New Forest (6 June)

15 Group members met at Bolderwood car park on a beautiful early summer morning, eagerly awaiting our guided New Forest Walk with Marcus Ward from Wild New Forest, a not-for-profit company that supports wildlife conservation in the National Park. We felt very fortunate as Marcus is a busy man – he had been ringing Hawfinches since 3am that morning!

We headed off in the general direction of Backley Bottom, a typical New Forest mire, passing Holly trees some as old as 600 years, many damaged by extensive deer grazing. A pair of Hawfinches flew overhead, the first of several brief sightings, most of which would probably have evaded us without Marcus’s expertise. He later led us past a well-hidden bait station, where high resolution trail cameras record the movements of individual Hawfinches, providing a valuable insight into the lives of this rare species.

Another early highlight of the walk was a smart male Redstart, while we enjoyed the first of two splendid views of a Spotted Flycatcher, another relative rarity in South East England. Marcus also spotted a Goshawk but most of us were too slow to pick it out before it disappeared into the trees. Other typical Forest species seen and heard included Firecrest, Willow Warbler and Woodlark.

The walk was not just about birds. Among the fascinating species Marcus pointed out were Slave-maker Ants, which have developed lurid methods of exploiting their hosts, and a spectacular Yellow Underwing Moth, resting in an area where we ourselves took a short break. A Slowworm crossing the path was lucky not to be trampled by our pounding feet. We also stopped to admire an elegant Heath Spotted-orchid and, in a boggy area, Common Lousewort and Marsh St John’s-wort, the latter not yet in flower.

The second part of our walk took us to the woodland area around the Canadian War Memorial, where the specific target was the elusive and fast declining Wood Warbler. We were lucky to hear an individual singing just as we entered the woods, but it remained hidden in the trees, as did another bird further along the path. Pausing by a stream dark with Forest peat, we spotted a Grey Wagtail and later passed along what Marcus explained was a run used by Pine Martens, recently discovered to be breeding in the Forest, among other mammals. Our final stop was by a small pond where we enjoyed watching a splendid Golden-ringed Dragonfly, together with a Broad-bodied Chaser and Keeled Skimmer.

Overall, it was a really splendid walk through a range of habitats, during which we learnt much about the ecology and management of the New Forest as well as seeing many of its iconic species, thanks to Marcus’s deep and intimate knowledge. The bird list came to 32 species, a very good number considering the how elusive many of these birds are and how thinly spread over a large area. Thanks also to Rebecca Dunne for arranging the trip.

by Clare Million