22nd April - Pig Bush New Forest, Hampshire

After our six hour marathon around the Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve we decided to head into the New Forest for a specialty that had just arrived.  It was a half hour journey to the car park at Pig Bush, from where we set off through the surrounding woods with Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing.  Coming out of the wood onto the heath we disturbed a Stonechat amongst the dead bracken.

Movement in the bracken a little further on prompted a search of the bracken from where I flushed a Dartford Warbler that appeared for seconds then just disappeared.

We followed the main path up the ridge and then down the other side towards the bridges and and streams alongside the birch trees.  Here a Blackcap was in full song amongst the birch and willow trees and was quite prominent at the op of the branches for once.

A Cuckoo called from distant trees, we thought we had found it but just could not be certain.  We crossed the boggy area and almost lost Ian as the ground gave way under his left foot.  You have to be careful because what looks like ground to walk on can suddenly be a bog.

We were heading to a group of trees that stretched to the railway line.  There was plenty of song coming from the trees but not the one we were hoping for, then Ian had a brief glimpse of a female Redstart, so they were about.  The area is one of marsh bog and fallen trees, ideal for the Redstart.  having seen one we started a more concerted search around the trees and bushes and it didn't take long to find a male.  It dropped from a tree briefly to the ground before flying back up.  It was moving through the trees and I just managed to get a quick record shot.

We walked slowly around the area, hoping to catch a glimpse.  The hope that we had in coming here at this time of year was that with the leaves only just starting to emerge there was a chance we could get good views.  Our approach over the years has been to go to Acres Down at the end of April, by then the trees were in leaf and the Redstart would sing from the tops of the trees and the views would be adequate.  The Redstart is one of the smartest British birds and as yet I have never managed to do it justice with a photograph.  We were hoping that today would be the day to put that right, however it had not started well.

We then saw the female again and she was joined by the male.  They would give themselves away by dropping to the ground to pick up food and then return to a prominent branch to watch.  We decided to stand and watch nd this approach produced results.

The male in all his glory

He would follow the female around, the female keeping out of sight in amongst the branches, while the male was prepared to be more open.

These were already some of the best Redstart photographs I have taken.

Redstarts are real tree-dwellers, nesting and feeding in mature oak woodlands and sometimes hedgerows in western parts of the UK. They are temperate rainforest specialists, thriving in the wet, mild conditions of the coastal woodlands of Wales, Scotland and South West England.

We followed as the pair worked their way around the fallen trees and the branches.

An elegant, robin-sized chat, the redstart is a summer visitor, arriving here in April and leaving in September. It feeds on insects, especially butterfly and beetle larvae, and can be seen foraging in woodlands, hedgerows, parks and beside streams. Redstarts have an upright stance and can be seen 'bobbing': moving in a similar fashion to Robins. 

The Redstart is said to spend much of the time in the trees, but they do forage on the ground as was seen by this male.

Using a pile of horse droppings as an unlikely look out spot.

The Redstart gets its name from the colour of its tail, 'start' being an old colloquial name for tail.

Back into the trees.

These last shots being my favourites and some of the best I have taken of this beautiful bird.

Eventually the male flew out from the trees to a bush in the middle of the bracken, but didn't stay long and came back to settle on the bracken which was close to the main trees.

From the bracken it flew back into the trees and we decided to walk on.  There is a circular walk that leads back to the car park.  The Cuckoo could still be heard calling away in the distance, closer though was a Willow Warbler in the young birch trees by the fence.  A Woodlark flew from the top of a tree and dropped down amongst the bracken.

We headed back into the woods where there was a Redstart singing from the top of an oak tree.

Coming out the other side we were faced with a line of birch trees with leaves just beginning to emerge.

As we got closer to the trees the leaves and the bark of the birch stood out.

You cross a stream, then walk back into the wood that surrounds the car park.  Passing a clump of holly bushes we heard the song of a firecrest.  There were several birds present and they were not to happy.

The firecrest uses its crest and supercilium markings to present a warningto anyone who might want there territory.  It does look quite frigtening.

Eventually it calmed down and the crest was lowered and it just started to sing, moving through the holly every so often jumping to catch insects or spiders.

We left the Firecrest and headed to the car park.  A perfect end to what had been a really good day, the afternoon delivering some New Forest specialties.