Woodland wonders.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

It seemed a little later this year, but now the fungi season seems well underway.

I am no expert in these fascinating fruiting bodies that litter the forest floor. After a Google search, I think it will be difficult for me to learn many by name; Britannica and Wikipedia report that scientists recognise about nearly 150,000 formally described species of fungi. Scientists estimate that the total number of actual fungal species on Earth is much higher—generally ranging between 2.2 million and 3.8 million, with some estimates reaching up to 5.1 million.

Leucism.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

Leucistic Carrion Crow, Southampton Common. Leucism in birds is a genetic disorder whereby the pigment cells are unevenly distributed, resulting in patches of feathers looking paler, bleached looking or showing white.

Mammals.

/ Andy Finnegan / 1 Comment

Large mammals in the New Forest. Fallow Deer and New Forest ponies.

Fallow Deer “Buck”.

New Forest Ponies – Many visitors to the National Park still get very close to the forest ponies; they do not realise they are wild!

It is illegal and a fineable offence to feed a New Forest Pony.

Dartfords.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

5 mile circular walk across open heathland this morning

Stonechat.

Dartford Warblers.

When I was a teenager Dartford Warblers were one of those birds that was on my wish list and it seemed the place to see them was the RSPB reserve at Arne in Dorset a few visits there never gave me a sighting of these attractive little birds. Roll forwards 50 years and a regular spot in the New Forest for me.

Egyptian Geese

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

Egyptian geese aren’t true geese; they’re members of the shelduck family. They are naturally found in Africa. They were introduced from Africa as ornamental birds for country estates and private water collections in the 17th century

European Hornets.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

On our Monday walk looking for fungi in the New Forest, we came across a hornet’s nest and returned today with tripods to get better pictures of these interesting insects.

Despite their size and loud buzz, European hornets are placid and non-aggressive; they rarely sting unless the nest site is directly threatened. They feed on invertebrates, nectar, sap, and windfall fruit. They will bring back the invertebrates to their nests to feed their larvae.

Workers grow up to 25mm and queens can reach 35mm long, making them significantly larger than common wasps.

It is important not to confuse our native European hornet with the invasive non-native Asian Hornet, which is reportable; their nests are destroyed they are a threat to honey bees.

1st October 2026.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

First of the month, and a walk in the New Forest: fungi are starting to show not sure how the season will be given the dry conditions through the summer only time will tell.

We had 6 Ravens flying over our heads as we were on our walk today. Ravens are our largest corvid; they’re often seen in pairs, but particularly in the winter, young birds can come together to roost in big groups. Ravens are mostly carrion eaters, but they will eat insects and hunt small live prey.

  • Length: 60–68cm 
  • Wingspan: 120–150cm 
  • Weight: 800–1,500g 

Another interesting spot was a Lesser Stag Beetle.

and some Caddisfly eggs.

Just one Raft Spider seen.