21st January - Acres Down, New Forest, Hampshire

Every year at certain times of year there are places we go to, its like a pilgrimage.  As January comes to an end it is Acres Down in the New Forest.  You need a sunny morning, with the birds singing so as I pulled into the small car park I was more than happy to see the sun out, even though it was quite weak.

I was meeting Ian, but he was delayed due to the heavy traffic around Southampton.  I had experienced some congestion as I reached the small ford before the car park, but mind was a little more rural.

While I waited for Ian I chased a pair of Firecrests around the holly on the other side of the car park.

Some different shots of one of my favourite birds.

But finally some views with the Firecrest catching the sunlight, but with a nice dark background.

Once Ian turned up we set off along the cycle path, down the hill and round the bend to the usual tree.  The sun was still out and the sky as a watery blue.  We stood looking at the tree and the dead bough at the top that the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker likes to drum on.

It didn't take long to hear the familiar drumming, much quicker and higher than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker.  It came closer and then I picked up the diminutive little woodpecker at the top of a tree behind us.

Then I t flew from the top of this tree and headed to the more familiar one that we were watching.  At first it stay resolutely behind the bough.  It was drumming on the bough, but the sound was rather weak.

Every so often you would see the head appear, but gradually there was a little more.

Then it came up the left hand bough of the "Y" and finally showed well.

The drumming continued, but still didn't sound right, it was as if the bird was searching for the right place with the right tone.

Then finally it flew to the main bough and the drumming sounded just right, it had found the right spot.

Here some video of the drumming.

The drumming though brought in another woodpecker and the two displayed to each other and then flew off over our heads.

So an early success, next we tried for the Tawny Owl in a hole in a tree nearby, but with no luck.  Next we decided to walk along the path in search of Crossbill.  After hearing Crossbill a bird that we did pick up turned out to be a Redpoll.

Walking on it was very quiet, the sun had now gone and it was very overcast and dull.  We walked on to the Highland Water bridge and then headed back towards the car park, still with very few birds.  As we approached a cleared area we heard the call of a Goshawk and eventually saw one fly around us and then, just when we thought the Godhawk had gone a raptor came over the tree tops, but this time it was a Peregrine, and as it flew over it appeared to be looking around, maybe checking for the threat of the Goshawk.

As we approached the car park we passed the woodpecker tree once again and at the top was a Stock Dove.

We had lunch and then walked up on to the down itself.  It was eerily quiet, no bird song and it took awhile to even see any birds, that was a flock of about twenty Meadow Pipits.  At the bottom of the hill there was a Green Woodpecker calling and we managed to see it, but that was the last bird we saw before getting back to the car.

The weather had closed in, it was very dull, but still and very cold, the birds were completely absent.  Just as we were about to leave a Crossbill called and flew over.

It had been a successful day, getting good views of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is alway a good day, lets hope they have a good breeding season this year