Wildmoor Heath  | - Click on the image above to view gallery
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 Boardwalk across a boggy area It was a lovely sunny day when I visited this rare lowland heathland site, which is near Sandhurst. Wildmoor Heath is the collective name for Owlsmoor Bog, Edgbarrow Heath, and Wildmoor Bottom. It comprises an interlinked mosaic of wet and dry lowland heath and valley mire (bog), interspersed with mature pine and broadleaved woodland with scrub. The open heath with its scattered cover provides ideal conditions for the Tree Pipit, Stonechat, Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and Nightjar. All this means that due to the rarity of the habitats and the diverse species found here, Wildmoor Heath now receives both national and international protection as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). I explored just about every footpath I could find and as the heather was in full bloom along with Gorse it certainly made for a colourful and fragrant walk. Near to one of the boggy areas which have to be crossed via the boardwalk paths I watched several dragonflies for a while and managed to get pictures of a Keeled Skimmer and a Small Red Damselfly. As both are rarities I was really pleased to find them.  Keeled Skimmer  Small-red Damselfly
Sadly, although I walked the entire site I didn’t see any Silver-studded Blues. I suspect a bit of local knowledge is needed to locate them as they only occur in small colonies. I carefully searched the Gorse bushes for a Dartford Warbler too, but as these are very secretive birds I think I would have been lucky to spot one anyway. Wildmoor Heath is well worth a visit as it’s such a rare environment to find, particularly considering it’s in such a built-up area. Because of its SSSI status it thankfully can’t be built upon and offers a much needed refuge for many species of wildlife.
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orange hawkweed earlier in the year and wondered what it was. Thank goodness the area is protected from building works!
Also enjoyed your photos of the gardens at Chartwell, what a lovely idea t
o plant that golden rose avenue.
Maggie