Verse 1

Studland Bay stretches under the Dorset sky,

Four long miles of sand where the gentle waves lie.

Sheltered by chalk cliffs standing firm and white,

The sea rolls in softly, the sun shining bright.

Behind the shore the dunes rise tall and slow,

Into heathland where rare plants and creatures grow.

Heather and gorse paint the sandy land,

Holding life and beauty, shaped by nature’s hand.

Verse 2

Nightjars fly as evening begins to fall,

Dartford warblers call from the gorse and all.

All six native reptiles bask on the sun-warmed sand,

Sand lizards and smooth snakes in this quiet land.

The dunes are young, only hundreds of years old,

Built from blowing sand, anchored by roots and mold.

Seagrass sways beneath the clear, shallow tide,

Pipefish and seahorses drift and hide.

Verse 3

These same shores once thundered with sound,

In 1944, troops trained on this ground.

D-Day rehearsals for World War Two,

Allies practising the landings they had to do.

Now the bay is quiet, the sand still and free,

But history whispers in the wind and sea.

The water shimmers, the sun warms the shore,

Memories linger but the world moves once more.

🎶 Chorus (cheery & flowing) 🎶

From the dunes to the harbour, the sun and the tide,

Seagrass sways and seabirds glide.

Sandy beaches, shallow seas, and skies so blue,

Studland Bay to Poole Harbour — we’re calling you!

Verse 4

Round the headland, Poole Harbour spreads wide,

One of the largest natural harbours worldwide.

Shallow waters, rivers flow in,

Frome, Piddle, Corfe, and Sherford join in.

The harbour is rich with mudflats and reeds,

A haven for wildlife, filling all their needs.

Brent geese, godwits, avocets, and more,

Feeding along the tidal shore.

Verse 5

Brownsea Island sits calm in the sun,

Home to red squirrels, their playful fun.

Boats drift by, sailors wave hello,

Ospreys dive where the waters flow.

Protected wetlands, marshes, and sand,

All cared for gently by nature’s hand.

From quiet coves to open skies,

Poole Harbour thrives where the water lies.

🎶 Chorus (cheery & flowing) 🎶

From the dunes to the harbour, the sun and the tide,

Seagrass sways and seabirds glide.

Sandy beaches, shallow seas, and skies so blue,

Studland Bay to Poole Harbour — we’re calling you!

Outro (soft & uplifting)

Here the land and water meet and play,

Changing with each season, each new day.

Sand, mud, seagrass, birds flying free,

Studland Bay to Poole Harbour — come and see!

A coastline alive, full of life and light,

Nature and history shining bright.

Information References

Studland Bay

National Trust – Studland Bay: landscape, wildlife, dunes, and WWII history

Wikipedia – Studland and Studland Bay

Dorset Wildlife Trust – Studland Marine Conservation Zone

The Wildlife Trusts – Seagrass habitats and coastal conservation

Poole Harbour

Wikipedia – Poole Harbour

Poole Harbour Study Group – harbour geography, wildlife, and ecology

BCP Council – Poole Harbour environmental designations

Dorset Wildlife Trust – Brownsea Island and harbour conservation

Birds of Poole Harbour – bird species and osprey recovery

Verse 1
Out on rocky shores and sandy beach,
A small shorebird wanders wide,
Stocky, short‑legged, orange feet,
With patterned feathers bright.
In summer it’s russet, black and white,
With bold stripes on face and chest,
In winter calm brown‑grey tones,
But its shape you’ll still know best. 

Verse 2
It breeds up north where tundra lies,
Near Arctic seas and streams,
In Canada, Alaska and northern lands,
Where summer’s daylight gleams.
There it nests on open ground,
A scrape lined soft with leaves,
Four olive eggs beneath the sky,
Hatched after twenty‑four days. 

Verse 3
When summer ends it takes to flight,
A migratory song,
Across the oceans, coasts and sands,
It travels far and strong.
To beaches, mudflats, rocky coasts,
From Europe down to Africa,
From both Americas to distant isles,
It winters near the surf. 

Pre‑Chorus
Over waves and drifting tides,
In small flocks tight and high…

🎶 Chorus 🎶
Turnstone, turnstone, flipping stones below,
Orange legs and patterned feathers, where the cold winds blow.
From Arctic summer breeding grounds to sunny shores it goes,
Turnstone, turnstone, wild and free wherever tides will flow.

Verse 4
It walks the edges of the sea,
Turning stones to find its food,
Crustaceans, molluscs, worms and bugs,
Hidden under every brood.
Small fish, eggs, carrion too,
Nothing safe beneath its bill,
A forager with skillful touch,
On rocky shore or sandy spill. A

Verse 5
In flight it’s swift with wavering wings,
A chatter in the breeze,
Calls a staccato rhythm out,
A chorus by the seas.
Sometimes it mixes with other birds,
Dunlins and knots nearby,
Moving with the tides and winds,
Beneath a changing sky. 

🎶 Final Chorus 🎶
Turnstone, turnstone, flipping stones below,
Orange legs and patterned feathers, where the cold winds blow.
From Arctic summer breeding grounds to sunny shores it goes,
Turnstone, turnstone, wild and free wherever tides will flow.

Outro (soft)
From rocky coast to sandy beach,
Across the world it roams,
The Ruddy Turnstone finds its way,
Oceans wide its home.

Information References

• Ruddy Turnstone general species profile, appearance, migration and family Arenaria interpres. Wikipedia
  
  

• Description of plumage, bill, legs, habitat and social behaviour. BirdWeb
  
  

• Arctic breeding range, nest structure and breeding facts. Audubon
  
  

• Migratory patterns and wintering locations worldwide. Audubon
  
  

• Feeding behaviour and diet, including turning stones and varied prey. All About Birds+1
  
  

• Vocalisation and flocking behaviour. My Store