Arne RSPB reserve
Encyclopedia
Arne RSPB reserve is a 500 hectare (1250 acre) nature reserve
, run by the RSPB, overlooking Poole Harbour
and adjacent to the village of Arne
, in Dorset
, England
.
The reserve opened in 1966 and is chiefly lowland heath
, specifically the rare Dorset Heath (Erica ciliaris
), noted for its breeding Dartford Warbler
s. It also has acid grassland, salt marsh and woodland, with reedbeds adjoining the mudflats of the harbour. Other important species include Nightjar
, Woodlark
and, on the mudflats, Spoonbill
.
Over 500 species of vascular plant
have been recorded on the reserve, since 1966.
The reserve has a herd of around 100 sika deer
.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, run by the RSPB, overlooking Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
and adjacent to the village of Arne
Arne, Dorset
Arne is a large village and civil parish in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England; situated east of Wareham. The local travel links are located from the village to Holton Heath railway station and to Bournemouth International Airport. The main road through the village is Arne Road connecting...
, in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The reserve opened in 1966 and is chiefly lowland heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, specifically the rare Dorset Heath (Erica ciliaris
Erica ciliaris
Erica ciliaris is a species of heather, known in the British Isles as Dorset heath. It grows to , and has leaves long, with long, glandular hairs. The flowers are long, bright pink, and arranged in long racemes....
), noted for its breeding Dartford Warbler
Dartford Warbler
The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy...
s. It also has acid grassland, salt marsh and woodland, with reedbeds adjoining the mudflats of the harbour. Other important species include Nightjar
European Nightjar
The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :...
, Woodlark
Woodlark
The Woodlark is the only lark in the genus Lullula. It breeds across most of Europe, the Middle East Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations of this passerine bird are more migratory, moving further south in winter...
and, on the mudflats, Spoonbill
Common Spoonbill
The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations...
.
Vascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
have been recorded on the reserve, since 1966.
The reserve has a herd of around 100 sika deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
.