Flower
festival  |
Kingcombe Meadows lies in the valley of the River Hooke near Dorchester.
These 19th Century hay meadows, owned by the Dorset Wildlife Trust,
are famous for their rare plants and butterflies. | | Kingcombe
- meadows reminiscent of an earlier age |
This countryside
around Kingscombe is a window into an earlier time before modern farming, being
characterised by small fields, ancient grassland and areas of bog. The nature
reserve comprises over 100 hectares of unimproved grassland with ancient hedgerows,
areas of scrub and mature trees. Abundance of
flowers  The
meadows are part of a wildlife reserve but they are still farmed for hay in the
traditional way.
As a result during late spring there are thousands of wildflowers
which are left to grow in among the grasses until they seed. The abundance
of flowers also means that this is a great habitat for butterflies. Kingscombe
is home to one of the most endangered butterflies in Europe - the Marsh Fritillary. There
are about 400 different kinds of flowers and ferns at Kingcombe - it's also great
for insects, making it a popular place for budding entomologists. The network
of fields supports a crowded parallel world living at ankle level. One sign
of spring is 'Cuckoo spit', a substance made by some plant eating bugs. It's
actually the sugary leftover of sap once the bug has digested the protein it needs
to grow. Mammal watching  Spring
is also a good time to get excellent views of several larger farmland creatures
such as Foxes and Dormice.
Foxes spend a good deal of their time sunbathing
- and if you're prepared to sit and wait, you could be rewarded. If you
want to watch the Dormice, you're best bet is to see these shy creatures on a
special walk organised by the Kingcombe Centre. Not far from the meadows
is another farm where there's a good chance of seeing wildlife. Old Henley
Farm near Buckland Newton, north of Dorchester, offers Badger watching from a
hide. There have been Badgers at the set on the farm for more than 100 years. Photo
credits Fox image courtesy and copyright
of Natural England and Paul Glendell. Common
spotted Orchid courtesy of Natural England and Peter Wakely. | 
