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 lights dimmed. We also had a lot of school trips at RSPB Radipole Lake, showing the children dragonfly larvae, otter spraint, reed warblers and more.
Next week, we'll be running another Night Wildlife Walk at RSPB Arne as well as our next Reptile Survey Walk, we will also be running our Preschool Nature Club and Birdwatching for Beginners guided walks.
Photo above: Sunrise at RSPB Arne for the Summer Solstice by Léonard D'Aranjo.
We had more signs of Otters at RSPB Radipole Lake, along with fledgling Reed Warblers, singing Sedge Warblers, swooping Common Terns, and squealing Water Rail. The Swifts and Sand Martins have been giving a good show around the Discovery Centre café, darting close by the windows and were even joined by a Marsh Harrier and Hobby showcasing their aerial acrobatics.
At RSPB Arne we have been glimpsing Piglets and fawns roaming the reserve, as well as our fledgling Kestrels around the farm. We've also had great views of Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, and Osprey. Lots of Common Lizards and Sand Lizards have been basking along the paths and sandy shoreline, while an Adder was spotted near our raft spider pond. Southern Hawker dragonflies have started to make an appearance on the reserve, as have many Silver Studded Blue butterflies, and we even spotted a Sanguine Ant in our carpark.
Photo above: Silver Studded Blue butterflies at RSPB Arne by Léonard D'Aranjo.
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