| Decoy ponds
were originally used to attract and catch ducks for eating, but today Boarstall Duck Decoy is
an important roosting and wintering site for wildfowl and the only birds that are caught
are ringed and released.
The
woodland that surrounds the decoy pond supports mostly broad-leaved trees such as
Oak and Ash and is rich in wildlife. Forty-three species of bird and
three species of deer have been recorded
in recent years. A nature trail now runs through the woodland and around the pond and can
be used by visitors with wheelchairs.
Boarstall Duck Decoy is one
of four working decoy ponds left in Britain. It was restored in the 1960s and is now owned
by the National Trust and managed as a nature reserve by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and
Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
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