Snake's-head fritillaries at BBOWT's Iffley Meadows nature reserve in Oxford photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
An amateur photographer has completed his challenge to visit every BBOWT nature reserve in one year.
Jon Mason travelled to 83 sites across the three counties to show how easy it is for local people to see incredible wildlife on their doorstep.
Having shared stunning photographs and videos from his challenge on Instagram all year, he is now planning a series of talks about his year of wild encounters with BBOWT.
Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder on Instagram, at BBOWT's Hook Norton Cutting nature reserve near Chipping Norton.
Mr Mason, who lives with his wife and daughter near Bledlow, said:
“There is no doubt that immersing yourself in nature is enormously healing in so many ways and an antidote to the hurtle of everyday life. As a teacher I live my life by bells and timetables and it’s always a tonic to slow down - or even stop and stand still - and just let the world of nature revolve around you.
“Although it’s difficult to escape the sound of overhead aircraft completely, there is a lovely sense of solitude and isolation where you can be alone with just your thoughts for company. Stress and tension just drain away. It would have been an interesting experiment to measure my blood pressure before and after each visit.”
The geography teacher, who works at a large secondary school in London, started his challenge on New Year’s Day 2023 by climbing up Chinnor Hill and watching the first winter sunset of the year.
Snake's-head fritillaries at BBOWT's Iffley Meadows nature reserve in Oxford photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
After that he timed visits to coincide with seasonal highlights, traveling to the Trust’s Inkpen Crocus Field at the start of spring to see the famous carpet of purple flowers, going to Iffley Meadows in Oxford in April to catch the popular snake’s-head fritillaries, and in the autumn exploring the golden beech leaves at Hog and Hollowhill Woods near Marlow.
Asked what his favourite reserves had been, Mr Mason said:
“It was thrilling to see a Dartford warbler fly up and sing from the top of a gorse bush at Greenham Common and I loved that reserve’s sense of space and the history associated with it. The various species of orchid were also a real highlight - the fields of green-winged orchids at Bernwood Meadows or the vigour of the hybrid monkey-lady orchids at Hartslock. Although the walk along the Thames Path from Goring was quite a long one, the view across the Thames Valley from Hartslock was simply stunning and well worth all the effort.
“I loved Gomm Valley on the edge of High Wycombe that was alive with butterflies and singing warblers such as whitethroats and chiffchaffs. I also thought that Thatcham Reedbeds was an outstanding reserve with amazing facilities that really demonstrated what can be done to bring people and nature together. I loved the Narnia stories as a child and it therefore had considerable personal resonance when I visited CS Lewis Nature Reserve in Oxford next to his old house.”
Amethyst deceiver mushrooms at BBOWT's Foxholes nature reserve, photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder on Instagram, at BBOWT's Loddon nature reserve near Reading.
A fly orchid at BBOWT's Warburg Nature Reserve near Henley photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder, at BBOWT's Parsonage Moor nature reserve near Abingdon
A monkey-lady orchid at BBOWT's Hartslock nature reserve in South Oxfordshire photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder, with the snowdrops at BBOWT's Warburg Nature Reserve near Henley
A magpie inkcap mushroom at BBOWT's Hog and Hollowhill Woods nature reserve near Marlow, photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
Green-winged orchids at BBOWT's Bernwood Meadows nature reserve near Oxford photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
A swan at BBOWT's Loddon nature reserve near Reading photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
The view of the River Thames from BBOWT's Hartslock nature reserve in South Oxfordshire, photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
Speaking about the stand-out moments from his 12-month adventure he said:
“There were so many highlights, such as finding a fly orchid at Warburg hidden away in the shade next to the path: so beautiful but could so easily have been completely overlooked. Standing at Swains Wood listening to ravens ‘cronk’ above the trees as they displayed overhead, tumbling and rolling through a cloudless sky; the frogs spawning noisily in the ponds along the path to the octagon hide at College Lake; watching a glow worm larva walk across the path as I explored Millfield Wood; listening to curlews at Gallows Bridge Farm as the sun set.
“I suppose above all it was becoming very aware of the sheer abundance of wildlife that can thrive if the land is managed for nature. It was also undoubtedly a treat to bump into the people who run the reserves: wardens and volunteers who were helpful and knowledgeable in equal measure. It was amazing to see how much work is undertaken to manage these little patches of landscape for wildlife. It was lovely to chat to a group of volunteers at Loddon nature reserve near Twyford and see the huge amount of work they had done.”
Where possible, Mr Mason walked or used public transport to get to each reserve. For sites that were only accessible by car, he built visits into journeys to see family or friends that he was making anyway in order to keep his carbon footprint to a minimum.
The view of the River Thames from BBOWT's Hartslock nature reserve in South Oxfordshire, photographed by Jon Mason, aka TheEarlyBirder
His final trip was, he said, ‘a delightful discovery’ of a reserve called Lamb’s Pool near Chipping Norton, on ‘a very cold but beautifully crisp day’ at the end of November.
He took photographs at every reserve and shared them on Instagram and his website, theearlybirder.co.uk. After 36 years in teaching he said he was now considering the idea of retiring to photograph and write about nature full-time.
He hopes to start giving talks about his adventures in the spring and will post details on his website.
Military orchid by Jon Mason/TheEarlyBirder
Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive of BBOWT, said:
“We are so grateful to Jon for taking on this fantastic challenge and documenting it with his beautiful photos. He has highlighted the healing power of spending time in nature, which we know can help reduce blood pressure, stress hormones and anxiety, and we hope he inspires many more people to visit the dozens of magical nature reserves on their doorstep.
“Sadly, we are currently facing a nature and climate crisis, with one in six species in the UK at risk of extinction from these isles. However, the staff and hundreds of volunteers at BBOWT do an extraordinary job maintaining fantastic habitats at our reserves across these three counties which are helping wonderful species survive, and Jon’s challenge has brilliantly shown the results of that work for wildlife.”
Last year BBOWT launched its biggest-ever appeal, The Nature Recovery Fund, aiming to raise £3 million in three years to find its work tackling the nature and climate crisis locally.
Find out more:
