Ham Common is a Local Nature Reserve

Local Nature Reserve

Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...

 at Hamworthy

Hamworthy

Hamworthy is a parish and inner suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. Hamworthy lies on a peninsula of approximately and is bounded by Upton to the north, Poole Harbour to the west and Holes Bay to the east. Poole Bridge, the southern terminus of the A350 road, connects the suburb with the town centre...

, near Poole

Poole

Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...

, Dorset

Dorset

Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...

. Located on the north west shores of Poole Harbour

Poole Harbour

Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...

, it is predominantly a heathland site but includes many other habitats including waste ground, mixed woodland, and a freshwater lake (Hamworthy Lake).

On 17 October 2003 Ham Common 'twinned' with Fleet Pond

Fleet Pond

Fleet Pond Local Nature Reserve is one of Hampshire’s hidden gems. Located on the northern edge of the town of Fleet in northeastern Hampshire, the 'pond', at 21 hectares , is Hampshire's largest freshwater lake...

 Local Nature Reserve in Hampshire. In 2006 a twinning event, and plaque unvailing, took place at Ham Common.

Fauna

Over 200 bird species, 34 butterfly species, and 25 Odonata

Odonata

Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...

 species have been logged in the reserve.

Birds

Birds inhabiting the reserve include the Avocet

Avocet

The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer...

, Grey Phalarope, Osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

, Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy...

, Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

The Yellow-browed Warbler is a leaf warbler which breeds in temperate Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters mainly in tropical southeast Asia, but also in small numbers in western Europe...

, Serin

Serín

Serín is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Serín was 309 in 2004Serín is located on the western area of Gijón / Xixón, and borders the Asturian municipalities of Llanera, Corvera and Carreño.Barrios & Places:-External links:* - Gijón / Xixón...

, Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

The Black-throated Loon is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. The species is known as an Arctic Loon in North America and the Black-throated Diver in Eurasia, its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee.-Taxonomy:The...

, Hobby

Hobby

A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...

, Peregrine

Peregrine

Peregrine, Latin Peregrinus, is a name originally meaning "one from abroad", that is, a foreigner, traveller, or pilgrim. It may refer to:- Birds :* Peregrine Falcon, a bird of prey* The Peregrine Fund, a bird conservation organization- People :...

, Wryneck

Wryneck

The wrynecks are a small but distinctive group of small Old World woodpeckers.Like the true woodpeckers, wrynecks have large heads, long tongues which they use to extract their insect prey and zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backwards...

, Hoopoe

Hoopoe

The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes...

 and Nightjar

Nightjar

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...

.

Butterflies

Butterflies inhabiting the reserve include the Long-tailed Blue, European Swallowtail, Purple Hairstreak

Purple Hairstreak

The Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe. North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia....

, Grayling

Grayling

-Fish:*Grayling , Thymallus thymallus*Grayling , generically, any fish of the genus Thymallus in the family Salmonidae*Australian grayling , a fish in the family Retropinnidae...

, Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

Argynnis paphia is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.-Subspecies:*A. p. butleri Krulikovsky, 1909 Northern Europe, Central Europe...

, Dark Green Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

The Dark Green Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic ecozone - Europe, Morocco, Iran , Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.-Subspecies:...

, Brown Argus

Brown Argus

The Brown Argus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:Although one of the "Blues" both sexes are brown on the uppersides with a band of orange spots at the border of each wing...

 and Silver-studded Blue

Silver-studded Blue

The Silver-studded Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behavior and distribution:So named due to the silvery blue metallic spots on the underside hind wings. The upperside are a rich, deep iridescent blue in the males with a black border and the characteristic Lycid white...

Odonata

Odonata inhabiting the reserve include the Red-eyed Damselfly

Red-eyed Damselfly

Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.-Appearance:The species is a small damselfly, long, predominantly black with iridescent blue markings. The male resembles blue-tailed damselflies but is distinguished by its large, spaced eyes that are a deep red...

, Southern Damselfly, Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

The Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly or Small Bluetail, Ischnura pumilio, is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.The typical male has a black abdomen with a bright blue spot on tail . It is very similar to the Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans but on that species the blue spot is...

, Brown Hawker

Brown Hawker

The Brown Hawker is a large dragonfly about long. It is a distinctive species and is easily recognised, even in flight, by its brown body and bronze wings...

, Scarce Chaser

Scarce Chaser

The Scarce Chaser, Libellula fulva, is a species of dragonfly. The adult male has a bright blue abdomen with patches of black, while the adult female and juvenile male each have a bright orange abdomen. It is about 45 mm in length with an average wingspan of 74 mm. It is distributed throughout Europe...

 and Keeled Skimmer

Keeled Skimmer

The Keeled Skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens, is a species of European dragonfly. This species resembles the Black-tailed Skimmer but is slimmer and the male has no black tip. Females and immature males lack the black abdominal pattern...

.