It has been a pretty good August, with lots of sun and just a little rain to keep things growing and blooming. As a result their is a lot of dryish gorse and bracken around, with the corresponding danger of fires yet again.

Been a good month for butterflies and dragonflies. For various reasons, I have been going round the Broadstone Local Nature Reserve looking for butterflies, and seen a number of species, a couple of which have not been recorded on the Reserve before. In August there were thirteen species recorded, which together with four in the earlier part of the year gives seventeen species altogether. Not bad!! One of the August sightings was a green hairsteak, which is a beautiful small metallic green butterfly that really glistens in the sunlight. This one looked shiny new, and adds strength to the argument that they have a second brood, under favourable conditions.

On my last excursion through the heather and gorse I was completely surprised to flush out a nightjar. After our failure to see any on Corfe Hills, to find one materialising just a yard ahead of you, was quite a shock.

Another good sighting this last week on the golf course, was a young sparrowhawk, that was sitting around and waiting for mum to turn up with a helping of robin or ???. He or she was not yet afraid of golfers, but did keep a regulation five yards away. Lovely little bird though.

Back to school time, so most of the special events for children are at an end. So the next events are for the start of the Conservation tasks, with luxuriant rhododendron, pine and birch growth to deal with, and, of course, the annual bird migrations, both those leaving and those coming.

Durlston Country Parks (DCC), are running a series of bird events from 7th to 14th September at various sites around Poole Harbour, and the other Country Parks have a few events. The Poole Harbour Bird Boats do not start until October 20th.

There is a walk at Upton Country Park (Sun 15th,2-4.00 pm, 672625 for details) discussing the various conservation tasks that are necessary. Friends of Broadstone Nature Reserve start their work programme with some pond maintenance and stream clearance on 22nd (10.00am, Fontmell Road entrance), and Earthkind are doing a beach clean at Ham Common on 21st - 10.30 at car park off Lake Drive.

The Greenlink Guide (http://www.greenlink.co.uk) still has a number of interesting events for this month. There has to be something that you will enjoy.

Useful numbers are listed below:-

dudley.hull

For Broadstone Net

See the Broadstone Environment main page for information on this organisation.

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