RSPB Arne — Attraction in Arne

This is absolutely one of the best RSPB reserves in England and definitely one of the most unique, spectacular and picturesque ones there is and one that makes for a really enjoyable, relaxing and pleasureable visit. The reserve featured on the recent series of BBC Springwatch where viewers could see the beauty of the reserve during the Summer sun and the reserve certainly doesn't disappoint in person as the views across towards Poole Harbour and the Purbeck Hills are simply stunning and spectacular and gives you the feeling of being abroad and the islands in Poole Harbour particularly blend in well with the scenery. The site is part of the Purbeck National Nature Reserve and boasts the fact that it is one of few places in the country where you can see all 6 of Britain's native reptiles and the reptiles in question are the Adder, The Sand Lizard, The Grass Snake, Smooth Snake and Slow worm to name but a few although they are hard to spot and if you're lucky you might be able to spot the Sand Lizards basking on Shipstral Beach. There are a variety of walks throughout the site some most of which lead down to Shipstral Beach en route through the heathland which is spectacular on the eye and also goes through the woodland which appear to house all of the native woodland such as Silver Birch which again looks really. The other walks are on the Coombe Heath where you can see more spectacular and picturesque heathland and there two great viewpoints which are Middlbere viewpoint looking out to more picturesque views of Poe Harbour and also the Saltern Hide where you can see more heathland and also the Purbeck Hills. All of the walks are fairly easy going and fairly even ground The site also offer nice chance to see some rare butterflies up close and also crickets along with a large amount of dragonflies all of which support a rare and fantastic ecosystem and allow rare birds such as The Darford Warbler to flourish, which is the site is especially renowned and you might catch a rare glimpse of this bird if you're lucky. Other wildlife you can sight are Terns, Blackbirds and also Siskins who are very tame on the feeder and also Sika Deer. There is a gift shop and cafe on site all of which offer a nice selection of food and gifts at reasonable prices. The staff on site are very pleasant and friendly and inform you of the recent wildlife that has been sighted and the best places to see it. Overall this is a fantastic RSPB reserve one of the most unique and picturesque around and it is a place that everyone will enjoy and relax in the tranquil and peaceful...

We visited RSPB Arne at the end of August after seeing it on BBC’s Springwatch. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Andy and he told us where the osprey had recently been seen. He also asked if we were members and when we said we had considered it but decided not to become members, he then gave us the ‘hard sell’ and tried to make us feel a bit guilty suggesting that we could become members and help to support nature even if we didn’t visit the sites. We paid our £5 admittance fee each and started the walk.

There are several trails and we started with Hyde’s Heath as we wished to see the osprey. We didn’t see anything but when we returned to the visitor centre we spoke to Martin who was great. He was really friendly, informative and helpful and told us where he had seen a wasp spider the other day (dragonfly pond). We made our way there and sure enough, the spider was exactly where he said it would be - it was great to see one of these as they’re beautiful.

We went to Shipstal Shore to see if we could spot a sand lizard but again, we were unlucky and didn’t see anything.

Disappointed by the lack of sightings of the animals Arne is well known for, we made our way to Middlebere lookout and saw some of our favourite birds such as curlews, shelducks and little egrets.

Having done all the trails apart from one, we made our way to the Raptor Trail and sat in the hide there. We only had an hour left before the car park was closing, so we waited and hoped to see something interesting. A tiny black dot flew across a white cloud. Using my binoculars, I scanned and could see a large bird carrying a huge fish! It was an osprey and it flew around for about a minute before deciding to land on a wooden platform to eat a fish. The fish was flapping about and so the osprey had to use its wings to balance himself on the pole until the fish flapped no more. We were so pleased to finally see something we hadn’t seen before!

Arne is a beautiful location to wander round and we spent the whole day there so we could do the trails (9am-4pm), but I can imagine it’s a bit disappointing if you don’t see anything while...

A Sunday visit to Arne and my first time here. The approach is a little narrow and about 3 miles of narrow. That being said, there are many "pass points" along the route. I was greeted by two ladies. The first super friendly and very keen and eager to explain all about the location which I really enjoyed, one a bit standoffish but nice nonetheless. The area is for me absolutely gorgeous, I love being out in nature so it suited me down to the ground. Didn't really see a great deal of wildlife sadly or have a chance to get near that much due to the volume of people who clearly like the place. I would advise a visit however be warned an early morning visit will suit those interested in seeing wildlife, as when the day gets on more and more people turn up and the tranquility kinda disappears (not moaning just my opinion for what its worth). Breathtaking views and the weather was a little bit gorgeous for a Feb day. Cafe is near the entrance however there were long queues for both the service and the toilets, and nearly £12 for a sarnie and a coffee i think might be a bit much but staff were polite and courteous if a little lacklustre in getting orders out. They unfortunately had to close the gift shop to get people served as the queue was stopping people getting in and out though I should state i believe these lovely people are volunteers so credit to them either way. I would recommend a visit, though take a small rucksack as the temperature varied too much when in the shade to being out in the sun- obvious it may seem however it's nice to have somewhere to put spare clothes and carry some snacks and a drink (schoolboy error on my behalf). Deffo a place to go get lost and see where...