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 RSPB Arne, our first Weymouth Family Day with free children's activities, and a Bluebell and Wildflower Walk at RSPB Garston Wood.
Our shuttle bus has started it's Summer service, running every Wednesday and Sunday from this week until August 28th, providing car free travel from Wareham to RSPB Arne.
Photo above: Smooth Snake at RSPB Arne by Denise Exon
The Warden team has been busy building and fitting outdoor seating at RSPB Radipole Lake, for visitors to sit and enjoy their food and drink outside. They have also been hard at work repairing fences across our reserves.Next week, as well as continuing fence repairs, the wardens will also be removing windblown trees and completing a Bearded Reedling survey.
Summer birds have continued to arrive with the first Pied flycatchers and Cuckoos calling at RSPB Arne, and the first Hobbies arriving at RSPB Arne and RSPB Radipole Lake, joining the Warblers, Redstarts, and Swallows, already here. Dartford Warblers were also showing well and singing throughout the week.Our first Dragonflies also emerged this week with Hairy Dragonfly at RSPB Radipole Lake, and Four Spotted Chaser at RSPB Arne, along with the first Orchids starting to flower.
It was also another good week for reptiles at RSPB Arne, with all 3 native Lizard species (Slow worm, Common Lizard, and Sand Lizard) showing well on warm days.Grey and Common Seals have been seen regularly from Shipstal at RSPB Arne, and tell-tale nibbles of Water Voles and Otter Spraint have also been spotted at RSPB Radipole Lake.
Photo above: Dartford Warbler at RSPB Arne by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
Sedge, Reed, and Cetti's Warblers have been singing across RSPB Radipole Lake and RSPB Lodmoor, getting ready to nest.Nesting is already underway for some of our other birds, with Thrushes, Robins, and Wrens seen with beaks full of insects and worms to bring back to their nests.
We've also seen some more fungi around the reserves, including Glistening Inkcap.
Photo above: Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus), at RSPB Arne by Léonard D'Aranjo
It's been wonderful to see so many visitors enjoying our events and the reserve, as well as all the Spring flowers and wildlife enjoying the warm weather.
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