Welcome to the fourth annual report on the birds, wildlife & ecology of Holes Bay Nature Park, Upton Country Park and the surrounding farm fields, where wildlife thrives despite being surrounded by human activity.

In 2020 a local group of enthusiasts, inspired by the long-established Lytchett Bay report, came together to produce an annual Holes Bay Nature Park (HBNP) report with the aim of promoting Holes Bay, Upton Country Park and the surrounding farm fields as a haven for nature, to record and share wildlife sightings, and to encourage more records.​

The HBNP annual report summarises the wildlife seen over the past year and sets it in a wider context. In the 2023 report you will find:

• Birds recorded in Holes Bay and Upton Country Park in 2023
• Bats in and around Upton Country Park – a historical review
• Fungi recorded in Upton Country Park and Holes Bay in 2023

About the Nature Park

The Nature Park was established in March 2015 by a partnership of Poole Harbour Commissioners, Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT), and Borough of Poole (now BCP Council) to bring local people closer to nature and to ensure the habitat is managed for the benefit of the great variety of wildlife found within it. Its creation was made possible by the acquisition of large areas of mudflats through the DWT’s Great Heath Living Landscape project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.

It’s one of the best places to enjoy the wildlife of Poole Harbour. The saltmarsh and intertidal mudflats are a haven for wetland birds, many of which feed on the rich invertebrate life of Poole Harbour’s mud.

Read more and find previous annual reports at uptoncountrypark.com/holes-bay-nature-park

Get involved!

Bird and other sightings can be shared via the group’s Holes Bay Nature Twitter account @Bayholes, or e-mailed to Nick Woods