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June 2021
and where. At the time of writing the cuckoos have been heard was in Wareham
and Moreton Forests. But, perhaps you know of others closer by.

Reptiles

There are six reptiles native to England – grass snake, adder, smooth snake, slow
worm (which isn’t a snake but a legless lizard), common lizard and sand lizard. All
are to be found in Dorset. Slow worms are sometimes seen in gardens around the
village along with the occasional grass snake. Do let us know if you have seen
any of these reptiles either in your garden or elsewhere in the Parish.

Wildlife Friendly Gardens

Don’t forget that all our wildlife friends – birds, butterflies, birds and other insects,
and hedgehogs and other mammals all need water. So, please put out some
water – a dish at ground level is good for hedgehogs while something out of the
way of cats for birds. Even better, create a pond – ponds are a haven for all sorts
of wildlife from frogs and newts to damsel and dragon flies. You’ll be amazed at
how quickly wildlife searches out and establishes in a new pond. Helpful
suggestions in creating and looking after a pond can be found on the Dorset
Wildlife Trust website.

Souls Moor Ponies and their Conservation Work
By the time you read this the
ponies should be back on Souls
Moor – do say “hello” to them
when you pass, but please do
not feed them, approach them
and keep dogs on a lead. They
are there to continue munching
through the long rank grasses
that have built up while the
area remained ungrazed. This is
all in the interests of good
nature conservation. Indeed,
we have already seen more
wildflowers appearing. With
time the long vegetation will
reduce further and we hope to
see a more interesting and varied array of plants and wildflowers. So far, the
plentiful flowers include bright yellow marsh marigolds, along with pink campion,
meadow buttercup, sorrel, ragged robin, comfrey, sorrel, orchid and cuckoo
flower.

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