What you might see
In spring, Bluebells and other early spring flowers are always a welcome sight. The track edges are good places to spot Early Purple Orchids and the meadows and glades are often covered in Cowslips and Primroses. Adders will now be looking for safe basking areas whilst hundreds, if not thousands, of Common Toads will be mating in the ponds.
As spring moves towards summer, Furnace Meadow will be full of Pignut and Pepper-Saxifrage and Betony will now be obvious. The shrubs around should be full of Nightingales now: their beautiful calls and songs can usually be heard during the day mixed against a melody of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and possibly Turtle Doves. Woodpeckers will also be drumming in the woods.
In summer, the woodland butterflies emerge – look out for Purple Emperor, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary – the delicate White-legged Damselfly can also be seen in the glades.
In autumn, Ebernoe is alive with the fruiting bodies of fungus: look out for grassland specialists such as waxcaps or in the main woods, species like Magpie Inkcap and Garlic Parachute – the smell of garlic should guide you to them.

purple emperor / Derek Middleton
In this section
News

Be tick aware
15 June 2022
Now summer is here it is a good time to brush up on your knowledge of ticks, where they live and what sensible precautions you can take.

The Queen’s Green Canopy
01 June 2022
Ebernoe Common National Nature Reserve is part of a UK-wide network of 70 Ancient Woodlands and 70 Ancient Trees dedicated to Her Majesty in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee

Willand Wood and The Warren
19 December 2021
Thanks to some incredibly generous legacies, a successful appeal and some very good timing, we have been able to expand our Ebernoe Common nature reserve

Reserves week - what you might see at Old Lodge & Ebernoe Common
20 July 2021
What might you see at Old Lodge and Ebernoe Common Reserves at the moment? Reserves Manager Mark Monk Terry has a couple of suggestions