Dungeness National Nature Reserve

BRITAIN'S ONLY DESERT'S OASIS

Did you know that we have a desert in the UK? No? Neither did I. I had no idea this place existed before visiting recently. Even though I've been to the general area before, on both sides, but I just never knew what was in-between. Like any good desert, it also has what I call an "oasis". That is to say, a water supply - a lake in this case, and a lush green area bursting with wildlife and it's a national nature reserve. What's more, it's by the sea. It's called Dungeness National Nature Reserve.

Dungeness National Nature Reserve is situated on the Dungeness Peninsula, which is a unique and ecologically important area on the southern coast of England generally, in the county of Kent. If you follow my posts, you may notice that I post about Kent a lot.
Apart from being right next to London, I used to live in Canterbury a long time ago, so I'm very familiar with the place. This is why it was a surprise to me that I didn't know about this place prior. The reserve is known for its distinctive landscape, rich biodiversity, and its significance as a haven for various bird species, plants, and other wildlife.

Not surprisingly then, that the main group of people I encountered in the reserve were bird watches. I don't know if it was because of the time of year, or the weather (perhaps a very sunny 25ºC day was too much to walk around an area with no shade), but it was really dead there. Apart from the aforementioned bird watches, I rarely saw anyone else there.

The "Oasis" of Dungeness, as I've started calling it, is characterised by a diverse range of habitats, including shingle beaches, salt marshes, freshwater gravel pits, reed beds, and vegetated shingle areas. This variety of ecosystems provides a home for a wide array of plant and animal species. I saw some insects that I had never seen before, as well as interesting varieties of those that I had previously known. Spiders were particularly plentiful there, laying their cobwebs between plants hoping to feast on what must be millions of flying insects available.

Bees and wasps were especially thriving at the time of my visit. I noticed the centre had placed little yellow information pamphlets at various spots to make it exciting for the young ones.

The place is particularly renowned as a hotspot for birdwatching as mentioned above. Many bird species, including both resident and migratory species, are attracted to the area due to its unique habitat. Some notable species include the rare bittern, great crested grebe, and various species of warblers. Dungeness is also an important stopover point for migrating birds. I wouldn't be surprised to find that many of the birds had flown over from France, Spain and even as far south as Africa, and as far east as Russia.

There is also a huge variety of plant species in the ecosystem including a very tempting array of berries and fruits. I wasn't brave enough to eat any since I don't know what conditions they were grown under, or which animals did or didn't do a wee-wee where 😂. I probably missed an opportunity to taste some of the most delicious fruits, but hey.

There are, apparently, some reptiles living there as well but I didn't see any. Not even lizards. I have seen snakes in England before, not too far from there actually, in Seven Sisters. I wouldn't have been shocked to see one at Dungeness. Having said that, I didn't goo too close to the water. I'm sure the reptiles were closer to the water.

Dungeness National Nature Reserve is protected and managed to ensure the preservation of its unique environment. Conservation efforts focus on maintaining the habitat diversity, protecting rare and endangered species, and providing a space for scientific research and education. There is a visitor centre with some activities for children and a shop geared towards nature related things from birdwatching gadgets to garden bird feeders. They also sell clothing and other such merch. There is also a nice sitting area where one can watch birds and other wildlife through the large glass wall. Mind you I'd rather see the real thing close up.

I know some people probably prefer a cloudy day that's not as hot for a walk around this reserve, but I actually much enjoyed the weather. The blue sky coupled with the rustic brown and green of Dungeness made for some epic photography opportunities. Mind you the most photogenic place, the actual desert bit with the lighthouse and old nuclear power station, is private and strictly no photography or videography :/

Peace & Love,

Adé