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calochortus · 22 days

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Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus) taking a sweaty drink... by Will Atkins Via Flickr: As I was trying to get a photo of it on some marjoram this male decided to make life a little harder for me by landing on my thumb instead!

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sitting-on-me-bum · 8 months

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Metallic Jumping Spider in Moss, Jumping spider (Evarcha arcuata), Purbeck, Dorset, England

‘The metallic jumping spider is a heathland specialist, hunting its prey in the heather jungle of its environment. The tiny moss plants tower above the spider in this photo, emphasising the small physical size of the spider, though – like all jumpers, with their big central pair of eyes and innate curiosity – they are big in terms of character. Like a lot of macro work in the field, I was on my belly to get the animal’s perspective, but it was worth it for the eyeball-to-eyeballs view’

Photograph: Will Atkins

British Wildlife Photography Awards

#will atkins #photographer #metallic jumping spider #spider #arachnid #moss #evarcha arcuata #purbeck #dorset #england #british wildlife photography awards #nature

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galleryantiques · 1 year

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For sale a #Vintage #Purbeck #Pottery #Wildlife Series Red #Fox #Animal #Figurine Model No. 4421 Designed by Robert Jefferson c.1970s #etsy #vintagefigurine #purbeckpottery #foxfigurine #Purbeckfox #etsyvintage https://etsy.me/3PWdJXk (at Gallery Antiques) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuItjnIEav/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#vintage #purbeck #pottery #wildlife #fox #animal #figurine #etsy #vintagefigurine #purbeckpottery #foxfigurine #purbeckfox #etsyvintage

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petnews2day · 1 year

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National Trust urges ramblers to do their bit to protect Purbeck wildlife

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/DGhS7

National Trust urges ramblers to do their bit to protect Purbeck wildlife

National Trust urges ramblers to do their bit to protect Purbeck wildlife (Image: ational Trust Mark Newton) RAMBLERS are being urged by the National Trust to play their part in protecting nesting birds in a Dorset nature reserve this spring. Walkers are being advised to stick to pathways and keep their dogs on leads to protect […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/DGhS7 #PetCharitiesNews

#Pet Charities News

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dansnaturepictures · 3 years

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4 of my favourite pictures I took in April 2021

Brimstone butterfly at Martin Down

Wood anemone at Stoke Park Wood in Hampshire

Cuckoo at Thursley Common in Surrey

View at Durlston in Dorset

I felt like bringing back these month summary posts with the month number and therefore corresponding number of pictures of mine I choose from the past month as standouts going up to the number I used to include in every photoset at one time 4.

Well April was such an amazing packed month for me. Despite some colder weather and even a snow shower which presented marvelous landscape photo opportunities we have been so lucky with the weather this month with so much sunshine and blue skies which lent itself just as well for so many landscape pictures I was proud to take this month I did take in some breathtaking and beautiful views both locally and at other beauty spots as blossom, addictive light green and in places yellow oilseed rape has taken over the landscape with nice blue water scenes in the sunshine as spring well and truly took hold. It’s been so warm in places too and I have captured some beautiful sky scenes. I took an incredible amount of photos this month too maybe my most ever in a month especially over the packed and amazing Easter weekend and week off I had this month in stunning weather.

And for wildlife this month the resurgence of my bird year list started in March continued and took great pace. With as of Sunday afternoon when I typed this up and scheduled to post eleven year ticks over the Easter weekend, fourteen over the week off and one in between the Barn Owl and one after the Swifts I got twenty seven year ticks this month beating my previous highest ever amount in an April in 2014. All this allowed my lockdown restricted in the first few months of 2021 year list to soar to be in a place where only in my two highest ever year lists 2019 and 2018 had I seen more birds on that date and there were only a few birds in it in places where it had been behind many of my past year lists for so long. Helping this was a few days with high amounts of year ticks of the ilk I only normally see in January where everything is needed to be seen which really made me so proud and happy with what I was seeing as like I hoped the spring migration combined well with a few species we still needed to see and it was interesting having a few of the winter birds around still too. All of these ticks of course represented both locally and further afield a bird seen and we saw some of the most phenomenal birds of our year this month we really did have some of our best birdwatching times and most intimate and special bird encounters.

In the fine weather our butterfly year went from strength to strength, both locally like in March and on a lot of the special further afield days when I went on to see the common first ones to see in year as everything fell into place from Orange Tip at Lakeside to Holly Blue at Stoke Park Wood. We also delved into the rarer/more habitat or site specific ones as the month went on like Grizzled and Dingy Skipper at Martin Down and Duke of Burgundy at Noar Hill so things are ticking along very nicely there. I got to have some fabulous butterfly moments and take a lot of pictures of them with my macro lens too in so many bits of fine weather which I love doing.

It was also a great flower month for me, from the amazing journey I had this and last month with the snake’s-head fritillaries at Lakeside and the early spider and purple orchid on the Purbeck coast during the week off flower experiences I’ve had before, the Wood anemones and garlic mustard on week off river walks which were flower experiences I’d never really had before this month and/or learnt this month showed flowers something I only dipped toes in until last year and the working from home days increasingly front and centre in my hobby as I anticipated and saw and loved seeing a lot of the species this spring like I would with butterflies and birds like the lesser celandine which turned nature’s floor yellow and it was wonderful to see this year in such numbers a key part of my spring. From the Sika Deers by the roadside on the way back from Durlston and Dancing ledge to the hoverfly on a dandelion in the front garden it’s been a great month for mammals and other wildlife too with a fair few mammal year ticks too and I started my fourth and final year list this month too with my first damselfly or dragonfly year tick in the form of the Large Red Damselfly at Stour Valley Nature Reserve during the week off. I wish you all a great May.

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greatdaysoutuk · 4 years

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BEST HIKING ROUTES IN THE UK

Walking is a popular recreational activity in the United Kingdom. A survey of sport and recreation participation in Britain shows that 22 percent of the 9.1 million adults in the country walk for half an hour every month. Some of them hike in different parts of the nation. Many foreigners aren’t aware of good walking routes in the UK. The following are the five best hiking routes in Britain.

1.Yorkshire Three Peaks, Pennine Range

The three peaks cover a distance of 24 miles and you will take 12 hours on average to hike them. The route includes 1.6 kilometers of ascent. So, it is prudent to prepare adequately for the hike. The peaks form a section of Pennine Range. Horton, Ribblesdale is a favorite starting point for many alpinists. Yet, you can start your hike on a weekend at Chapel-le-Dale if you want to avoid crowds. Pen y Ghent is the first peak. The route has a gentle uphill at the bottom and it gradually steepens. Follow the right route off the summit, as you can easily get lost.

2. Ben Macdui, Cairngorms National Park

The Ben Macdui route covers 12 miles and it takes a climber eight and a half hours to hike. The route starts high and has several ascents and descents. It normally starts at the Coire Cas car park and ascends alongside the ski run to the Cairngorm summit. Some backpackers use advanced fitness apps to check their breathing rate and pulse rate while hiking. Ben Macdui offers a clear view of Aviemore and the Rochiemurchus forest. The next path passes through Coire Raibeirt, the shores of Loch Avon and Loch Etchachan.

3. Hadrian’s Wall Path, Cumbria and Northumberland

The Wall Path is 73 miles long and it is one of the ancient monuments in Northern England. It was named after Hadrian, a roman emperor who built it from AD 122 to AD 128, to separate the Scottish Picts and the romans. Now, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Besides the wall, there is an 84-mile path that has fascinating museums, forts and ancient settlements. The 20 mile section from Chollerford and Birdoswald Forts is the highest and it provides a magnificent view of Pennines and the Lake District.

4. Old Harry Rocks, Isle of Purbeck

Old Harry Rocks is a 10 miles hiking route that you can hike in 4 hours. The Jurassic Coastline, a World Heritage Site is part of the path. It starts at Knoll Beach and climbers pass beautiful beach huts as they follow the Jurassic Coastline. White chalk cliffs are visible from far on a sunny day.

5. The Glyders, Snowdonia

The Glyders is a 7-mile hiking route that takes 5 hours to cover. Climbers park vehicles at Ogwen Cottage and walk towards Llyn Idwal. The Devil’s Kitchen is a steep climb that some amateur alpinists struggle to hike. The peak of the summit is 1001 meters high, and from here you can hike to The Castle of the Winds rock. Britain is famous for its beautiful scenery including the Scottish highlands and Snowdonia. Yorkshire Three Peaks, Ben Macdui, Hadrian’s Wall Path, Old Harry Rocks, and The Glyders are the most popular hiking routes in the United Kingdom. Some of them pass through little villages offer a spectacular view of England’s wildlife.

#hiking #tourist #Adventure #recreation #sport #explore #walking

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gemma-jouques-blog · 6 years

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Visit to Tyneham Village 1st January 2018

In order to support both my creative practice and my research (with particular reference to my research report) I decided to take a trip to a recently abandoned village. For me this was a great opportunity to experiment with photography a little; I enjoy photography and consider it to be an important part of my creative practice, as it often feeds my paintings. Furthermore, as I am writing a section of my dissertation on ‘the modern ruin’, it made complete sense to be able to support this text with a primary source of inspiration.

History

Tyneham is a ghost village in south Dorset, England, near Lulworth on the Isle of Purbeck. It remains a civil parish, and is one of a handful of parishes in England with a population of zero.

The village and 7,500 acres (30 km2) of surrounding heathland and chalk downland around the Purbeck Hills, were requisitioned just before Christmas 1943 by the then War Office (now MoD) for use as firing ranges for training troops. 225 people were displaced, the last person leaving a notice on the church door:

Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.

This measure was supposed to be temporary for the duration of World War II, but in 1948 the Army placed a compulsory purchase order on the land and it has remained in use for military training ever since. Though littered with scrap used as targets, and subject to regular shelling, the land has become a haven for wildlife as it has been free from farming and development. In 1975, after complaints from tourists and locals, the Ministry of Defence began opening the village and footpaths across the ranges at weekends and throughout August. Many of the village buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been damaged by shelling and in 1967 the then Ministry of Works pulled down the Elizabethan manor house, though the church remains intact, and has a stained-glass window by Martin Travers. The church and school house have since been preserved as museums.

#research context

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travelonlinetips-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/best-february-holiday-deals-from-skiing-in-meribel-to-safari-in-tanzania/

Best February holiday deals from skiing in Meribel to safari in Tanzania

It’s the shortest month, but February can seem to go on for ever. Get a break from winter with a hot-weather holiday, or take advantage of a late skiing deal. If you’re looking ahead to May, these ideas might inspire you.

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Take advantage of excellent snow conditions with a last-minute ski holiday in Méribel, one of the most popular resorts in France’s Three Valleys. Alpine Elements has availability from 3 February in Chalet Marcelle, which is in a handy spot near the bars and slopes of Rond Point. A week’s holiday costs from £427pp and includes flights, transfers, breakfast, afternoon tea and five evening meals.

Méribel at night (iStock)

Tanzania

Safaris, historic towns, beaches and elephants – you can get all of these on a 10-day holiday in Tanzania. Fleewinter has a break starting in the Selous Game Reserve, where you spend three nights watching elephants and going on game drives, boat safaris and bush walks. Then a couple of nights spent exploring Stone Town before collapsing on a Zanzibar beach for the final four nights. The starting price of £2,650pp excludes flights but includes full board at Selous, B&B in Stone Town and half board in Zanzibar, plus transfers and tours. Departures are throughout February.

Gran Canaria

Combine a city break with a few days at the beach in Gran Canaria’s capital, Las Palmas. Stroll around the colourful streets of the 15th century old town, Vegueta, and its wonderful food market before hitting the long sandy stretch of Playa de las Canteras. Jet2 Holidays has a five-night break departing 9 February at the Hotel Concorde, which has a rooftop pool and is within spitting distance of Playa de las Canteras. The starting price of £409pp includes flights and breakfast.

Las Palmas in Gran Canaria (iStock)

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s captivating wildlife and varied landscapes are a winning combination, and you can get an enticing introduction to this gorgeous country during Sunvil’s 12-night Classic Costa Rica tour. After arriving in the capital, San Jose, you’ll head off to the Caribbean coast and the mangroves of Tortuguero before exploring the volcanic region of Arenal. Then it’s off to the Monteverde before finishing on the beaches of Nicoya peninsula. Prices start at £2,683 and include flights, transfers, breakfast and two nights’ full board.

Costa Rica’s Arenal volcano (iStock)

Book now for May

Ireland

Grab a gang of eight for a communal get-together with a difference. Smiths Castle in County Clare dates from the 15th century is chock full of antiques and cosy medieval corners. Sleeping eight, the castle is set in five acres, with long sandy beaches and ferries to the Aran Islands within a short drive. Oliver’s Travels has five nights’ rental throughout May from £1,539, and includes breakfast and a welcome hamper. There’s also a private chef service.

The cliffs of Moher in Ireland’s County Clare (iStock)

Sardinia

Get to know some of the scores of beaches tucked into Sardinia’s southern coast – including the soft sands of Santa Margherita di Pula. Sardatur Holidays has a week’s full board at Hotel Flamingo, which has a long sandy beach just beyond its outdoor pools. The starting price of £606pp includes flights, transfers and all meals, for an 18 May departure.

Cala Cipolla in southern Sardinia (iStock)

Dorset

The wonders of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast deserve long, slow exploration. With a five-night self-guided walking holiday with Headwater, you start in Weymouth before climbing to the top of Burning Cliff and carrying on to the fantastically shaped Durdle Door rock arch towards Lulworth Cove. You’ll also walk along the Purbeck Hills before finishing on the Sandbanks peninsula. The starting price of £699pp is for departures throughout May and includes B&B accommodation, luggage transfers and walking notes.

The UK’s Jurassic Coast (iStock)

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk

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jeromestarkey · 6 years

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#Wildlife #Dorset #Purbeck #RSBP #Mammals

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indorsetuk · 4 years

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RSPB Arne remains one of the few places in the UK where all six of the UK's native reptiles can be found. Situated on the Isle of Purbeck and within the Dorset Area of Natural Beauty, it's a stunning landscape with open heathland and ancient oak woodland. Arne is open (9.30am-6pm) but some facilities remain closed ~ always check their website for the latest updates and news.⠀ ⠀ #rspb #rspbarne #dorset #purbeck #isleofpurbeck #visitdorset #exploredorset #walkdorset #dorsetwildlife #nature #wildlife #getoutside #staysafe #indorset https://instagr.am/p/CF7hWotHJFC/

#IFTTT #Instagram

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tripstations · 5 years

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One goes mad in Dorset: camping on Scout island | Travel

The first time I hear a peacock scream it scares the bejesus out of me. I’m sussing out my tree tent – cleverly strung between four sweet chestnuts a few feet off the ground – and the sound stops me in my tracks. The bird struts past, glorious tail ablaze, in pursuit of the less colourful (and seemingly unimpressed) peahen before embarking on an elaborate twerking ritual.

Close encounters with nature are part of any experience on Brownsea Island, the largest isle in Dorset’s Poole harbour and the second biggest natural harbour in the world after Sydney. As I sit back and soak up the view across to the Purbeck Hills, I spy white bunny tails disappear into bushes; oystercatchers flap above the sea and I lock eyes with a sika deer grazing nearby before she darts gracefully away.

Ten minutes by ferry from the mainland, National Trust-owned Brownsea is an Enid Blyton hideaway – it inspired the Famous Five’s adventures on Whispering Island. But it’s perhaps best known as the birthplace of the Scout movement: in 1907, Lord (then plain Major) Baden-Powell brought a group of 20 boys here to take part in an experimental camp, living close to nature and practising practical skills he had learned in the army during the Boer War. It launched a global movement, and now groups from 75 countries visit the island each year.

Until recently only Scouts, Guides and other private groups could camp here – but a new “eco-camping” option now welcomes the general public on certain dates, with numbers capped at 30 mid-week or 150 at weekends. There are tents or hammocks for hire (including three tree tents, hung by the organisers), or visitors can bring their own, while gas cooking stations and all utensils are provided. Hot water for showers is heated by biomass, using wood from the island, and there’s a sheltered communal dining area.

Brownsea is home to one of England’s last colonies of red squirrels. Photograph: Alamy

I arrive on the last ferry from Sandbanks. As the daytrippers head home, I can’t help feeling a little smug. The campsite’s on the south shore, a 20-minute walk from the dock, and in late May I’m the only person staying.

I wander into the forest and it’s not long until I spot a red squirrel, and then another – Brownsea is home to one of England’s last colonies. I’ve been given a star chart and as darkness falls I study the constellations before climbing into my tent. It’s a bit like sleeping on a trampoline, but there are no issues with hard ground or deflating mattresses and I wake around dawn to the sound of a woodpecker tapping overhead.

Despite its size – just one and a half miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide – Brownsea has wide-ranging habitat, from heathland to sheltered lagoons and woodland with more than 100 tree species. For kids, it’s an adventure playground: there are nature trails, crayon rubbings and tree climbing routes, and a natural play area. Regular ranger-led safaris hunt for wildlife and, over the summer, special family adventure weekends run too, with campfires and activities from archery to canoeing.

Custom House and Agent’s House, two National Trust properties on Brownsea Island. Photograph: Chris Lacey/National Trust Images

I’m not always a fan of organised tours, but there are two free introductory guided walks daily, and volunteer Clive brings the island’s history to life so vividly I’m soon wondering why there hasn’t been a BBC drama about this place.

So many colourful characters have shaped the island. Henry VIII built the castle in the east (now leased by the John Lewis partnership as a hotel for its staff). I love the tale of Colonel William Petrie Waugh and his wife Mary, who bought the island in the 1850s thinking they’d found a source of high-quality clay and built a pottery, village and church, but fled to Spain bankrupt when the material proved substandard. There was bon vivant tobacco baron Charles van Raalte, who used it for holidays and insisted all employees played an instrument, and whose widow turned the whole place into a daffodil farm. In the 1920s came reclusive Mary Bonham-Christie, who banished all inhabitants and let nature take over. During the second world war the island served as a decoy for Poole, with pyrotechnics tricking Nazi bombers into targeting Brownsea instead.

Tree tents and hammocks are available for campers. Photograph: Jane Dunford

The north of the island, run by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, is a very different landscape again with lagoons and lakes. There are five hides for watching the prolific birdlife, and I sit for ages spotting common and sandwich terns, listening to their cries, before heading to the island’s one cafe for a cup of tea.

It’s late afternoon when I walk back to camp, again passing daytrippers on their way home. In the height of summer 1,500 people visit, but with so many different areas to explore the island can swallow them up, so it rarely feels crowded.

My wildlife spotting isn’t done yet. Those on adventure weekends can hire bat detectors and, as dusk falls, I take one and creep quietly through the woods. Beeps warn me that I’m getting close and I look up to see tiny, perfect bat-shaped silhouettes whizzing and swirling in the sky.

The island is ringed by beaches. Photograph: Susie Kearley/Alamy

The next morning on a seashore ramble, led by ranger and marine biologist Miranda, we lift rocks and seaweed to find bugs, anemones and crabs. We learn about the sealife in Poole harbour, and how the deer can swim to other islands. Indeed, the water looks clear and clean and there are several beaches giving easy access to it – but it’s still chilly so I stay shore-bound.

You don’t have to camp to stay overnight on Brownsea. The National Trust has two cottages on the east coast near the castle while South Shore Lodge, a lovely Victorian gamekeeper’s house with a private garden leading to the sea and dormitory accommodation for 24, has just opened for public bookings for the first time. But camping feels like the best way to enjoy the island in its rawest form – and now you don’t need to know your “dyb dyb dyb” from your “dob dob dob” to do so. • Camping was provided by the National Trust (nationaltrust.org.uk). The campsite is open from 1 April-30 Sept. Camping costs £22 a night adult, £11 child (5-17), under-5s free including communal cooking facilities; see website for available dates. Three-person pre-pitched tree tents (which come with an additional tent for kit storage) are £30 extra

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isabellelambert1975 · 5 years

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Top 12 Orchid Days Out

1 – DORSET IN APRIL

LOCATION: Isle of Purbeck, starting in Swanage.

SPECIES: Early Spider, Early Purple, Green-winged Orchids.

DIFFICULTY/TIME: Walking along coastal path and on sloping downs. Allow 4-5 hours.

WHEN: If you choose the second or third week of April, all three species will be in the greatest numbers. Seasons vary according to the weather however – keep an eye on @ukorchids for news.

This is the classic early orchid trip of the season, seeing a Dorset speciality and two other early-flowering species, all of which occur in large numbers in this area. As well as beautiful coastal scenery and a relatively easy walk, Durlston Country Park has excellent facilities to rest and eat. If you are interested in other forms of wildlife, there are butterflies and birds to look out for too.

Start by parking in the main car park near to the visitor centre at Durlston Country Park, Lighthouse Rd, Swanage BH19 2JL. This is signed from the town centre in Swanage.

Call in at the Visitor Centre, as the rangers and wardens there will know which spots in the area are best for the Early Spider Orchids at that particular time. Guided walks are also available if you wish to make it even easier! In 2019, the Early Spider walk is on Sunday 28th April and costs £3.

See this link: https://www.durlston.co.uk/events.aspx https://www.durlston.co.uk/events.aspxand check the calendar for April 2019.

In 2016 and 2017 approximately 1,000 Early Spider Orchids were found on the reserve, along with up to 2,000 Early Purple and 655 Green-winged. See all the yearly totals here: https://www.durlston.co.uk/wildlife-and-marine-Wild-flowers-Orchids.aspx

Early Spider Orchid

If you choose to go it alone, and there is nobody in the visitor centre to ask, then there are two easy to find places where the Early Spiders can be found.

1. Walk past the visitor centre building from the car park and take the footpath through the gate out onto the first open field. There is a path that goes downhill though the middle of it, and the orchids are close to the left hand side of the path, about halfway down. SZ029773

2. From the VC, walk down towards the Anvil Point Lighthouse. Between the main tarmac path and the upper one is some open downland, and there are patches of ESO in this, along with both EPO and GWO. SZ022770

Both areas are marked on the map below.

The walk down to the lighthouse will not only afford beautiful views, but at this time of year you could also look out for Dingy Grizzled and Skipper butterflies, and offshore you might find Guillemots, Gannets and other seabirds or spy the local Peregrine Falcon hunting along the cliffs.

Early Purple Orchid

If this spot doesn’t provide enough orchid satisfaction, there is only one thing to do, and that is to continue west towards Dancing Ledge, three kilometres along the coastal path. All three species of orchid at Durlston can be found close to the coastal path along this stretch in impressive numbers. The slopes west of Dancing Ledge itself have a particularly fantastic display of Early Spider Orchid. If you are feeling patient and in need of a rest after your bracing coastal walk, sit down amongst them and look out for their pollinating bees visiting the flowers and trying to mate with them!

Whilst here, you could also search the recently-found Sawfly Orchid, a single plant of which lurks on these slopes amongst the Early Spiders, though it has not flowered since 2016.

From Dancing Ledge you can take the footpath up the valley into Worth Matravers, have some lunch in the Square and Compass pub before taking a bus back to your starting point in Swanage. Or, simply retrace your steps and enjoy the orchids all over again – I can guarantee you will spot many that you missed on the way out! If you take this route, I would recommend lunch at the ‘Seventh Wave’ at Durlston Country Park.

Green-winged Orchid

CAN’T MAKE DORSET?

If for some reason Dorset is beyond your reach, the alternative for these species is to travel to Kent, to Samphire Hoe near Dover for the Early Spider Orchids, then on to Marden Meadows National Nature Reserve, south of Maidstone, which has the UK’s largest population of Green-winged Orchids.

Written by Sean Cole of @ukorchids

Sean has been passionate about orchids for nearly 20 years, and is co-author of the forthcoming book “Britain’s Orchids” from Wildguides.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2019/02/01/top-12-orchid-days-out/

#wildflowerhour

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williamemcknight · 6 years

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New funding available for landscape enhancement

A fund totalling £1.7m has been made available to help enhance the landscape around Wytch Farm oilfield in Purbeck. Officially launched on 18 January, the Wytch Farm Landscape and Access Enhancement Fund is now open for applications from individuals, groups and organisations.

The fund has been established specifically for projects that will help to enhance the local landscape, wildlife and rights of way around the oilfield. It aims to benefit the area’s landscape, biodiversity or access and is supported by the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Dorset County Council, Natural England and Perenco UK.

Cllr Daryl Turner, Cabinet Member for the Natural and Built Environment at Dorset County Council said: “We are really excited that this fund is open for applications. Now, landowners, conservation and community groups or individuals can all apply; projects funded must meet the criteria of enhancing the landscape, biodiversity or access within the defined boundaries of the scheme.”

Alison Turnock, Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty officer said: “We’re appealing to anyone who may have ideas on how to strengthen the character of the surrounding landscape, enhance the wildlife or improve the rights of way. For example, it would be great if we got an application to provide car-free access which would help to conserve tranquillity in the area.”

Completed applications need to be in by the end of February to be assessed by a panel of experts, including a representative from Perenco, in March. It is expected that there will be further opportunities to apply for funds later in the year.

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thenatureofdorset-blog · 7 years

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Two Mile Copse: What a relief

This got the NoD ... Two Mile Copse: What a relief Post Date: Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 Two Mile Copse is a small area of woodland on the northern outskirts of Weymouth where it borders on Broadwey, It came to prominence some years ago now when the course for the proposed Weymouth relief road was announced as it was destined to go through this piece of woodland which prompted an angry response and the arrival of what were known as eco-warriors who set up home in the tree tops to prevent trees from being felled. The matter was eventually settled, the road built and much of the woodland remains. Although a small woodland it is actually part of a larger landscape and natural area as it borders on to the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve at Lorton Meadows and forms part of the Lorton site of special scientific interest. Very different in character to the 'meadows' it makes an interesting diversion into an alternative habitat if you are visiting the DWT reserve. The woodland itself is managed by the Woodland Trust. Part of the woodland is considered to be ancient and has species that would confirm this and it was once coppiced but that ceased long ago. Mainly broad-leaved trees (ash, oak and hazel) on the higher drier ground becoming more wet as the ground slopes down (where willow, hawthorn and holly become more prominent). Much of the woodland is on a clay soil base and is quite damp and there are small streams and ditches that drain it but the paths can be quite muddy in places even in summer. I would not suggest a visit just to see the woods but if you are visiting the Lorton Meadows reserve then do take a detour through the wood, it is very pleasant. --- Fact File: In case you missed them some other recent nature notes: Click/tap the photo to read my nature note for any species below Purbeck Ridge: East Hill or Challows Hill 11/07/2017 Chalbury Hill: Not for the feint hearted 09/07/2017 Nicodemus Heights: a captive audience 09/07/2017 Holt Wood: three for the price of one 09/07/2017 http://dlvr.it/PTs08h .... take a look!

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petnews2day · 1 year

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National Trust asks walkers to protect Purbeck wildlife

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/HhDFH

National Trust asks walkers to protect Purbeck wildlife

Visitors are being advised to stick to pathways and keep their dogs on leads to protect nesting birds in Purbeck Heaths Nature Reserve. Purbeck Heaths is one of the most biodiverse places in the UK, home to thousands of species including over 450 that are listed as rare, threatened or protected. Programme manager for […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/HhDFH #PetCharitiesNews

#Pet Charities News

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dansnaturepictures · 3 years

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1/8/21-Common Grayling, Silver-studded Blue, Spotted Flycatcher, Fallow Deers and more at Whitefield Moor in the New Forest and home

Aiming to make it a bumper butterfly weekend we did this yearly trip we do to try and see a Common Grayling on the heath the other side of the road from the Whitefield Moor car park where we parked between Holmhill Bog, Hincheslea and Wilverley Plain. Early on into the walk in a dry patch of another somewhat showery day we were thrilled to notice a grayling fly and settle on some pretty green moss/lichen among some very pleasant bits of purple in flower heather. We were fortunate to get a prolonged view of this sweet camouflage artist, with exhilarating views of its flashes of orange too. I took the first picture in this photoset of it with my macro lens. I was over the moon to secure a sighting of this New Forest specialty species for another year on this glorious heath. Another of my favourite butterflies to see for the first time this year after Wall Brown at Durlston yesterday. This was a brilliant view of the Common Grayling and I was so happy to see one. My 42nd butterfly species of the year as it was in 2019 here and as it did that day it levels my 2018 total, the total confirmed as my personal record at the time back in 2018 with Common Grayling here too now surpassed twice in 2019 my highest ever butterfly year list total and 2020 and levelled in 2021 now too. I sit writing this up on my phone on the way home as I do this specific bit whilst my Mum and her partner are in Tesco in Brockenhurst where I remember musing when writing up the blog for that day about 2018 becoming my then highest ever butterfly year list just over three years ago and the wonder of the sighting and there was some glorious symmetry of summers today I felt. I loved being out in the forest again today. In tune with my butterfly year when it wasn’t exactly a perfect wall to wall sunshine day which you’d associate as good for butterflies we had just enough and did just enough to so thankfully get another species seen.

For an early fifteen minutes of the walk I did another Big Butterfly Count where I saw two Gatekeeper and two Meadow Browns which is always great to see. There was a nice little white moth the other side of the road at the car park at the start of the walk too.

As hoped as we walked on we saw a decent handful of the blue beauties that are the Silver-studded Blues too I took the second picture in this photoset of one seeing one a bit battered as well, it was nice to see them flitting around on the heath. It’s always such a precious moment seeing these both them and the grayling are real credits to the wonderful biodiversity of the New Forest. Its no coincidence they’re both among my favourites really as I’ve had so many amazing chances to see them over the year with the connection we have to the New Forest and coming here and I’m so proud of them as true New Forest specialities. In years I usually seem to see Silver-studded Blues around when they first come out at the Deadman/Turf Hill area of the New Forest a strong heath for them and love it. But they are out for a decent chunk of the summer and there are so many New Forest strongholds so by the time we come to the other side of Whitefield Moor for the Graylings later in the season we get a valuable second look at these rare gems of the heath.

Walking into an area with burnt bracken we were delighted to see some Spotted Flycatchers flying between it and perched, getting cracking views of this wonderful bird one of my best of the year after seeing some at Millyford Bridge in the New Forest in May. It was special to make out their characteristic and sweet markings and colours. I got the third picture in this photoset of one. I was in aw of them again today a great typical New Forest bird of the summer months. It became a brilliant afternoon of summer forest birding with fine finch views with Goldfinch and Greenfinch the first of the latter I’ve seen for a while and Linnet later on. Stonechat which I took the fifth picture in this photoset of one I enjoyed seeing yesterday too and Meadow Pipits made pretty sightings at the top of vegetation. As we walked round to the Holmhilll Bog area and back in a heavy shower we were delighted to briefly catch sight of a delightful Dartford Warbler. And later a Raven barked loudly and it was special to see it flying high over the heath. Like Goldfinch, Stonechat and Linnet one I saw well on both trips out this weekend at contrasting locations and two of the best in the south for me of the Purbeck Coast and New Forest. I took the fourth picture in this photoset one of many beautiful views here today.

Alongside the purple bell heather there were some pretty flowers around in the forest this afternoon, including a yellow hat trick of gorse, bird’s-foot trefoil and tormentil and white clover, probable hawk’s-beard, possible cat’s-ear, cotton grass, purple loosetrife by a stream characteristic of the habitat and some interesting little white ones in the stream. In the shower around the Holmhill Bog area I loved catching sight of a handful of Fallow Deers another classic New Forest creature I enjoyed celebrating on a second walk in the open forest running after Deadman Hill/Turf Hill in late June with some young about it seemed too. There was a great group of New Forest ponies we passed a couple of times today on the walk getting intimate views of these forest pioneers seeing a foal on the way in which was nice. The heath looked very dramatic in the grip of rain which I managed the sixth picture in this photoset of as we got back to the car and when it cleared up as the seventh picture in this photoset at the car showing this in some classic summery conditions we enjoyed an ice cream after the shower in the car park there were some very dramatic and pretty sky scenes sitting nicely over the vast, open and pretty wilderness of heath and trees including pine trees with little pockets of the heather beginning to paint the landscape purple.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first of one of my favourite butterflies the Common Grayling this year, another of my favourite butterflies the Silver-studded Blue, one of my favourite birds the Dartford Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Raven, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and moth.

Lately as I said yesterday I have been looking back on 2011 a lot and that year in particular most walks we did really was a New Forest one or at least ones out in the car especially over that school summer holidays period for me. I spoke last time I was in the open forest about my nostalgia for being here every time I do walks like these which I used to do maybe five or six times a year each or more. So especially this year ten years on with 2011 being a year we discovered a lot of the forest walks this one included I am feeling nostalgic and reflecting on the amazing times I have had in the precious New Forest. Another monumental and fantastic weekend for me this year comes to an end. I hope you all had a good one and have a great safe week.

There was a little bit more wildlife and photography wise to pack into my weekend when home lately I am taking a lot of pictures later in evening of the sky especially. It was great to see some pretty orange flowers on a well planted roundabout near to home on the way back today. I took the eighth picture in this photoset of some flowers I now know as geranium on the balcony the pink ones, as well as House Sparrows and Collared Dove which I tweeted tonight on Dans_Pictures. And in some fine sunny patches I took in great views out the windows and there were some stunning sky scenes with clouds draped across the sky really looking so beautiful and interesting and some very pleasant bits of red at sunset too. I took the final two pictures in this photoset of these.

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