Pig Bush - 8th Dec 07

I took advantage of a short break in the rain today & drove to Pig Bush, near Beaulieu in the New Forest. It was 2.15pm, still very dark, cloudy & windy but at least it wasn’t raining although the clouds were threatening it any second.
I walked round the edge of the small wood in front of the car park. A lone Blue Tit was foraging in the branches of an Oak tree. I then struck out over the heath towards Furzy Brow where I could over-look the ground below. The ground was sodden from all the rain. Meadow Pipits went up calling as I went past & a Dartford Warbler called from the deep heather.
At the top of the hill I had a look over the heath & valley mire over towards Frame Heath Inclosure & Tantany Wood.

I was looking for the Great Grey Shrike again, but no luck. I did hear the rasping alarm call of a snipe from the bog below, a few seconds later it showed itself by flying off. I walked on down the hill & then a bit along the Bishop’s Dyke scanning for the Shrike as this is where it has been seen a few times, in the Alder & Willow carr in the bog. Still no luck but looking down I managed to find the rare Nail Fungus on pony dung (not exactly rare in the Forest though). Due to changes in land management in Britain it is pretty much only found in the New Forest now.

I carried on over the causeway over the bog, then stopped to scan round again. 3 Buzzards were soaring above Honey Hill wood in the distance. At least someone was enjoying the blustery wind.
I headed over to the North-west corner of Frame Heath Inclosure. The trees & bushes before it were alive with Redwings & a couple of Jays. It had started to drizzle.
I went through the gate into the Inclosure. This area is usually good for Sika deer, but there were some walkers with a dog down the track in front of me. I didn’t go far into the Inclosure & came back out at the northern end a bit further on.
Back out onto the heath, there was a Dartford Warbler, loads of Blackbirds in the Hawthorns & going towards Rowbarrow there were a couple more Jays, a Nuthatch called & a flock of Siskins went over.
I took shelter as the rain got harder among the old trees in Rowbarrow. Here there were a couple of Butter Caps & some massive Earthballs split open, but it was too wet for the camera. I had my poncho on by now so walked back out into the open, across Halfpenny Green. It had stopped raining by the time I got to the foot-bridge over the Shepton Water, which had flooded a bit.


Over the heath & back up to the car there were some more Meadow Pipits. In the distance the sky was darkening again.