18th January - Acres Down, New Forest, Hampshire

Another bright sunny morning with very cold temperatures, leaving home the thermometer said minus six degrees.  I pulled into the car park at Acres down just after nine, my midweek trips are difficult to get up early for!  I headed down the main path and stopped to pick out a Hawfinch that flew across the path and settled briefly in a tree on the south side of the path.  Saturday Ian and I had tried for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on the usual tree at the bottom of the hill from the car park and while it was very cold then, like today, it was overcast with a leaden grey sky.  I was hoping today would be different.

As I reached the main bend in the path I could hear drumming and this time it was definitely a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, I ran around the corner to the view point and I could hear the drumming from the tree, but couldn't see the woodpecker, then it appeared on a bend on the dead branch that snakes upward beyond the small branches.

The background was perfect, a beautiful azure blue and the little male Lesser Spot was hammering away on the bough.

The eyes tightly shut as it hits the wood to give a staccato drumming sound that has a distinctive speed and beat, while the sound can change dependent on the wood or the thickness of the bark.

No bigger than a House Sparrow the UK's smallest woodpecker has forged a strong hold in the New Forest where the damp marshy condition and plenty of dead trees provide the perfect habitat.

It then travelled up the bough, testing out the different sounds on the different places on the tree.

It then moved on the branch and just after this shot was taken flew off over our heads and away.  The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker holds territory at this time of year, the males setting their area by drumming on certain suitable trees, we all knew that he would be back, it was just a case of how long it would take.

Some left, satisfied with their views, I however decided to stay, the company and banter was good and very soon we had found what at first was a strange bird at the top of a tree nearby.  It appeared almost yellow with stripes and streaks, the branches were also hiding it from a clear view.

It couldn't be a Yellowhammer here, although it did look like one, but as it turned its head it showed off the bill.

It was a Crossbill, and from the streaks and colour, probably an immature male.  Eventually it will take on the beautiful red plumage of the males, but at the moment it still looked quite distinctive.

One or two had wandered off and a Firecrest appeared in the tree close by, but was very elusive, moving quickly through the branches and not stopping to allow any photographs.

Then those that had wandered away were indicating that they had found something and those by the viewpoint joined them.  In a tree there was a large hole facing south and you could just make out the top of a Tawny Owl's head.

Then probably out of curiosity the owl raised itself to show more of the head and neck.

As we watched the owl, there was drumming once again so we decided to walk back.  It had been away for about an hour, but was now drumming in the tree on the open space, it was using the higher branches and while the beat was the same, very fast, the sound was different.  It was hard to get a clear shot so I was pleased when it decided to move over to the original tree.

Eyes tightly closed.

A rest and my favourite before it flew off once again.

Could a good morning get better?  Well walking back to the Tawny Owl, the sun had reached the hole and the owl was now right at the entrance.

A small patch of sunshine catching the hole and warming the Tawny Owl.  We edged a little closer.  A lovely portrait.

A look around.

Then it surprised us by flying off, the alarm calls of the small songbirds ring out as it gave itself away.

Thinking back to last Saturday we had wondered then if the incessant Blackbird alarm calls was due to the presence of a Tawny Owl, this one headed away it the direction those calls were coming from so maybe it has another location.

With the way the luck was going it was worth a walk up on to the down.  There were Redwing and Fieldfare in the trees and around a dozen Meadow Pipits feeding on the grass where the sun had melted patches of ice.  Scanning the tree tops there were at least three Buzzards soaring, while a single Goshawk was upsetting the Woodpigeon but stayed very distant.

We were hoping for Woodlark, but there was no sight or sound of any.  As always though the views and scenery around Acres Down was stunning.

Back at the car it was time for some lunch and then a decision where to go next.  I decided to stay I wasn't in the mood to travel anywhere else and I felt there was still something to find here.

After lunch I set off down the path, but didn't get very far when this Firecrest was foraging for insects around the sun warmed leaves of the holly and bracken.

With all the quick movement I was amazed I managed to capture this.

I walked down the path past the Owl's tree and then looped around to the north of the main path.  Crossbill were calling in the tops of the pines and on reaching a Larch plantation there were Siskin.  As I came down the path there were three Lesser Redpoll in a small bush and they then dropped to the ditch to drink, if you look in the centre of the photo you can just make out what is a very poor record shot.

The walk took me to Highland Water where I searched, but was unsuccessful, for Grey Wagtail.  I then followed the path back to the car park.  Just before I reached the car park I flushed a Great Spotted Woodpecker from the wood pile and it flew up and settled nicely in the afternoon sun.

By now the cold was setting in and the sun was dropping fast so it was time to head home.  It seems early to find Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming and showing so well and I was very pleased with the day as I might not get the chance later in the early spring.  A Tawny Owl is always special and this one was very confiding.