21st November - The New Forest, Hampshire

Ian and I had toyed with the idea of some time in the Forest over the last few weeks, but reports from elsewhere had meant we stayed away.  This week though there were reports of Great Grey Shrike and Hen Harrier so we decided the time was now right.  The first stop was to be north of the A31 at Milkham Inclosure. I arrived at the car park just before dawn.  It was overcast but dry and relatively calm.  The choice of footwear was wellingtons, there was every likelihood the trails would be wet and muddy and for once this autumn it felt a little chilly.  

We set off down the main track from the car park but turned off to walk through a small copse of Scots Pine.  Almost immediately we could hear Crossbill calling from above the top of the trees and Ian managed to find a male in the usual location at the top of a Pine tree.

The conditions were very poor for photography, quite dull and with an almost white sky as a background.  I found it necessary to over expose by three stops and even then it didn't seem enough, but with the ISO so high the images were very grainy

It continued to call from the top of the tree, a female having flown off as we picked up the male.  The male then flew to another tree and once again perched at the top.

As it’s names suggests, the common crossbill has a large bill that is crossed at the tip - perfect for picking the seeds out of pine cones.  It feeds by flying from cone to cone and can often be seen in larges flocks near the treetops, although it regularly comes down to pools to drink. It is resident all year-round, but some years 'irruptions' occur when it becomes widespread and numerous as it is joined by Continental birds looking for food and which may stay to breed. They nest very early in the year, hatching their chicks in February and March to take advantage of the new crop of pine cones. They have even been known to breed all year-round when there are good cone crops.  They nest in conifer trees, constructing small cups out of twigs and moss, and lining them with hair.

The males are brick-red, while the females are olive-green, with a yellow rump. 

At this time of the year finding good birds in the forest requires patience and a lot of leg work.  We walked on with the calls of Goldcrests, Coal Tits and more Crossbills coming from the trees.  We turned north and headed towards Broomy Plain.  This took us through another plantation.  While most of the leaves were gone from the trees there were still a few birches hanging on to their golden yellow leaves.

We came out on to a single track road and walked alongside it.  Meadow Pipits were in the heather, once flushed they would perch in the heather.

Unlike the inclosures we had walked through, Broomy Plain was open, mostly heather and the odd scrub and Gorse.  We constantly scanned across the plain but with little about.  A Kestrel drifted across hunting as it went  and of course there were the usual crows to raise the hopes.  

Looking south the skies were very moody with gaps in the cloud allowing shards of sunlight to fan out across the sky.

We walked to Broomy Lodge and then followed the track alongside the fence and through some woodland.  Here there were Goldcrests, Chaffinches and also at least three or four Firecrests that would provide very fleeting views in the holly trees.

With a bit of patience I was able to get some good views, but still in very poor light which provided more grainy images.

Great to catch up with a bird that I last saw this close up was in the Spring and the first lockdown

Walking on we came out into the open and a good size flock of Redwing and Fieldfare, the Fieldfare showing a little better.

Ian then found a single Hawfinch at the top of one of the Beech trees, I just manged to get on it before it flew off.  We searched the tree tops for any more and managed to locate one at the top of these trees.  As you can see I didn't get the photograph.

We decided then to walk on to Cadman Pool, there had been a report of Goosander in the week and it allowed us to follow the trees while also being able to see over the open heath.

A distant Green Woodpecker appeared very small, which it was as it was a long way off.

A little further on there was a feeling of being watched, which we were by this female Fallow Deer.

We were able to get a little closer as it kept watching us, but not bolting.

Approaching the pond, we walked across a valley that was the start of a stream, Crab Apple trees were on either side and these were being protected by Mistle Thrush and another Hawfinch.

The pond turned out to be a big disappointment, not even a Mallard, in fact no birds whatsoever.

From the pond we crossed the road and headed into Slufter's Inclosure.  The track took us all the way down to the A31 underpass, from here we crossed the road and then headed into the remainder of Slufter's Inclosure on the other side of the road.  As we did so a flock of fifteen Crossbill flew around us before heading south across the A31.  In the inclosure we came across another small group of three females and a single male, again all at the top of the pine trees.

The path then turned and headed toward the main road then came back again, rather than take the dog leg we opted to walk across the heather, the footwear allowing us to walk through the many pools.  This area is known as Bratley Plain and the highlight here was flushing four Common Snipe

The path took us through the Kings Garden and then back into the Milkham Inclosure.  We walked on with very little in the way of bird life about, but we did encounter some more Crossbill calls closer to the car park. The car park itself was full with many others trying to find a parking space, Lockdown having an impact once again

As I said at the start of this post, the Forest needs patience and considerable leg work, well I think we managed both today.  There is always the chance of a special bird, but not for us today other than the Crossbills, Firecrests and Hawfinch.  Others we spoke to didn't even manage them.

After lunch it was decision time.  We opted to drop into Eyeworth Pond, not too far away but again there were so many cars about.  We had to park on the road, but if we had tried we could have got into the car park.  Walking up the path alongside the pond we could see the drake Mandarins at the back of the pond.  We counted eight drakes and six ducks, but there was no sign of the Goosander.

On slow days such as this there would always be the option of the Woodland Hide at Blashford.  That option has been taken from us so we had to find another way to pass the time.  Here at Eyeworth, a bag of seed works wonders and very soon we were surrounded by four species of Tit and a very impressive couple of Nuthatch.

There is a clear pecking order, the Nuthatch being the top dog, that bill being more than enough to frighten off the smaller Tits and even the Great Tit.

Interestingly both Nuthatches would take more seed than they would eat and would fly up into the trees and push the seed into cracks or broken branches in the tree.  They weren't alone with the Tits doing something similar, with plenty of food they were not just eating it but saving it by caching in holes and crevices

The smallest Tit and most nervous of all the others was the Coal Tit.

The most numerous was the Blue Tit, at one point there were eight on the ground, but many more in the trees and bushes.  This one looked splendid with a background of golden Beech leaves.

The Marsh Tits came next for numbers, as bullish as the Blue Tits when it came to taking the seed, but still very wary of the Nuthatches.  Here again with the beech leaves for a background.

But also in the branches.

A smart tidy looking tit with it's shiny black cap and black bib.

Then framed amongst the lichen.

All the birds had smart plumage, probably something to do with the ready available supply of food, non more so than this very impressive looking Great Tit.

With daylight slipping away we dragged ourselves away from the photogenic birds and made the short journey to Black Gutter Bottom.  Again it was to be patience, footwork and luck.  Hen Harrier have been seen, we found out there have been two ring-tails and a silver grey male.

We crossed the stream with hope, walked up to Leaden Hall and then across to look out over Ashley Hole, nothing.  Well that is not strictly true, the Fallow Deer can be considered to be common here now, a group of four hinds watched as we walked down the valley.

Away to the west was a larger group, as the light disappeared they were feeding, stretched out on the slope of the valley and in amongst them was an all white female.

We scanned in hope, we stood in hope and we crossed the valley in hope, still nothing.

I had resisted my favourite tree as we walked down to Black Gutter, but as we crossed the stream in Ashley Hole to come back I was taken by a tree at the head of the valley, if only the male Hen Harrier had drifted into the photograph.  Again better in black and white.

Sensing defeat we trudged on across Leaden Hall and back down to Black Gutter Bottom.  We will see one this winter I am sure, it will though require 20 percent patience and 80 percent luck I think, ever the optimist I think.

A different day with not much about, but for me it was all about being outside from dawn to dusk.  A great walk, some great chat and laughs, I need that after a week in the office.