Saturday was spent over on Brownsea Island and our expectations were low for seeing any significant wildlife because there were plenty of people about but we were pleasantly surprised. It is somewhat artificial in that the Dorset Wildlife Trust keep the bird feeders well stocked and therefore the Red Squirrels capitalise on this but it does mean that visitors get an incredibly close view of the creatures. You can sit on a bench just feet from them and it's only sudden movements that cause them to bolt.
The bird life is equally rewarding with Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and Nuthatches paying frequent visits to the feeders. A short walk down the board-walk into the reed bed hide revealed four Grey Herons and a couple of Little Egrets, but no Water Rail or Water Vole this time. This is all irrespective of the main lagoon where there was a veritable feast of Gulls, Common Redshanks, Common Sandpipers, Oystercatchers, Spoonbills, Cormorants, Avocet and Sanderlings.
To cap it all a young Sika deer wandered around the area just near the Red Squirrels, and was quite nonchalant in its behaviour.
And to finish things off a Common Lizard and its young were sunning themselves by the path leading back from the villa, a very satisfying visit.
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