My partner Jenna came down this weekend to see me in Oxfordshire, as I'm still working down here, so we planned a trip to Dorset to attend a moth morning at Durlston Country Park, along with a few other key targets we needed: Emperor moth and Sand lizard.
We arrived at Durlston Country Park just before 11am and waited for the ranger to open the moth trap.
Unfortunately, it was a quiet catch, just a few Shuttle-shaped Darts, Early Grey and a Common Quaker. A clear night and a drop in temperature hadn’t helped moth activity, so it was a bit of a disappointment. That said, the views from the clifftop castle over the coast more than made up for it.
View from Durlston Country ParkMoving on, we set up pheromone lures for Emperor moths and didn’t have to wait long before five males appeared, circling in and responding strongly to the scent. This was a lifer for Jenna, and she was amazed by how striking they looked in flight.
The Emperor moth is one of the UK’s most distinctive native moth species, easily recognised by its large size and bold eye-like markings on the wings, which help deter predators. Males are often seen flying in daylight in search of females, while females tend to be larger and more nocturnal.
It is mainly associated with heathland, moorland, and rough grassland habitats, where its caterpillars feed on plants such as heather, bramble, and willow. This makes it closely tied to healthy, open landscapes.
In the UK, the emperor moth is widespread but localised, not rare or threatened overall, but dependent on the availability of suitable habitat. While populations are generally stable, they can decline in areas where heathlands are lost or intensively managed.
Next stop was RSPB Arne, where we searched for Sand lizards.
RSPB Arne
It depends on warm, sandy areas for burrowing and egg-laying, along with open, sunny patches for basking. Because these habitats have declined, the sand lizard is legally protected and a key conservation priority in the UK.
Although conservation efforts and reintroductions have helped improve numbers in some areas, it remains locally rare and highly dependent on ongoing habitat management.
While walking back, we had a great view of a Dartford warbler. The Dartford warbler is a small, secretive songbird closely associated with lowland heathland in the UK.
Dartford warblerIn Britain, it is mainly found in southern England, especially Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex, where suitable heathland habitat remains. It is a resident species, meaning it does not migrate long distances, but its range can shift locally depending on winter severity.
The species is considered fragile but recovering. It suffered severe declines in the past due to harsh winters and habitat loss, but thanks to milder winters and active heathland conservation, its population has rebounded significantly. It is now regarded as a conservation success story, although it remains highly dependent on well-managed heathland and is still vulnerable to habitat loss and climate extremes.
Heading back north, we passed Stonehenge and made one final stop on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
StonehengeThere, we were fortunate to connect with five Great Bustards, an incredible sight.
The Great bustard is Britain’s heaviest bird and was once native here, but it became extinct in the UK in the 1800s due to hunting and the loss of its open grassland habitat.
A reintroduction project began in the early 2000s in Wiltshire, aiming to restore a self-sustaining population on suitable chalk grassland, mainly around Salisbury Plain. The focus is not just on bringing the species back, but on rebuilding part of Britain’s lost wildlife heritage.
Today, the UK population remains small but gradually increasing, supported by careful management and monitoring. It is still a reintroduced, conservation-dependent species, meaning its future in Britain relies on continued protection and suitable habitat management.
