Devon has a number of great nature reserves, here are some that are well worth a visit and what you canb expect there.
Bystock Pools nature reserve (near Exmouth)
This east Devon nature shows off two very different sides of its character to visitors.
On one, raised pathways and boardwalks keep your feet dry as you pass around a former reservoir and then through a wet heathland whose covering of downy birch trees and heather is studded with still, clear pools. This is the place to look for dragonflies as they buzz across the water’s surface.
Walk on to reach Bystock’s other side: a large hay meadow. Weaving among the wildflowers and tall grasses will be grayling, marbled white, small heath and meadow brown butterflies. Glow worms can be seen here on warm summer nights.
Summer highlight…look for the UK’s largest dragonfly, the emperor dragonfly, with a wingspan reaching 10cm.
Dunsford nature reserve (near Moretonhampstead)
This Dartmoor classic gives you a chance to accompany the River Teign as it passes through a wooded valley.
Along the way listen for the high-pitched piping call of an approaching kingfisher and look for the bobbing movements of dippers and grey wagtails as they skip between boulders in midstream.
Leave the valley bottom to climb on a path which leads to a bench. Take a welcome rest here to enjoy great views of the valley below as it disappears upstream in the direction of Fingle Bridge and Castle Drogo.
Summer highlight…wood ants may be the stuff of picknickers’ nightmares, but here you can find millions of these industrious animals as they come and go from their huge, dome-shaped nests.
Marsland nature reserve (near Hartland)
This remote nature reserves has a foot in both Devon and Cornwall, with its long valley straddling the county boundary.
At its seaward end the South West Coast Path gives grandstand views of the Atlantic from high cliffs. Moving inland bracken-covered hillsides and meadows give way to woodland paths which crisscross a shallow stream.
It’s here among the oaks that pied flycatchers raise their chicks in specially provided nestboxes. These small African migrant birds always keep an eye open for the sudden silent approach of the woodland’s expert hunter: the sparrowhawk.
Summer highlight…peregrine falcons patrol the high cliffs here, while buzzards use summer thermals to soar above the reserve’s interior.
Wembury Marine Centre (near Plymouth)
Not a nature reserve, but this part of Devon’s south coast is still a must-visit for nature lovers.
Perched in prime position above a sandy bay bordered on both sides by some of the South West’s best rockpools, Wembury’s small visitor centre has been welcoming visitors for more than 30 years.
Through its doors you’ll find staff and volunteers who can help unlock the secrets of life beneath the nearby breaking waves. Take in one of the marine centre’s regular Rockpool Safaris or, if you’re brave, sign up for a Sea Safari Snorkel, and explore the wonders of local marine wildlife in the company of an expert guide.
Expect to discover the weird and wonderful in the shape of sea stars, blennies, hermit crabs and much more.
Summer highlight…spot the purple-tipped, slender arms of a snakelocks anemone clinging to the edges of one of Wembury’s many rockpools.
Emsworthy Mire nature reserve (Dartmoor)
Arrive in this wonderful corner of Dartmoor in the first half of June and you should still be in time to catch one of Devon’s most spectacular bluebell displays.
The moor’s cool and damp conditions mean that the flowers bloom later here than almost anywhere else in Devon. The flowers make up for their late start by filling the fields between granite stone walls and around an ancient, ruined farmstead. A visit here on a warm evening, with a golden sun setting, is hard to beat.
Later in the summer, the reserve’s soggy valley bottom shows off bright white tufts of cotton grass. Use a network of boardwalks and signposted paths to see these and the dragonflies, damselflies frogs and common lizards who also live here.
Summer highlight…early summer gives you a great chance to hear (and see) cuckoos.
Halsdon nature reserve (near Hatherleigh)
Come here to experience a mix of mid-Devon landscapes.
Open hillside pasture, paths through woodland, riverside meadows, the deserted outline of an old watermill, all are here, along with a fine stretch of one of Devon’s grandest rivers, the Torridge.
In summer, leave the cool air of Halsdon’s woodland for a walk through the thigh-high grasses of its waterside fields. Listen for the sounds of crickets and grasshoppers and look for swallows, house martins and sand martins as they dodge around you hunting for insects.
Summer highlight…each year a few lucky visitors see otters from the nature reserve’s wildlife hide. Early mornings give you the best hope of witnessing this magical wildlife experience.
Ideford Common (near Teignmouth)
Heathlands once dominated much of the area between Exeter and Teignmouth. Back then they were thought of as barren, waste places. Today they are much reduced in size but greatly valued for their wonderful, unique wildlife. At Ideford Common you can still gain a glimpse into what this wild yesteryear must have been like.
While bumblebees and butterflies fly purposefully between gorse flowers and heather blooms, remember that every rustle at the edge of the path might be the movement of a basking common lizard, or even an adder. Don’t be concerned about encountering the latter. These beautiful snakes aren’t looking for trouble and, left alone, will slip away quietly into cover.
Summer highlight…visit in the evening to listen to the strange rhythmical, churring calls of nightjars. These nocturnal birds provide the soundtrack of a Devon heathland at dusk.
READ MORE: Why the nightjar is also known as a goat sucker or a corpse-fowl
To find out more about visiting these and any of Devon Wildlife Trust’s 60 nature reserves go to devonwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves
