CROYDON RSPB MEMBERS' GROUP - TRIP REPORT

Gathering beneath Scots pines near Beaulieu Road Station, we had seen goldcrests, goldfinches, chaffinches and greenfinches and heard garden warbler and whitethroat before beginning our morning's walk. Stonechat and reed bunting were added to our list soon afterwards and then, from the handy vantage point of a railway bridge, we saw the first of the day's common buzzards, albeit rather distantly, and noted a healthy passage of house martins, swallows and swifts. Heading westwards across open heathland towards Denny Wood, we found the heather growth to be far less luxuriant than in previous years and, perhaps in consequence, only a brief glimpse was had of one of the special birds of this habitat, the Dartford warbler. The wet spring had increased the extent of nearby boggy areas, however, and two curlews, a redshank, several lapwings and a pair of greylag geese were all seen in flight in this vicinity. A hobby also flew through and later on three of these dashing falcons were in our sight together as they hunted for early dragonflies. A cuckoo showed well near the edge of the forest proper, but with the trees now in full leaf smaller passerines had to be located mainly by their calls and songs. The warbling song of a woodlark was easy to recognize : it is usually performed in flight but this bird was spotted in the topmost twigs of a clump of birches, for study through scopes. Willow warblers were singing strongly and were to be heard frequently throughout the day. (By contrast, no chiffchaffs were heard and the only wood warbler song was very distant and from an enclosed plantation, so was impractical for us to pursue). Quite a number of redstarts were heard too, once we had tuned in to the unfamiliar little song; trying to see them was hard work though and we were well into the depths of the ancient woodland before everyone had managed proper views of the colourful males. After also finding green woodpecker, mistle thrushes, tree pipits, marsh tits and treecreepers, we recrossed the heath to the cars for a (late) lunch.

Our next stop was at Acres Down, a renowned viewpoint for observing birds of prey in flight above the forest canopy. Almost as soon as we crested this high ridge, we noticed raptors circling in the distance, towards the southern horizon. Telescopes were needed to identify these as several more common buzzards and a honey buzzard. The latter is one of the most sought-after of New Forest birds and we were able to recognise it not only by its habit of drooping its wings frequently while gliding and soaring (the common buzzards were mainly holding their wings forwards and upwards in V profiles) but also by a briefish performance of the diagnostic display flight - diving and climbing, with wings held vertically above the body at times - the so-called Sky Dance. We waited for a while, hoping that the birds would come closer, but they only receded further into the distance and eventually disappeared from view. Meanwhile another hobby passed and two kestrels were seen hovering close by.

Our final destination for the day was Irons Well, with its pond set amidst ancient deciduous woodland and damp grassland. A drake Mandarin caught our attention on the water here, while a pair of pied wagtails and a few house sparrows were busy around the margins. A short circular walk yielded another redstart, a song thrush and several fallow deer.