First up was my (ashamedly) first visit to Martin Down this year - as the sun was shining, we obviously needed to head high for the views, so we ended up on top of Pentridge Hill, outside of the NNR. The hazy sun picked out all of the ancient earthworks on the slopes of the Hill - a very heavily used part of the world at one time.
Our circular route descended to join an ancient trackway, having passed through the pretty village of Pentridge. The sun was getting lower in the sky, casting long shadows from the trees and hedgerows. In the adjacent field, we spotted a good number of roe deer feeding - we watched each other for a while, so we could clearly see males (bucks) with their short antlers as well as females (does). They live in small groups in winter, but as they head towards the rut in the summer (as opposed to the autumn for red deer), they become more solitary. The females give birth in January, and although the light was a bit dim in this field, I was certain I could make out some smaller deer lying on the ground - perhaps this year's fawns.
Heading back towards the NNR, and approaching the other side of the ancient Bokerley Dyke earthwork, we had an encounter with some sort of raptor. Again, light was difficult, but it looked to be bigger than a buzzard, mostly white underneath, with pale buff wings on top. It quartered the ground in lazy flaps across the field, catching something and tearing into it ferociously on the ground. It didn't look heavy enough to be an owl, and the head shape wasn't as blunt. We are told it could have been a female hen harrier, but it seems to be completely the wrong colouration. We are stumped - perhaps a new species?!!
The following day, we headed back to one of our favourite haunts, the Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve on the New Forest coast. A stunning day, with amazing views across to the Isle of Wight and along the coast. but our attentions were fixed on the copious bird life. At this time of year you get a strange mix - of winter migrants about to head off to their breeding grounds, such as the brent geese, as well as the spring breeders getting ready for the forthcoming season. progress towards Lymington (our lunch stop) was slow consequently.
Birds seen include: lots of teal (barely any seen on our last visit - must be an influx of breeders), some wigeon (not as many as last time - numbers boosted by winter migrants from Scandinavia), pintail, little egret, avocet, shelduck, bar-tailed godwit, redshank, dunlin, lots of black-headed gulls getting nosily ready to breed, displaying male lapwing, more than a few brent geese, oyster catcher, and probably many others I've forgotten about. In particular, one male lapwing gave a spectacular display over our heads for many minutes, tumbling acrobatically in the air, alternately showing gleaming white belly against glossy green-black back, all the while accompanied by it's other-worldly bubbling song.
Alas - or perhaps for the good - the weather has broken slightly, and we're back to more normal conditions. However, spring is clearly on the way for the birds, so hopefully many more encounters to come.
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