RSPB Arne - Wareham

graeme H.

A Sunday visit to Arne and my first time here.
The approach is a little narrow and about 3 miles of narrow. That being said, there are many "pass points" along the route.
I was greeted by two ladies. The first super friendly and very keen and eager to explain all about the location which I really enjoyed, one a bit standoffish but nice nonetheless. The area is for me absolutely gorgeous, I love being out in nature so it suited me down to the ground.
Didn't really see a great deal of wildlife sadly or have a chance to get near that much due to the volume of people who clearly like the place.
I would advise a visit however be warned an early morning visit will suit those interested in seeing wildlife, as when the day gets on more and more people turn up and the tranquility kinda disappears (not moaning just my opinion for what its worth).
Breathtaking views and the weather was a little bit gorgeous for a Feb day.
Cafe is near the entrance however there were long queues for both the service and the toilets, and nearly £12 for a sarnie and a coffee i think might be a bit much but staff were polite and courteous if a little lacklustre in getting orders out. They unfortunately had to close the gift shop to get people served as the queue was stopping people getting in and out though I should state i believe these lovely people are volunteers so credit to them either way.
I would recommend a visit, though take a small rucksack as the temperature varied too much when in the shade to being out in the sun- obvious it may seem however it's nice to have somewhere to put spare clothes and carry some snacks and a drink (schoolboy error on my behalf).
Deffo a place to go get lost and see where you end up!!

Heather S.

Lovely area, café and shop was very tidy and clean. You can hire binoculars from £5 -£10
I had the £5 ones, they were fantastic so worth it.
Such a wonderful area. I was lucky the sun was shining that morning 🌄.
I would go back in a heartbeat

L B.

Even on a miserable stormy January day, we had a beautiful walk! Lovely staff on entrance that were staying merry in the cold and rain. We sheltered in the hide from a shower and saw deer and lots of birds. Very nice cafe and good gift shop too. £5pp well worth it!

J. Q.

We forgot our RSPB membership cards but the staff was so kind and let us in without requesting further proof. £5 entrance fee for non members. Parking is free.

The place is tranquil with established paths. We saw some big stags here.

The cafe sells some amazing local ice cream, and hot food.

James O.

Two wonderful days recovering from January blues! Arne is delightful, magical, exquisite! If you've seen 'winter watch' then you'll have some idea but not the whole picture

Ruth P.

Bring binoculars. Saw lots of different birds including spoonbills. Friendly, knowledgeable staff & volunteers. Stunning habitats.

Olivitree

Arne was amazing, we had a bit of a stressful weekend and this completely chilled us out dropping in before we went home.
Short version: All in all, what a trip! Wow! Simultaneously the most relaxed and excited we have been all year I think!

So much to see, endless benches to sit on and watch the wildlife, of which there was no end to! Started off with a lovely feeding station you could be barely a metre away from squirrels and various small birds.
We then went straight to the café and shop which was lovely, staff were excellent and shop had a lot of tantalising items. Birds back home loved the fancy mixed seeds we got them!
Making our way round we saw so many birds and heard even more, some of the highlights were the gangs of long tailed tits that seemed to be always close by, the beautiful if eerie sound of curlews. It was lovely watching the egrets jabbing for fish and the oyster catchers scurrying around in the shallows. Of course, seeing the biggest eagle I have ever seen in person was a big highlight (white tailed eagle I believe) that blew our minds a bit! The piggies were adorable and fun to see and the herd of deer (including albino doe!)were excellent.
My other half got to see his first jay too.

Steven J.

Fabulous RSPB location. There are some cracking walks here culminating in lovely views over tha back of Poole harbour and to Brownsea island. In the summer the blackberry bushes are bursting with juicy fruit meaning that you get a free feast en route. A real getaway from it all destination perfect for cleaning soul and spirit.