The River Thames is a lowland river throughout most of it's course and as a result it's landscape is little changed over it's length, except at the Goring Gap where the river cuts through the chalk hills dividing the Chilterns and the Berkshire Downs. In this area the grasslands and Beech woods are very beautiful, especially in the Autumn. The characteristic habitats along the rural Thames are water meadow, pasture and woodland.
A few ancient water meadows and pastures have survived modern farming methods, particularly between the source of the river and Oxford. There are 146 SSSI ( Sites of Special Scientific Interest) within 5km of it's banks and it also has two national nature reserves, North Meadow at Cricklade and Chimney Meadow in Oxfordshire.
Many of the plants found along the banks of the Thames are those that can be seen along any lowland river but two are of particular importance, The Snakes Head Fritillary found in the water meadows of the upper Thames and the Summer Snowflake, sometimes known as the Lodden Lily which takes it's name from the River Lodden, a tributary of the Thames which joins near Shiplake. It grows in the swampy soil under Alder and Willows and in wet meadows.
Dragonflys and Damselflys are a common sight along the banks in the spring and summer as are Pond-skaters.
The Thames is now home to 120 species of fish, the most common of the freshwater species being the Roach, Bream, Chub, Tench, Perch, Barbel and Pike. You can get the odd Crayfish at times but these tend to be the North American interloper not the good old English version!
One of the commonest sights on the Thames is the Mute Swan, these are a protected species and Britain's biggest bird. When you moor up they are one of the first to arrive at the boat looking for free food.
Although not a native British bird, Canada Geese liked the habitat of the non-tidal Thames so much that they stayed and large colonies have established themselves. They are now a common sight both on the water and feeding in waterside meadows.
A familiar sight and sound on the Thames, their raucous cries piercing the early morning mists.
The Moorhen is a very shy bird, it tends to hide away in the reeds and tall grasses at the side of the river. It is more common in the rural upper reaches of the Thames above Oxford.
Sometimes the only way you know that you have spotted a Kingfisher is by a flash of brilliant blue out of the corner of your eye. They spend most of their time on low branches that hang over the water, hunting for fish.
The Mallard is by far the most common duck seen on the Thames, the male with its irridescent green head and the slightly dowdy female are a familiar sight. In the spring they usually have a trail of ducklings in tow. One of the many memories that people take away from a boating holiday is being woken up in the morning by Mallards tapping the side of the boat as they eat the weed at the waterline.
The Heron can be seen standing silently by the side of the river as it searches for it's daily meal of fish.
The Great Crested Grebe declined in Victorian times due to the popularity of its feathers for hats etc but is once again common on the Thames. It dives for fish and is an accomplished swimmer. They are shy birds and tend to dive if approached to closely.
The Water Vole is the largest of the British voles having a length of between 150 - 220 mm. The body and tail are covered with chestnut brown hair. They dig holes in the river bank, above water for nesting and below water as an exit.
The Otter is nocturnal and a very shy animal. They are exellent swimmers and their main diet is fish. Otters were virtually extinct on the Thames because of habitat changes, pollution and commercial river use. They are making a comeback mainly due to work by the Environment Agency and other interested groups.
The American Mink as it's name suggests is not an indigenous species. It is a member of the weasel family which includes the stoat, polecat, badger and otter above. It has no natural preditors and is very aggressive. It lives on small mammals, birds and fish. The mink that you see on the Thames are escapees from fur farms set up in the 1970's.
I have tried to give you some idea of the varied wildlife that you can see along the River Thames BUT only if you go slow and look out for them, (a pair of binoculars is a definite asset). You do see some strange sights along the river, but I must admit, they are mostly human ! !
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