Dorset is teeming with wildlife. The county hosts over 40 nature reserves spread over diverse habitats, including coastal sites, ancient woodlands, abandoned quarries and sandy heaths.

When you’re out and about you might spot seals, red squirrels, ospreys and a host of reptiles. Not to mention a huge variety of plants, some of which are quite rare.

This is our guide to several places where you can get close to some of the wonderful wildlife that thrives in our area.

There’s more to Weymouth than the beach and its historic harbour. The town hosts two wildlife reserves and you’ll often spot keen twitchers (birdwatching fans) out and about with their telescopes.

Radipole Lake is a great place to spot kingfishers. But you’ll need sharp eyes, because these brightly coloured birds dart about at high speed.

Other birds you might see include dunlins, snipe, redshanks and lapwings. 

Nearby, the reserve at Lodmoor is a saltmarsh frequented by gulls, ducks, terns and more kingfishers. It’s also a great place to see winter wading birds.

There are car parks near both reserves. Both are within a very short drive from us – no more than 15 minutes.

If you drive from Weymouth to Portland, you’ll see the massive stone bank of Chesil Beach out to your right. Along that road you can also stop at the Wild Chesil Centre, where you can learn about the remarkable geology and the habitats it has created.

This is another area popular with birdwatchers, who are keen to see what’s coming and going on the nearby Fleet lagoon. Oystercatchers, little egrets and ringed plovers are common sights, as are flocks of brent geese. The beach is also the nesting site of one of Britain’s rarest seabirds, the little tern.

Portland Bill, on the other end of the island, is yet another place to enjoy a huge variety of birds and other wildlife. Lizards bask on the rocks, seals and dolphins can sometimes be spotted just offshore, and there are, of course, many different species of birds.

Portland Bill is about a 40-minute drive from us, and you’ll pass Chesil Beach on the way.

Popular places to visit because of their iconic rock formations, these can also be great places to enjoy wildlife. The chalkland is a haven for butterflies and other insects. Look hard and you may spot a Lulworth Skipper, one of Britain’s rarest and smallest butterflies. It’s only found on this stretch of coast, and is one of more than 30 species of butterfly common in the area.

This part of Dorset is also one of the best for rockpools. Perhaps the very best is Kimmeridge. This is home to the Kimmeridge Bay Wild Seas Centre, an educational hub packed with displays and information about the area.

Rockpools are amazing natural habitats, each one a tiny ecosystem that might be home to anemones, small fish and crabs. Kimmeridge Bay also has a snorkel trail, a self-guided tour in shallow water through a variety of seabed habitats.

Kimmeridge Bay, the furthest of these sites, is about a 40-minute drive from us. Access to the bay is via a toll road – pay as you arrive. The 2026 fee is £6 for cars. Lulworth Cove is about 20 minutes away.

One of the most spectacular wildlife sights in Dorset is the historic Swannery at Abbotsbury. Medieval monks took advantage of a natural gathering place for these majestic white birds, creating a haven where hundreds gather at a time. It’s the only managed colony of nesting mute swans in the world. 

It’s also one of the few places in Dorset where you are actively encouraged to help feed the wildlife. Be there for 12 noon or 4pm and you’ll probably have a chance to help dish out dinner to the birds.

The Swannery is at the western end of the Fleet, the natural lagoon behind Chesil Beach. It’s a unique habitat attracting many different species of birds, not just swans.

Abbotsbury is about a 40-minute drive from us.

If you’re keen to see British wildlife, it’s likely that you want to enjoy the sight of red squirrels in their natural habitat. Until the Victorian era, red squirrels were all over the country. Today they’ve been pushed out by their bigger grey cousins. Some, however, have retained a home in Dorset, on Brownsea Island.

The island, set in Poole Harbour, is part of a wider landscape now considered important for wildlife and it’s part of the Purbeck National Nature Reserve.

You need to take a ferry to Brownsea Island. It leaves from Poole Quay, which is about a 50-minute drive from us.

Before heading out to any of the wildlife areas we suggested, it makes sense to check websites to see what’s open, and what you might see.

Some birds might be around for most or all of the year, while others are migratory. Some of the locations, such as Abbotsbury Swannery, aren’t open in the winter months.

Also consider the weather, as it can be quite changeable in coastal areas.

Take binoculars, a camera with a good zoom lens (if you want photos) and suitable footwear. Please don’t disturb animals in their natural habitat. 

Most importantly, enjoy yourselves as you discover just some of the amazing creatures that live among us here in Dorset. Why not make a list in the visitor book in your cottage? We’d love to read about what you’ve seen.