WEARING what looks like a pair of red underpants and proudly sporting a head of grey hair, he checks that no-one is around; reveals himself from the heather, clears his throat and begins to warble.

I'm not talking about grandpa in a superman outfit; it's the beautiful songbird the Dartford warbler.

At one time this bird's population in England was at a critical level - just 11 pairs were counted back in 1963.

Today however, this buzzing bird is alive and well, and its numbers are thriving on our very own doorstep.

The New Forest, Canford Heath and Holt Heath are home to some of the highest numbers of Dartford warblers in the UK.

Since 1993, its numbers have tripled and now it boasts a whopping 3,208 pairs.

Simon Wotton, research biologist at the RSPB said: "It's fantastic news for a very vulnerable bird, particularly because it has moved to higher ground not used by Dartford warblers for many years.

"Warmer winters mean the birds are likely to push even further north but they can only do that if there are heathland sites available, which are protected from development."

Conservationists believe the Dartford warbler's population increase is partly the result of a £25 million heathland protection programme run by the Government agency Natural England.

More than 80 per cent of lowland heathland has been lost since 1800 and one fifth of the world's lowland heathland is found in the UK.

This area is doing its bit to rectify the problem.

Holt Heath alone is a 4.88 square kilometres of dry and wet heathland, mire and ancient woodland. Similarly Canford Heath, a site of Special Scientific Interest, is a vast area of heathland and part of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area.

The New Forest has around 40 per cent of all the heathland and is being recreated under the nationwide action plan.

It's North West Europe's most important area of heathland, and Martin O'Neill, Head of Communications for the New Forest National Park Authority tells us that the Forestry Commission is planning to recreate more than 2,000 hectares of this valued habitat over eight years.

Marin says: "As a result, species like the Dartford warbler that were under threat are once again thriving on this complex mixture of soil, humidity, grass, gorse and plantlife."

This investment back into nature is prevalent with other species too. The hen harrier, a frequent winter visitor to these parts and one of the rarest of birds of prey, is thriving.

Then there's the chough, a species of crow whose last pair disappeared back in the 1970s has also made a successful return. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds believes it's because of a commitment to conservation work.

Today the choughs in Cornwall have produced 27 youngsters.

Then there's the chiffchaff, the nightjar and the woodlark which all declined heavily throughout the country from the 1950s but have shown a steady increase in the Forest, which now has possibly the second largest population of nightjars in the country.

Just goes to show, it's never too late.