News
Saturday, 13 May 2006
OWN TRANSPORT TRIP TO THE NEW FOREST - SATURDAY 13TH MAY 2006
It was a quiet start, with silhouetted siskins and a distant pair of crossbills flying past. Things livened up near the deer enclosure, where the paddock held a pair of green woodpeckers and a pair of redstarts in the hedge. JP spotted a hawfinch fly over, which called nearby, but wouldn't show again. A little further on a distant tree pipit was heard singing and then 'scoped. Two people retraced their steps as they had both heard the hawfinch again, and had a very brief flight view. Listening hard for Firecrest, JV spotted some movement and calling, and heypresto, both a firecrest and a goldcrest were seen together at close quarters. We watched them for ten minutes, and it seemed that the firecrest was shadowing the goldcrest, and at one time appeared to attempt to mate. There was much wing and tail flicking and fanning by both birds, with plenty of soft trilling. Eventually the firecrest exited stage left, whereupon the goldcrest immediately burst into full song and was joined by a female! Confusing or what!! Returning to the car park picnic area for lunch, we were surrounded by singing but invisible firecrests hidden high in the massive trees.
The afternoon walk took us into Broomy enclosure for a loop walk via Holly Hatch. We soon found a singing garden warbler, which gave brief views, having previously enjoyed the first of two willow warblers, a species that was heard on many occasions in the morning, but not seen. After a fairly quiet period, a spotted flycatcher was discovered, which all but one person observed. Whilst searching for it, SO chanced upon a brief glimpse of a lesser spotted woodpecker, which flew and was seen first by several more people before disappearing. We continued our search, relocating not one but three spotted flycatchers, before JV found the woodpecker again. On Broomy Plain, we added hobby, kestrel, skylark and stonechat, ending an enjoyable day, with 52 species seen or heard.
Mallard (1 overflight), Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby, Pheasant, Herring Gull, LBB Gull, Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo, Tawny Owl(h), Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren(h), Dunnock, Robin, Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Song Thrush(h), Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap(h), Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, LT Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Crossbill.
(h) = heard
Reported by Steve Oakes