2024

Lichens and Mosses - Sat 17th Feb

Naturalist Phil Budd led a guided walk looking for Lichens and mosses that can be found within the heathland habitat.

mosses mosses mosses

2023

Fun Quiz night - 6th December

fun quiz 2023
Winners - Edwin's Stars (pictured Robin, Sarah and Zena)

2022

Here there be Dragonflies - 16th July

Andrew Brown from Dorset Dragonflies led a walk to see some of the many resident species of dragonflies and damselflies

Some of the species spotted -

  • Migrant hawker
  • Black darters
  • Black tailed skimmer
  • Emerald damselfly
  • Blue damselfly
  • Small red damselfly
  • Large red damselfly
  • Common darter
  • Emperor male and female
  • Brown hawker
  • 4 spot chasers
  • Golden ringed hawker
  • ?Sourhtern hawker
  • Silver studded blues and gatekeepers
  • Male brimstones
  • Small skippers

    • 2021

    Fungal Foray - 24th October

    Spider Hunt - 11th September

    spider
    spider

    Insect Ramble - 31st July

    This butterfly is a Silver-Studded Blue which is specific to Heathland habitats. It has a very interesting relationship with ants on heathland - The ants take the caterpillars underground to their nests and protect the caterpillars from predators and parasites, in return they get to feed on a sugary substance that the caterpillars produce.

    These caterpillars were very popular with some of our younger attendees! One is a sawfly caterpillar that makes a loop and another as yet unidentified species.

    Photos taken on the ramble by Sarah Davis, Seasonal Landscape & Countryside Officer, Community & Open Spaces

    insect ramble

    It's a Wonderful night for a Moondance - 19th June

    On the FSCH walk we saw and heard 2-3 birds. (Unfortunately fireworks were let off that night!) The photo shows the white markings of the male bird on both the wing tips and tail edges. It is estimated that there are 12 pairs on the wider site, all of which nest on the ground and are very vulnerable to disturbance.

    These images are from last week, taken on another BCP heathland site in Poole, where ringing and radio tagging of birds took place (under a special licence), to better understand how they utilise all the local spaces.

    nightjar

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