If you’ve never been on one of the FREE Discover Arne Heathland Rambles that occur pretty much every Wednesday throughout the year then I would highly reccomend it. You’ll be led by an expert RSPB volunteer around some of the well known and less well know parts of the reserve in search of the wealth of wildlife that occurs on the reserve. To see a list of dates for this event then floow this link… http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-342593

In the mean time, here is a summary of todays walk by Rod Brummitt – 

At 8.00 am this morning Coombe Heath was alive with birds. Two Marsh Harriers were overhead transiting from the Middlebeere to Wareham Channel, one female and one juvenile. A gang of Mistle Thrushes were busy stripping the berries from the rowan trees and small flocks of Linnet and Meadow Pipit were passing through. Dartford Warblers were rasping at various spots in the gorse along with Stonechats. As to summer migrants, Chiffchaff and Wheatear were present in small numbers along with large numbers of Swallows and House Martins fattening up over both heath and channel.

Down on the water itself, and as reported by our WeBS counters last Sunday, Cormorants were flocking in unusually large numbers 40+ opposite the NT hide and over 100 making for Fitzworth. Other waders seen were Greenshank, Dunlin and Curlew, along with the usual complement of Little Egret and Grey Heron. Of the dabblers, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard and Gadwall were all present in small numbers.

As usual, the seal was present in Wych Channel and on the way back across Grip Heath. There was also plenty of Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers around too along with mixed flocks of Tits Siskin and Goldcrest in the surrounding woods.