Spring has finally arrived at the heath and it has bought some very welcome sunshine. After weeks of rain and grey skies, it’s been wonderful to see the heathland coming alive. Across the park, gorse flowers are looking beautiful golden yellow in the sunshine. See if you can smell their distinctive coconut scent as you wander past.
Our morning litter picks have been accompanied by a symphony of bird song. Robins, bluetits, great tits, blackbirds and many more species are all beginning to look for mates and find just the right nesting spot. Hopefully some of them will take up residence in our many bird boxes around the site.
It’s not just the birds that are out and about. Our reptiles have also been enjoying the arrival of the warmer weather. Ranger Kacey did a quick reptile survey to see what’s about and she found 2 smooth snakes, a grass snake and an adder. The sand lizards in our enclosure have also started to emerge from hibernation. So far we’ve spotted a male, a female and a juvenile. See if you can spot them basking in the sun on your next visit.
Of course, with spring’s arrival we have also welcomed two newborn calves. Our British white cattle play a hugely important role in heathland management. Keep an eye out for the newest additions to the herd.
It hasn’t been all blue skies and sunshine though. We have also had some very foggy mornings, creating a very moody atmosphere. Timed perfectly with the release of Wuthering Heights in the cinemas!
Our rangers have been very busy out on the heath. With the help of our wonderful volunteers, they’ve been hard at work clearing scrub, fencing, carrying out gate repairs and path widening and planting a new hedgerow in the car park. This will create a fantastic habitat for a wide range of birds, small mammals and invertebrates.
Visitors may also have noticed some large-scale habitat management going on at the top of our North park and Matchams. Contractors have carried out clearance work as part of the Dorset Heathlands Air Quality Mitigation Project, delivered jointly by Natural England and Dorset Council. This project involves scraping off the topsoil in areas of the heath where nitrogen levels are very high due to traffic pollution from the A31 and A338. This will allow the heathland to rejuvenate. More information about the project can be found on our Air Quality Mitigation Project page.