Hi people , hope you can give me some answers . I am lucky enough to be staying on brownsea island from next Thursday and will hopefully be able to make it to Arne on sunday 17/7 . My 7 y/o son is a massive bird watcher ( not due to me ) and we have been very lucky to see a great variety of birds in s.e. england at Rainham , Elmley , Dungeness etc . Are we likely to still see the barn owls on cam or would they have fledged by then ? What are our chances of seeing a Dartford warbler as they are strangely stunning in a book , surely better in the flesh ? What other species are we likely to see ? Hope for some replies , thankyou
Hi batch Arne is a great place,suggest you look at the blogs Paul and Rob have on the forum and speak to them or volunteers when you get to Arne they are all very helpful.Like all things it is the look of the draw with what you see but there are several Dartfords there but many more waders in winter,think the Owls will still be on cam and a Tawny has been close to car park just lately,good place for reptiles and dragon flies,hope you have a nice day.
The adult barn owls leave to go hunting around 8pm it seems. Nightjars can be heard (and seen if you're lucky) from about 9.30pm onwards. Speak to a warden to find the best spots when you get to Arne, but be there by 4pm to make sure they're still on duty at the visitor centre. So that leaves a few hours to kill between 4 and 8 - try Coombe Heath area for hobbies, dartfords and wading birds on the Middlebere Channel.
Don't know what else I can add to that....yeah come down to the reserve and have a word with the person on duty in the visitor centre. Just tell them what you want to see, and they'll point you in the right direction. As far as Dartford warbler go, you can't really go to a better place than Arne...hope you enjoy your visit.
thankyou people , very helpful