NEW FOREST WINTER SURVEY

This is a summary of the first 27 results from the weekend's survey (14-15 February). Several results are awaited still, so the total you'll see mentioned again next month will be slightly higher. All the sites are open heathland and scrub.

The figures given are for February (27 sites so far), January (32 sites), December (36 sites), and November (34 sites). The first number in each case is the number of birds and then the number of sites the species was seen at.There were four sightings of NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE over the weekend from Black Gutter Bottom, Pig Bush, Holmsley and Latchmore Bottom. Thrush numbers have started to build up again. Common Stonechat and Dartford Warbler numbers have crashed since the cold weather. Conditions were perfect for surveying so it is likely the numbers truly reflect the number of birds present. There were no Lapwings, and only two Common Kestrels. Two sightings of Golden Plover were very unusual.

GREAT GREY SHRIKE – 4 at 4 sites (2/2, 3/3, 3/3)
HEN HARRIER – 6 at 5 sites (11/9, 15/10, 8/6)
GOSHAWK – 1 from 1 site (0/0, 0/0, 1/1)
SPARROWHAWK – 5 from 4 sites (4/4, 4/3, 4/3)
BUZZARD – 34 from 14 sites (23/15, 39/22, 31/18)
MERLIN – 2 from 2 sites (1/1, 2/2, 5/4)
KESTREL – 2 from 2 sites (17/11, 14/10, 18/17)
PEREGRINE – 2 from 2 sites (3/3, 2/1, 1/1)
SHORT-EARED OWL – none (1/1, 0/0, 0/0)
WOODLARK – 3 from 3 sites (0/0, 0/0, 1/1)
MEADOW PIPIT – 294 from 24 sites (260/27, 570/33, 512/30)
STONECHAT – 29 from 15 sites 48/19, 49/24, 60/19)
FIELDFARE – 452 from 13 sites (89/16, 522/24, 698/25)
REDWING – 318 from 12 sites (126/13, 494/22, 1011/21)
RAVEN – 16 from 8 sites (2/1, 12/8, 13/9)
CHAFFINCH – 98 from 17 sites (90/13, 135/20, 92/18)
SISKIN – 13 from 6 sites (2/2, 27/3, 4/2)
REDPOLL – 46 from 4 sites (45/4, 47/5, 18/2)
COMMON CROSSBILL – 2 from 2 sites (4/2, 30/5, 18/3)
REED BUNTING – 5 from 3 sites (12/6, 13/7, 14/7)
DARTFORD WARBLER – 33 from 15 sites (45/19, 99/27, 123/22)
LINNET – 27 from 4 sites (4/3, 59/6, 29/4)
LAPWING – none (79/15, 47/3, 5/3)
SNIPE – 1 from 5 sites (16/9, 15/9, 9/6)
LITTLE EGRET – 5 from 4 sites (5/4, 4/4, 0/0)
HAWFINCH – none (8/3, 9/3, 9/3)
WOODCOCK – 1 from 1 site (8/4, 2/2, 0/0)
TEAL – 9 from 1 site (0/0, 0/0, 0/0)
GOLDEN PLOVER – 2 from 2 sites (0/0, 0/0, 0/0)

Thanks to everyone who took part. The next survey weekend is 21-22 March (Keith Betton)