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dansnaturepictures · 5 years

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The third of my wildlife and photography highlights posts of 2019: My adventures in the New Forest this year

This post I include every year, and in the past have styled it as a talk through some of my favourite landscapes I took in the forest that year and then some of the standout wildlife experiences or vice versa. This year I am approaching it differently and I just talk through experiences I have had at different places in the forest wildlife or landscape, whether that is just a simple mention of one bird I saw there or one landscape I took, or a longer paragraph or part paragraph about lots I saw and did there in 2019.

Denny Wood was the second go to location for me on New Year’s Day for a fourth year running, where I saw lots of woodland birds and Redwing and Fieldfare were standout year ticks. I was back on a day off in late March when I enjoyed seeing two Stock Doves, my first of the year one shown in the first of my pictures this year in this photoset. I went again to Denny Wood in October when I was happy to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding among other birds in the rain a standout moment. The first Saturday of the year saw Eyeworth Pond as one of a few places visited, where Mandarin Duck was a highlight and I saw these again at Cadmans Pool in early March.

A place in the forest I have had a very good year at in 2019 is Blackwater, on a February Saturday it looked very nice in the snow, and this day I saw two of its specialities the Crossbill and Hawfinch precious forest birds. I saw my first Bullfinches of the year there in March, and other year ticks Goldcrest and Mistle Thrush on my first visit there in January when I took the second picture in this photoset of sun shining through trees a very sunny and hearty wintery picture I thought. On the way to the February visit I saw my first Fallow Deer of the year, something I saw along with Roe Deers a week later at one of my favourite forest and general spots Pig Bush. At Pig Bush that day too I took the third picture in this photoset of some of hundreds of cattle we saw crossing the bridge which was interesting to see. On our next visit there in April I was delighted to see my first Redstart of the year very late into the walk just before we got back into the car, a really strong bird for this place and the forest as a whole, as well as have an amazing afternoon of seeing Buzzards four times and see so much more. When there in October it was nice to see some New Forest ponies wildly running across the heath in the rain.

I had a nice walk at Acres Down and Millyford Bridge in the New Forest on my first trip out of April, seeing my first Swallow of the year and three Brook Lampreys in a stream including their amazing stone “sucking” which made me think what a fabulous and wild place the New Forest is. I took the fourth picture in this photoset looking over Acres Down that day. I came back to Millyford Bridge on a day off in August getting great views of beautiful Golden-ringed Dragonflies along the stream, seeing this made my dragonfly and damselfly year list outright my highest ever. Also nice that day to see a Red-veined Darter, loads of Grey Wagtails with one unusually high up a tree and masses of water spiders on the steam. On the way out from the forest we saw some grazing animals with an adorable baby donkey that day and my second and third Wheatears of the year on the grass.

A Good Friday walk at Milkham became something of a spring classic for me, on a beautiful day the start of some really hot ones over that time it was rich in wildlife sightings, including my first Comma and Green-veined White butterflies of the year, first Large Red Damselfly of spring and first Cuckoo heard this year as I said in my favourite birds highlights post. My next visit to the open forest was Fritham in early June which was a really packed day too, I saw only my second ever Woodlark, my first Silver-studded Blue and Broad-bodied Chasers of the year, Cuckoo really well, Redstart, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Green Hairstreak, Fallow Deer and more. A stunning day with classic New Forest wildlife! Two weeks later the day after returning from Northumberland we went to Standing Hat, seeing lots of Large Skippers and Meadow Browns and my next dragonflies this year, two more of my favourites the Southern Hawker and Keeled Skimmer.

I had another brilliant afternoon in the New Forest at Whitefield Moor in July at the heart of summer, seeing my first Common Grayling butterflies of the year taking my year list to 42 making it level with my then highest ever total in a year of 2018 in 2019 I beat that total ultimately of course I took the fifth picture in this photoset of one there, my first ever Red-veined Darter dragonfly I did think this was a Common Darter initially but it was suggested by a kind Twitter friend I checked for Red-veined and I concluded it was in the end, many Silver-studded Blues, Keeled Skimmers, a young Redstart and my first Dartford Warbler in the forest since 2017. I took so many more photos that afternoon too like the sixth in this photoset. When back here in late November it was fantastic to see dozens of beautiful Fieldfares flying about and in trees, my first seen this winter such a nice memory with a Jack Snipe seen late on that day too. By contrast to the July visit this was a typical winter’s afternoon with rain showers and how dark it was with much of the landscape looking bare, but being out fairly deep in the New Forest it did feel very atmospheric like it so often does here in the winter. Due to an (as yet) unsuccessful period of searching for a regularly reported Great Grey Shrike in this area we actually came here the next two weekends as well going into December. On the second visit on the 30th November more Fieldfare views stood out. On the third visit this Sunday just gone after arriving after a shower it was a great sunny and nice wintery lit afternoon one of my best for sky pictures this year and as well as more Fieldfares I also saw my first Redwings of the season. I got some memorable and quality binocular views of a Redwing sat and Fieldfare flying on Sunday really getting to make them out. I also enjoyed seeing some Ravens and a couple of Fallow Deers running across the heath just before dusk.

I had a good time at Ibsley Common on 1st September seeing at least one other Common Grayling as well as nine Painted Ladies it’s been a boom year for this migrant and it was good to see some in the forest too alongside many other places for me. Small Heath, Fallow Deer, Kestrel and a couple of Whinchats the day after seeing my first this year at Farlington Marshes with a Stonechat were great things to see on this walk too as well as a pony drinking and wading in the river. A week later after our Cornwall trip that week I was back at Eyeworth Pond seeing a couple more graylings one quite faded as well as lots of pretty yellow Willow Warblers, Wheatear, Fallow Deer, Swallows skimming the water and still a good few Small Heaths about for that time of year.

In early October I visited Ashley Walk walking to Leaden Hall and back and on the way I was so thrilled to see at least one Ring Ouzel (we saw one flying then another later on so it could have been the same or a different one) only my third ever sighting of one. What a brilliant bird to see which this area is so good for on the autumn passage and this has become a regular place to visit for us in October because of that. I also saw Fallow Deers and some late Swallows that day which was great.

At one of the New Forest reserves Lymington-Keyhaven I felt I took a lot of landscape pictures I was happy with this year, the seventh in this photoset one on a sunny February day. I also saw a lot of brilliant wildlife here this year again, standout bird species seen being; Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Spoonbill, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope, Common Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Long-tailed Duck, Scaup, Eider, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Marsh Harrier, Yellow Wagtail, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Cuckoo, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon. I was thrilled in July to see Common, Little and Sandwich Tern here in one afternoon which I don’t remember ever doing before. In early September I had a nice visit here generally but also a memorable one for butterflies seeing Brown Argus, Painted Lady and many Small and Large Whites. On an October visit here we got a really nice quick view of a seal in the sea my first ever seen in Hampshire. When back in November we saw a seal again even closer in the sea behind us behind the wall with the tide in. I took the eighth picture in this photoset, a very spring one, of a Lapwing with three chicks beneath it in April by Normandy lagoon.

On a sunny September Sunday we went to Lymington to spend some time in the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve open day. As you may have read my Redshank picture at the reserve last year was in the wildlife part of the photography competition exhibition there. The exhibition was on boards you had to walk past to get into the open day events. It was a moment of pure joy when I saw this and spotted my picture there. It was a really surreal moment I’d not seen one of my pictures at anything like this before and I was just thrilled and it felt like one of my happiest moments this year and in the 10 years I have been taking photos. What a thing to happen in that big anniversary year that I talked about a lot too. But what made it all the better was seeing my picture on two boards for the wildlife and landscape parts of the competition with so many incredibly high quality pictures of really varied subjects across this wonderful reserve too. Everyone involved should be really proud of their work in this exhibition.

The open day generally was a brilliant way to showcase this special area it had a great atmosphere. I first ever came here on a similar open day in 2008 so it was very close to my heart what a big part of my hobby this reserve is. I really enjoyed at the day too chatting to the many local charities, groups and wildlife experts, watching some bird ringing at the demonstration run by Wild New Forest and getting a rare chance to go into the private hide which was opened today to overlook Normandy lagoon. The highlights here was seeing two Greenshanks importantly for me that day with Redshanks too as well as many Swallows flying. Between here and a little look at Pennington before leaving I saw many Swallows and Red Admirals that day which was great.

At nearby Sturt Pond in November I saw one of my standout birds this year with nice views of two stunning Black Redstarts, I took the ninth picture in this photoset of one. That bright weather day too for our first time ever we walked all the way along Hurst Spit to Hurst Castle. We got our greatest ever views of the castle a prominent landmark here as well as looks over to the Isle of Wight very closely so places like the needles which was very nice as well as views all the way down to Portsdown Hill at the other end of the county as we often get from Lymington-Keyhaven.

Key birds I saw at outskirts reserve Blashford Lakes this year included; Egyptian Goose, Great White Egret (getting views of the famous one Walter with both Grey Heron and Little Egret on separate days in the same channel in front of Ivy North hide which was interesting for size comparisons) Yellow-browed Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull, Goldeneye, Goosander, Long-tailed Duck, Cetti’s Warbler, Bittern, Lesser Redpoll, Brambling, Sparrowhawk and my first Swifts of the year nearby seen from the car on a journey. A day that felt crucial to my 2019 at Blashford was 7th April where I went there and saw key spring sightings my first Little Ringed Plover, Blackcap and Red Admiral of the year and so much more. I went back later in April and saw my first Sand Martins of the year, some Mandarin Ducks for the first time ever there and the Bonaparte’s Gull my first new bird of 2019.

During my week off in August I managed to do an activity I often do with my Dad go on the New Forest open top bus tour doing all three routes. It was wonderful to see the heathland and coast beauty of the blue route seeing many House Martins and grazing animals too, some great water views like the one I took of Lymington river in the tenth picture in this photoset and dramatic dark cloud above heathland scenes before a heavy shower on the green route and the vast beauty of the red route with nice Buzzards flying over the bus closely. What a brilliant way to see and appreciate my beloved wild and characteristic New Forest from an unusual perspective for me with fantastic service from the staff and a very interesting and engaging commentary.

Every year in my autumn edition of these posts (this year my eighth of these blogs) I mention our trips to the New Forest so much when talking about mushrooms, autumn leaves, pigs that are released to eat the harmful to ponies acorns in the forest commoner’s right of pannage that I enjoy in the forest each autumn and more. I don’t feel the need to repeat that here so look out for that post if you enjoyed this one. Thanks for reading.

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