New Forest Biodiversity News - March 2025

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in March 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair (russ@wildnewforest.org.uk).

Notable wildlife sightings

With high pressure in control, March was exceptionally dry, with less than 20% of the average rainfall for the month. Sunshine hours were the highest since records began and temperatures were slightly above average overall, but this masked a difference between cold (and often frosty) nights and clear sunny days with light winds.

Perhaps unusually for March, it was a micro-moth that provided one of the wildlife highlights, with a specimen of the Desert Pearl Cornifrons ulceratalis taken at light at Ashurst on 22 Mar. This is a migrant species from North Africa, and it occurred during a period of warm southerly winds and Saharan dust (high numbers had also been reported in southern Spain in the previous days). There have been just two previous Hampshire records, both during an influx in late 2015, including one at Lymington, but this latest record appears to be the first within the New Forest National Park boundary.

Desert Pearl (Cornifrons ulceratalis) at Ashurst on 22 Mar 2025 (photo: Keith Godfrey)

Another interesting batch of fungi DNA samples have emerged from Hampshire Fungus Recording Group (supported by sponsorship from the NFBF) and relate to several specimens found last autumn. A small wood-rotting shield fungus found on decaying Beech on 08 Sept 2024 was thought at the time to be Pluteus podospileus, but a recent paper has split out several new species and the DNA analysis suggests a match with Pluteus fuscodiscus, which is yet to be officially recorded in the UK. In addition, a specimen identified from DNA as Conocybe (Pholiotina) dentatomarginata that was found at Green Hill Farm (Landford) on 31 Oct 2024 appears to be the first record for Wiltshire and the New Forest.

Pluteus fuscodiscus on 08 Sept 2024 (photo: Russell Wynn)

A first-winter Least Sandpiper at Needs Ore on 22-23 Mar was originally found in Somerset on 02 Jan, where it remained until 06 Mar. After its appearance at Needs Ore, it was subsequently relocated further east at Medmerry RSPB in West Sussex on 02 Apr. Further details here. If accepted, this will be the first New Forest record (although an adult found by an experienced observer in autumn 2005 at Pennington Marshes was not accepted by the national rarities committee).

Up to nine wintering Spoonbills and two Water Pipits remained in the Lymington-Hurst area, and there were regular sightings of at least three different White-tailed Eagles. A Great White Egret was a good inland find at Hursthill Inclosure on 31 Mar. Incoming summer migrants included a pair of Little Ringed Plovers at Keyhaven Marsh on 14 Mar and an Osprey heading up the Lymington River on 16 Mar. A Barnacle Goose was at Normandy Marsh on 14 Mar and a Ruddy Shelduck was reported at East End, Sowley on 17 Mar, although both records probably relate to ‘feral’ birds. Finally, Chris Roseveare’s birding update from his local Setley-Sway patch in March 2025 is available here.

Immature White-tailed Eagle being pursued by a Lapwing on 21 Mar 2025 (photo: John Coombes)

Sad news concerned a male Peregrine that was colour-ringed as a chick at Keyhaven in 2019 and was subsequently seen around Woodlands and Ashurst for several years - it was taken into care at Southampton Docks in early March with a head injury but died overnight. Given the location and date, it was most likely a casualty of a territorial dispute with another Peregrine. This was certainly a feisty bird - as an immature it was seen defending its winter territory from all-comers, including an escaped Eagle Owl!

Colour-ringed Peregrine 'TFF' in immature plumage on 19 May 2020 (photo: Russell Wynn)

In happier news, the New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group (NFRMG) have recently received several reports of immature Goshawks that were colour-ringed as chicks in the New Forest last year. Some of these reports have come from farmland sites around the southern fringe of the forest and represent local dispersal, but one came from further afield just east of Winchester on 21 Mar. A new paper documenting post-fledging movements of Goshawks in lowland England has recently been published here, highlighting the importance of farmland habitats for immature birds. NFRMG members have also been following up on some interesting adult Red Kite activity that may indicate breeding on or very close to the Crown Lands; although Red Kites are now suspected to be breeding at a few sites around the forest fringe, there are no confirmed records on the Crown Lands in the modern era.

In other news, the nationally scarce Ant-mimic Jumping Spider Synageles venator is confirmed to be established in Woodlands, with several individuals seen in March following one seen there last spring. And by the end of March, the indefatigable volunteers at Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol had saved 382 Common Toads, 22 Common Frogs and 143 Palmate/Smooth newts, compared to 70 that were recorded as killed by traffic.

Screengrab from Wild New Forest social media showing the results of Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol up to the end of March 2025

Wildlife and conservation news

In recent months, there has been an unwelcome stream of national and regional news items regarding cuts to conservation and land management organisations, with the latest being a 9% cut to the core funding provided to National Parks. A response from National Parks England is available here. In addition, history has unfortunately repeated itself with the Main Committee of the local branch of Butterfly Conservation all resigning in response to restructuring decisions made by Head Office, including the loss of all reserves officers (the same thing happened a few years ago). 

Finally, many thanks as always to all those who contributed their observations and images to the various online portals that provide source material for these reports, particularly Going Birding, Hampshire Fungus Recording Group, and the Wild New Forest and Hantsmoths Facebook sites.