Wildlife Cam Campaign – Hengistbury Head

We are currently live streaming from our wildlife cameras across Hengistbury Head, Dorset.

This includes both the wildlife garden at the Visitor Centre and the Scots Pines where we're hoping to capture another hatching of a heron.

Last year we watched in awe as a heron chick hatched, fed and grew into a mature bird before it fledged to spend its time in Christchurch Harbour and along the Stour Valley. Now we're waiting in anticipation to see whether  we're lucky enough to enjoy this phenomenal creature being brought into this world again. We regularly see two herons on the nest, so time will tell whether there's an egg or not in there...literally watch this space!  

While you're enjoying the live stream, you may have to press the play button again after 10 minutes to keep watching the action.

As the nesting season progresses we're hoping to bring you more live action including our kestrels and blue tits.

Our Kestrels nest high in the tops of the tallest pine trees on Hengistbury Head. We had 5 eggs laid at the end of April 2020 which hatched and the chicks fledged in the middle of June. The male bird does most of the hunting until the chicks are bigger and only then will the female risk leaving the nest to hunt close by. Voles are their favourite prey but they will search out small birds, woodmice, shrews, insects and earthworms. The Kestrel has amazing eyesight and can spot a beetle 50m from its perch!  

Our Blue tits will be hatching from May. Last year we missed them because we were so engrossed watching the heron mature; so for 2021 we've upgraded our streaming technology to be able to bring you multiple live feeds so you can relish even more of the action.  

Keeping cameras working in the hostile environment of gales, driving rain and salty sea spray is expensive. This year we are raising funds to add more live streams for 2021. The costs of streaming are £1,000 a year and we'd also like to put in more cameras so we can bring you more action from across the conurbation. We rely upon your kind donations to make this happen.

Are you enjoying our webcams? Can you give a donation to help us support wildlife across the conurbation? Donate here online. 

Thank you!

Please note: our webcams show live footage of the natural world. Please understand that at times this may include images of feeding on prey. 

In the event that we don’t raise enough money for this project, or exceed our target, the money raised will go towards our general charitable activities.