Latest news with #CanfordHeath
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: In pursuit of the elusive Dartford warbler – a true bird of mystery
The constant droning of the nearby road fights against the increasing wind gusts as I venture further on to the heath. As sirens blast out in the town below, stonechats zip from gorse bush to gorse bush, and southern wood ants, otherwise known as red wood ants, rampage across the sandy paths. It's an overcast but mild day. I've decided to come for an afternoon walk at Canford Heath nature reserve near Poole in Dorset. The site covers more than 344 hectares (approximately 850 acres) – one of the largest remaining heaths in Dorset. UK lowland heathland is an incredibly important habitat, now rarer than tropical rainforest due to its degradation and destruction, with only about 16% left of the area that existed in 1800. Scanning across a sea of gorse and heather, I can see Poole harbour in the distance and the urban sprawl that borders the reserve. Despite its closeness to urbanisation, Canford Heath is home to charismatic heathland species such as the nightjar, sand lizard, hobby and the secretive Dartford warbler. Waiting patiently, I hear a snippet of the warbler's distinctive, scratchy song – but the bird remains hidden. The Dartford warbler was once rare in the UK. Habitat loss and the harsh winter of 1962-63 (often referred to as the big freeze) nearly saw the bird wiped out, and only 10 pairs were left in Dorset. With increased conservation efforts to restore and recreate lowland heathland, their numbers have thankfully increased in the past 50 years to about 3,200 pairs, with the county now a stronghold. Unlike most warblers, the species remains in the UK all year round. Towards the end of my walk, I stop abruptly as that familiar song emerges from the heather next to me. Waiting patiently, I finally see a fleeting glimpse of its long tail, dark grey back, russet breast and bright red eye ring as it dives into a nearby gorse bush. It's the elusiveness of the Dartford warbler that I love – a bird of mystery, yet one that regularly announces itself. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Canford Heath recovery after fire damage shown in photographs
Before and after images have been released to show how a heath is being restored back to life after a major fire.A blaze, which was believed to have been started deliberately in April 2022, saw 20 families forced to flee their homes at Canford Heath in Poole, the last 18 months Dorset Peat Partnership, led by Dorset Wildlife Trust, has worked to restore 172 hectares (425 acres) of damaged peatlands."I am delighted to see the completion of such important work at Canford Heath," said Councillor Andy Hadley. The portfolio holder for climate response, environment and energy, at BCP Council said: "Peatlands across Dorset have, unfortunately, been in a state of decline over recent years. This project secures essential revitalisation to the habitats."Restoring peatlands will deliver long-term ecological benefits for the surrounding areas and help protect the many species that live in our wetlands and help protect the urban area from flooding events." The work forms part of a £1m project by Dorset Peat Partnership - of which Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is a partner - to restore 16 peatlands across the Heath's restoration has taken about six weeks with fire-damaged pines removed and repurposed to create a functioning bog from the pines has been used to block drainage channels, dense areas of Molinia grass tussocks have been reduced to increase groundwater saturation, and contour bunds have been created with peat to hold water of this work improves the habitat for nature and reduces the risk of flooding, carbon emissions and urban wildfires, Dorset Peat Partnership said. It is hoped the rewetting of Canford Heath will help rare species like dragonflies to thrive in the Hervé, project manager at Dorset Peat Partnership, said: "After many months of planning, it's great to see the works completed and to already see water being stored on the heath using nature-based solutions. "We hope that local users will be impressed with the new habitats that will form in the future."Dorset's heathland has faced a series of fires in recent April firefighters were called to two blazes at Upton Heath and Canford Heath in fire service also believed those incidents were caused by "human intervention". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
