Peter Jones Wildlife blog

https://youtu.be/GNZqqVSn0f4 Spent the evening with the bat detector at Fishlake Meadows. Started well, with several Noctules hunting close, I'm more used to seeing them commuting past, so nice to see them for more prolonged views, plus a bit of video! The rest of the evening was dominated by Soprano Pipistrelle. A single Common Pipistrelle, and a Daubenten amongst the chaos. Thought I was picking upyoris bats, but these all turned out to be Soprano Pips in clutter. An early season error I guess!

I was really looking forward to visiting Martin Down, and was going to pop into RSPB Garston Wood solely to see Toothwort, which is often reported from there. The day turned on it's head with Garston Wood being an incredible place, and Martin down being, well, hard work with little reward. Garston Wood was amazing. An A-to-Z of woodland plants with Bluebells, and Ramsons everywhere, quite a few Early Purple Orchids, Solomon's Seal, Bugle, Yellow Archangel, Butcher's Broom, Dog's Mercury, Primrose, Wood Spurge, Wood Sorrell, and yes, eventually I found two Toothwort very close to the car park, which I had walked past twice. On to Martin Down, where I had hoped to see Green-Winged Orchid, but no joy. It was like going back a month, with a very barren landscape. Did manage Hairy Violet, Ladies Bedstraw, Chalk Milkwort. Hard work though, and to think I hope to return within a month for Burnt Orchid and Green-winged orchid.. It might be worth my while looking for a s...

Something good came of Twitter! I saw a post with sightings of Snake's Head Fritillary fairly local, so headed out there today, and eventually found them. In the last place I looked, after scouring the area. I still lack that 6th sense when looking for flowers. Anyway, the Fritillaries were amazing, and many miles closer to home than what I thought was my closest colony. Also a few Cowslip, Marsh Marigold, Cuckooflower and Water Avens. album

Some nice flowers on a long walk from Dancing Ledge to Durlston. Early Spider Orchids were everywhere, and I eventually found some Early Purple Orchids in Bloom. I must have been a little early for Green-winged Orchids, of which I failed to find any. 

photo gallery The 2019 New Forest reptile surveys, started for me, with a successful survey. Started off quiet, which got the alarm bells ringing. ( The last 3 or 4 surveys of 2018 were all blank in very hot conditions). However, I think I started a little too early. One thing is for certain on this pretty large survey is that you will always hit the productive time of the morning at some point. And so it was, about halfway round, right through to the end, I was treated to several Adder sightings, both under refugia, and in the open, plus one Smooth Snake, a couple of Common Lizards, and 4 Slow Worm.

A good dog walk at Skidmore, along the River Test. This area is prone to the odd false bird record from an over enthusiastic local. (Brown Flycatcher and Icterine Warbler being the most extreme). This is sad, because what should be a pleasant location is forever tainted, and expectations are unfairly elevated due to its history. Anyway, today was pleasant, bearing in mind I had no binoculars, and 1 dog. A small flock of Hirundines passed over. This part of the test can be brilliant for Swallows and Martins, especially if the weather turns bad. Lapwings were displaying, and a Great White Egret was in a flooded field. A couple of years ago this would have been massive. Nowadays, Great Whites are repoeted pretty much daily in the area. Best of the flowers was a very small Dove's foot Cranesbill, picture below

Finding so many new flowers on my daily dog walks. None of which are particularly spectacular, more a case of me starting from nothing and this is my first spring! Quite a smart flower in the street. Plantsnap app is pretty good and nailed it! Barren Strawberry:

Took a walk into the local woodland this evening. I have previously given up on this area from a birding perspective, although it can be good for Woodcock. Today was actually ok for bird life, with Firecrest, Goldcrest, and Blackcap singing. My purpose today was to try and find some woodland flowers. The Woods are dominated by Bracken and Bluebells, but I did eventually find a good area near a steam, with Primrose, Common Dog-Violet, Wood-Sorrell, and Wood Anemone.

Found a few flowers this afternoon, on my dog walk around Toothill.. Wood Spurge: Lesser Periwinkle: Ground Ivy: Greater Stitchwort: Also seen: Butcher's Broom, White Dead nettle, and Lesser Celandine. 

Another slightly bizarre fungus, noticed on my dog walk through a small broad-leaved woodland today..

Not having any joy picking up bats in the garden with the detector so far this year, so I ventured out around the village. Started pretty quiet, but I was soon recording Common Pipistrelles, and on checking the recordings, a Soprano Pipistrelle also sneaked past. in the screenshot, the Common Pipistrelle are the heavy Hockey stick shaped calls, the bottom of the call corresponding to the peak frequency of ~45Kz. These bats were hunting in a semi-cluttered environment, along a line of tall bushes. The first, faint call, is a Soprano Pipistrelle, at 54KHz. Call is flatter, constant frequency with longer gaps between the calls. Presumably this bat was passing thru, further away, in the open, thus not needing the full spectrum of calls. The smudge of calls in the middle is a Common Pipistrelle social call.

Quite a common flower around the village, once you get used to their size. Sweet Violets are common, typically near gardens. Early Dog-Violet was a slightly bigger surprise with a few clumps along the stream, and even 1 in my garden. The darker spur being diagnostic.. Also noticed a tiny Common Chickweed in the street.

Nothing is ever normal in the Mushroom kingdom! Found this Yellow Brain Fungus, on a dead, fallen branch, which is it's typical habitat. If I read it correctly, this fungus relies on another fungus to kill off the wood before it moves in when the branch falls.

A good way to find out about local wildlife would seem to be to join the local facebook, dog walkers' group! One week after joining, and I have been told about a few Adder basking sites, and an unusual mushroom seen in the nearby Baddesley Common. This is a pretty unique species as it is one I can identify from the photos that were posted! so I thought it only right to go and see one for myself. They are fairly numerous in the damp woodland by the look of it. Baddesley Common is a fairly small remnant New Forest area. Think New Forest without the wildlife! though this is slightly unfair. Woodlark and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker have been recorded here in the last 10 years, and it can be a good migrant spot with Whinchat and Wheatear in particular. Today was fairly quiet. A Woodcock the highlight, plus two pairs of Stonechat, possibly the last around the village now as my local pair on the west side of the village seem to have gone very elusive.

Pic: Corn Bunting, Huawei mate 10 / Swarovski atx95 at 70x! Haven't had much enthusiasm recently, February can be a quiet birding month in the UK. Did, however, manage to get up reasonably early for a walk around farmland in the Northern Test Valley. The area can be good for Raptors in the winter. In the past I have recorded Long-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, and Peregrine. A White-tailed Eagle spent a winter nearby a few years back. This morning had more of a Spring feel. No Lapwings or Golden Plover, but plenty of Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting in full song against a background of Skylarks. A Merlin was the highlight zipping past, plus a Red Kite. Called in at a sewage works on the way home. Again, this fairly small area has been kind to me previously, with a Water Pipit, and likely Siberian Chiffchaff in the past. Unfortunately you have to deviate off the footpath to see the best bits which never goes down well in these parts. However, I didn't get seen! And in the sunshine was a d...

Or just outside to be precise. The fence makes for a nice screen to get close views of birds in the bushes beyond the garden. Also 4 Greenfinch was a surprise.

A mixed day today! Could have been better maybe, could have been a lot worse! Started in the New forest. A few Crossbills, Marsh Tit, thought I heard a Hawfinch. Then onto Blashford where the Bittern was showing nicely, though obscured, in the reeds, and a Water Rail ran across the path in front of me. Then someone tried to break into my campervan, not knowing I was sitting inside (windows are very tinted). Police now have his number plate, but sadly it shows that even in a busy nature reserve car park, if your number is up, then you are going to return to a smashed window, and all the hassle and inconvenience that entails.

Wildlife watching can be funny at times. I remember on a family trip to Brownsea Island many years ago seeing that Lesser Celandine was a flower to look out for round the island. I was unsuccessful that day, and never saw one subsequently, which isn't surprising, I'm not the most prolific when it comes to flowers. Then this afternoon, I noticed a flower next to the garden gate, a Lesser Celandine just starting to flower. The garden gate that I have walked past daily for 12 years! And close to the Hart's Tongue fern I first noticed last weekend!

My photos from last year's trip to Goa seem to have been the victim of the Google+ closure, and various failed attempts to port them onto other platforms. Here they are, in hopefully their final destination, in Google photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ux5ot57PfZTchpBz6

2018 was my best wildlife watching year for  a long time. Starting in March, with a week in Goa, at the excellent Nature's Nest resort, and seeing a lot of species. So good, I would struggle to justify going back in terms of seeing new species! Later in the year, my Smooth Snake survey square was packed with Reptiles, including a single Smooth Snake, before our hot summer brought the sightings crashing down to earth. A family holiday in Eastern France was good for butterflies and Dragonflies in particular, and my foray into wild flowers was also a success with many good finds, including quite a few Orchids at known sites. 2019 is looking to be a quieter year with a few Orchids to look for in Spring, and hopefully a few days in the Alps searching for Rock Partridge and yet more Orchids.