These posts are a summary of the year 2025. This the second, two of four looks at the spring from April through June. If you want more details you can go back and review the full post for the dates and photographs referred to.
Happy New Year!
April
Unfortunately the Peregrines at Winchester Cathedral decided not to nest there this year, so I had a wasted visit on the 1st. On the 3rd the first orchids of the year were found in Haslar Cemetery, Green-winged. And an afternoon visit to Browndown South finally turned up some Adders.
On the 5th I was out of the county in Kent and paid a visit to Elmley NNR, where the Little Owl showed well in the morning and then very much to my surprise a Barn Owl was hunting in bright sunshine at the middle of the day.
On the 7th I fulfilled a dream I had since my Grandson was born to take him birding, so we found ourselves in the hides at Titchfield. The highlight of the day being the Avocet and an Orange Tip butterfly. On the 8th at Keyhaven-Lymington, there were two Little Ringed Plover and a pair of Little Tern.
Back at Pig Bush on the 11th there were at least three male Redstarts and while watching these I received a phone call to tell me there was a Black-crowned Night Heron at Posbrook Floods. The views were not good and it took a while to show, but was definitely my first Hampshire Night Heron.
More migrant arrivals at Fishlake Meadows on the 12th with Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat and a lot of Orange Tip along the canal path. A Wheatear was at Titchfield on the 14th and on the 15th at Fishlake Meadows a very controversial drake Smew.
The 17th saw Ian and I off on our annual trip to Durlston, we had two targets, early orchids and the Puffins at Dancing Ledge. We saw Early Spider and Green-winged Orchids and at least three Puffins, but what we didn't expect was a pair of Cirl Bunting near the visitor centre, they are slowly making there way east.
There were more distant views of White-tailed Eagle at Blashford on the 19th and then later in the New Forest Tree Pipit and Redstart. The dry and sunny weather remained with us and a trip to Noar Hill on the 22nd saw plenty of Early Purple Orchids and at least half a dozen Duke of Burgundy butterflies.
More migrants at Fishlake on the 23rd with Garden Warbler showing well and possibly up to three Grasshopper Warblers, that would every so often show well.
A visit to Sandy Point on the 24th saw eleven Kittiwake off shore plenty of Whimbrel and a single Great Skua. A Lesser Whitethroat showed well at Titchfield on the 24th, while back at Fishlake on the 28th the Grasshopper Warblers were still showing along with the first Hobby of the season.
May
Normandy Marsh and Lagoon had a partially summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper on the 6th along with one half of last year's Roseate pair, unfortunately the y could not replicate last year's success.
Curlew Sandpiper.
Roseate Tern
Later I dropped into Pig Bush in the hope of finding the Nightjar. A big surprise was a second year Red-footed Falcon that showed briefly over the bog before heading off south. Another county tick for me this year.
I finally managed to locate the Nightjar and the Redstarts around the trees.
From the 9th to the 15th we were on holiday in Crete, with little bird watching. On the 17th Ian and I were in the New Forest at Standing Hat where we found Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Redstart and a Cuckoo. But the biggest surprise was a singing Wood Warbler.
I managed to see the Hudsonian Godwit once again at Titchfield on the 22nd which turned out to be its last day, it wasn't actively feeding and spent the time roosting with the Black-tailed Godwits. A walka round the reserve saw Southern Marsh Orchid on the east side.
On the 29th I spent some time in the company of the breeding Peregrine at Romsey Abbey, while on the 29th I went out of the county to Woolbedding in West Sussex to see the Honey Buzzards. I then managed to get Honey Buzzard in Hampshire on the 31st at Acres Down
June
My first Marbled White of the year was on Portsdown Hill on the 2nd, there was also a several Pyramidal and a very nice Lizard Orchid, but nowhere near the numbers seen the previous year, the dry conditions continuing to impact the orchids.
On the 6th and 9th it was back at Romsey where the peregrines continued to pose a challenge. On the 13th I spent some time at Blashford attempting to photograph the Sand Martin from the Goosander hide.
On the 14th Ian and I started at Broxhead Common where we found a lot of Silver-studded Blue butterflies. From there it was back to Noar Hill for the Musk Orchids and Common Twayblades. We finished on Warnford Hill where we finally found a protected area with a single Man Orchid.
On the 16th it was some serious hill climbing as I found Bee Orchid at Portsdown Hill and Dark-green Fritillaries at Old Winchester Hill.
Bee Orchid
Dark Green Fritillary
The 19th was a very warm day and I an and I spent the time searching for a Frog Orchid at Martin Down. After hours of searching we finally found them in the chalk pit area.
On the 21st I was in Kent and took the opportunity to visit Blean Woods for the Heath Fritillaries. Then on the 23rd in Abbotts Wood I found my earliest ever Purple Emperor and it grounded so nicely for me.
As well as the Emperor there were good numbers of White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Ringlet and Comma. This summer has seen the butterflies bounce back after a terrible 2024.
The lifer orchids continued with a find of Lesser Butterfly Orchid at Pig Bush in the New Forest on the 24th, while on the 27th Ian and I watched distant White Letter Hairstreak in the Alver Valley and then had Purple Hairstreak in Whiteley Woods in the afternoon. On the 30th at Titchfield there was a Clouded Yellow at the west side entrance and at Darter's Dip a Norfolk Hawker dragonfly, a species that appears to be expanding its range around southern England, a first for the reserve.
There appeared to be no let up in the immediate future of the dry warm weather, the summer rolled on into the third quarter of the year.
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