New Forest Raptor Monitoring Programme - April 2026 update

Andy Page and Tommy Saunders, New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group (NFRMG), April 2026

Despite a prolonged period of cold easterly winds, the current warm spell has enabled fieldwork to continue apace. Goshawks are the earliest of the New Forest raptors to begin breeding, and with over 60 sites to check and a minimum of two visits required to each to confirm breeding or occupation, we have been extremely busy. To date we have 40 sites where incubation has commenced and a further 16 sites that remain unconfirmed, but where nest refurbishment has taken place. Six further sites are noted as occupied, but where it is probable that only a single bird is holding territory.

Our plans to satellite tag some young Goshawk chicks this year have been approved by the BTO special methods panel, and the tags have been ordered and paid for.

In late March we delivered a well-attended VESPA training day around raptor identification, with a further training day planned for late May, and we now have a few weeks to pick up our Common Buzzard survey work. Every year we get more sightings of Red Kites across the New Forest, but we still await confirmation of a successful breeding attempt on the Crown Lands.

The White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme on the Isle of Wight has resulted in regular but unpredictable sightings of these magnificent birds, and no one should be in any doubt if they see one.

While not raptor-related, we also monitor Raven breeding sites across the forest where time allows and usually ring two or three broods to gauge productivity year on year (see pic below).

Raven chicks in the nest - it is said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, surely only if you’re a parent Raven!! (photo: NFRMG).

In the coming weeks, we welcome any reports of breeding Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, and Red Kite within the New Forest National Park, particularly relating to occupied nests or observations of fledged juveniles. We also welcome any reports of Hobby and Honey Buzzard, which will help us build a picture of occupied territories for these summer migrant species. Reports can be emailed to hello@wildnewforest.org.uk and these will be passed promptly to the NFRMG team in strict confidence.