New Forest - Tree pipits and other common birds!

David Campbell and I decided to go to the New Forest today, 10 July, to see if there were any Honey buzzards at Acres Down. On arrival there was no sign of them and one chap reliably told us that no-one had seen any this year (I knew we should have gone to Norfolk). After photographing a meadow pipit, we decided to look in the forest.

Meadow pipit looking for his offspring.

We saw a lesser spotted woodpecker briefly, tree pipit and heard woodlark.

Tree pipit.

We made our way back to the car and headed for Beaulieu Railway Station near Bishop's Dyke. We hoped to see a dartford warbler and we did see one briefly as we neared the edge of the forest.

In the forest David saw some crossbills but our search for redstart was unsuccessful until we were leaving when we saw one adult male and a juvenile.

Juvenile redstart.

On the way back we saw two ravens fly ahead and then land. Then we flushed 2 or 3 woodlark which we then stalked to get reasonable views.

Woodlark.