April 2025 Patch Update

 

Apart from the inevitable Easter washout, April 2025 has been a dry month in the New Forest, with plenty of warm sunshine providing some great birding opportunities. The gorse bloom has been as good as I can ever remember, and with Blackthorn and Hawthorn blossom emerging strongly we can hopefully look forward a better Autumn berry crop than in 2024. Species numbers were similar to previous years, with no spectacular sightings – our optimistic scanning of the paddocks for Hoopoe proved fruitless, despite many reports elsewhere on the South Coast. The highest count of 55 was two short of our previous April record and the year list now stands at 77. As usual all lists and bar charts are recorded on our ebird hotspot and the route map is available here for new readers unfamiliar with the area.

Goldfinch - enjoying some Spring sunshine on the heathland Gorse

Following the early arrival of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff in March, the Spring migration pattern appeared to settle into its usual routine. Three male Redstart were singing in their previous woodland territories in the first week of April and Common Whitethroat reappeared in the scrub at Longslade and Setley Plain the following week. Our first Cuckoo sang at Hincheslea Bog on 13^th which was, coincidentally, exactly the same date as in 2023 and 2024; several different birds were seen regularly thereafter, often pursued by the Meadow Pipits who may soon be rearing their offspring. Swallows arrived in the first week of the month and a passage of six Sand Martin were seen heading North on 12th, which was our first record of this species since 2022. Otherwise, the ‘passage’ migration was rather disappointing with just a single Wheatear on 7th and no Lesser Whitethroat, Ring Ouzel, Garden or Sedge Warbler this year. House Martins have also not yet returned to their usual breeding sites, which is unusually late; a Hampshire survey of this species is being conducted in 2025, so it will be interesting to see whether this pattern of arrival is reflected elsewhere in the County.

Dartford Warbler - Nationally rare but a common local heathland species

On the heath, the Dartford Warblers (pictured above) and Stonechats have been active, along with good numbers of Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Linnet. Snipe are clearly breeding in several of the marshy heathland locations, but Lapwing have been fewer in number than in 2024. There were no Curlew sightings on the patch this month and although a few  Sway residents have reported occasional birds overhead, it seems unlikely that we will see them breeding here in the foreseeable future. At least two pairs of Reed Bunting (pictured below) have been evident in the reedbeds at Hincheslea Bog, although so far there has been no sign of Reed Warbler or Water Rail. A brief burst of song from a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was our only unusual woodland bird, and it has been great to hear at least a dozen Song Thrushes singing strongly across the patch this month.

Male Reed Bunting - one of several birds seen regularly around the Reedbeds

The dry weather looks set to continue for the time being and May is usually a great month for birding in the New Forest, previously providing our highest counts of the year. Nightjars and Spotted Flycatchers should be with us soon, hopefully joined by House Martins, Swifts - and maybe even a Honey Buzzard to add to the list.