18 May 2017 Pig Bush

On a dry morning a small party set off on a really excellent walk from the car park at Pig Bush with Pam leading. Initially we passed through woodland that was filled with bird song that included a Goldcrest, Stock Dove and a distant Cuckoo. As we skirted the outside of the wood a singing Redstart was eventually seen by some of the party, but nowhere near as well as those seen later. Open areas gave us the chance to scan for raptors, but it was a shame that the closest was just a Common Buzzard for only distant views were had a Red Kite that flew by!

Meadow Thistle

From the willows and Alders that lined the stream at Halfpenny Green both Garden and Willow Warblers sang and nearby Geoff pointed out the first of the morning’s several Stonechats. Flowering plants in the area included Common Milkwort, Lousewort and Tormentil - all species characteristic of the forest’s heaths. On reaching Rowbarrow we encountered a pair of Redstarts feeding and fly-catching along the track as we walked through a delightful stretch of woodland amongst Silver Birches and craggy old Oaks.

Out in open country again we came across another pair of Stonechats whose anxiety at our presence suggested a nest nearby. By the path Heath Speedwell, Bird’s-foot and Common Yellow Trefoils were found, the flowers of the latter forming a tight cluster. It was in that area that the morning’s only butterfly was seen – an obliging Small Heath. A Tree Pipit was also logged. On the edge of the wood as we neared the railway Geoff found another male Redstart that gave us cracking views.

Small Heath

The walk back to the car park was across open heath passing a grassy wetland where Lapwings were on territory and a Little Egret fished along a stream. The heath was not without its share of birds with Dartford Warbler, Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting being worthy additions to the list, but they were outshone by Tony’s spotting of a hunting Hobby, freshly arrived from a winter beneath the African sun and Geoff’s Wheatear that was presumably a late migrant that had stopped off on its way further north.

Could this be New Forest Water-crowfoot?

We had seen several water-crowfoot plants on mud and in pools, but one looked rather like New Forest Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus x novaeforestae), a hybrid between Round-leaved and Three-lobed Water-crowfoot although the latter might be extinct in the Forest!  Petty Whin and probably Heath Spotted Orchids were the last notable flowers as we neared the car park. Back at the car park Tony’s bird total was an amazing 39 species!

Swifts have returned to Lymington!

For the last week or more there have been Swifts wheeling above the rooftops of Lymington. Some in the library area and others over Waitrose and the nearby sportsfield area. Andy Broadhurst, who spoke at an evening meeting last winter, has sent a link to the Hampshire Swift survey website and urges us to add to the knowledge of our Swifts by completing the survey form that appears on his site with details of all your sightings. Don't worry about duplication for the more information he receives the better!

The link is: https://www.hampshireswifts.co.uk/survey      

Common Swift

And don't forget Andy's Swift walk around the town on 10th July from
1900 – 2130

Park in main car park behind Marks and Spencer on St Thomas’s Street (SO41 9NA)(free from 1800) and / or meet at the ticket machines. Andy is leading the public walk on a tour of the Lymington Swift breeding sites and hopefully enjoy some low-flying screaming parties. The walk will end at the King’s Arms on St Thomas’s Street for refreshments and a close encounter with breeding Swifts. 

Note that good sightings of Swifts are dependent on fine weather so please call Andy in advance of travelling to check the walk is on (01590 622907)

04 May 2017 Ham Wall

Our coach left Lymington on time for the RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve on the Somerset Levels west of Glastonbury, whose iconic Tor could be seen from the reserve. On arrival some the party enjoyed elevenses, whilst others began walking the trail that had formerly been the railway line between Glastonbury and Bridgewater. The elevated path offers views across reedbeds and lagoons once formerly part of a thriving peat extracting industry. Now it is a haven for wildlife.

Greater Yellowcress along a drainage ditch

From the ponds by the picnic area Marsh or Green Frogs croaked, out in the reedbeds Reed Warblers sang and Bitterns boomed, whilst hidden in the sallows that grew in places along the track the songsters included Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s, Garden and Willow Warblers.

Tree Bumblebee

Great Yellow-cress lined the banks of ditches and waterways with their golden flowers attracting many insects from Early and Tree Bumblebees to butterflies that included Brimstones, Orange-tips and Green-veined Whites.

Hobby

Overhead wheeled Swifts, Swallows and martins, but the Hobbies that circled amongst them were more interested in dragonflies. We saw Hairy Dragonflies as well as several species of newly emerged damselflies and at least two species of moths – Clouded Border and Nettle Tap.

 

Great Crested Grebe - fish supper

Great Crested Grebe - nest and eggs

Along the track were two viewing platforms and several side-tracks that led to hides, so there were plenty of opportunities to walk and/or sit and watch resulting in a good collective bird list. Of course not everyone saw everything, but we all had highlights of one kind or another. In addition to those species already mentioned the bird tally included Great Crested Grebes – one pair with eggs in the nest and another with downy chicks, Great White and Little Egret, a pair of Garganey, Greenshank, Whimbrel and great views of the locally breeding Marsh Harriers over the marshes.

This trip was arranged by Adrian and we were admirably driven by Solent Coaches – our grateful thanks to them both.

20 April 2017 Bolderwood area

Bog Beacon

Eighteen of us, led by Richard, met up at the Bolderwood car park and set off walking through mixed woodland towards the Highland Water. Unlike recent sunny days it was cloudy and rather un-Spring-like, which perhaps limited bird activity this morning. An anticipated Firecrest failed to materialise and a Wood Warbler, recently arrived from wintering in Africa, sang from a grove of Silver Birches beyond a band of conifers, but was only heard, not seen. Likewise both Chiffchaff and Blackcap went down as ‘only heard’. 

Wood Dog Violet

Further on, where the forest had been cleared a Tree Pipit was song-flighting and Pam heard a Woodlark, which we caught up with later although it was rather distant. The skies seemed empty for apart from a couple of Buzzard sightings, two or three Swallows and the usual Woodpigeons were the only fly-overs.

Yellow Pimpernel

Along the muddy margins of a wet ditch Bog Beacon (Mitrula paludosa), a small orange globular fungus, grew and nearby in another ditch some of the party saw a couple of newts. Duncan also noted Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus), Willow Bracket (Phellinus igniarius) and Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum). The banks and path verges produced Common Dog (whitish spur) and Wood Dog (purple spur) Violets, Wood Sorrel, Bluebells, Common Milkwort, Tormentil, Heath Speedwell and Field Wood-rush. The latter also being know as Good Friday Grass. A Crab Apple's fresh blossom was also admired. By a foot-bridge over the Highland Water, where we relaxed and enjoyed the biscuit round, Yellow Pimpernel and Round-leaved Water Crowfoot were discovered.

06 April 2017 Turf Hill

On this lovely Spring morning, brisk at first but warming later, 11 headed across the open plain to the ford and pony-drift collecting pens at Millersford Plantation, our path lined by glorious golden Gorse. We took a woodland path into the Plantation, then out of the trees into an area of drastic clearance where acres of conifers had been felled to restore heathland, leaving a bleak, battlefield-landscape.  Thankfully, among the tree stumps and stark trunks that remained, Silver Birch and Hawthorn saplings and heather survived.

Lousewort

Along the path rising above the cleared valley, a tiny, purple patch of Lousewort sat at the base of a sandy bank where Solitary Bees frequented tiny holes. A few Comma, Peacock and Brimstone butterflies were stirring in the sunshine. Bird calls and drumming indicated that Blackbird, Chaffinch, Robin, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Song Thrush and Stonechat were nearby but sightings were few. However, two Common Buzzards floated above the remaining trees in Millersford Copse, pestered by a Carrion Crow, and later a Raven was seen and heard.

Dormouse box

In the Copse several black tubes (10” long, square profile, a wooden insert blocking off one end and providing a tiny platform at the other) were wired to low branches and later confirmed as nesting boxes for Dormice. Nearby a clean, lower jawbone, probably from a Fallow Deer, was found near the path.

After taking the view over Hale Purlieu, we retraced our route downhill, crossed the stream and turned NE. Several evergreen Holm Oak trees stood out among their deciduous neighbours. We soon headed over the now-treeless hillside and continued along track and open grassy plain back to the cars.

Deer lower jaw bone

An adjacent small pond harboured a foreigner: floating leaves with bright yellow-tipped spikes, later identified via the RHS website as Golden Club/Floating Arum (Orontium aquaticum) from eastern USA. There was no spathe but the spadix had clusters of yellow flowers near the tip. MW/SP

10 April 2017 Spring!

Green-winged Orchid

Already the early flowers of Coltsfoot have turned to ‘clocks’ along the road to the recycling centre off the Milford Road and now if one looks along the southern verge of Woodside Lane in Lymington the purple flowering spikes of Green-winged Orchids have appeared.

Butterfly-wise Brimstones, Orange-tips, Holly Blues and Speckled Woods have emerged and are on the wing along with Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and the occasional Painted Lady which may have hibernated.

Many of the summer visiting birds are arriving with Chiffchaffs singing, Swallows and martins hawking insects over ponds and lakes, especially somewhere like Blashford Lakes, and in the Forest Redstarts have been recorded.

Orane-tip - male

With the fine weather forecast for the coming days there’s plenty out there to go and look for and enjoy!

Photos: © Richard Coomber