Cholsey Marsh - Wallingford
📍 Cholsey
🌿 Nature Reserve / River
💷 Free
⏰ 2 - 3 hours
👣 5 Mile River Walk (or nature reserve)
☕ No cafe or toilets
July 2026 · Nature Adventures · Nature Reserves · River
A gorgeous walk along the river spotting Kestrels and Crayfish.
We got up early on a saturday morning, arriving at Cholsey on a 7.15am train, ready to see how many animals we could see and hear before the hot sun made them retreat back into the undergrowth. And oh my goodness, we were not disappointed.
It was a short walk from the train station to Cholsey Marsh (just over a mile), spotting flocks of starlings along the way, and swifts swooping and darting along the way.
As soon as we reached the river, and the entrance to Cholsey Marsh nature reserve, we heard an odd, high pitched thrumming sound. I checked my phone, and the Merlin app told me it was a grasshopper warbler, a bird we'd never heard of (it's a red list species). Excited, we stayed still for a few minutes, quietly trying to locate the noise, until we saw the tiny but noisy bird perched on top of some tall plants.
Cholsey Marsh far exceeded my expectations in terms of nature, I'd thought it was a little place we would quickly rush through. Instead we spent about an hour listening and watching out for wildlife, spotting a nuthatch, and hearing a common redstart.
Little leopard watched out on the river for otters and kingfishers, and didn't spot either, but did delight in watching all the rowers, swimmers and paddle-boarders.
We found a lovely bench looking over the river to sit and enjoy our thermos flasks of coffee and squash as we watched bees and wasps, dragonflies and damselflies flit and dance around the wildflowers.
Riverside marshes like this used to be common across the country, but farming has made them a rare habitat. Other species to look out for here are the Loddon Lily (in late spring), the club-tailed dragonfly, corn buntings, and if you're very lucky, a snipe.
If you want to visit Cholsey Marsh and forgo the river walk then you can park on the hard verge at the end of ferry lane.
We continued along the Thames path towards Wallingford.
Continuing, stopping to check when we heard unfamiliar bird calls. It was still early, about 8am when we heard a Kingfisher (we stayed for a while trying to spot it but they speed off so quickly). Then we heard a woodpecker, quickly followed by s buzzard, which Little Leopard looked up quickly to spot high above us.
"Today's adventure seems all about birds", Little Leopard declared, as Merlin then told us we'd heard a long eared owl. (I'm not certain we really did, sometimes the app gets confused and IDs things wrong.)
As we stopped for a mid morning snack along another idyllic piece of the river, we watched red kites circling high above the fields, before watching one hover in a way that we know red kites don't do. A quick check on the phone and we realised we were watching a Kestrel. Little Leopard ran closer, binoculars pressed to his eyes, it's the first time we can remember seeing one.
We went under the road bridge, kept clear of the cows grazing in a field, and entered the outskirts of Wallingford, I'd assumed that the nature finds were almost over. But this stretch of the Thames had a few more treasures in store for us.
Little Leopard went a little ahead of me, crossing a bridge over what I think is called Bradford's Brook, and started shouting "I CAN SEE A LOBSTER!" Absolutely not believing him, I ran to see, and saw a small scuttling creature that did look very lobster-y. I started hypothesising that maybe it had run away from being eaten for dinner before a lady passing by told us that there are crayfish in the river. A bit of research later, and I've found out that the native white-clawed crayfish (I think that's the one we spotted) is under threat from the non-native American signal crayfish.
As you're going past Bradford's Brook keep an eye out for water voles as they're known to have frequented the area previously.
We passed Oxford Brookes University Boathouse, and saw a LOT of small, speedy birds swooping to and fro just above us. I struggle to tell the difference between a swallow and a house martin in the moment (I think I'm there with the swifts now) , so I relied on Merlin and photos to tell me that there were in fact swallows, swifts and house martins partaking in the aerial display. I loved watching the house martins come and go from the nests on the side of the bird house, with a little head poking out every so often. Absolutely lush.
As if all that wasn't enough, we then spotted fish in the river (I think baby chub).
This adventure felt full on to us, with all that nature crammed in, we were ready to get the bus home. But if you wanted to extend the adventure nearby, then Wallingford Castle Meadows would be a great shout, as would Watermead Nature Reserve on the other side of the river, or Ewelme watercress beds a tiny bit further afield.
Nature Notes
Grasshopper Warbler
The hidden singer
Its song sounds just like a grasshopper or fishing reel, producing one long, buzzing trill.
Despite the noise, it often stays hidden deep inside thick reeds, brambles and scrub.
Unlike many warblers, it likes to creep through vegetation almost like a tiny mouse.
It spends the winter in tropical Africa before returning to Britain each spring.
It feeds on insects, spiders and other tiny invertebrates.
White-clawed Crayfish
Britain's only native crayfish
White-clawed crayfish live beneath stones and tree roots in clean rivers and streams.
They hide during the day and come out at night to search for food.
They eat plants, insects, snails and even dead animals, helping to keep rivers clean.
Look closely and you'll see the pale white undersides of their claws that give them their name.
They can regrow a claw if they lose one while escaping a predator.
They are threatened by pollution, habitat loss and invasive signal crayfish.
If you spot one, leave it where it is. White-clawed crayfish are a protected species.
Kestrel
The hovering hunter
Kestrels can hover almost perfectly still while searching for prey below.
They have incredible eyesight and can spot tiny voles and mice from over 20 metres away.
Once they see their target, they dive down at high speed to catch it.
Male kestrels have a blue-grey head, while females are brown all over.
They often hunt over grasslands, meadows and farmland.
You might spot one perched on a fence post or hovering beside a road.
Kestrels help farmers by eating hundreds of mice and voles every year.
A beautiful river walk, filled with exciting fish, birds and insects to spot.
Address: Cholsey Marsh, Ferry Lane, Cholsey, OX10 9HH. Or access via Thames path from Wallingford.
Parking: End of Ferry Lane
Opening Hours: Always Open
Entry Fee: Free
Website: bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/cholsey-marsh
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