Wildlife

Queens Park is pretty green, but Charminster does not look very much like a nature reserve. Both stand on ancient heathland and still provide a home for a myriad of wildlife that lived here long before humans moved in. Some of it is quite rare. Take a look in your garden across the seasons and you'll realise how much we take for granted.

These are just the butterlfies: Adonis Blue, Brimstone, Brown Argus, Brown Hairstreak, Chalkhill Blue, Clouded Yellow, Comma, Common Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Dingy Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Essex Skippe,r Gatekeeper, Grayling, Green Hairstreak, Green-veined White, Grizzled Skipper, Holly Blue, Large Skipper, Large White, Lulworth Skipper, Marbled White, Marsh Fritillary, Meadow Brown, Orange Tip, Painted Lady, Peacock (Pearl-bordered Fritillary,) Purple Hairstreak, Red Admira,l Ringlet, Silver-spotted Skipper, Silver-studded Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, Small Blue, Small Copper, Small Heath, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood, Wall, White Admiral, White-letter Hairstreak, Wood White.

In fact if you take into account all the birds, insects, reptiles and mammals that can appear almost anywhere in the open air in Winton, there are far more than we can even mention on this site.

Here, however, are links to some sites that will help you identify your garden visitors.

The Dorset Wildlife Trust
The RSPB Garden Guide
Dorset Butterfly Conservation
British Dragonfly Society
BHS Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles
Plantlife
Wild Plants of Britain
The Bat Conservation Trust
Roger's Mushrooms
Natural History Museum - search by postcode!

We are very lucky in this part of the world. A wide variety of sometimes rare flora and fauna are there on our doorsteps - and most of the time we don't even notice.