Three Counties Birding

More Photographs

Kestrel

Oystercatchers

Rock Pipit

Sunday 26th November

THE NEW FOREST - BLACKWATER

It was chucking it down with rain this morning, but we decide to go out anyway. We had no plans other than to drive down to the New Forest and go for a walk as soon as the rain stopped. We got as far as Blackwater, on the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive north-west of Brockenhurst. We had a circular walk in Poundhill and Vinney Ridge Inclosures.

We didn't see or hear many birds on the walk, but Crossbills were chipping in the conifers around the car park, and a Mistle Thrush sang from a lofty perch, appropriately just as a shower began. We also came across a mixed flock containing Long-tailed, Marsh, Coal and Great Tits and Goldcrests.

The highlights of the walk though were Red Deer, two young stags along with four hinds, and later a large, older stag, with a dozen or so hinds.

Red Deer

Fungi

Autumn Leaf

Saturday 25th November

BOLDERWOOD IN THE NEW FOREST

After a morning of rain it brightened enough to suggest that a walk would be possible after lunch. We went to the New Forest, parked at Bolderwood and walked an anti clockwise circuit to Burley Rails Cottage and back. The outward half was dry, with some sunshine even, the return was wet. There weren't many birds, but one of us had a decent view of a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker - the other didn't.

A Dragonfly was patrolling a track in North Oakley Inclosure, unfortunately the light was appalling, it was starting to rain, and it didn't settle. It was certainly a Hawker, probably a Migrant Hawker.

Here is a selection of late Autumn/early Winter photographs.

WE'RE BACK - PART 2

Here are the November highlights so far. Hopefully normal service will now be resumed.

Brent Goose

Little Egret

Reed Bunting

All taken from the sea wall between Keyhaven and Pennington

Mediterranean Gull in the car park at Milford on Sea

Meadow Pipit in the Purbecks

Mallard

House Sparrow

Taken at RSPB Radipole Lake in Weymouth

Ring-necked Parakeet at Savill Garden near Egham, Surrey

WE'RE BACK

With many thanks to Andrew Birch the problem with uploading photographs has been resolved, so thank you Andrew, it is very unlikely that I would have sorted the problem myself.

Now, where were we, well rather than a day by day catch up, here are a selection of October photographs. The highlights from November will follow later.

Long-tailed Tits at Lepe

Beetle on the sea wall near Lymington

Coal Tit

Dunnock

Great Tit

Marsh Tit

Nuthatch

Denny Wood in the New Forest

Saturday 28th October

THE NEW FOREST

For some reason I haven't been able to gain access to update the blog for the last week, so assuming normal service has been restored, I'll play catch up over the next couple of days.

We went to the New Forest again on Saturday 28th October, when we had a long if unsuccessful walk in the Ashley Walk/Leaden Hall and Pitts Wood area looking for Ring Ouzels. The best photograph I could come up with was this Stonechat.

Stonechat