Wildlife of Quarrendon Leas

Quarrendon Leas is an area of fields and riverside meadows next to the River Thame, with hedgerows, trees and watercourses.

The meadows (‘leas’) that we see today include some areas that have been grazed by sheep since Tudor times, while the river flood plain historically has provided rich grazing land for cattle. The fields, hedgerows and watercourses today provide habitats for a variety of species. 

Birds include the skylark, song thrush, linnet, yellowhammer, green woodpecker, buzzard and red kite. Along the river if you're lucky you may glimpse a kingfisher, or a cormorant perched in a tree. Fieldfares and redwings can be seen in winter.

Water voles have been seen along the river and great crested newts in the moat. 

Rare black poplar trees grow along the edges of the watercourses. The tall perennial Good King Henry plant is quite plentiful on the site. This green leafy plant, related to spinach, used to be grown in cottage gardens for hundreds of years as a vegetable but is now much less common.

The Trust will be working with its partners to enhance the site as an ecological habitat, building on its historic land use.

If you have any images of wildlife on Quarrendon Leas and are happy for us to share on this website, please send them to our email address, confirming that you are happy for them to be used by the Conservation Trust - Thank you in advance.

Yellowhammer (credit Tim Felce)