Wildlife watching on Brownsea Island

Brimstone butterfly on dandelion at Stiffkey Marshes, Norfolk — Brimstone butterfly | © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

As well as red squirrels, there is plenty of wildlife to see all year round and things change with the seasons. Take a walk through the woodland or down to the lagoon, and don’t forget your binoculars.

Spring wildife

The island is a hive of activity in spring, with a changeover in visitors on the lagoon, we say goodbye to species that have overwintered here and we welcome those who will stay for the summer to nest and raise their young. Early butterflies are on the wing and red squirrels are active feeding their young.

Birdwatching on the lagoon

This year we have a new wildlife observatory, The Lookout which offers fantastic views across the lagoon. Look out for common and Sandwich terns who nest on the specially-created gravel islands. A pair of avocet succesfully bred here in 2023 and there are several species of widlfowl on view, including teal and shelduck. Over 20,000 birds visit Poole Harbour each year to feed and roost, Brownsea Island is managed in partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust, who look after the northern part of the island, including the lagoon and surrounding wetland areas.

The various hides clustered around the edge of the lagoon offer a great perch to watch all the comings and goings of the various bird life. There is often a Dorset Wildlife Trust volunteer stationed in the first hide with a telescope attached to a screen, giving visitors some great close-up views of the birds.

Join us on a Wild Wetland Bird Walk, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger. Explore one of the best birdwatching sites in England.

Book on a birdwatching walk here

Woodland and heathland residents

Out on the heathland, the well camouflaged, nocturnal nightjar returns from Africa. Any visitors staying overnight may be lucky enough to spot them flying at dusk. On warmer days lizards can often be seen basking in the sunshine and look out for green tiger beetle sprinting across the ground hunting their prey.

The woodlands and reedbeds fill with bird song in the spring, including newly arrived warblers, such as the willow warbler. This species looks very similar to a chiffchaff, but has a completely different song. Join us on one our bird walks to learn more about the variety of birdlife that make Brownsea their home.

Brimstone butterflies emerge from winter hibernation on warm spring days, look out for a flash of yellow in amongst the wet woodlands and along the tracks that criss-cross the island. The word 'butterfly' is thought to originate from the yellow colour of male brimstones.

Red squirrels

Spotting seasonal behaviour

The red squirrel breeding season starts with mating chases in January, and a first litter of three to four babies, which are called kittens, is usually born in March. So you may be lucky enough to spot a young kit as they gain independence as the season goes on as they are weaned after 10 weeks, though some may remain in the drey until Autumn.
If a female squirrel gains sufficient food over the summer months, she will have a second litter in July/August. So if you spot a squirrel busily gathering leaves and climbing trees, it may be a new mum.
Much like our Scouting and Guiding friends on the island, a squirrel’s motto could well be, ‘be prepared’. Squirrels start stockpiling for winter early, so later in the summer and through autumn, you may catch a squirrel beginning the act of ‘scatter hoarding’. This is a process that splits the risk of losing their stash to another squirrel for example, by stashing their food in several scattered hordes. This may include seeds, nuts, tree bark, leaves, pinecones, buds, acorns, fungi, fruit, insects, and more.

A close up of a red squirrel on a branch on the floor of woodland on Brownsea Island, Dorset — A red squirrel exploring the woodland floor at Brownsea Island, Dorset | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

An endangered species

Red squirrels are an endangered species in the UK due to the loss of their woodland habitat and the introduction of the American grey squirrel.

While both species of squirrel have a similar role in the ecosystem in that they are small woodland mammals that spread the seeds of trees, red squirrels are a particularly important asset in the regeneration of pine woodlands. Reds are specially adapted to feed on the seeds in pine cones and greys tend to favour broadleaf woodland where many other animals can do the job of spreading the seeds, such as birds.

If red squirrels became extinct in the UK, it would not only have a negative impact on our pine woodland regeneration but we would also lose one of our most iconic native mammals.

When to see red squirrels on Brownsea

Red squirrels are most active in spring and autumn, so a visit during those seasons is the most likely to be rewarded with sightings. They're usually spotted during the quieter times of the day, so a good time to spot them is when we first open or later in the afternoon before we close. You could also stay overnight on the campsite and go red squirrel spotting when it’s quieter. Try your luck on the Woodland Walk and don't forget to look up, down and all around.

Where to see them

Red squirrels are most often found in the coniferous woodland areas, feasting on nuts and seeds, or you may find pine cones that have been nibbled, leaving what looks like a nibbled corn on the cob.

Squirrels have been spotted on the woodland walk, near the Church, either posing for photographers or leaping between the oaks. Another good place to try is by the feeders up by the Villa on the Dorset Wildlife Trust managed area.

Walk this way

The Woodland Walk offers a great feasting ground for squirrels, so you'll have a good chance of spotting some here, or in the Dorset Wildlife Trust area where it's a little quieter. Dorset Wildlife Trust manage the island’s wetland areas, including the internationally important lagoon habitat.

Accessing the Dorset Wildlife Trust area

The Dorset Wildlife Trust manage the lagoon and wetland areas and there is a suggested donation of £2 to enter this part of the island, which includes access to hides and admission to the Villa Wildlife Centre which has an exhibition, gift shop, toilets and a feeding station for red squirrels.

Live webcams installed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Birds of Poole Harbour offer the chance to watch the comings and goings live. Catch up with all the action here.