6th October - Acres Down, New Forest, Hampshire

It was a beautiful October morning with clear blue skies and sunshine.  I decided to spend some time in the New Forest with several targets, not all to do with bird life.

It was busy in and around the car park with a number of dog walkers, but I managed to find a spot to park and was quickly off down the path towards the famous Lesser Spotted Woodpecker tree.  But it wasn't the woodpecker I was looking for it was a Tawny Owl.  Ian had seen it last week and I had a good idea where to look.  Using his photograph I was finally able to find the hole it had been sitting in and there it was enjoying some filtered morning sunshine.

I was hopeful that the light might improve later in the morning, so decided to look for my other target, the fungi that is having a very good year.  It wasn't hard to find, they were everywhere, on the ground and on the fallen trees scattered around the area.

First was a group of Olive Oysterlings.  They grow on dead hardwoods and like humid conditions.

Perhaps the most numerous around the area and on the dead wood, both large boughs and small twigs, the Porcelain Fungus.

Resembling the delicate porcelain cups and plates, they have a sheen in the filtered sunlight.

A view from below showing the gills.

many would grow on the side of the dead branches.

The Chestnut Mushroom, another fungus that grows on dead hardwood, specially Beech as found here.

Oyster Mushrooms again growing on a fall trunk of Beech.

Almost a bowl like shape.

Sulphur Tuft, a common woodland fungi that grows prolifically in large clumps on dead hardwoods.

Honey Fungus again growing on the dead trees.

The Common Bonnet, a tiny mushroom.

And the Willow Shield a rather non-descript mushroom on top of yet another dead tree trunk.

Hoping the light might be a little better I walked back to look for the Tawny Owl once again.  It was still only partial sunshine but it was a little brighter.  I moved around in the attempt to get a view without the branches

There, I moved a little to the side and fortunately the owl followed me, keeping a close watch on what I was doing.

With it not moving all the shots began to look the same.  Turning around the sun was hitting the bracken that was turning a beautiful golden yellow.

Here a very autumnal scene found in the forest at this time of year, a mix of greens, gold and darkness.

I decided to walk the track down hill and was taken by this frond of bracken caught by the shards of sunlight coming through the trees.

I reached an area that was cleared and a path went up through the bracken  On the path were these two mushrooms that turned out to be the quintessential fugus, the Fly Agaric, these two were on the way out, the head flattening out and something has taken a bite out of it.  These are poisonous to humans, giving a psychotic trip. It very much depends on the persons ability to take them, it can range to illusive experiences to death.

I walked up the path and could hear Goshawk calling from the pine plantation.  One flew over, but at distance, while another continued calling in the plantation without showing itself.

I like this silver birch sat amongst the bracken and the blue sky.

I walked a loop around the pine plantation and then back down towards the Tawny Owl once more.  There was forestry work going on, but I did manage to see and hear several Crossbills flying over.

More fungi on the path, this is an Oak Milkcap, beautiful gills.

I know this is a type of Russula, but I can't pin the species down.

Back at the Tawny Owl, it was still showing well, now in shade the sun having moved around.

Zooming out, this shows the hole in the tree with leaves as decorations.

I walked back to the car with Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral and male Brimstone passing me.  THere seemed to be a influx of Ladybirds as they were all over me and the cars. Interestingly they were mostly Harlequins.  This one is the sub species spectabilis.

And this one succinea.

After some lunch I walked up the slope to spend some time on the down.  I walked around the open areas, but with only Skylark and Meadow Pipits, I couldn't find any Woodlark.  Some lovely scenes looking across the vistas to the west and north.

I walked back along the lower track and this took me through a small copse of pine and oak and some more fungi.  This is a very large fungi, with a diameter of about six inches, the Blusher

Some different views.

Just emerging.

Then a perfect Fly Agaric, all that is missing is the Fairy.

Walking back a view across the valley on the other side of the car park.  I remember the first time I came here there were nesting Curlew and drumming Snipe.

Close to the car park I walked through the bracken and found another perfect Fly Agaric.

Nice to spend some time in the New Forest once again, the Tawny Owl was very nice as was the multitude of fungi.  Hopefully if the weather continues to behave the forest will be awash with autumn colour in a few weeks time

21st November - Eyeworth and Cadman's Ponds, New Forest and Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

I decided today I need to look for Brambling in the New Forest, so initially set off for Cadman's Pond, where Brambling have been reported, but along the way decided to detour to Eyeworth Pond.  Normally every year Ian and I would check in here for the Mandarin Duck, but as we saw one early in the year at Blashford we didn't see the need.  However nothing beats a drake Mandarin Duck in full breeding plumage and Eyeworth also is able to deliver dark water that sets off the spectacular plumage.

As I arrived there were Mallard by the shore, but no sign of the Mandarin.  I changed and walked along the path and found them on the far side of the pond under the low hanging trees.  With a little encouragement two drakes appeared.

Initially they stayed at the back of the pond but gradually started to swim over to me.

A colourful gathering of three males.

Then they moved into the dark water.

Then the drakes started to display.

Raised heads.

Followed by a wing flap.

The beautiful mandarin duck was introduced from the Far East, where it can still be found in China, Japan, Korea and parts of Russia. It escaped, or was deliberately released, from captivity in the UK. Mandarin ducks are actually quite shy birds, often hiding beneath overhanging willows and usually only forming small flocks.

More wing flaps.

A close up.

A beautiful, unmistakable duck: male mandarins have elaborate plumage with orange plumes on their cheeks, orange 'sails' on their back, and pale orange sides; females are dull in comparison, with grey heads, brown backs and white eyestripe.

The mandarin duck nests in holes in trees, sometimes high up and a long way from the water. Shortly after the ducklings hatch, the female flies down and tries to coax the young to jump from the nest. Once they have left the tree and made their way back to water, the father will return to the family and help to protect the ducklings.

The dark water really enhances the colourful plumage.

Leaving the Mandarins I made my way to my original destination, Cadman's Pond.  There are plenty of Beech and Oak trees around the pond and it looks like there has been some feeding of the birds.  I walked around the area adjacent to the car park but was only able to find Chaffinch, Blue and Great Tits in the beech mast.  Walking around the pond there were Redwing and Fieldfare in good numbers and for once it was possible to get some good views of the Fieldfare.

The sandy soil around the pond is good for Fly Agaric, the classic Toadstool, in the autumn, I was a bit late for them and many were destroyed or gone over, but I did manage to find this one.

As I searched for the Fly Agaric I flushed out a small flock of more Mandarins.  Brown water here doesn't look so spectacular.

From Cadman's Pond I headed for Blashford Lakes.  Once there I made my way to the Ivy Lake South Hide, where there was a good chance of Kingfisher.  I brought my lunch and was determined to settle in an wait.

A drake Tufted Duck showed very well in front of the hide, always a nice duck to photograph.

A stare from a Tufted Duck!

A pair of Kingfishers flew past the hide and completely ignored the posts!  That was to be the only sighting in the two hours I was there.  In front were Gadwall, Shoveler and Wigeon feeding on the big clump of weed.  Although one Wigeon was quite happy to snooze.

Then a preen.

I gave up on the Kingfishers after two hours and decided to try the hides on Ibsley Water.  First was the Goosander Hide and there was absolutely nothing to be seen.  I could see the gulls gathering in the middle of the lake so decided to head for the Tern Hide.

Aside from the gulls it wasn't much better in the Tern Hide.  Pochard to the left, plenty of Tufted Duck, a few Goosander, one Goldeneye and two distant Great Egret was all, so it was down to the gull roost and I did manage to find at least three Adult Yellow-legged Gulls, which saved the visit.

Adult Yellow-legged Gulls in winter lacks the Herring Gull’s heavy streaking on the head and neck, instead showing only limited light grey streaking on the crown and maybe the nape.  From December / January this streaking difference becomes less clear as they both start to acquire their white summer head colour.  Adult Yellow-legged tend to start moult earlier and this makes them stand out as a sleek smart white headed gull.

The Yellow-legged Gull has only recently been recognised as a species in its own right, having previously been considered to be a race of Herring Gull.  Adults have darker grey backs and wings than Herring Gull but are paler than the Lesser Black-backed Gull. They have more black in the wing tips than Herring Gull and smaller white 'mirrors'.  The legs as the name suggests are bright yellow.

With it becoming quite gloomy I decided to head home just after 15:00.  Some lovely Mandarin phots early on and a year tick in the Yellow-legged Gull, so not a bad day.