Arne

The wildlife has certainly been enjoying the heat this week at our RSPB Dorset Reserves!

This week our intermediate birdwatching walk will be taking visitors around the reserve to hone their birdwatching skills and look out for our rarer species. Due to popular demand we are also running another Night Wildlife Walk on August 2nd - with tickets live now book them before they sell out again here: Night Wildlife Walk (rspb…

The wildlife continues to amaze this summer at our RSPB Dorset Reserves!

This week we held a wonderful wildlife walk at RSPB Radipole Lake, with ideal weather there were lots of birds on the wing including close flybys of the Sand Martins, soaring Marsh Harriers, and good views of Sedge Warblers and the Great White Egret, and lots of fish including Grey Mullet. There were also lots of Norfolk Hawker and Black-tailed Skimmer…

It's been a busy week filled with wildlife at our RSPB Dorset Reserves!

Our events programme continues next week, with our penultimate Night Wildlife Walk of the year on Friday at RSPB Arne, and we'll be exploring RSPB Radipole Lake on our monthly wildlife walk at the wetland reserve. We will also be hosting the British Dragonfly Society and Purbeck Natural History Forum at RSPB Arne for their Dragonfly Week celebration…

It's been a busy week filled with wildlife at our RSPB Dorset Reserves!

This week we found four of our six native reptiles on our Reptile Survey Walk, including our two rarest; Smooth Snakes and Sand Lizards. Our Night Wildlife Walks this week were treated to great views of the Nightjars, and even a glow worm. Our Preschooler's Nature Club searched the café garden for invertebrates, finding lots of bugs, including…

The summer weather has certainly arrived this week at our RSPB Dorset Reserves!

This week we watched the sunrise over Poole Harbour and the reserve on our Summer Solstice Walk, with churring Nightjars, Bats, Oystercatchers, Ravens, Curlews, white Deer and a Fawn, and Gulls dropping clams to open the shells. Our Nightjar walks also saw the Sunset over RSPB Arne on the Summer Solstice, with the Nightjars eager to feed when…

The weather may have been mixed at our Dorset Reserves this week but the wildlife certainly hasn't.

This week saw the return of our monthly Weymouth Wildlife Walks at RSPB Radipole Lake, with orchids, dragonflies, and sand martins, there is a lot to discover at our Weymouth wetlands. Next week, we'll be running another Night Wildlife Walk at RSPB Arne as well as hosting many school visits on our reserves.

Our warden…

It's been a warm and sunny week at our Dorset reserves!

This weeks Night Wildlife Walk was treated to the Nightjars flying and churring, as well as Dartford Warblers, and even a Tree Pipit! Next week will be our monthly Weymouth Wildlife Walk at RSPB Radipole Lake! With the birds, dragonflies, and orchids all showing well it's sure to be a good one.

This week our Warden team were busy with post removals at Holton…

Our reserves have been bustling with activity this week with lots of events and wonderful sightings.

Our monthly Reptile Survey Walk was another huge success with 14 Smooth Snakes found, including several very young juveniles. 3 Slow Worms were also found, along with a Dartford Warbler and a Black Darter dragonfly! Our First Night Wildlife Walk of the year was also treated to 4 Nightjars churring and flying very close…

Our reserves have been bustling this week with both visitors and wildlife, with fishing Osprey, soaring Goshawk, and swooping Hobby stealing the show, and Great White Egrets made their first appearance this year.

A misty full moon walk this week treated visitors to an atmospheric evening. Next week our reptile survey walks continue, with the session selling out last month, and next months walk halfway there, we're excited…

The skies this week have been filled with screaming swifts, soaring eagles, fishing osprey, and darting dragonflies as Spring nears its end and we begin to welcome Summer.

Our events programme continued with our first Intermediate Birdwatching event and an optics demonstration weekend at the RSPB Arne shop.
Next week RSPB Arne will be hosting our Full Moon walks, with a mixed session and a Women Only session, as well as…

Our Nightjars have returned!

This week saw a sudden shift to summery weather across our reserves, bringing out a lot of wildlife for our events, particularly our Dawn Chorus walks, and provided lots of birds to see on our Birdwatching for Beginners walks too. We also had plenty of our Free School Visits, engaging children with the stunning array of wildlife on our reserves. Our first Weymouth Family Day event at RSPB…

Our reserves have been filled with birdsong this week in Dorset!

The combined songs of our Warblers have been highlights for our continuing Dawn Chorus walks, and our Wildlife walk at RSPB Lodmoor! Our first Reptile Survey Walk of the year was also a huge success with views of Sand Lizards, Slow Worms, and 8 Smooth Snakes!
Our Dawn Chorus walks continue into next week, along with Wildlife Walks at RSPB Radipole Lake and…

It's been a spectacular week at our Dorset reserves!

The warm weather and flurry of wildlife activity meant there was lots to see and hear at this year's first Dawn Chorus walk at RSPB Arne! These walks will be continuing though April and May across our reserves, along with a bluebell and wildflower walk at RSPB Garston Wood and Intermediate Birdwatching events next week.

Our shuttle bus returned for the last…

Lesley Gorman, RSPB Dorset Reserves Visitor Operation Manager, shares her love of Dorset's Spoonbills and reveals why they are so special. For me and many of our visitors, Spoonbills are one of our most unusual looking birds. I really look forwar...

Our retail manager SJ introduces us to the range of binoculars available at the RSPB Arne Shop and gives you some things to think about before you come in and give them a try. We hold regular binocular demonstration days here at RSPB Arne in Dorset,...

Last week we chatted with the RSPB Dorset Reserves Warden, Hollymay Gladwin. Hollymay has been volunteering and working in conservation since they were just a teenager and has over 10 years of experience in habitat management on the Arne peninsular. ...

Lesley Gorman, RSPB Dorset Visitor Experience Manager, takes us on a night-time adventure across RSPB Arne's heath, in search of the elusive Nightjar. If I were to tell you that I was heading out for a night-time walk in the hope of encountering a &l...

Today we hear from Terry Smith about his volunteering role at RSPB Arne, which involves project managing large events. Volunteers come from all walks of life and often bring their particular skills into their role. Terry has lived in Dorset most of ...

Lesley Gorman, RSPB Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Arne, tells us about the elusive Cuckoo that can be heard at the reserve, although it's iconic sound is sadly declining across England.

When Wordsworth wrote: “While I am lying on the grass, Thy twofold shout I hear; From hill to hill it seems to pass, At once far off, and near,” he was describing one of our best-known bird calls, that of the Cucko…

We hear from volunteer Bob Skinner about his experience volunteering at RSPB Arne and why he keeps coming back.  Why do I volunteer? It’s not been a dramatic shift, something to do after retirement, but a continuation of all the things tha...

Reptile Surveys at RSPB Arne – A chat with reptile survey volunteers Terry and Nick Above photo: Terry and Nick (Annie Parsons) RSPB Arne is an extremely special place for reptiles, one of just a handful of places in the UK which is home to al...

Is the reserve open to visitors? We are still welcoming visitors during the filming of BBC Springwatch 29th May-15th June. What are your opening hours? These are our opening hours, 29th May – 15th June: Arne Shop - 9.00am-5.00pm Arne Caf&eacute...

This month we join Hyde's Heath Project Officer Rachel Martin on her car free trip to RSPB Arne. As a Project Officer involved in engagement, I always want to make sure my programmes are “fit for purpose”. That means testing and evalu...

Another month at Arne, and Spring is moving forward at a rapid pace. The sound of birdsong on the reserve reminds us that warmer times are ahead, especially the distinctive call of the chiffchaffs. The curly green fern shoots are unfurling, and the ...

This week we hear from former volunteer Amy about her experience volunteering at Arne, and why it is has such a special place in her heart. "I started volunteering at Arne in 2018 to give myself a regular break from the stresses of running my ow...