Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

Weather dictates a lot of what birders do or should do! I’m happy to go out in any weather but I’m not happy to travel too far to experience bad weather so whilst I was hoping to get to Norfolk at the weekend the thought of 20+ mph westerly winds was not that inviting. I fancied a change from my usual haunts in Kent and when Paul Matson called it wasn’t long before we settled on the New Forest and a twitch for the Slate-coloured Junco and a search for other more usual residents and seasonal visitors.

Just after 0800 we were at Hawkhill Inclosure with around 50 other birders waiting for the junco to show. Whilst we waited we were entertained by displaying Crossbills which gave great scope views in the beech trees on the edge of the heath. Around 08.30 we got our first looks at the junco and thereafter we had a number of reasonable scope views as it fed around a couple of fallen pines. A Woodlark had a half-hearted attempt at singing from a lone pine on the heath and a Red Admiral flew about to add to the almost spring-like feel to the day.

Dark-eyed Junco  - record shot, great scope views !

As we drove round to Beaulieu Road we passed Hatchet Pond and stopped to look at a small party of Goosander.

Goosander -drake

 We walked out across the heathland at Beaulieu Road in lovely weather and found the Great-Grey Shrike already staked-out by birders on the far side of the bog. It gave good scope views hunting from birches in the sunshine. Nearby woodland proved productive for a number of species including Nuthatch,Treecreeper and Marsh Tit.

Beaulieu Road

 Early afternoon saw us driving across to Ringwood and searching Blashford Lakes for the long-staying Ferruginous Duck. Unfortunately it wasn't on show but we saw Green Sandpiper, Goosander and a host of common duck before we headed back to the New Forest for the late afternoon.

Along Rhinefield Ornamental Drive we stopped for a showy Buzzard before finishing the day at Blackwater Arboretum where we had 5 Hawfinch, 3 Brambling, several Crossbill, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin and 4 Bullfinch.  

Buzzard