Bournemouth [and district] Birding

Blue Tits - obviously feeding time

Today we joined local birder, Nick, who with his wife Jackie run a small birding company, Two Owls Birding, for a birding trip around the New Forest.

We had a great day exploring the maze of the New Forest area and seeing some great birds along the way. Woodlarks, Redstarts showed well as did an amazing and probably desperate male Wood Warbler. Lapwings and Stock Doves were early trip birds. And we also added to our list Eurasian Curlew, Songlark, Marsh Tit and Hobby. Ws got our best view of Sparrowhawk and incredibly distant views of an accipiter that could have only been Goshawk. Red Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel rounded out our raptors. Tree and Meadow Pipit were seen well.

Meadow Pipit

Mistle Thrush

Wood Warbler - our bird of the day!!!!

Wood Warbler

Woodlark

Woodlark

Raptor Watching - missing the Honey Buzzard....

We also got some mammals; Fallow and Roe Deer plus the feral Grey Squirrel.

distant Roe through the heat haze

Nick saved the best for last when we visited a local moorland for smashing views of Nightjar. That perched for scope views and flew plainly around for all to see. Importantly we got the opportunity to listen to these birds. Woodcock was also seen very well -zooming over our position a number of times, beeping to itself as it sped past. Both of these birds were lifers for me!!