New Forest

Toad pool.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

Today was the best nature spot of the year so far. Nature never fails to surprise me. Even today, new sightings of events or species are thrilling. I have been viewing nature and the environment for a long time. Since drawing my pension, I have more time to conduct my observations.

I have only ever seen single Common Toads in the wild in the past. Today, we took a chance walk around a New Forest pond. It was off the beaten track. We came across a mass of mating toads.

Several 1st :- mating toads, toad spawn, toads in a pond, toads calling, frog mating with a toads

Toad spawn is in long strips rather than clumps as seen with frog spawn.

A Common frog mating with a Toad! Records show this happens but they can not hybridize.

On the downside of this event was seeing probably a hundred toads. The same amount piled up dead. It seems a Heron stabbed and then fished them out, not fully consuming them.

Duck Pond.

/ Andy Finnegan / 4 Comments

Muscovy Ducks are found at scattered locations across England. These ducks are usually found close to habitation, they are semi-domesticated or feral. This duck appeared on a pond in the New Forest last week. He is fairly tame, suggesting he is used to people. I suspect he has been dumped at the pond, due to bird flu. There are increased restrictions on fowl ownership in the UK.

The pond also has a good population of another non-native duck – The Mandarins.

Big Bucks.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

A few big Fallow bucks gave me the eye. They seemed to be without any obvious care in the world. Then they wandered off deep into the forest. It is always a treat to see these animals at close quarters and have eye contact with them.

 

 

 

 

 

Faces of the forest.

/ Andy Finnegan / 1 Comment

The number of animals killed on New Forest roads has shown a downward trend following high-profile safety campaigns in recent years. Although in 2023 there were 92 accidents involving animals up by 10 in 2022. I saw a sign up last week saying 52 animals have been killed on the Forest roads to date this year.