Today I spotted this year’s 1st cygnets – only a few days old. Three youngsters doing well.
1st Cygnets
New Forest
Reptiles.
I have recently been looking for reptiles on my walks – I have seen a few lizards and snakes crossing paths disappearing into the grass or shrub. Several placed pieces of corrugated iron which make a good hiding place for snakes to hide as they warm have proven unsuccessful in attracting anything so far.
In the New Forest, there is a small centre where they have pits with a few of the local reptiles that are found in the forest that you can see if they show themselfs. The centre has been closed for the last few years due to COVID but is now open a couple of days a week. We visited yesterday and were able to get a few pictures without falling in!
Adder.
The Adder is the only venomous snake in the UK. It spends time soaking up the sun. They have a distinctive, black zig-zag pattern along their backs. The female is larger than the male and is copper or brown in colour while the male is silvery-grey. Adult Adders measure between 60 and 80cm in length.
We were lucky enough to see a female in the sun approached by a male.
If properly treated, the worst effects of the snake’s bite are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising around the bite. No one has died of an Adder bite in the UK for many years.
Sand Lizard.
Due to the loss of habitat, the Sand Lizard is one of the UK’s rarest reptiles we were lucky to see this male in full breeding colours. they have a life span of up to 20 years.
Slow Worm.
Slow worms are legless lizards may people wrongly think they are a snake. Occasionally, individuals may have small blue spots behind their heads, a feature that is more common amongst males than females. This slow worm was seen on Monday’s walk and quickly made an escape into the vegetation. We also saw a Common Lizard on the same walk but he was too quick and disappeared before I could take any pictures.
If you go deep into the woods.
If you go down to the woods today what can you see?
A full day in the New Forest collecting our trail cameras from one of the active Badger Setts we have been monitoring. Some good footage of both Badgers and Fallow Deer.
Film 1 Badgers. (trail camera)
Following the Norman Conquest, King William I, designated the land as a royal hunting forest, reserved for the private use of the King and invited aristocracy. In the process over 20 small hamlets and farms were removed. It was the only forest described in detail in the ancient Domesday Book. Two of William the Conqueror’s sons were killed in hunting accidents in the New Forest. Today Deer roam free in many areas of the New Forest.
We came across several small herds of Fallow Deer, all young deer and hinds. The only shooting today was with cameras.
Film 2 Fallow Deer (trail camera).
Very windy weather on our walk but this male Chaffinch was holding on and singing his heart out – not easy filming with the tree moving so much in the wind.
Film 3 Chaffinch ( sound on to enjoy fully his singing).
Around a car park.
Views around a New Forest car park where there is always something to see. A handful of birdseed always brings in some birds
First in today was Blue Tits, quickly followed by a squirrel and later a Robin.
There was some heavy traffic today that passed using one of the old WW2 aerodrome concrete roadways.
The Robin was having a bad hair day due to a strong easterly wind.
New Forest April visit.
Our first visit to the New Forest in April this year with a fair walk deep into the forest to collect camera footage from where we left our trail camera last week. Returning to the van we found another Badger’s sett – we now know where 3 setts are located – It is interesting that once you understand these mammals’ behaviour and how they build their setts you can spot clues in the landscape where to look. Below is the footage from my brother’s camera which got the best footage.
As always some Fallow deer sightings on our walk.
After the badger walk, we checked out a forest pond, where we saw our 1st ducklings of the year. This mum was being hassled by a group of drakes so she moved them away onto an island out of their reach.
Cadman’s Pool.
One of my favourite starting places in The New Forest for a walk is Cadman’s Pool It was the idea of Arthur Cadman who was Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest in the 1960s. The pond is on Ocknell Plain, and at the edge of Stoney Cross Airfield (a WW2 aerodrome). It was dug to enhance the aesthetic appeal of this corner of the Forest.
After a circular walk and the placing of our trail camera’s on a badgers sett we found on last weeks walk in the area I was able to spot some wildlife on the pond.
These Mandarin Ducks have paired up and seem to have established their home on Cadman’s Pool. As I have posted before there is a group of about 6 ducks on Eyeworth Pond which is about 2 miles away as the crow (or duck) fly’s so I suspect these have relocated from there.
This picture gives you a good size comparison of the Mandarin with a Mallard.
About 6 Canada Geese were pairing up – A rather noisy process!
A walk on the wildside.
A morning walk in the New Forest with a cold start but soon the sun came up making it a nice Spring Morning walk.
Several small herds of young Fallow Deer spotted us about the same time as we spotted them so a bit of looking at each other before both parties went their own way.
It was nice to see Fallow Deer today so close to seeing a herd of Red Deer last week – what stands out between the 2 species excluding the size is the white and black buts of the Fallow Deer.
Some bird watching along the way and at a hollow tree at the end of the walk with a bit of birdseed to encourage some of the smaller birds closer to the camera.
A Song Thrush. One of this bird’s favourite meals are snails – which they break into by smashing them against a stone with a flick of the head. This one was feeding in the forest under fallen leaves looking for worms and insects.
A Nuthatch is an interesting small bird as they will climb down trees and well as up while looking for a meal. They hold on to a tree from all angles.
A male Chaffinch.
The wren is a tiny brown bird, it has a short, narrow tail that is sometimes cocked up vertically. For such a small bird it has a remarkably loud voice.
A cold start.
A cold start in the New Forest.
Ashlett Creek.
Ashlett Creek is a tidal inlet on the New Forest side of Southampton Water near Fawley. The creek is only accessible at high tide. There has been a mill on the site dating back to medieval times. The mill is a Grade II listed building that was built in 1816 and milled corn until it closed around 1910. Ashlett mill was a tidal mill – a mill driven by tidal rise and fall. The tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one-way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide begins to fall. When the tide is low enough, the stored water can be released to turn the mill wheel. Flat bottomed sailing barges were used to load and unload grain, salt and other supplies. A Victorian Quay was built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
The Jolly Sailor, a 160-year-old pub is an old smuggler’s inn near the mill.
Birds in the Mill pond.
Further into the forest.
A return to the New Forest. We Parked up again at Eyeworth Pond – watching the pond with a cup of tea until the rain stopped before heading into the forest to the North-East following the track from the old Gunpowder Mills this road was built to allow the explosives to be transported away from the factory safely avoiding the small village of Fritham.
A little way along the track you pass a fenced spring. Known as “The Iron Wells” shown on maps dating back to the late-18th century. Marked on today’s Ordnance Survey maps as “Irons Well (Chalybeate)”. The water is impregnated with iron salts and is the colour of rust.
The waters are said to have curative properties particularly helpful for sore eyes, gout and other ailments, including leprosy. The spring was also known as Lepers’ Well, it is rumoured a house of rest for those suffering from leprosy was close to the well. Looking at the spring I decided not to take the waters on this visit!
No deer to see on our walk today.
.
Back at the pond lots of birds as always – but the Mandarin ducks steal the show with their bright colours there seemed to be 5 males and 3 females present again. – lots of photographs at the end of this post.
Male Blackbird.
Song Thrush.
Pied Wagtail.
A first for me today was a Brambling. Not the best picture of this female bird but given I have never seen one before I am happy with this attempt.
A Male House Sparrow.
On the way home, we spotted lots of Snow Drops an early sign of spring.
Continued Reflections from my World. 