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 week of the school holidays, with new children's activities available at RSPB Arne, and our Easter Trail was running at RSPB Radipole Lake.
Photo above: 2RN shuttle bus leaving RSPB Arne by Pam Bowyer-Davis
The warden team have been busy helping set up the Little Tern Project for the imminent nesting season, as well as general maintenance and setting survey equipment across our reserves.They'll be continuing this next week too, with repairs to our reserves fencing, carparks, and paths, as well as painting the café front door at RSPB Radipole Lake.
The sunny weather has also brought out the wildlife, with flowers and blossom opening up across our Dorset reserves with Scarlet Tiger and Drinker moth caterpillars and butterflies such as Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, and Orange-tip taking advantage.
The warmth also convinced a lot of reptiles to come out and enjoy the sun, with many sightings of common and sand lizards at RSPB Arne this week.
Photo above: Sand Lizard basking amongst ground vegetation at RSPB Arne by Luke Phillips (rspb-images.com)
Some of our birds are starting to build their nests, with Robins, Treecreepers, Great Crested Grebes, and Sand Martins already underway, while summer visitors continue to arrive. Reed Warblers have arrived at RSPB Lodmoor, and our first Common Redstart was spotted at RSPB Arne, while the songs of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps can be heard across all our reserves. Our mammals have also been enjoying the warm reprieve, with bank voles, deer and seals spotted at RSPB Arne.
It's not just animals that have been spotted this week with bright orange fungi, Witches Butter and Bog Beacon, emerging at RSPB Arne.
Photo above: Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica), aka Witches Butter at RSPB Arne by Léonard D'Aranjo
It's been wonderful to see so many visitors and families enjoying the reserve and the good weather during this holiday week, as the days continue to warm we're sure to see the wildlife become even more active.
If you'd like to keep up to date with what's going on at our reserves, take a look at our events page and follow us on social media:
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Events at RSPB Arne and Garston Wood
Events at RSPB Radipole Lake
Events at RSPB Lodmoor