SAM Statement Services to prevent hospital admissions “must be protected not cut” – SAM President Dr Vicky Price www.acutemedicine.org.uk/blog/2026/01...

Great views of this ‘cronking’ Raven in the morning sunshine in the #NewForest today

First Snowdrops of the year this morning - Spring will be with us in no time at all 😊

A short summary of the last year’s New Forest #patchbirding exploits newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2026/01/patc...

I have updated my #NewForest #patchbirding blog with the latest news and sightings from Autumn 2025 newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/11/autu...

Lovely Red Admiral enjoying the New Forest November sunshine this morning

On my way to tomorrow’s @acutemedicine.bsky.social conference in Manchester- looking forward to catching up with old friends and colleagues

Latest updates from a patch of New Forest heathland with all of our summer #patchbirding sightings newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/09/summ...

Link to an interesting short film on heathland restoration in the New Forest www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-1O...

48 species on our New Forest #patchbirding walk this morning. Buzzard and Kestrel were the only raptors and not many migrant species around today, but we did manage to find 7 Spotted Flycatchers and one Redstart. Ravens were very active overhead and the heather was looking great in the sunshine

Whilst I’m aware that 10,000 steps a day is an arbitrary goal with limited evidence I am still pretty chuffed with my achievement of 600 consecutive days. Next target is 2 years (November 11th!)

My cat is enjoying the afternoon sunshine

63 species on today’s #patchbirding walk in the New Forest, our highest total of the year so far; highlights were Spotted Flycatcher, Little Egret and a female Marsh Harrier over the heath. Pleased to see more Swifts than we have had in previous years and good numbers of displaying Snipe

I have updated my #NewForest #Patchbirding blog with the latest news and sightings for May 2025 for those who are interested newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/06/may-...

A rather misty New Forest heathland #patchbirding walk this morning which may have affected the species count. Highlights were a Red Kite and Marsh Tit family, along with our first Silver Studded Blue and Small Heath butterflies of the year.

Bill the tortoise is enjoying the daisies in my lawn #nomowmay

Hawthorn Blossom looking good on a sunny #NewForest #patchbirding walk this morning. Highlight was a #patchgold Common Sandpiper on Setley Pond which is a new species record for this location and our Patch. Green Hairstreak and Slow Worm also enjoying the sunshine

I have updated the #NewForest #Patchbirding blog with all of our latest sightings from April newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/04/apar...

9 Poms east 09.15

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

50 species this morning on a rather chilly Easter Sunday #NewForest #patchbirding walk. Plenty of Swallows but no House Martins yet. Cuckoos, Whitethroat and Redstarts all singing enthusiastically in the morning sunshine.

The #NewForest heathland gorse was looking stunning this morning on our #Patchbirding walk - 53 species including our first patch Sand Martins for two years and our first singing Whitethroat of the year. No Cuckoos yet, but should be here any day now.

That's 90,000 signatures! 90,000 of you calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting. If we reach 100,000, we can get this debated in parliament. So please sign and share - help us get there!

NFY,NFG Black Redstart as I was eating lunch today, still waiting for the Hoopoe. #UKbirding #Hantsbirding

52 species this morning on our #NewForest #Patchbirding walk. Highlight was our first Redstart of the year in Hincheslea Woods. Plenty of Swallows moving North and Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing in the Spring Sunshine. Great to see and smell the Gorse in full bloom on the Heathland

I have updated my #NewForest #Patchbirding blog with the highlights from March 2025, for those who are interested in such things. newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com

53 species on my #NewForest #patchbirding walk this morning including three singing Willow Warblers - my earliest record and first ever in March. Blackcap and Firecrest also singing in the woods and plenty of heathland activity with Dartfords and Stonechats enjoying the Spring sunshine.

Our AGM and Members' Day will be taking place this Saturday, 29 March, at St Swithun's School, Winchester. Great variety of talks including on Woodlarks, Roseate Tern breeding and an update on White-tailed Eagles. Free for members, £5 non-members. No need to pre-book www.hos.org.uk/welcome-to-t...

Latest blog post. Reading it back, it does sound a little negative - Port Meadow is certainly an inland patch that many would dream of. But, maybe it captures the feel of those patch birding doldrums? Some nice tristis chiff sound recordings anyway #ukbirding tmbirding.blogspot.com/2025/03/mid-...

Some early morning sunshine for today’s #NewForest #lowcarbon #patchbirding walk: 49 species including a calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the woods. A few Redwing were the last remnants of Winter - otherwise very spring-like with Chiffchaff and Dartfords singing strongly.

47 species this morning on our #NewForest #lowcarbon #patchbirding walk. Highlight was our first singing Woodlark since 2023 along with nine displaying Lapwing over the heath. Plenty of Stonechats but just two Dartford Warblers (down from last week’s record of nine) in the brisk Northerly wind

Spring is definitely in the air - Bill the tortoise has woken up from hibernation: a bit grumpy as you might expect after 3 months’ sleep

A misty start for our #Newforest #Patchbirding walk this morning - 46 species including our first Peregrine of the year and two singing Chiffchaff when the sun broke through. Lots of Spring activity on the heath and woodland - Fallow bucks are shedding their antlers

I have updated my #patchbirding blog with the highlights from February, for those who are interested in such things newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/02/febr...

Very wet underfoot for our #NewForest #Patchbirding walk this morning, but starting to feel more Spring-like with 45 species and plenty of bird song. Stonechats have returned to the heath in big numbers and Song Thrushes in good voice again. Birding highlight was our first Red Kite of the year.

A rather grey, cold morning for our #NewForest #patchbirding walk today: 41 species was about par for February. Highlights were our first Pheasant of the year, a Little Egret and two Fieldfare which have been hard to find this winter. Single Stonechat and a few Skylark but no Dartfords on the heath.

A cold start to our #NewForest #patchbirding walk this morning but it soon warmed up. Stonechats back on the heath enjoying the sunshine along with our first pair of Linnets of the year. 41 species in all - which is about par for February.

January update to my #NewForest #patchbirding blog newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/01/janu...

Daffodils in bloom in the #NewForest but Spring still feels a long way off

First snowdrop of the year

A rather chilly start to the day today and only 35 bird species on our #NewForest patch walk, which is low even for January; but some lovely wintery scenes to enjoy

Happy New Year everyone. I have updated my #NewForest #Lowcarbon #Patchbirding blog with a summary of 2024. newforestpatchbirding.blogspot.com/2025/01/patc...

Comfortably achieved my 2024 target of 5million steps - so I’m aiming for 6million in 2025, and hoping to continue my ‘10k daily step minimum’ streak for another year

“But as the birdwatching community increasingly highlights its own responsibilities for greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel, 2025 might be the time to concentrate on a local patch…” Wise advice by @penrhynbirder.bsky.social #LowCarbonBirding www.birdnotes.wales/blog/resolut...

My #lowcarbon #patchbirding year list for 2024 ends on 102 species, equalling the previous record from 2022 and 5 more than last year - 6 new birds this year: highlights were a Yellow-browed Warbler and 3 Cattle Egrets overhead. All checklists on eBird ebird.org/hotspot/L126...

A late Christmas gift this morning was a ‘patch lifer’ drake Shoveler on Setley Pond - bringing the year list up to a record-equalling 102 species for our #NewForest #patchbirding site.

Wake me up when it’s all over

Christmas tree is ready to go. Better late than never

I’ve not really watched Strictly Come Dancing before - always thought it was not really my kind of programme- but I’ve been surprised at how much I enjoyed the current series.