The name "Arne" originates from "Earn" a Saxon word for House. Little remains of the village which was evacuated during the second World War and used as a decoy site for the Royal Naval Cordite Factory, located across the harbour at Houlton Heath.

Today the Arne Peninsula is one of England's most important nature reserves and most of the area is controlled by the RSPB.

The RSPB nature trail can be followed from their pay and display car park through picturesque woodland, across heather covered heath land, to an amazing coastline of reed beds and sandy inlets.

The habitat is ideal not only for the likes of the Dartford Warbler but also for the many Sika Deer, which for me were the highlight.

Japanese Sika were probably first brought to England in 1860 when a pair were presented to the Zoological Society. The current national distribution suggests they have only flourished in South-East Dorset and in the southern part of the New Forest.

Sika arrived in Dorset in 1895 at Hyde House Park and on Brownsea Island in the following year. Those released onto Brownsea started to swim ashore on the night of their release. Further escapes were recorded from Hyde House and the whole herd was released during the Second World War when the government took over the running of the estate.

Today, the distribution of Sika lies primarily within the Poole Basin and is now spreading beyond Poole in the East, Bere Regis in the North and Dorchester in the West.

Sika have a preference for an acid soil habitat, as found at the Arne Peninsula. Although Sika generally feed at night, those at Arne can be seen feeding in undisturbed areas at almost any time of the day.

Sika have a distinctive alarm whistle or squeak and when the degree of alarm becomes too much to stay still, Sika will bound off, jumping off all four feet together as though mounted on springs, this unusual movement being known as "Pronking".

If you visit between mid-September and the end of November you may hear some unusual sounds. A single whistle, rising to a peak before tailing off and usually repeated three times is perhaps the commonest call of the rut. You may also hear a noise rather like a witch's cackle. This registers a stag's annoyance and is often followed by the sound of direct confrontation and the clashing antlers.

The RSPB has for some time been concerned that Sika numbers in the Reserve are now at levels where they are causing serious damage to heathlands, reedbeds and saltmarsh vegetation. A study is now underway to determine whether a cull is necessary.

An excellent location for a day out.

See the RSPB Arne Peninsula web site:-

Arne Peninsula