Saturday 19th May 2007
The weather was fine but a bit windy and we decided to head for Shatterford in the New Forest, arriving there at 9am.
Shatterford is definitely one of my favourite local places as it never lets you down on the bird front.
A walk across to Denny Wood was the plan but there was so much bird activity going on in and around the Shatterford car park that we stayed there for nearly an hour.
Swallows were flying all around us and we just couldn't walk away from their display. Goldfinches, greenfinches, stonechats, chaffinches, a wren, pied wagtails meadow pipits all singing or dancing away. I could have watched and listened to them all morning.
We finally managed to drag ourselves away and started the walk across to Denny Wood and within two minutes we came across a beautiful pair of Woodlarks one of our target birds for the day.
Woodlarks
Five minutes later and another target bird appeared, a Hobby! We watched as it followed the swallows over the heath and then Ian noticed another one, what a fantastic morning and another reminder of why I love Shatterford so much.
Denny Wood was alive with the woodland birds but very busy with campers. We noticed one of the caravaners had brought a bird feeder with them and had planted it in the ground next to their caravan and lots of birds were feeding there, what a lovely idea.
Then later on we called at Testwood Lakes but I hadn't realised the time and the hides shut at 4pm. All was not lost as we had a brief glimpse of a sedge warbler.
112. woodlark
113. hobby
114. sedge warbler
