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 a Grasshopper, and our Birdwatching for Beginners walks saw a myriad of wonderful birds species across RSPB Arne.
Next week, our Night Wildlife Walks continue on Friday and Saturday at RSPB Arne, we'll also be exploring RSPB Lodmoor again as sandpipers and young Warblers, Reedlings, and Terns are becoming more active on our monthly Weymouth Wildlife Walks, and our next Weymouth Family Day drop-in event at RSPB Radipole Lake will have a free Wildflower Seed Ball making activity to take home.
Photo above: Fence repairs completed by our Warden Team at RSPB Arne by Will Russell.
Our Warden team has been fixing gates and fences across our reserves, as well as setting up survey equipment. Next week they will be conducting maintenance on some of the bridges on our reserves, as well as path clearing, and aiding our survey work.
At RSPB Radipole Lake a Great White Egret has been frequenting the lake outside the café windows, giving great views, along with Sand Martins and Dragonflies, with Emperor, Norfolk Hawker, and Scarce Chaser all hovering and flying very close to the windows. Bearded Reedlings have also been briefly visible as they explore the reedbeds. At RSPB Lodmoor the Common Tern and Mediterranean Gull chicks have been growing up fast, and were even visited by a Roseate Tern. The reserve has also been visited by Common and Green Sandpiper, as well as Whimbrel.
At RSPB Arne we have been seeing lots of reptiles and dragonflies enjoying the sun, as well the seals hauled up on the islands visible from Shipstal shoreline. Our spotted flycatchers have also fledged with the young birds showcasing their characteristic hunting movements. Nightjars have been heard not only in the mornings and evenings but also during the day, and several Spoonbill have also made an early trip back to the reserve. We have continued to see many butterflies and moths, including lots of rare Silver Studded Blue butterflies.
Photo above: Great White Egret at RSPB Lodmoor by Annabel Sharpe (rspb-images.com)
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