Despite its small size, Ouaisne Common supports a remarkable diversity of species. The site is known for being the only natural British site of the Agile Frog, but its location, some 100 miles south of England, means that a number of the reserve’s other species are rare in, or absent from mainland Britain. Guy Freeman provides an overview of the site, and lists some of the many special species to be found there.
This small area of low-lying, scrubby dune heathland, located behind Jersey’s picturesque Ouaisne Beach, may appear fairly unremarkable at first glance. The reserve is penned in on all sides: by the turquoise waters of St Brelade’s Bay to the west, farmland to the north, a housing development to the east, and the rocky headland of Portelet Common to the south.