Bowdown Woods by Rob Appleby
Where to go in May
Cowslips at Chimney Meadows by Andy Fairbairn
With nearly 90 nature reserves across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to choose from, which are the best to visit this month?
Bowdown Woods, Berks
Bluebells have been early this year but it's still worth paying a visit to this woodland reserve. The last of the bluebells are mixed with other woodland flowers like greater stitchwort, yellow archangel and early-purple orchids.
Breathe in the scent of English bluebells covering the woodland floor as you wander the paths. The Bomb Site walk is mostly flat and surfaced, an ideal route for everyone to be able to explore this nature reserve.
Access: Variable, the reserve is made up of 3 areas:
Baynes: steep slopes, uneven underfoot, long flight of steps and a boardwalk.
Bomb Site: flat and surfaced, accessible for robust mobility scooters and robust wheelchairs.
Bowdown: gentle slopes, soft after rain.
Cowslips at Chimney Meadows by Andy Fairbairn
Chimney Meadows, Oxon
Fields of cowslips nodding in the breeze mark the start of the wild flowers blooming at Chimney Meadows.
This vast reserve in west Oxfordshire was once a commercial farm. The old arable fields are now transformed to wildflower meadows, and pastures now provide habitat for wading birds and waterfowl. Listen out for the bubbling call of the curlew. You might also catch a glimpse of a barn owl hunting over the fields.
Look across the Thames at the area known as Duxford Old River from the new raised bird hide. It gives great views over this extension to the reserve.
The Thames Path National Trail runs through Chimney Meadows making it an ideal site to visit as part of a longer walk.
Green Hairstreak butterfly by Jim Higham
Dancersend, Bucks
In spring, there are carpets of bluebells in the woodlands. At the clearings and woodland edges, primroses and cowslips flourish. You can also find wood vetch here, the only place in Buckinghamshire where it grows.
In spring and summer, these sheltered sites encourage a range of butterflies such as green hairstreak, dingy and grizzled skippers, chalkhill blue, silver-washed fritillary, marbled white and meadow brown.
Access: Variable, gentle slopes, bumpy in places; gates; benches.
Discover more about this special nature reserve on our guided walk on Sunday 24 May. Book via the link below.
Guided walk at Dancersend: wildlife specialities and secrets
Jim Asher
Rushbeds Wood, Bucks
Most of the trees here were felled in the late 1940s, and only a handful of mature oaks remain. Today's 'wildwood' is a mixture of ash, field maple, aspen, hazel and oak along with blackthorn, hawthorn, spindle and a few old hornbeams.
In spring, the woodland has a scattering of bluebells and contains many plants that thrive in ancient wooded sites, such as wood anemone, primrose and yellow archangel.
In May, look out for moschatel, otherwise known as the 'townhall clock', or 'Good Friday plant'. The small yellow-green flowers are arranged in a fascinating way, at right angles to one another, like the faces of a town clock.
Access: Paths flat, soft after rain, some roots; kissing gates, bench
The male stonechat has a distinctive black head and bright white collar.
Snelsmore Common Country Park, Berks
Snelsmore Common has a range of habitats including heathland, wet mires and woodland making it home to nationally rare bird species including nightjar, woodlark and tree pipit.
When you visit in spring you may be lucky to hear woodlarks singing across the heath and see stonechats perched on the heather and gorse. The woodland trees are home to great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch and tawny owl.
You may also see grass snake, common lizard and slow-worm, and the large pond supports a breeding population of palmate newts.
Access: The common is dissected by a number of valley mires so some paths are steep and uneven. A paved circular path 0.75 miles, the Easy Access Trail) is fully accessible by pushchairs and wheelchairs (RADAR key required to fully open gate).
Join our wardens for a ramble through Snelsmore Common on Tuesday 12 May to spot and learn about the local wildlife. Book via the link below.
Warburg Nature Reserve, Oxon
Nestled away in the Chilterns, not far from Henley-on-Thames, Warburg Nature Reserve is the perfect place to escape and explore. There's a mix of chalk grassland and woodland and through the year it's home to many different types of wild orchid. The early-purple orchids are flowering now, along with bluebells and other woodland flowers.
Out on the chalk grassland colourful wild flowers are starting to bloom, attracting a wide range of butterflies and insects, while red kites and buzzards fly high overhead.
Access: Variable, mostly steep paths and loose flint, flat grassy path; muddy in valley bottom after rain; benches.
A mobility Tramper vehicle is available to hire Tuesday-Thursday, subject to staff availability. Please email warburg@bbowt.org.uk or call 01865 788311 to book in advance.