Some more Marsh Frogs spotted in the New Forest today.
More Marsh Frogs.
Walk
Aftermath.
Today we walked into an area of the New Forest where we regularly walk about a six-mile circular walk. We know the area and its wildlife well. This time, it was heartbreaking to see the fire damage and total destruction to part of the walk.
On the 9th August 2026, a van caught fire on the A31 dual carriageway where it crosses Heathland close to Ringwood in the New Forest. Fueled by prolonged severe heatwave and drought conditions across the UK, the vehicle fire rapidly spread into the surrounding national park. 23 drivers had to abandon their cars as the fire spread. The wildfire damaged more than 100 hectares (247 acres). The fire was declared a major incident, and firefighters fought the blaze, even pumping water across the forest from a lake 5 miles away in special pipes they had to lay. The road was closed for 2 weeks. The emergency response was stood down on 23rd August.
Fire break cut into the heath.
Toot toot!
Hythe Pier stretches 700 yards from the centre of Hythe to the deep water channel of Southampton Water. It is the 7th-longest pier in the UK. It carries a pedestrian walkway on its northern side and the Hythe Pier Railway on its southern side.
The railway is the oldest continuously operating public pier passenger train in the world. The narrow gauge trains date from WWI, now electric but originally battery powered, they were used in a mustard gas factory.
Back to the Forest.
Back into the New Forest after a 10-day gap due to the large wildfire, which closed the A31, the main road crossing the forest. Although other parts were accessible, we chose to stay away, as many of the smaller roads were gridlocked with diverted traffic.
Today’s walk.
about 4 miles through some fairly boggy ground. Some of which would be impassable if we had not had a drought.
Marsh frogs.
Spotted flycatcher.
A first for me today, a Goat Moth caterpillar.
)As an adult, the moth cannot feed. The caterpillars live inside the trunks of a variety of broad-leaved trees, feeding on the wood. They overwinter three or four times as larvae and a final time as pupae. The caterpillar can grow to 10 cm (about 4 inches), and the moth has a wingspan of up to 9.5cm (about 3 1/2 inches).
Stock image of a Goat Moth.
Stubble.
Up on the South Downs, west of Winchester, for an early morning walk.
Quite a few Hares on the corn stubble some distance off.
Flocks of Greenfinches also visit the stubble to feed on grains left after the harvest.
Kestrel sitting high on a pylon wire looking for mice in the stubble.
The harvest is over, but the end-of-season usefulness to support wildlife of what looks like barren fields is high.
Egrets.
Little Egrets on the Hamble River near Warsash.
Photo Editing 2026?
Has it gone too far? In the “old days,” you could tweak your pictures in the darkroom. Then came digital, and I used Photoshop to edit my pictures – crop and adjust exposure, etc.
Today, on a long walk in the New Forest, we spooked a Fallow Deer doe with her fawn. They hopped out of the dense Bracken stop and had a good look at us before heading back into the undergrowth.
I took a series of pictures, but the deer were obscured in the foreground by the undergrowth.
Now with A1-supported photo editing, you can go further. I ran one of my pictures through a trial editing package.
I asked it to sharpen, de-noise, and remove the foliage from one of my pictures. This is the result, but I have to ask: is this acceptable, or is it a step too far in wildlife photography?
Roe Deer.
Last week I posted some Fallow Deer pictures from the New Forest today some more deer this time Roe Deer.
River bird walk.
Birds from this morning’s walk along the River Itchen and Itchen Navigation near Winchester.
Sedge Warbler.
Reed Bunting. (male)
Grey Heron.
Goldfinch. (juv)
Goldfinch.
Chiffchaff.
Moorhen.
Blackcap (male).
Manderin Ducks. (juv)
Ratty!
Ratty is the nickname of the Water Vole character in Kenneth Grahame’s classic 1908 novel, The Wind in the Willows.
Water voles are one of the UK’s most endangered mammals. A common sight in my childhood, their numbers have plummeted by over 90% since the 1960s. Due to habitat loss and predation by invasive American mink, many of which were deliberately released by animal rights activists. They are classified as endangered on the UK’s Red Lists
The water vole has chestnut-brown fur, a blunt, rounded nose, small ears, and a furry tail. It is much bigger than other vole species.
Water voles are primarily herbivorous rodents that consume waterside plants, including reeds, roots, grasses, and fallen fruit. Because their plant-based diet is low in nutrients, they must eat about 80% of their body weight every day,
A 0600hrs start this morning along the River Itchen and the old Navigation near Winchester paid off, as we spotted a Water Vole. Pictures were a bit difficult as he was into the morning sun.
Continued Reflections from my World. 