Quite a cool April, though not so wet. As a result everything seems a bit behind, but the cool weather does make the flowers last longer.

Alas, all the easterly and northerly winds have made life hard for the migrant birds and butterflies coming up from Southern Europe, so not much evidence of our summer visitors.

The friends of Broadstone Nature Reserve visited Canford Heath last weekend, and saw a few of the Dartford Warbler residents. The Warden made the interesting observation, that because of the number of people on the Heath, the Darties were much less frightened of humans, and did not fly away as they do elsewhere.

Now the breeding season is here there are not many work tasks around. Dorset Conservation Volunteers are digging sand patches for breeding lizards on Dunyeats Hill on Sunday 13th (671435 for details), and the local DWT group has work parties on Upton Heath. ( Tel 777862). There is an exploratory trip round the proposed dragonfly walk on 20th May, though so far this year I have only seen one solitary damsel fly, and no dragonflies.

Otherwise lots of interesting events in the Greenlink Guide, and with the declining threat of Foot and Mouth, most of them are 'on'. But do check first!

Indoors, the RSPB AGM comes round on 10th May (Details on 697325)

Dudley Hull
For Broadstone.net

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