#Purbeck Birds

[wildtornado-o]

Protective and Angry Granby <3 (with a bonus of defusing Laurence. I love them)

[village-magazine12]

Dorset Magazine Best Family-Friendly Activities

Dorset, with its stunning coastline, rich history, and vibrant countryside, is a perfect destination for a family getaway. Whether you’re a local looking for new adventures or visiting for the first time, Dorset offers a plethora of activities that will keep the whole family entertained. Here’s a guide to the best family-friendly activities in Dorset Magazine.

1. Explore the Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must-visit for families. Kids will love hunting for fossils on Charmouth Beach and exploring the rock pools at Kimmeridge Bay. Don’t miss the stunning views from Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. These natural wonders provide not only breathtaking scenery but also a fantastic educational opportunity.

2. Visit Monkey World

Monkey World, located near Wareham, is a rescue center for primates and offers a fun and educational day out for families. Children will enjoy seeing the various species of monkeys and apes up close, and the interactive play areas ensure they can burn off some energy. Monkey World also has regular talks and feeding sessions, providing insight into the important work they do.

3. Adventure Wonderland

For a day full of excitement, head to Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch. This theme park is designed specifically for younger children, with rides, a maze, and indoor play areas. The park is themed around Alice in Wonderland, adding a magical touch to your visit. With seasonal events like Halloween and Christmas specials, there’s always something new to enjoy.

4. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park

Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park in Poole is an ideal destination for younger children. This farm park offers hands-on experiences such as feeding lambs, petting guinea pigs, and pony rides. The park also features indoor and outdoor play areas, ensuring fun regardless of the weather. It’s a great place to teach kids about farm animals and rural life.

5. The Tank Museum

Located in Bovington, The Tank Museum is a fantastic attraction for families with older children. With a vast collection of tanks and military vehicles, the museum offers an engaging and educational experience. Interactive exhibits and live demonstrations bring history to life, making it a memorable day out for all ages.

6. Swanage Railway

Take a step back in time with a ride on the Swanage Railway. This heritage railway offers steam and diesel train rides through the picturesque Purbeck countryside. The journey between Norden and Swanage is a delight for train enthusiasts and provides stunning views of Corfe Castle and the surrounding landscape. Special events, such as Santa Specials and Thomas the Tank Engine weekends, make it even more exciting for children.

7. Dorset Adventure Park

For families with older children and teens, Dorset Magazine Adventure Park in Corfe Castle is a must-visit. This outdoor water park features inflatable obstacle courses on two lakes, providing hours of fun and challenges. With a mud trail for added excitement, it's a perfect spot for those seeking adventure and thrills.

8. Brownsea Island

A trip to Brownsea Island, managed by the National Trust, offers a perfect blend of nature and history. Accessible by ferry from Poole, the island is home to red squirrels, peacocks, and a variety of birds. Families can enjoy guided walks, nature trails, and picnics while exploring the island’s rich wildlife and historical sites.

9. Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park

Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park offers an underwater adventure for the whole family. The park features a variety of marine life, from sharks and turtles to rays and seahorses. Interactive rock pools and the ocean tunnel provide immersive experiences, and the outdoor areas, including the Caribbean Cove adventure playground, ensure a full day of fun.

10. Moors Valley Country Park and Forest

Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, near Ringwood, is an excellent spot for outdoor activities. The park offers walking and cycling trails, a treetop trail, and a miniature railway. The play trail, with wooden play structures and a giant ant hill, is a hit with younger children. It’s a fantastic place for a family day out, with plenty of picnic spots to enjoy.

Conclusion

Dorset Magazine diverse range of family-friendly activities ensures there’s something for everyone. From the natural beauty of the Jurassic Coast to the excitement of theme parks and historical adventures, Dorset is a fantastic destination for creating lasting family memories. Plan your visit and explore all that this beautiful county has to offer!

[petnews2day]

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

[dansnaturepictures]

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.

[chapmanrestoration]

Antique 17th century William and Mary Marquertry long case clock.

The long case clock come in for restoration, the case dates from being built in 1692 and was completed in 1694, . The long case clock had remained in the same family since it was made and until early this year when it was purchased by the new owner

The case was fitted with a brass dial of a eight day movement and was by. A Edward bird, Edward Bird is an elusive maker; although there is no record of him in the Clockmakers Company archives, there are approximately 8 known longcase clocks dating from the last 20 years of the 17th century that bear his name

The longcase case clock was ordered by Nathaniel Bond KS (14 June 1634 – 31 August 1707), of Creech Grange in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament.

Creech Grange, Dorset

Bond was the fourth son of Denis Bond, a prominent politician during the Interregnum, succeeding to the family estates at Lutton after all his elder brothers died without male heirs, and also in 1686 buying the neighbouring estate of Grange which subsequently became the family seat.

He was educated at Oxford University, awarded a fellowship at All Souls College, matriculated from Wadham College in 1650,[graduating B.C.L. in 1654, and incorporated LL.B. at Cambridge University in 1659.He proceeded to the Inner Temple, where he was called to the bar in 1661.Making his career in the law, he was a barrister and King's Serjeant. He entered Parliament in 1679 as member for Corfe Castle, and subsequently also represented Dorchester in 1681.. On 21 December 1667 he married Elizabeth Churchill (b. 1648/9 d. 1674).His second marriage, on 3 August 1675, was to Mary Browne (d. 1728), widow of Thomas Browne of Frampton and daughter of Lewis Williams of Shitterton, and they had two sons:

The longcase clock at some point in its life had fallen over and done some large amounts of damage to the case , at this point I presume that the case was rebuilt in to the condition it now in when it arrived in the workshop. The case had the wrong plinthon it , damage to veneers, damage to the Marquertry panels , wrong mouldings and would need to be changed. The hood had it barley twist columns missing and would need making from new ones , venee repairs to the carcass .missing turning to the caddy top .Once all the repairs were done the case was then cleaned and repolished before axing and final assembly . Now the case was ready for the movement after being serviced and repired.

Www.chapmanrestoration,co.uk

[angelikaseiksculpture]

Getting ready for Purbeck Art Weeks, 25th May - 9th June 2019.

I am scrubbing the sculptures our birds love to sit on. And Roy, our gardener and studio Assistant is clearing up the garden. He has been reading books on ‘Wilding’, so be prepared when you visit our garden.  

[architectnews]

The Quest Residence in Swanage, Dorset

The Quest Residence, Swanage Residence, Residential Development, English Architecture Images

The Quest Residence in Swanage

Single-Story Home in Dorset, England, UK – design by Strom Architects

Images updated 12 Mar 2021 + 22 Nov 2017

The Quest Residence

Design: Strom Architects

Location: Dorset, England

The Quest Residence

The latest two projects shortlisted for the 2017 RIBA House of the Year are:

The Quest by Strom Architects Newhouse of Auchengree by Ann Nisbet Studio

They join the following four houses on the shortlist, with another one yet to be announced:

Caring Wood by James Macdonald Wright and Niall Maxwell Shawm House by MawsonKerr Architects Ness Point by Tonkin Liu 6 Wood Lane by Birds Portchmouth Russum

The final house to make the shortlist and the winner of the 2017 RIBA House of the Year will be announced on screen during the final episode of Grand Designs: House of the Year (to be broadcast on Tuesday 28 November).

The 2017 RIBA House of the Year is sponsored by Paint & Paper Library.

Architect Magnus Strom created a very simple structural concept for the building.. This is a single-story dwelling for octogenarian clients and their disabled daughter. They wrote a two-page brief which they gave to the architects and said “Get on with it.”

The design has surpassed the aspirations of the client providing flexible deep open plan (8 metres deep) living in a warm and comfortable environment, with a fantastic view out to the south west of their old farmhouse and the surrounding hills.

Extreme purity and intelligence has been at work and the result is an almost effortless sense of space with no split levels. There are solar panels discreetly placed on the roof with underfloor heating throughout the house, except the pantry which is snugly fitted into the rear of the kitchen plan and is a naturally cool space. The house is heated by CH&P and an open log fire in the living area. The chimney stack neatly conceals the exchange unit as well as providing for the open fire, within a simple rectangular design. The floor of the main spaces is locally sourced Purbeck limestone and provides a good thermal mass in the winter and summer months, whilst the glazed facades maximise the natural light.

The house is built over an old quarry that was part of the farmhouse estate owned by the clients. During construction, structural challenges had to be overcome the discovery of a mine shaft that was not known previously known about, but did not deter the clients from executing the design.

The low-lying home sits discreetly on the hillside, which was important given that it is visible from the nearby Durleston Country Park. The trees were kept on the site to ensure the house retained its green backdrop. Magnus’s work displays tenacity and vision, whilst producing a house that has clearly delighted his clients.

The Quest Residence, Swanage – Building Information

Architect: Ström Architects – Magnus Ström & Emma Ward-Lambert Structural Engineer: Barton Engineers & Calcinotto Consulting Engineers QS: Stockdale Contractor: Matrod Frampton Ltd. Landscape Architect: Ross Allan Designs

Photographer: Martin Gardner

The Quest Residence in Swanage images / information received 221117

Location: Swanage, England, UK

English Houses

Dorset Architecture

Dorset Buildings

Sherborne School Music Building Design: ORMS image courtesy of architects practice Sherborne School Music Building

Poole Bus Station Redevelopment Penson Architects image : PENSON / David Barbour Poole Bus Station

Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter Allies and Morrison picture courtesy of architecture office Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Poundbury Village, Dorchester, Dorset Masterplan: Leon Krier Poundbury

Devon Architecture

Selection of Southern English houses by architects AR Design Studio on e-architect:

The Hill House by AR Design Studio photograph : Martin Gardner, martingardner.com

Folding House, England – 5 Sep 2013 image : AR Design Studio

English Architect

Comments / photos for the The Quest Residence, Dorset page welcome

Website: Strom Architects

The post The Quest Residence in Swanage, Dorset appeared first on e-architect.

[thenatureofdorset-blog]

Meadow Pipits are becoming scarcer as breeding birds along the Purbeck coast so pleased to see this bird taking food back to a nearby nest this morning #dorsetwtpic.twitter.com/rvyOSV2CMS http://dlvr.it/R4SWDp http://dlvr.it/R4SWDp

[lisastockley]

Spending time with the family today, so here's a big family of swans 👑 #swans #birds #wareham #purbeck #dorset #riverpiddle

[tripstations]

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

Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips

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The post One goes mad in Dorset: camping on Scout island | Travel appeared first on Tripstations.

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[isabellelambert1975]

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/

[geopoetrick]

Wild swimming

It all began at Dancing Ledge,

where Rex had the pool blasted,

long before we all graduated to “the big sea”,

out from the baby ‘Lobster Pool’

.

Wild swimming sets you free.

Nothing beats being in the sea.

Whether Winspit or Seacombe,

every year, back we come

.

To stand on the edge;

To dive in from a ledge;

To jump up high from a rock:

It takes your breath away

.

Who were Chapman and Pier?

Of Pool and Bottom fame.

What’s hidden in these names?

We can only muse and wonder

.

Brazilians have their Ipanema Beach,

we have Purbeck’s hard rock culture:

‘Não minha praia’ they say today;

‘Like the Mappin Terraces’ we said in Dad’s day

.

The sea’s phosphorescence

draws in local adolescents.

Skinny-dippers down from the Square,

of night-time dangers, blissfully unaware

.

Deadman’s Stile and Cannon Caves

recall tragedies beneath the waves

‘He loved the birds and green places.....’,

the chiselled epitaph to the unforgiving Races

.

Swimmers, go in, do your best,

free to strike out and find your path,

dive and make for your own ‘far rock’

and look back with the novice’s pride

.

From summers (19)76 and (20)18

whose golden memories

captured in those three last swims

Of bliss, bliss, and bliss

[petnews2day]

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

[dansnaturepictures]

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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Antique walnut William and Mary Marquertry long case clock restoration

Antique walnut William and Mary Marquertry long case clock restoration

the William and Mary Marquertry long case clock come in for restoration recently, the case had been in the family all of its life , since the day it was commissioned in 1682 . The case was commissioned by Nathaniel Bond KS (14 June 1634 – 31 August 1707), of Creech Grange in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament. And was made by Edward bird. Up until April…

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My little feathered friend has started singing to me @rspb_love_nature @dorsetwildlife @greenqueen91 #robin #birds #birdsofinstagram #simplepleasures #joy #december #garden #countrygirl #ruralengland (at Purbeck Hills)