Environmental News April 2010
My comments last month about March starting with promise, have been washed and blown away by the recent weather. There were even a few butterflies early in the month, but no sign of them now. Mainly male brimstones, but one small tortoiseshell too. The meet for butterfly walkers last month, looked back on a reasonably good year, with improved numbers, but still well down on ten years ago. One of the high points, was the large tortoiseshell in Broadstone.
We should be seeing a mass of flowers now, but they were cautious starters, and now their caution seems justified. We have had a good show of crocus, all now vanished, and these have been followed by plenty of daffodils struggling to really burst forth.
The trees seem to be dragging their feet (leaves), and looking in the garden even the early sticky buds on the horse chestnut, are not really bursting yet. At least there are plenty of them, which means the tree is still going despite the ravages of the moth over the last two years. The weeping willow next door is also showing bright yellow, but nothing yet looking green
Lots of birds reported in the reserves and harbours along the coast, but nothing very exciting in Broadstone. Virtually all the local birds are busy nesting now, and will soon be feeding their families, so keep feeding!
After the refurbishment of the library, there is still no Coast and Countryside for me to plagiarise, but there is a small exhibition showing the development of heathland within the Broadstone area (the rec. corfe hills and Dunyeats hill). So I have trawled the Dorset AONB website for the following.
On 6th April, are guides to birdwatching at Avon heath and Durlston.
On 8th, Poole RSPB have a talk on birds of Portland, with a field trip on the Saturday.
Wildflowers should be visible at Durlston on 11th and 17th.
On the 18th there is the Great Dorset Beach Clean, with the Council organising the local area of Holes Bay. Details from Poole Countryside
From 24th April until 1st May is Dorset Spring Bird Week, with events at most reserves and parks, including some early morning bird song trips. One of these is a morning on Canford Heath. (BoP)
Most conservation groups, are less active now, as birds start nesting. Further information from the numbers below on any ongoing conservation work.
Useful Numbers for tasks and events :-
| Local Dorset Wildlife Trust | 01202 692033 |
| Durlston Country Park | 01929 424443 |
| Avon Country Park | 01425 478470 |
| Poole Countryside (BoP) | 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:
Prepared for Broadstone.net by
dudley hull
See the Broadstone Environment main page for information on this organisation.
Say you saw it on "Broadstone NET"