Studland woodland walk
This is a great wildlife walk as there is so much to look and listen out for along the way, including birds, reptiles, deer, fungi and a variety of insects.
Map
Start:
Discovery Centre car park, grid ref: SZ033836
1
The walk starts from the track at the far end of the Discovery Centre car park. From the gate, follow the broad track into the woods and after 50m take the first left at the orange marker post onto a narrower footpath. Follow the path round as it bends to the right, passing another orange marker post. Here, heather and bracken grow alongside wood sage and bluebells. Listen out for the birds, there are lots here, including willow warblers and woodpeckers.
Peace and quiet
Only a stone's throw from Bournemouth and Poole, Studland feels a million miles away. Famous for its glorious golden sands and dunes, stretching from the Sandbanks Ferry to the rocky headland of Ballard Down, it's an area of high biodiversity. In the summer, thousands of people come to enjoy one of the best shorelines in the UK, yet only a few metres inland it's possible to have the whole place to yourself - your own private beach.
2
The bank that the path cuts through is an old field boundary, last used in the 1800s. Dead wood is left on the land as it provides food and shelter for insects. You may just see some sika or roe deer or hear the loud whistling call of the sika stags in the autumn breeding season.
3
At the junction go straight on towards the bird hide. The ditch on the right is a haven for dragonflies and damselflies, and in spring it is a mating ground for frogs and toads.
Back to nature
Sika deer are present and otters are occassionally seen from the Rees Cox hide. Treecreepers and green woodpeckers nest here while great-spotted woodpeckers and nuthatch are also present. Great crested grebe, little egret, wigeon and teal use Little Sea and grass snakes hunt here for small fish and amphibians. Summer brings speckled wood butterflies dancing in patches of sunlight and brightly coloured dragonflies that patrol the pathways and lakeside. Many of the trees are cloaked in the thick stems of honeysuckle and ivy. Look up in the birch trees to see round clusters of small twigs tightly packed together. These are called witch’s broom and are caused by a fungus.
4
The bird hide overlooks Little Sea, a freshwater lake about 1 mile (2km) long. Over 350 years ago it was part of Studland Bay, but was gradually cut off to form a lagoon as the sand dunes built up. In the winter there can be as many as 3,000 birds on the lake.
5
Retrace your steps back to the junction and turn right. The long glade was once an enclosure for grazing animals, which have since been replaced by a spectacular display of flowers in spring, and later on by bracken which attracts food for bats.
6
The path takes you through carr woodland, where the trees grow in wet ground with ferns, mosses and liverworts growing around the bases. Keep going on the path and as you walk into an area of aspen trees, look out for white admiral butterflies swooping through the glade on warm summer days. Follow the path to the gate then take the track back to the car park.
Get creative
Here are some ideas for making things with natural materials. 1. Build a den. Construct a wig-wam against a standing tree or lay some branches across a fallen trunk. 2. Create some wild art. Collect pine cones, autumn leaves, twigs and moss to make pictures or designs. 3. Make a trail with sticks.Make arrows on the ground or hang markers on a tree. Hide some treasure at the end for people to find. 4. Make a home for a wild animal. Build a shelter for a mouse with sticks and leaves and cover it with moss. 5. Make a mud pie. If you don’t mind getting messy, there are some good boggy bits.
End:
Discovery Centre car park, grid ref: SZ033836