UK Beetle Sightings: Dorset stag beetle sightings increase

A stag beetle on a log, photographed by Nigel Brooks. Britain's largest beetle likes to live in dead wood.


Posted by Jonathan Hudston

UNUSUALLY high numbers of stag beetles are being seen in Dorset this year.

Dorset Wildlife Trust says the county’s unusually hot Spring seems to have brought these fantastic creatures out nearly a month earlier than normal.

Steve Halliwell, project co-ordinator for the Trust’s Wildlife On Your Doorstep Project, said: “Early this June, as I was relaxing in the garden one warm evening, I saw at least a dozen male stag beetles fly over, a phenomenon I have never witnessed before.”

Stag beetles are globally threatened. In Britain they’re protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

To see just one is a treat.

The male can grow up to 7.5 cms long – it’s Britain’s largest beetle – while the female rarely gets past 4.5 cms. However, the male is harmless, while the female can have a nasty bite.

Stag beetle numbers have been dropping since the 1940s, because of the destruction of their favoured dead wood habitats.

Dorset Wildlife Trust wants people to be less tidy in their gardens, and leave out old logs as possible places for stag beetles to live.

The Trust’s ‘Wildlife On Your Doorstep’ project offers a free information pack including  gardening tips, wildlife identification charts and recording sheets.

For more information see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/woyd 
Source: http://www.realwestdorset.co.uk/wordpress/06/2011/dorset-stag-beetle-sightings-increase/

Bird Sightings: Rare Bird Sighting in Dorset

By Leah Mitchell

NATURE lovers roused themselves at 5.30am to join staff and volunteers at RSPB Weymouth Wetlands for a dawn chorus walk aroundRadipole Lake.

The walkers were witnesses to the sounds of warbles and other songbirds in full voice as well as being treated to some unexpected sights.

The Wetlands have been described in the past by the BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch presenter Chris Packham as “a great asset to Weymouth and a brilliantly placed reserve for people”, so encounters with spectacular birds and wildlife are always possible.

The three special visitors that dropped in on the dawn chorus walk were a type of duck called a goldeneye, a bar-headed goose and, most unusual of all, a night heron.

Weymouth Wetlands information officer Luke Phillips, who led the walk, said: “Goldeneye are winter visitors to Britain before heading off to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia so this female is rather late leaving.

“The bar-headed goose is only found in central Asia so this one was certainly a feral bird escaped from a private collection but very striking.

“The night heron on the other hand, is a very rare bird to see here and this juvenile caused a lot of excitement not just in our dawn chorus group but among local birdwatchers too.

“It just goes to show what you can see and hear if you get out and about early enough and our walkers certainly seemed to enjoy themselves.”

The event pulled in people from all over the county, with volunteers travelling from as far as Southampton to make the early start.

Due to its popularity the chance of running more than one next year is highly likely, especially with the £685,000 project to revitalise the site over the next 10 years in its second stage now.

Source: http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/9050493.Walkers_at_Radipole_Lake_see_a_bird_suprise/

Wildlife Sighting: Wallaby in Dorset Garden

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A woman woke up to find an unexpected visitor from down under hopping around her garden.

Jan Cooper was having a coffee when she spotted a three-foot high sandy coloured wallaby at her home in Lyme Regis, Dorset, just after 7am.

She called the RSPCA and police but the marsupial fled leaping over a neighbouring fence after about 90 minutes of bounding between flower beds in her garden.

It is unclear where the animal came from but the RSPCA said a number of them live wild in the UK.  The charity told people not to approach the animal.

Mrs Cooper said she couldn't believe her eyes and videoed the Australian native before it escaped over a neighbouring fence.

She said: 'I was having a coffee and first saw a fox and texted my husband, which he wasn't that impressed by, then five minutes later I texted him to say we had a wallaby bounding around.

'It was a big shock, I didn't know how close to get to it but it seemed happy enough.

'Nobody has a clue where it came from. If one had escaped from a local zoo we would have known about it.

'It looked healthy and cared for. It was a very strange seeing this animal hopping around the garden - it was madness.

'A policeman arrived. He was great - he stood and watched it but the animal jumped over the fence. He said he was there if we needed him.

'Then the RSPCA arrived and the animal jumped over a neighbour's fence and we haven't seen it since.' Dorset Police said a search was carried out but nothing was found.

The RSPCA said one of its officers was called to the incident but the animal had fled.

A spokeswoman said there has not been any reports of escaped animals in the area.

She added: 'We've spoken to an expert and apparently there are a number of wallabies which live wild in the UK.

'If anyone sees it we would urge them to call our helpline on 0300 123 4999.

'We urge people not to approach the animal or touch it, not because it will necessarily become violent, but you may do it more harm than good.'

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1388243/Wallaby-Dorset-garden-escaping-fence.html#ixzz1Mu1oGmFy

Wildlife Sightings in Dorset

What Wildlife have you seen in Dorset?

Whether its an Insect, Spider, Bird, Mammal, Fish, Mollusc, Reptile, Plant or Fungi let us know! 

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