New Forest Biodiversity News - October 2025

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

Notable wildlife sightings

October saw a continuation of typical autumn conditions, with a dominance of relatively mild and dull weather - Met Office data for the UK indicate it was the dullest October in almost 60 years. The mean temperature in our region was slightly above average but sunshine hours were below average, while rainfall levels were as expected for the season.

The ornithological highlight was probably the appearance of a popular first-winter Great Grey Shrike in the Pig Bush area from 28 Oct onwards - this formerly regular winter visitor was absent from the New Forest in the last two winters, so this settled individual was warmly welcomed. A Glossy Ibis was again noted in the Keyhaven/Hurst area on 11-13 Oct and was also seen commuting between there and Christchurch Harbour, where it appeared to be roosting. Up to 12 Bearded Tits, 11 Spoonbills, seven Little Stints, a Cattle Egret, a Long-tailed Duck, and a Ring Ouzel were also in the Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes area. A Whooper Swan skirted the New Forest boundary, being seen moving west at Barton on 10 Oct and presumably the same subsequently seen with Mute Swans at Harbridge in the Avon Valley on 28 Oct. Inland, notable migrants included three Ring Ouzels at Beaulieu Heath on 01 Oct and one at Leaden Hall on 25 Oct.

Great Grey Shrike on 01 Nov 2025 (photo: Dimitri Moore) 

The ‘one that got away‘ this month was a likely juvenile Pallid Harrier that was photographed while distantly heading south over the saltmarsh at Keyhaven on 02 Oct - it was identified when the images were posted on social media, but unfortunately the pics probably lack sufficient detail for the record to be officially accepted (this would be only the second New Forest record).

Probable Pallid Harrier on 02 Oct 2025 (photo: Toby Cowell)

Encouraging news on the moth front concerns record numbers of the nationally scarce Southern Chestnut recorded during nocturnal moth trapping at three heathland sites in mid-October. A total of 95 was recorded over the three sessions, with a peak of 58 on 15 Oct; these numbers appear to be unprecedented in a UK context. Additional records were received from several other New Forest sites during the month, and dispersing individuals were found away from known breeding areas, which perhaps provides additional evidence for a thriving population. Other notable moths included a selection of ‘recent’ colonists such as Blair’s Mocha, Clifden Nonpareil, Oak Rustic, Olive-tree Pearl, and Radford’s Flame Shoulder.

20 Southern Chestnuts on 10 Oct 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)

Southern Chestnut on 10 Oct 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)

Following last month’s arrival of Candelabra Coral as a new species in the region (see here), October saw a couple of other potential first fungi records for the New Forest. The nationally rare, toothed crust fungus Steccherinum bourdotii was initially recorded during a Hampshire Fungus Recording Group (HFRG) survey at Rufus Stone on 05 Oct, and at the time of writing has already been recorded at three other New Forest sites. The Rufus Stone outing also produced another specimen of the wood-rotting inkcap Coprinopsis spelaiophila, which was only recorded in the New Forest for the first time last autumn. DNA results from the HFRG survey at Franchises Lodge RSPB on 07 Sept supported the identification of the first New Forest and Hampshire record of the delicate pale pinkgill Entoloma cephalotrichum.

Steccherinum bourdotii on 05 Oct 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)

Wildlife and conservation news

The 2024 Annual Report on Hampshire’s moths is now available on the excellent Hantsmoths website here. Many thanks, as always, to our County Moth Recorder, Mike Wall, for drawing together >108,000 records of 1430 species! The report features several species that are firsts for the New Forest, all of which are likely to have originated from southern Europe. Of note, is the first British record of Nodaria nodosalis, and the first Hampshire records of Black V Moth and Samphire Straw, as well as an influx of Porter’s Rustic. The three commonest species were Willow Beauty, Light Brown Apple Moth, and Large Yellow Underwing, while Jersey Tiger has moved into the top 20 following a remarkable increase in the last five years.

Thanks also to Steve Cham for drawing attention to a useful new website here by Steve Hewitt that documents the dragonflies and damselflies of the New Forest, including a photo gallery and pages showing distribution maps and flight periods for all the local species.

Congratulations to Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS) for picking up the BTO Marsh Award for Local Ornithology here, in part because of their recent success in recruiting and supporting young and female ornithologists in the county. The awards ceremony featured our own NFBF Associate, Tommy Saunders, who is also a Trustee and active member of HOS.

Holly Fitzgerald has recently taken over from Catherine Chatters as the New Forest Non-Native Plants Officer (see here). Holly will continue the work in partnership with the local New Forest community to help stop spread of invasive non-native plants such as Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed. We welcome Holly to her new role and wish Catherine all the very best in her retirement following 16 years of dedicated service.

The ongoing issue of sewage discharges into New Forest rivers hit the headlines again in October here, with the revelation that about 20 Lymington properties had been discharging directly into the lower Lymington River for several decades due to illegal drainage connections. The discovery was made by local Friends of the Earth members, who had found dangerously high levels of E. coli while conducting water testing of the river. Southern Water have reportedly now fixed the misconnections, but one suspects this may only be the tip of a very large iceberg…

Finally, Forestry England have gone public with plans to introduce parking charges in their New Forest car parks from next spring (see here). Discussions are ongoing about how we can minimise impacts on volunteer wildlife recorders, including those engaged in VESPA.

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.