Country diary: In pursuit of the elusive Dartford warbler - a true bird of mystery | Mya Bambrick

Canford Heath, Dorset: Their UK numbers have thankfully recovered from near extinction in the 1960s, but that doesn't make them any easier to spotThe constant droning of the nearby road fights against the increasing wind gusts as I venture further on to the heath. As sirens blast out in the town below, stonechats zip from gorse bush to gorse bush, and southern wood ants, otherwise known as red wood ants, rampage across the sandy paths.It's an overcast but mild day. I've decided to come for an afternoon walk at Canford Heath nature reserve near Poole in Dorset. The site covers more than 344 hectares (approximately 850 acres) - one of the largest remaining heaths in Dorset. UK lowland heathland is an incredibly important habitat, now rarer than tropical rainforest due to its degradation and destruction, with only about 16% left of the area that existed in 1800. Continue reading...