Environmental News March 2009
Nature is responding well to the weather. Lots of early spring flowers starting to show their pretty faces, and certainly some of the insects are taking wing.
In particular I have seen several bumble bees trying their luck. I am not an expert on bees, so I don’t know if these early types are any particular species.
I would have expected some sightings of butterflies in Dorset by now, but the website shows very few (not another poor year to come?), the nearest being a Speckled Wood in Surrey.
Mainly birds to watch, and they seem to be reasonably abundant just now. The very cold spell we had, could have greatly reduced the small bird populations, but I seem to see tits and finches almost everywhere I go.
There are still plenty of Volunteer Work Parties in the area, but not much in the way of guided walks. There is a walk at Durlston on 7th 10 AM, but as yet my Coast and Countryside Magazine has failed to arrive, and I am reduced to scanning the dorsetaonb website. There is an RSPB birdboat on 15th March, and their evening meeting on 12th March (Upton Community Centre 12th Mar. 7.30PM) is about the North Dorset Trailway.
Most of the areas run practical conservation groups, and details should be available at the numbers below, or for a wider picture ring 01305 224214 for a copy of Coast and Countryside, or try your local library.
Useful Numbers for tasks and events :-
| Local Dorset Wildlife Trust | 01202 420909 |
| Durlston Country Park | 01929 424443 |
| Avon Country Park | 01425 478470 |
| Poole Countryside | 01202 265265 |
| Moors Valley | 01425 470721 |
| NT (Studland) | 01929 450259 |
| Natural England | 01929 557450 |
Other useful wildlife web sites for wildlife news in this area are:
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