The extraordinary place that is Thursley National Nature Reserve (NNR) is the surviving part of a once much more extensive area of heathland in Surrey. With most of this heathland lost through urban expansion and agriculture, areas that are left are even more precious.

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You can experience a sense of wilderness at Thursley NNR that makes it hard to believe you are only 1 hour from London. The 325 hectares of Thursley NNR holds extensive areas of open dry heathland, peat bogs, ponds, pine and deciduous woodlands, home to a thriving and varied amount of wildlife, much of which is rare and confined to heathlands. Wildlife To the south of the reserve are the areas of open dry heath. Common Heather, or “ling”, along with Bell Heather are the dominant species here. Mid to late summer brings the landscape a striking purple hue; from the soft mauves of the ling to the darker purples of the Bell Heather. These areas are home to many of the nesting birds, such as Stonechats, Dartford Warblers and Woodlark. Many reptiles also favour this habitat, and at Thursley all six native species can be found. The Silver-studded Blue butterfly, whose caterpillar feeds on bell heather, can be found here. What this jewel of a butterfly lacks in size, it can make up for in its sheer abundance.

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In the north you will find the wetter areas of the reserve. The valley mire or “bog” as it is colloquially known supports a very different variety of wildlife. The wildlife communities change to include plants and animals adapted to the wet and nutrient-poor acidic conditions. Here we find the sphagnum mosses that form the peat bog. Carnivorous plants such as the sundew thrive alongside the dazzling displays of Early Marsh Orchid in the early summer. A different heather takes over here: the Cross-leaved Heath. This grows on the wetter ground around the mire. Later in the summer the delicate sunshine yellow flowers of the bog asphodel come into bloom, forming stunning carpets of colour, which fade to a deep russet orange as they go to seed. Amongst the areas of sphagnum and heather are open ponds and ditches. These are home to one of the highlights of the reserve: the dragonflies and damselflies. With over 20 different species living and breeding here, Thursley NNR is one of the best places in England to watch these aerial acrobats hunt and mate over the open water. These insects attract the attention of one of the most enigmatic birds on Thursley NNR: the hobby. This falcon, a summer visitor from Africa spends the summer feeding on dragonflies and smaller birds in order to raise its chicks.

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Other birds that thrive at Thursley are the pine specialist the crossbill and the african migrant the Redstart. Other migrants such as Tree Pipits, Nightjars and Cuckoos are present in the summer. The wetter areas hold important breeders such as the Snipe and the declining Curlew.