The directory of community and business organisations in Broadstone Dorset

Environmental News May 2008

We have had a bit of warm and sunny weather at last, and even two or three hot days seem to bring on trees and flowers, as if by magic. I wouldn’t say the same about today (30th).

But last week in the sunshine, I managed to get out on my Butterfly transect, and saw butterflies. The previous week I had trotted round Upton Heath and seen a solitary peacock, but last week - many peacocks, many brimstones, a few orange tips and two very new green-veined whites. Lets hope it is better for them than last year.

But now really is the time for birds. Not too many leaves out yet, but definitely time to display and breed. The battle in our chestnut tree was convincingly won by the spotted woodpeckers, and we hope now that there are eggs in there. Even more surprising are the tenants of a superior pent house apartment in the same tree, a pair of jackdaws. We have never had them as visitors before! Magpies in the big oak next door, and a healthy population of robins, wrens, tits and blackbirds means we will have plenty to watch in a month’s time.

Went on the guided walk round Delph Woods and Dunyeats Hill this morning, and nuthatches seemed intent on stealing the woodland show. But up on the heath the vocal population were mainly chiff chaffs. We also saw a couple of swallows and a flash of a ‘dartie’. Distant buzzards – but they are so common now, and easy to spot.

The Leisure Services Ranger who has looked after the Broadstone area for the last six or seven years, Mark Stanaway, is leaving and going to be a Warden on the Isles of Scilly. It will be a most interesting post, and we wish him well.

I feel the mild winter has been kind to the animals too. Everywhere there are young rabbits, my garden is alive with grey squirrels (trying to get into the bird feeders of course), and every time I go up the golf course these days I see one or more roe deer. If we are a bit close when we meet, the deer do a graceful pirouette and saunter off waggling their bottoms like a fashion model.

Dorset Coast and Countryside magazine has 55 activities listed in May. They cover almost every outdoor topic you can think of, but alas none of them are in Poole. NT Studland is the nearest, with Durlston and Avon the busiest. So if you want a walk, just ring and see what’s on, or find a copy of Coast and Countryside,.

Useful Numbers of organisations running tasks or walks:-

Dorset Countryside	01305 224214
Durlston Country Park	01929 424443
Poole Countryside	01202 265265
Avon Country Park	01425 478470
Moors Valley	01425 470721
NT (Studland)	01929 450259
Dorset Wildlife Trust	01305 264620

Other useful wildlife web sites for wildlife news in this area are:

Environmental News May 2008

Prepared for Broadstone.net by dudley hull

Prepared for Broadstone.net by
dudley hull