BOS Curlew Recovery Project

8 December 2025 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm

Winter Random Square Survey: 22 or 23 November 2025