Friday had been a beautiful day with clear skies and sunshine, albeit with a chilled wind. Overnight the skies were clear and the temperature dropped, but as I left home it was with anticipation of another gorgeous day. As I came through Ropley that anticipation was increased as a Barn Owl flew across the road in front of me
Driving west for the first time this year along the motorway I headed towards a full moon that lit all the fields on either side of the road. On reaching the car park at Acres Down the light was increasing as dawn approached but the moon was still dominate. As Ian and I walked up onto the down it was shining brightly away to the west.
Every full moon these days seems to have acquired a name, a practice that has been with us for sometimes but just recently has become popular with the media. Februaries full moon is known appropriately as the "snow moon". On the down it was picking out the frost that was covering the ground and in the valley as we walked along the ridge towards the watch point.
We were minutes away from sun rise, but for that short time the moon remained the dominate light source in the sky.
But as the time came closer to sun rise the sky became lighter and taking on a lighter shade of pinkish mauve.
As we came through the small birch copse away to the east there was a sliver of blazing red just showing above the horizon of distant trees.
On a wider angle the rising sun was starting to change the scenery around us as we stood watch on the plateau.
But the moon was not giving up.
As we stood marveling at the changes in light all around us the scene was sound tracked by the delightful song of the Woodlark. We eventually found the bird responsible, perched up in a nearby tree and silhouetted by the morning light, but unmistakable in both song and outline.
The sun was now above the horizon, turning the eastern sky orange.
We edged closer to the Woodlark and while the light was not acceptable we did manage to get the bird tinged with the early morning golden light.
All around the ground, both heather and dead bracken was lit a burning orange and red by the light of the rising sun.
It soon became clear that there were several Woodlark around, the whole plateau a source of song and birds chasing each other from bush to the ground. We were able to approach them as they fed around the path and at the edge of the heather.
They are a very secretive bird, this time of year being the best time to see them as they declare territories and mates with their distinctive song. However this is not always guaranteed as we have been up on the down at this time of year and not seen one. They have the ability to completely disappear. This morning though their song was all around us and we estimated there must have been at least ten to twelve individual birds.
Looking south, away to the Isle of Wight the sky was a paler orange but still as spectacular.
We were heading around to the watch point and several ponies were alongside the path, those that were a russet brown in colour were being picked out by the golden light of the morning sun.
Woodlark were flying from the ground and proceeding to sing on the wing. As one bird took off I watched as it descended and eventually settled on a nearby gorse. It was a little disappointing to find out the bird was a Meadow Pipit, but I forgave it once I saw the photographs.
We were here at this time not to look for the famed raptors that soar above the trees, but to scan the trees for a possible Great Grey Shrike. The search proved to be fruitless, as seems the case with our recent searches for this shrike, so we had to just make do with the early morning scenery, which was spectacular.
Resigned to returning later we headed off towards the valley below, passing another sunlit pony.
Looking south it was also quite spectacular.
We follow the path around to the west and headed slightly down hill. The area looks over woodland known on the map as Wood Crates.
Another Woodlark flushed from the ground and flew up into a Silver Birch where it proceeded to preen which gave us the opportunity to get a little closer.
But it then dropped to the ground where it walked around the edge of the heather. Here it looks like it has an impressive lyre like tail.
"Tick" calls above us saw two Hawfinch fly over, and then we began to see them in the top of the trees of the copse that the footpath leads through down to the bottom of the valley. Not the best photos but a record of this elusive finch that has a stronghold here.
Some more views of the surrounding habitat.
We headed down to the valley bottom known as the Knowles. Here we struck gold, three Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers flew over our heads calling and into the top of the beech trees. Like the Woodlark this is the best time of the year to see this special forest species, not only are they more vocal and possibly displaying, the tops of the trees they prefer to in habitat are bare of leaves.
None of these photographs will be award winning, but to put things into perspective we were about to get some of the best views of Lesser-spotted Woodpecker that we have had here in the New Forest. It appeared there were two females all attempting to win the attention of one male, although at one point we did consider there could be three. The female would call and flap her wings to attract attention.
Eventually the male would get the message and fly to the female calling.
Then there would be a little bit of chasing around the branches which would end with them flying off with spread butterfly like wings to another tree and of course we would follow.
The Lesser-spotted Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in the United Kingdom and also the rarest, They are predominantly seen in the south and are completely absent from Scotland.
Here is the female once again displaying to the male which is hidden away to the bottom right.
A little bigger than a House Sparrow the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker its habits are very similar to the Great-spotted Woodpecker, but due to its size spends more time in the thinner branches. It is now a red listed bird in the UK with their estimated to being 3,000 breeding pairs, whereas the Great-spotted Woodpecker is around 45,000. The BTO put this down to the modern habits of removing dead trees quickly from woodlands and parks for safety reasons, which deprives the birds of their favoured nesting habitat.
We watched the three in the tops of the trees.
We decided to leave after awhile, but as we walked through the wood we heard drumming and more calls. This resulted us in turning back and spending another 30 minutes walking back and forth in an attempt to get a clear view as the birds chased each other from tree to tree. We never did get that clear shot and in the end decided that was enough and we walked on down the the cycle track with Stock Dove calling all around us.
Even though the sun was well up in the sky the light was still special and illuminating the moss on the exposed roots of the trees.
Along the main path heading towards Highland Water there were calls from the tops of the trees, Coal Tits and distant Siskins the commonest but every so often a "chip" as an invisible Crossbill flew over. What we were hoping for was the song of a Firecrest and it did not take long to find one.
And as is the case if you stand still for a period of time other birds will appear as was the case with this Treecreeper.
A little further along and another Firecrest was singing in a holly tree. The Firecrest season has started.
On the path leading back to the car park a rather more elusive individual in amongst the ivy.
After a cup of tea and a bite to eat we picked up the telescopes and walked back to the watch point. A little bit of cloud was appearing in the sky which was encouraging. We were hoping for some birds of prey and it did not take long before the prize bird was seen, a Goshawk, picked up at first to the north west of the watch point and then watched as it gained height and then soared across in front of us and eventually ending up well to our left over the distant pines to the south.
We watched it all the time with the scope getting great views that would never be represented by any photographs. The clear white vent visible and you were able to appreciate the relaxed slow flapping which is distinct from the more vigourous of the Sparrowhawk. Here is the one and only record shot.
We were treated to about half a dozen birds showing, some very distant and some a little closer, but all watched with the 'scope. A pair were seen doing the looping display flight and a Sparrowhawk was also seen mobbing a single Goshawk. The only other raptor present was the ubiquitous Buzzard, one of which sat on top of a tree at the bottom of the valley.
Around us there were Meadow Pipits and the Woodlark suddenly started singing and displaying. A pair of Ravens flew overhead, calling with familiar "gronk" as they went. Closer to us were a pair of displaying Stonechats.
And then in front of us a bird that from the initial shape I thought was a Hawfinch but on closer inspection turned out to be a female Crossbill. It makes a change to get the opportunity to photograph at eye level, if still a little distant.
With some great Goshawk views behind us we headed back down to the cars for lunch. This was made even better when a Red Admiral appeared over our heads and then settled on the bright white bark of a close by Silver Birch. Love the shadows and dark background.
My third butterfly of the year, not bad before the end of February.
After lunch we ditched the 'scopes once again headed back on to the down. The plateau here is only eighty metres above sea level but is one of the highest areas in the Forest and on days like these affords some incredible views all around, from Southampton Docks to the east, the Isle of Wight to the south and some wonderful tree lined horizons to the north and west.
We were heading to the south facing slopes on the hill that leads down to Wood Crates to look for Adders, we searched around the bracken and gorse but with out any luck. We then decided to walk the loop once more in the hope of a Brimstone butterfly, but again we were not successful. However at the junction of bike routes we heard the now familiar call of a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker and yet another female appeared over our heads and settling in a dead tree. Unfortunately she had settled with the sun behind her which once again compromised the photographs. So it was the more arty approach!
And that was it for the end of a glorious day. Pretty much all the target birds were found which is not always the case with the New Forest. The Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers were special and something we had not experienced to that level here before. The pre dawn and post dawn scenes were also very special. It makes you feel like better days are just around the corner.
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