Goldcrest northeastwildlife.co.uk
Get out and about in Purbeck this month and celebrate the festive season by tracking down these three regal beauties.
You might think that a bird with the Latin name Regulus regulus would be a rather grand and imposing thing but in fact our ‘king of the birds’ is Britain’s smallest; the tiny goldcrest. Sporting a yellow crown, goldcrests belong to a family of birds called kinglets. Look for them in pine woodlands throughout Purbeck.
Firecrests are another kinglet found in Purbeck. This is a stunner to look at with bronze shoulders and a black and white head pattern topped by a fiery orange crown. Firecrests occur in coastal woodland with holly trees. They are rare, but a good place to try is behind the huts at Middle Beach.
Finally, a kingfisher fly-past, with a flash of royal blue and a loud, piping whistle, makes any birdwatchers’ day. Look for them at Little Sea or along the Poole Harbour shoreline.
National Trust Purbeck Wildlife 