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This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in August and September 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings August 2025 was again warmer, sunnier, and drier than average, with rain restricted to the final few days of the month. Provisional Met office statistics here indicate it was officially the warmest summer on record for the UK, around 1.5 o C above the long-term average. September saw a switch to more typical autumnal conditions, with average temperatures and slightly above average sunshine and rainfall. It was windy at times during the month, with a gust of 78 mph at the Needles (Isle of Wight) on 14 Sept.   It was another insect arrival from southern Europe that stole the show in this period, with at least three European Praying Mantis recorded at a site in the central New Forest between 02 Aug and 28 Sept. This species was also discovered on the Isle of Wight and in Cornwall this summer (see here ), suggesting these are part of a ‘natural’ colonisation event likely linked to warming temperatures. Praying Mantis on 28 Sept 2025 (photo: Jonathan Crisp)    The arrival of Little Arboreal Ladybird Calvia decemguttata in the New Forest earlier in the summer attracted significant media interest (see here ) , as well as a steady stream of ladybird ‘twitchers’ who successfully located the species through August and September by beating trees in the known hotspots.  'Little Arboreal Ladybird' Calvia decemguttata on 11 Aug 2025 (Image: Paul Brock)    Other notable invertebrates in the period included what may be the first New Forest record of the mite Erythraeus phalangoides , a specimen of the Marbled Orbweaver spider Araneus marmoreus near Bramshaw (apparently rare in the New Forest), and two specimens of the conopid fly Dark Waspgrabber Leopoldius calceatus at the New Forest coast that may suggest local colonisation (the first UK record was in 2018). Male Marbled Orbweaver on 10 Aug 2025 (photo: Hans Bishop)    The fungi season was slow to get going due to the summer drought, but September produced some notable sightings, not least of which was the sudden (re)colonisation of the New Forest by the Candelabra Coral Artomyces pyxidatus . The first observation was logged on iRecord on 06 Sept, which appears to be the first record for Hampshire and the New Forest, swiftly followed by the first for Wiltshire in the northern New Forest during a Hampshire Fungus Recording Group (HFRG) survey the following day. At the time of writing there have been a further five New Forest records, all on fallen hardwood such as Beech or Silver Birch, and there must surely be many more waiting to be found. The rapid arrival in the New Forest mirrors similar arrivals in other counties in southern England, and a rapid increase in the Netherlands, although whether the driver is climate change or some other environmental factor is unknown.   Candelabra Coral on 07 Sept 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn) The HFRG survey on 07 Sept also produced a nice specimen of Tiered Tooth Hericium cirrhatum (the forerunner of a good early autumn showing of the species) and an apparent specimen of the spore eating fungus Hypomyces chryosostomus covering the underside of a large Southern Bracket Ganoderma australe - this species was only recorded as new to Britain last autumn, so this record is potentially the first for Hampshire and the New Forest. A specimen of Larch Spike Gomphidius maculatus found in the northern New Forest on 23 Sept is potentially only the second for Wiltshire and the first New Forest record for over 20 years.   Hypomyces chrysostomus on 07 Sept 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   Ornithological highlights were rather sparse given the season. The long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs was again reported from the Keyhaven area on 13 and 16 Aug and up to four Glossy Ibis were seen on three dates at Oxey Marsh between 05-24 Sept, part of an unprecedented influx into the UK. Storm-driven Grey Phalaropes were at Keyhaven Lagoon on several dates between 02 and 21 Sept, Oxey Marsh on 04 Sept, and Lepe on 05 Sept. Up to nine Spoonbills, five Cattle Egrets, and two Great White Egrets were also seen at or near the coast. There was a scatter of regular returning migrants such as Curlew Sandpiper, Grasshopper Warbler, Hen Harrier, Little Gull, Little Stint, Osprey, Pied Flycatcher, and Spotted Redshank, while a juvenile Turtle Dove at Keyhaven on 05 Sept was notable. Although just outside the area, it was interesting to see multiple reports of up to 59 Ring-necked Parakeets from Bitterne Park in Southampton during August, indicating ongoing colonisation by this non-native species; fortunately, they rarely seem to venture into the New Forest, and if they do, they don’t tend to linger, possibly due to the ‘Goshawk’ effect!   Grey Phalarope on 21 Sept 2025 (photo: Rob Farnworth) Finally, a presumably disoriented Common Dolphin was filmed swimming around in the Lymington River mouth on 13 Aug (see here ).   Wildlife and conservation news A new study, funded by the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (NFBF), has demonstrated the rapid return of heathland specialist animals and fungi to a trio of heathland restoration sites in the New Forest. The study was conducted by Russell Wynn of Wild New Forest, in partnership with Forestry England, and a summary report is available here . The work featured on BBC News online here and on BBC regional TV and radio during September. In addition, talented local wildlife film-maker Matt Roseveare was commissioned by the NFBF to deliver a short video capturing some of the highlights of the work, which can be viewed on the NFBF YouTube channel here .   This autumn saw the retirement of Andy Page as Head of Wildlife Management in the New Forest and wider district, marking the end of nearly 40 years at Forestry England. Andy will continue to play a prominent role in local biodiversity monitoring and conservation as an Associate and Steering Group member of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum and co-ordinator of the NFBF-funded New Forest Raptor Monitoring Programme, as well as a Scientific Sub-committee member with Hampshire Ornithological Society. We wish Andy all the best during this transition and look forward to continuing our work with him in the coming years.   Over the last couple of years, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) have been delivering the Gravelly Shores project at the New Forest coast, as part of Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme. Working in partnership with Beaulieu Estate and the North Solent National Nature Reserve, the project team have taken a 1.7ha area of grassland and scrub and transformed it into an open area of coastal vegetated shingle to support breeding waders and terns. The new habitat has already seen successful breeding by Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, and Lapwing, protected by electric fencing and other measures (see here ). The project has increased the resilience of shingle habitats at this site to sea-level rise and coastal erosion, and it is hoped that breeding terns will also benefit in future years.      Many thanks as always to all those who contributed their observations and images to the various online fora that provide source material for these reports, particularly Going Birding , Hampshire Fungus Recording Group , and the Wild New Forest and Hantsmoths Facebook sites .

In 2023-24 a series of ecological surveys were conducted across three heathland restoration sites in the New Forest National Park to assess the recovery of specialist heathland animals and plants. The surveys were delivered by Prof Russell Wynn of Wild New Forest and the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund), in partnership with Forestry England. The aim was to raise awareness amongst the public about the ecological importance of heathlands and the value of the heathland restoration programme, and to generate data to inform future heathland restoration and management. Aerial view of the heathland restoration survey site at Dunces Arch The full heathland restoration survey report can be downloaded as a PDF file at the link below and the executive summary of the report is appended: In summer 2025, we recruited talented young wildlife film-maker, Matt Roseveare, as a New Forest Biodiversity Forum 'Associate' to produce a video showcasing the results of the survey and restoration work (Matt's website including a showreel of his previous work can be viewed here ). Matt worked with Russ and Forestry England staff to capture hi-res drone and macro footage from the heathland restoration sites. The resulting video contains stunning footage including mating Glow-worms, hunting Nightjars, and fantastic aerial vistas, and can be viewed on the New Forest Biodiversity Forum YouTube channel here . Matt filming Glow-worms at night This story was also issued as a Forestry England news release on 16 Sept 2025 and featured on regional BBC TV News and on BBC News Online here . Executive Summary This report contains the results of ecological surveys conducted in 2023-24 to assess the response of animals and fungi to heathland restoration works conducted by Forestry England at three sites within the New Forest SSSI; the surveys were delivered by Wild New Forest as part of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum and with sponsorship from Kairos Philanthropy Fund, in partnership with Forestry England. Nearly 60 hours of field-based survey was conducted by a single observer at the three sites over the two years, with survey methodology and timing designed to be repeatable and to ensure sufficient coverage of target species; additional surveys are being conducted by Footprint Ecology focussed on the vegetation response. A wide variety of specialist heathland animals and fungi were shown to have occupied the restored sites within one to two years of conifer clearance, even though restoration of the vegetation community (and the visual appearance) will likely take many years. Breeding Nightjar, Stonechat, and Woodlark were recorded at all three survey sites, and a non-breeding Dartford Warbler at one site; a wide variety of other bird species were seen using the sites for foraging, including wintering Snipe. Five species of bat were positively identified via acoustic detection, with Common Pipistrelle and the red-listed Serotine detected at all survey sites - both species were concentrated along wooded site margins, i.e. new ‘edge’ habitats. Five species of reptile and amphibian were recorded including Common Lizard at two sites, while records of Slow-worm, Common Frog, Common Toad, and Palmate Newt mostly related to individuals found sheltering under woody debris. Although detailed study of the invertebrate assemblage was beyond the scope of this study, several species that require open or edge habitats were recorded including Glow-worms at all sites and the nationally scarce Dusky Cockroach and Wood-cricket. Grazing livestock (primarily New Forest Ponies) were observed in small numbers at all sites, and both Fallow and Roe Deer were sporadically recorded; consequently, pony and deer dung was widespread and often locally abundant.   A total of 13 nationally notable fungi species were recorded, including Nail Fungus at all sites and several other coprophilous fungi associated with pony dung. No conifer-associated mycorrhizal fungi were seen, presumably due to conifer removal and the associated soil disturbance, although conifer wood-rotting fungi were locally abundant. Small numbers of notable heathland and bonfire specialist fungi were also observed. The survey fundings have implications for future heathland restoration work, including the retention of woody debris and bonfire sites as substrate and/or shelter for a wide variety of specialist animals and fungi.

New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group (NFRMG) 21 August 2025 With June and July now behind us the raptor monitoring season fast draws to a close. We have completed the Goshawk monitoring for this year, and the results are along the lines we predicted, but are not unprecedented.   On the Crown Lands, we had 41 sites where Goshawk breeding attempts were confirmed, of which 31 were successful. An additional eight sites were occupied but where only a single bird was presumed to be present. A total of 12 further sites that have held birds previously were checked, but no signs of occupation were noted, or more work was needed to prove presence or absence.     28 sites were climbed and produced 61 young, of which 59 were ringed with both BTO and colour rings (29 male and 30 female). Only one pair managed to raise four chicks, with nine pairs raising three each, 11 pairs rearing two each, and eight pairs only rearing a single chick. Three further sites fledged a minimum of four young, totalling 64 young from the 31 successful nests. A nice 'even-aged' Goshawk brood of three chicks   For the last couple of weeks of June and the first few days of July we have been checking Common Buzzard sites, but as with Goshawk several breeding attempts appear to have been abandoned. Further reports from fieldworkers in other areas support a similar trend. Young Buzzards call noisily when recently fledged, so it is still possible for us to find further new sites for a week or two, but currently we have 19 successful sites from 30 checked.   Despite the good weather and early arrival of Honey Buzzards from spring migration, sightings and records have been scarce. No new sites have been reported, and numbers are low but on a par with 2024. This species is one where our work takes us beyond the New Forest and even Hampshire as part of a contribution to a national colour-ringing project. Sightings during incubation are so infrequent that it is not usually best use of our time to look for these during the month of June, but we did little else during July. A pair of young Honey Buzzard chicks A different pair of young Honey Buzzard chicks A growing pair of Honey Buzzard chicks A mature Honey Buzzard chick A double highlight of this season’s fieldwork came on 26 July and 01 Aug when camera footage revealed the discovery of two new colour-ringed Honey Buzzards in our breeding population. A male bearing the colour ring ‘NM’ was ringed by us as a nestling in 2018 at a site near Dorchester, 24 miles from its current breeding site. Another male bearing the colour ring ‘LH’ was ringed as a nestling in 2014 near Dorking, Surrey, over 80 miles away from its current breeding site. And hot-off-the press is a photographic record of a probable breeding male in northeast Kent carrying the ring ‘MZ’, which our records show is a New Forest bird ringed by us as a nestling in 2016. This trio of records is a great contribution to the national project and demonstrates the value of colour-ringing, which has delivered over 40 sightings/records since it began - an amazing recovery rate for a ringing project with such a small sample size. Colour-ringed male Honey Buzzard 'MZ'   Close-up showing the colour ring on male Honey Buzzard 'MZ'   Sightings of Red Kite in the New Forest seem a daily occurrence these days and although we’re not aware of any nests on Crown Lands we have them within the wider New Forest National Park boundary. Sparrowhawks remain elusive, and although no chicks were ringed, we did find four nests. We also watched two juvenile Peregrines on the wing from a New Forest nest during late June.   Finally, we were optimistic that Hobby may be present at a few more sites this year, and with three nests found during the morning of 27 June and another the following day we had a good start. Our sponsors, Hans and Kate, were with us when we climbed and ringed our first brood of Hobby chicks for many years and saw first-hand how feisty and belligerent the three small chicks were! We followed that a few days later with another brood of three chicks, thankfully a little less feisty!! Sadly, things went downhill after that and four other sites that held breeding birds appeared to have lost their young to predation (as deduced from observations overlooking breeding sites, although we have not climbed them to confirm). We have noted activity at a few other sites and will follow these up in the next couple of weeks. Hobby are noisy and brave in defence of their young, but this also attracts avian predators much larger than themselves such as Buzzard and Goshawk. The chicks are very exposed in open nests on the top of trees and often easily visible to avian predators flying over. A trio of Hobby chicks A different trio of Hobby chicks   Finally, local wildlife film maker, Matt Roseveare (sponsored by the New Forest Biodiversity Forum), has gathered some nice footage of the work we completed this spring and summer, and it will be interesting to see how he puts it all together. The New Forest Raptor Monitoring Programme forms part of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum and is sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund and delivered in partnership with Forestry England.

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in June-July 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings Spring 2025 was the warmest and sunniest on record, and the hot and dry conditions continued into early summer, with Met Office data for England indicating it was the warmest June on record (2.5 o C above the long term average) and the seventh warmest July. Perhaps surprisingly, Met Office maps show that the New Forest area received about average rainfall during June and July, but even at a local level there seem to be significant variations depending on where any thundery showers hit. Overall, the first half of 2025 has been the driest in England for 50 years, and at the time of writing (mid-August) the open forest is certainly looking extremely dry, with parched grazing lawns and dried-up ponds and streams.   It's been a good year for ladybirds (see here ), and a specimen of the ‘Little Arboreal Lady Beetle’ Calvia decemguttata in a garden moth trap in Woodlands on 14 June was the forerunner of a series of records there and at nearby sites in the eastern New Forest, including a larva at Shatterford on 04 July. These follow on from records in Southampton in the last 12 months, and collectively they provide the first evidence for establishment of this species in Britain (which is common in continental Europe and was predicted to make the hop across the English Channel).   Ladybird Calvia decemguttata in a Woodlands garden on 21 June 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   The same moth trap in Woodlands also attracted the nationally scarce ground beetle Polistichus connexus on 16 July, which appears to be the first New Forest record. The same garden also hosted a colony of Variable Cockroach for the third year running - this is a relatively new arrival in Britain, and another colony is nearby in Hythe. It also seems to have been a good year for our three native cockroaches (Dusky, Lesser and Tawny), with regular sightings in moth traps and in suitable habitat on the open forest.   Variable Cockroach in a Woodlands garden on 02 Aug 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   As part of the New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA) a WhatsApp group was established in mid-June for active moth recorders, and in the first six weeks of operation numerous interesting records were generated from trapping on the open forest and in gardens. There were multiple reports of nationally rare/scarce species such as Dingy Mocha, Mocha, Small Chocolate-tip, Olive Crescent, and Light Crimson Underwing, while other nationally rare/scarce species included Mint Cap Pseudopostega crepusculella , Comfrey Ermine Ethmia quadrillella , Sundew Plume Buckleria paludum , Bog Snout Sparganothis pilleriana , White Cloaked Tortrix Gypsonoma aceriana (first New Forest record), Mottled Grey Tortrix Gypsonoma oppressana , Small Brindled Tortrix Gypsonoma minutana , Marsh Grass-moth Crambus uliginosellus , Rolled Grass-moth Pediasia contaminella , Saltern Grass-moth Pediasia aridella , Pied Grey Eudonia delunella , Gorse Knot-horn Pempelia genistella , Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella , Rosy Wave, Purple-bordered Gold, Dotted Border Wave, Horse Chestnut, Scarce Merveille du Jour, and Plumed Fan-foot. There was also an influx of some of the scarcer migrant species, notably Small Marbled, while recent colonists such as Blair’s Mocha, Jersey Mocha, Portland Ribbon Wave, Jersey Tiger, Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, and Tree-lichen Beauty were recorded in good numbers, particularly in the southern New Forest and surrounds. A notable influx of Dark Umber (very rare in the New Forest) and huge numbers of Four-spotted Footman were other highlights of the period.   Dotted Fan-foot near Fritham on 19 June 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)  Plumed Fan-foot at Lepe on 17 July 2025 (photo: Bob Chapman)    Other rare migrant moths reported in the period included Migrant Sable Diasemiopsis ramburialis and Splendid Brocade at Franchises Lodge in late June. A VESPA training session at Furzey Gardens on 29 June produced the nationally rare Smudge-winged Comb-horn Cranefly Ctenophora ornata , which is a specialist of ancient Beech woodlands; another came to light at Linford the following night. Records of the nationally scarce Smudge-winged Pipiza Pipiza lugubris at Setthorns Inclosure on 16 June and Lepe on 10 July may be the first New Forest records, and the leaf beetle Calomicrus circumfusus was photographed at Godshill Ridge on 05 June.   Smudge-winged Comb-horn Cranefly at Furzey Gardens on 29 June 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)  Smudge-winged Pipiza at Sethorns Inclosure on 16 June 2025 (photo: Chris Searle)    Leaf beetle Calomicrus circumfusus at Godshill Ridge on 05 June 2025 (photo: Nigel Kendall)      A Lesser Yellowlegs was sporadically reported from Pennington and Keyhaven Marshes during July, and a Black Kite drifted over Acres Down on 08 June at 1315 hrs, frustratingly just an hour after a VESPA raptor training session had concluded! Sightings in the Lymington-Hurst area included the long-staying Long-tailed Duck, as well as Great White Egret, Spoonbill, and a couple of returning Curlew Sandpipers on 23 July. A Pied Flycatcher reported at Ashurst Lodge on 16 June was an intriguing record given the time of year and a count of 13 adult Little Ringed Plovers at Badminston Gravel Pit on 03 July was notable. A major influx of continental Crossbills saw numerous flocks of up to 50 at various New Forest locations, although these numbers were dwarfed by numbers passing over the Isle of Wight where the peak count was nearly 400 on 27 July. Wood Warblers are clinging on a breeding bird in the New Forest, so it was notable that one of the ringed New Forest birds has reached its seventh year and becomes the oldest recorded Wood Warbler in Britain.   Lesser Yellowlegs at Keyhaven/Pennington Marshes on 24 June 2025 (photo: Jeremy McClements)      Fungi were unsurprisingly sparse given the dry conditions, but some of the more conspicuous wood rotting (saprophytic) species began to appear, including a few specimens of the nationally rare Tiered Tooth Hericium cirrhatum .   Tiered Tooth   on 15 June 2025 (photo: Holly Fitzgerald)      Wildlife and conservation news The drought conditions meant that the fire risk in the New Forest remained high, although the only significant incident in the period was a blaze that affected about 2400m 2 of gorse scrub near Beaulieu on 12 July (see here ).   There was positive news from Poole Harbour where the Osprey reintroduction project saw a second pair breed this summer (see here ), following the establishment of the first pair in 2022. In addition, a pair of White-tailed Eagles from the Isle of Wight reintroduction project have also bred in Dorset this year (see here ). Both species are increasingly regular along the New Forest coast and so may attempt to nest here in future.   Another reintroduction project has seen New Forest Cicadas, obtained from France, released into inclosures in Paultons Park (see here ). The project is led by Species Recovery Trust and is co-funded by Natural England, and aims to establish a captive breeding colony that can then be used to re-establish the species in the New Forest in the coming years.   Finally, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch of Butterfly Conservation saw a mass resignation of its committee earlier this year following a restructuring exercise delivered by Head Office. In June, the BC Head of Volunteering made the following statement: Looking ahead, we are very aware of the challenges that all our Branches in the UK have been facing in recruiting to committee roles. Across the voluntary sector, participation in volunteering has declined 45% over the last 10 years and the appetite for volunteering in a committee role has halved. Therefore, in discussion with Andy Barker (Transect Coordinator, former Branch Chair and Trustee) we have agreed to proceed in Hampshire without a Branch Committee. Instead, volunteers will continue to lead activities as they currently do and staff will set up new locally targeted volunteer groups as needed, such as survey groups or for habitat management work off-reserves. This will allow us to focus our time where we can make the most difference on the ground, helping butterflies, moths and the environment in Hampshire. it was announced that the Branch will continue without a committee, but activities will continue under the leadership of volunteers, in some case co-ordinated by staff.   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.

1. Introduction The New Forest Biodiversity Forum has launched a New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA), which aims to increase the quantity and quality of biological data collected from the New Forest National Park, and to increase the capacity and capability of the local community to help collect these data.   2. Why do we need VESPA? Although the New Forest has long been recognised as a ‘jewel in the crown’ for biodiversity, species recording is patchy both geographically and between different species groups. Even relatively well recorded species groups like birds show a strong bias towards popular sites, and outside of statutory monitoring only a handful of dedicated ornithologists are delivering more systematic multi year surveys that allow us to assess trends and have confidence in species’ status. In addition, the recording of more challenging species groups such as fungi, lichens, bats, and many invertebrates is based upon the efforts of a very small number of expert surveyors, who are not getting any younger! We therefore need to encourage and support new generations of ecological surveyors to help build future capacity.   The New Forest is facing multiple pressures, from the many effects of climate change through to acute issues such as pollution, intensification of land use, and invasive non native species. These pressures are driving rapid change in New Forest habitats and species, making access to accurate and up-to-date data vital for effective decision making by those responsible for managing and protecting this extraordinary landscape.   In addition, VESPA aims to remove barriers that might hinder ecological surveyors from accessing the open forest, such as requirements for permits and insurance, and to support new surveyors who would benefit from training, guidance and access to a network. It’s also clear that funding and logistical constraints are making it ever harder for young ecologists and conservationists to gain field survey experience through the education system, and so VESPA will provide this opportunity as part of a structured programme.   3. How will VESPA be structured? VESPA forms part of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (NFBF), sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund. The programme is coordinated by Wild New Forest , an independent not-for-profit community interest company who are the hosting partner of the NFBF. The NFBF Steering Group has oversight of the VESPA programme and will provide ongoing evaluation.     Wild New Forest have signed a five year Partnership Agreement with Forestry England that enables us to coordinate volunteer activity on the Crown Lands of the New Forest (this includes the majority of the ‘open forest’ that is covered by various nature conservation designations). The Crown Lands will therefore be the focus for this inaugural year of VESPA, but we hope that other landowners will come on board in future years to enable access to and recording within these connected habitats.   To inform VESPA development, we ran a workshop at the recent New Forest Biodiversity Conference, which brought together 100 local practitioners working in biodiversity and conservation. The workshop explored what makes a successful volunteer scheme and identified a series of topics that were deemed to be a high priority for volunteer based surveys in the New Forest. The outputs of this engagement have helped to inform the structure and priority topics for VESPA. Over the last few months, we have also engaged with the team running the Purbeck Natural History Forum to learn from their successes and failures, as they have been running a popular and effective volunteer programme for several years.   4. Who is VESPA for? VESPA is open to anyone who is interested in conducting ecological surveys in the New Forest, at any experience level from novice to expert. We will ensure that, as a registered VESPA participant, you will be covered by all the required permits and insurance to conduct fieldwork on the Crown Lands. In return, we ask that VESPA surveyors commit to supporting one or more of our priority topics and/or attending the associated training and/or submitting their records to an appropriate repository to ensure they are available for future conservation efforts.   We anticipate that many VESPA participants will be local enthusiasts who are already engaged in ecological surveys and who will have prior experience of conducting fieldwork in the New Forest, but who seek to benefit from the insurance cover and permissions provided by VESPA registration. However, we also welcome students and novice enthusiasts wishing to gain experience and training in ecological surveys and/or to engage in a more structured survey programme based around our priority topics. 5. What are the 2025 priority topics? For 2025, we plan to focus effort on the following topics   New Forest Nature Discovery Day - we are supporting this event that will take place on 26 May 2025 at Wilverley and is being coordinated by our partners at Forestry England. There are opportunities to get involved in guided walks and other activities led by experts, and we’re also keen for VESPA participants to contribute to species recording. Further details here . This activity will be suitable for all abilities.   Raptor monitoring - to support the work of the New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group, we will be offering training and encouraging volunteer surveyors to survey and monitor their local sites, with a focus on Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Honey Buzzard, and Hobby. This activity will be suitable for ornithologists of any experience level who already have the required equipment, i.e. binoculars and ideally a telescope.   Nocturnal moth trapping - moths are massively under-recorded on the open forest, but they are a key component of the ecosystem and are undergoing rapid climate driven change, we will therefore be establishing a WhatsApp group for experienced moth enthusiasts with mobile moth-trapping equipment to coordinate effort and target under-recorded sites with good quality habitat. This activity will be suitable for those who already have the relevant equipment and experience for moth trapping on the open forest.   Dragonflies and damselflies - this summer, our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust will be investigating the impacts of ‘spot on’ chemical flea treatments for dogs on aquatic invertebrates in New Forest ponds. To complement this work, we will aim to deliver surveys for adult dragonflies and damselflies at the target sites, to assess whether there are measurable differences between sites with high levels of dog dipping and those without. This activity will be suitable for those who can already identify most of the dragonfly and damselfly species present in the New Forest.   Wild Honeybees - as preparation for a future research project, we are keen to identify active nests of free living ‘wild’ Honeybees on the open forest, with a particular focus on the ancient Beech and Oak woodlands. This activity will be suitable for all abilities.   Finally, our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust will be delivering a variety of volunteer based surveys this year (see here ), and we will be working closely with them and Forestry England to ensure these activities are coordinated and have minimal impact on sensitive habitats and species.   These topics will evolve in future years, in response to policy requirements and other opportunities and suggestions.   6. What kinds of data will VESPA participants be collecting? VESPA participants will primarily be engaged in visual walkover and fixed point surveys only. Surveys on the Crown Lands that require sampling of specimens (alive or dead) or that require unaccompanied monitoring equipment to be left on site will require a separate permit from Forestry England. Surveys coordinated by our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust may involve collection of water samples and/or require access to sensitive wetland sites, but this will only be conducted after training and guidance have been provided.   7. Where should data collected by VESPA participants be submitted? We will be strongly encouraging all VESPA participants to record their sightings, either independently to an appropriate data hub, or via their coordinator if supporting a priority topic. We have provided guidance on species identification and recording in the New Forest here .   8. What insurance cover is provided? With the support of NFBF funding, Wild New Forest has secured the following insurance cover for registered VESPA participants in 2025:   £10M Public Liability Insurance, which is a requirement of anyone undertaking work on the Crown Lands and provides cover against injury, loss, or damage caused to any third party and their property arising from acts of negligence by VESPA coordinators or participants   £10M Employers Liability Insurance, which provides cover against claims by VESPA participants arising from accidental injury, illness, or death while undertaking VESPA activities   9. What other policies are in place to support and protect volunteers? As part of the Partnership Agreement with Forestry England, and as part of our duty of care to VESPA participants, we have produced a volunteer information pack that that includes a risk assessment and policies including:   Lone working policy Safeguarding policy Emergency procedures   10. Will VESPA include frontline conservation work or guided wildlife tours? No, VESPA aims to fill a niche that specifically relates to ecological survey and monitoring, in line with the aims of the NFBF. Several existing schemes already provide opportunities for volunteers to support frontline conservation work in and around the New Forest (see here ). In addition, Wild New Forest Guided Tours (a separate spin-out company from Wild New Forest) provide a wide variety of guided tour offerings through the year.    11. What feedback will VESPA participants receive? We are intending to have a VESPA wrap-up meeting towards the end of 2025, to share knowledge and experience, and to get feedback from participants in advance of releasing the 2026 programme. We will also seek to include significant species records obtained by VESPA participants in the monthly news updates that are distributed via the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (sign up here ). 12. How do I register for VESPA? First, download and read the VESPA volunteer information pack at the link below: Then complete the online VESPA registration form here . Once you are registered, we will keep you updated about training opportunities and events, including those relating to any priority topics that you have expressed interest in. Note that registration will initially be for calendar year 2025 only, and we will ask participants for feedback on their participation as outlined above before renewing their registration in future years.

The New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA) launched in mid-May, and here we provide an update on the scheme. Further details about VESPA, including a link to the registration form, can be found here .   In the first six weeks of the programme we have seen just over 50 participants register, and many of these have already engaged in VESPA training and other activities, totalling over 200 volunteer hours of activity.  To support the registered participants, we have provided simple guidance on species identification and recording here .   Independent surveys One of the main objectives of VESPA was to make it easier for volunteer ecological surveyors to operate independently on the open forest - we have achieved this via a Partnership Agreement with Forestry England and through provision of free insurance cover. It has therefore been encouraging to see several of the most experienced ecologists in the New Forest taking advantage of this opportunity and registering for the programme. We are not tracking all independent activities at this stage but are aware that many of these surveyors have been out surveying and recording on the open forest in recent weeks.   Breeding raptor training We delivered two half-day training workshops on breeding raptors on 08 and 22 June, led by Andy Page and Tommy Saunders of the New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group (NFRMG). A total of 20 VESPA participants attended the two workshops, ranging from experienced ornithologists to local college students seeking to gain vital field experience. Over the two sessions, we got to enjoy views of Common Buzzard, Goshawk, Honey-buzzard, Red Kite, Hobby, Kestrel, and Peregrine. Other notable birds included Woodlark, Crossbill, and Raven, while a nationally scarce Lesser Cockroach was a surprise find in someone’s empty coffee cup! Going forwards, we hope that some of the participants will generate data that provides useful support to the NFRMG core team, and already one of them has reported a dead Red Kite and juvenile Goshawks.   VESPA raptor training session at Acres Down on 08 June 2025 Dragonfly training We welcomed UK dragonfly expert Steve Cham to the New Forest on 21 June to lead a half-day VESPA workshop on dragonflies and damselflies, focussed on their identification, ecology, and surveying. We were treated to views of nine  Odonata  species, including the nationally rare Southern Damselfly and nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly. We were also fortunate to see Keeled Skimmer in the hand (extracted from the web of a Bordered Orbweaver Spider) and the exuviae (shed larval skins) of both that species and Golden-ringed Dragonfly. We also enjoyed a variety of rare wetland plants, including 16 red-listed species such as Lesser Water plantain, Marsh Lousewort, and Pillwort. A small cluster of Tiger Sawgill fungi were a nice surprise, as this is a relatively rare and unusual species in the New Forest that requires waterlogged deadwood that is inundated in winter.   VESPA dragonfly training at Crockford Stream on 21 June 2025 New Forest Discovery Day We supported the New Forest Discovery Day at Wilverley on 26 May that was convened by Forestry England and involved a variety of local wildlife organisations. Several VESPA participants attended one of the guided walks or the preceding recce, with highlights including a good show of Lesser Butterfly Orchids, a hunting Marsh Harrier, and several Nightjars and bats seen at dusk. A total of 355 species were recorded over the event.   Watching (and hearing) bats during the New Forest Nature Discovery Day on 26 May 2025 Furzey Gardens Bioblitz Several VESPA participants supported the Furzey Gardens Bioblitz on 14 June, and a follow-up nocturnal survey on 29 June. The main event saw a wide range of animals and plants recorded while the nocturnal mothing survey produced about 80 moth species, with highlights included a Nightjar seen at dusk and the nationally rare Smudge-winged Comb-horn cranefly Ctenophora ornata attracted to light; a bat detector was also deployed and recorded five species including Serotine. In total, about 330 species of animal, plant, and fungus were recorded, and VESPA participants received training in invertebrate survey methods including sweep netting and moth trapping.   VESPA participants at a moth recording session at Furzey Gardens on 29 June 2025  Moth recording WhatsApp group We have established a WhatsApp group for a small group of local moth recorders who have the experience and equipment to undertake moth surveys on the open forest, and who are registered VESPA participants. There has been lots of good chat on the forum already, including sharing of sightings and survey methods, with significant records from (or close to) the open forest including Scarce Merveille du Jour, Dingy Mocha, Small Chocolate-tip, Olive Cresent, Smudge-winged Comb-horn cranefly, Lesser Cockroach, and the newly colonising ladybird Calvia decemguttata . We have also supported a local college student who is conducting a research project on New Forest moths as part of her A Level studies - the family have purchased a moth trap and have started operating it in their garden near Brockenhurst and have already recorded some notable species such as Blair’s Mocha, Festoon, Small Marbled, and Small Mottled Willow.   Smudge-winged Comb-horn cranefly at Furzey Gardens on 29 June 2025  Going forwards, we hope to do some searches for free-living Honeybees in ancient woodlands later in the summer, and some fungi training and recording sessions in the autumn (to complement those provided by Hampshire Fungus Recording Group). We also hope to be able to offer training in specialist freshwater plants in partnership with Freshwater Habitats Trust.

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in May 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings Met Office data indicate it was the second warmest May on record based on mean temperature, but the warmest ever based on mean maximum daytime temperature (which excludes the lower temperatures during cool clear nights). Southern England received less than half the average May rainfall, and it was the third sunniest May on record. Overall, the spring period (March to May) has been the warmest and sunniest on record in England, and the driest for over 50 years.   Avian highlights included a Black Stork drifting west over Acres Down on 04 May (potentially the same as that reported on 19 April) and a first-summer male Red footed Falcon at Pig Bush on 06 May, while both Cattle and Great White Egret were seen in the Avon Valley. Up to four Spoonbills lingered in the Lymington-Hurst area, with other notable sightings there in the first half of May including a pair of Garganey, two Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Short-eared Owl, and Turtle Dove, while an unseasonal Long-tailed Duck was on Normandy Lagoon at the end of the month. Sea-watching was largely unexceptional in the settled conditions, but a total of 18 Pomarine Skuas were seen from coastal sites. Unfortunately, there was no repeat of the Roseate Terns breeding on Normandy Lagoon, with just a single bird observed on several dates (often chased away by Common Terns). Chris Roseveare’s monthly overview of bird sightings in the Sway and Brockenhurst area during May is available here . Red-footed Falcon at Pig Bush on 06 May 2025 (photo: Chris Rose)  Little Tern at the New Forest coast on 28 May 2025 (photo: Steve Laycock)   The moth highlight was the discovery of a population of Flame Wainscot in a coastal reedbed, with five caught over three nights in the second half of May; these are the first records for the New Forest and the first evidence for an established population in Hampshire (although it is present in Dorset). Another moth highlight was a specimen of the day-flying Coppice Beauty Olethreutes arcuella that was photographed in the New Forest on 19 May. Flame Wainscot at the New Forest coast in May 2025 (photo: Bob Chapman)   Coppice Beauty in the New Forest on 19 May 2025 (photo: Marion Nesbitt) It was a good month for sightings of warmth-loving insects, with multiple reports of nationally rare beetles such as Six-spotted Longhorn Beetle, the soldier beetle Cerapheles terminatu s, and the various bright red Ampedus click beetles including A. cinnabarinus , A. elongatulus , A. quercicola , and A. sanguinolentus . Two nationally rare and recent colonists in the form of Eurasian Scentless Plant Pug Brachycarenus tigrinus and White-shouldered Shieldbug Dryoderes umbraculatus were recorded in a garden in Woodlands, with White-clouded Longhorn Beetle and Hawk’s-beard Mining Bee Andrena fulvago also found there. The Orange-sided Comb-horn cranefly Ctenophora pectinicornis ,  the Anthracine Hoverfly Psilota anthracina , and the Small-headed Hoverfly Pocota personata were found in ancient woodland by surveyors conducting Green Forest Hoverfly fieldwork, while a specimen of the extremely rare bug Notochilus limbatus at Turf Hill appears to be the first UK record for over 50 years. Finally, Scarce Chaser dragonflies were widely reported around the fringes of the New Forest and are clearly spreading into damp meadow habitats. White-shouldered Shieldbug in a Woodlands garden on 04 May 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   Small-headed Hoverfly in the New Forest on 11 May 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn) The rare bug Notochilus limbatus at Turf Hill on 23 May 2025 (photo: Jonty Denton)   The dry weather meant that fungi sightings were few and far between, but a specimen of Plantpot Dapperling Leucocoprinus birnbaumii found indoors in a pot plant on 31 May may be the first New Forest record.   Plantpot Dapperling in the New Forest on 31 May 2025 (photo: Chris Welch) Wildlife and conservation news Southern Water have responded to public outrage about the level of combined sewer overflow discharges into New Forest rivers and are now investing in upgrading infrastructure at waste-water treatment works, as well as funding underpinning research into ecological impacts of discharges and assessing other solutions to reduce surface run-off from local towns and villages. An update on some of this work is available here .   A new peat map has been published for England here , which highlights the importance of the New Forest in a central southern England context. However, close scrutiny by experienced local ecologists has revealed various inaccuracies, which will hopefully be rectified in future versions.   Screengrab of the online England Peat Map showing the regional importance of the the New Forest The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have recently released the results of the 2024 Breeding Bird Survey here . Some of the key findings are highly relevant to the New Forest, such as the recent rapid increases of Egyptian Goose and Marsh Harrier at wetland sites, the long-term sustained increases in breeding Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, and Stonechat, the near extinction of Little Owl, Nightingale, Wood Warbler, and Yellowhammer as breeding species in the New Forest, and potential colonisation of the New Forest by Red Kite and Ring-necked Parakeet.   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.

New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group (NFRMG) 04 June 2025 Spring 2025 has been predominantly warm and dry and has enabled fieldwork to progress relatively unhindered. That said, the weather turned more unsettled just when we began our climbing and ringing!   The fieldwork year always starts with Goshawk, as this is the earliest of our raptors to begin breeding. With just over 60 nest sites to check, and a large programme of forest operations this spring, we have been busy finding and then monitoring nests, rescheduling forest operations, and then revisiting all sites to try and gauge the hatching dates for each nest for climbing and ringing.   With the Goshawk population on the New Forest Crown Lands now stable at around 45 breeding pairs, and a further handful where only a single bird has been holding territory, our early observations looked comparable with 2024, further confirming this population assumption (we have also looked at the number of breeding territories off the Crown Lands and estimate a minimum of 75 territories in the New Forest National Park.   We began ringing on 20 May, but it soon became evident that nesting was protracted and eventually spanned a period of five weeks. Productivity to date seems markedly lower than last year and failures appear higher too. To date we have only ringed 34 chicks against last year’s total of 97 chicks. We have several nests still to visit, so at this stage it’s uncertain what the final total will be. Goshawk chicks ready for colour ringing (photo: NFRMG)  Colour-ringed Goshawk chicks back in the nest (photo: NFRMG)  Unfortunately, our plans to satellite tag some young Goshawk chicks this year have not been possible due to concerns from the BTO Special Methods team around the suitability of some of the tags on the market which were not conveyed to us early enough to look at alternatives. We do, however, continue to receive a trickle of reports supported by photographic evidence of some of last year’s colour ringed young birds, both within the New Forest and further afield in Hampshire.   In terms of other raptors, we are just resuming our Common Buzzard survey work, but already we are seeing similarities with the Goshawk and several breeding attempts appear to have been abandoned. Reports from fieldworkers in other areas show similar trends.   This spring has seen a real increase in reports of Red Kite in the New Forest and earlier in the spring we were excited to hear of birds displaying and carrying nest material close to the boundary of the Crown Lands. This optimism was dashed with the finding of two dead Red Kites in the same area in the following weeks (see pics below). The first was found by one of our NFRMG volunteers, and the other was found by a participant in the New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA), highlighting the importance of having keen volunteers on the ground. Although the cause of death of both birds is unknown, bird flu is still present in the New Forest area and raptors are also still succumbing to trichomonosis caught from the prey species they eat. Dead Red Kite found on 06 April 2025 (photo: Alex Yates/NFRMG)    Dead Red Kite found on 30 May 2025 (photo: Colin Easton)    Sparrowhawks continue to remain at lower population levels than they were prior to Goshawks returning to the New Forest, but we have more work to do on this species. We have reports of Peregrine breeding at two sites on the Crown Lands and Marsh Harriers are now making frequent hunting excursions onto the heaths from breeding sites around the coast adding to the predation pressure on our few remaining breeding Curlews and Lapwing.   The good weather saw the early arrival of Honey Buzzards from spring migration, but indications so far are that the local population remains at a low ebb. It has been nice to see that the colour ringed male Honey Buzzard (KJ) has returned for a sixth year and is hopefully going to breed again, having been ringed himself in the New Forest in 2015. Hobbies are present at a handful of sites but again are far lower than historically. It is very early days for both the above species, and we will provide further details in our end-of-season update.   Finally, we have helped deliver two training courses on breeding raptors for forestry workers and two educational experiences for young members of Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS), as well as working with local wildlife film maker Matt Roseveare to put together a short visual piece on our work.   The New Forest Raptor Monitoring Programme forms part of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum and is sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund and delivered in partnership with Forestry England.

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in April 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings Most of April was again dominated by high pressure, and as a result it was the sunniest April on record and the third warmest, with warm, sunny days but clear and rather cool nights. It was also very dry, with only about half the expected rainfall in our region. Wind speeds were mostly low, although 81mph was recorded over at The Needles (Isle of Wight) on 16 April.   An interesting selection of rare and scarce migrant birds was reported during April. A drake Green-winged Teal was at Keyhaven Marshes from 02-05 Apr and a female Bluethroat was reported there on 20 Apr, with two Great White Egrets over Lower Pennington Lane on the same date. A Black Stork was reported from a New Forest site on 19 Apr. A Kentish Plover seen in flight at Hurst Castle on 30 Apr was retrospectively identified from photos, while an influx of Common Sandpipers on the same date saw ten at Hatchet Pond and eight at Fawley Refinery. Drake Green-winged Teal at Keyhaven Marshes on 05 Apr 2025 (photo: Steve Laycock)   Kentish Plover (with Dunlin) at Hurst Castle on 30 Apr 2025 (photo: Jeremy Mcclements)   Spoonbill numbers in the Lymington-Hurst area decreased to three, and there was a scattering of White-tailed Eagle reports including three together over Rowbarrow on 09 Apr (mobbed by two Ravens, a Buzzard, and a Kestrel). Migrant Grasshopper Warblers and Wood Sandpipers were at Lepe and Keyhaven, and a Ring Ouzel was inland at Black Knowl on 15 Apr. A record influx of Hoopoes failed to penetrate the national park boundary, although singles were seen nearby at Dibden Purlieu and Barton-on-Sea. One, possibly two, singing male Black Redstarts were at Calshot on 11-13 Apr. Sea-watching was largely uneventful, although four Pomarine Skuas passed Hurst on 26 Apr. Non-native Egyptian Geese now seem to be well established in the New Forest, with numerous reports of breeding pairs at and near to the coast.   New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group members found a dead Red Kite in the northern New Forest on 06 Apr, close to an area where three were seen displaying in March and where a pair subsequently appeared to be attempting nesting. One of the team also recorded some great images of a Goshawk taking a Woodpigeon on 20 Apr. Red Kite found dead in the northern New Forest on 06 Apr 2025 (photo: Alex Yates / New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group)   Goshawk taking a Woodpigeon on 20 Apr 2025 (photo: Alex Yates / New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group)   Invertebrates included the first New Forest record of the pincer wasp Dryinus collaris , while a Lichen Running Spider was an unusual find in a garden polytunnel at Woodlands on 27 Apr. Female pincer wasp Dryinus collaris on 19 Apr 2025 (photo: Paul Brock) Lichen Running Spider at Woodlands on 27 Apr 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   Several intrepid Hampshire Fungus Recording Group (HFRG) surveyors targeted Dwarf Gorse pods at Picket Plain on 19 Apr in search of the rare smut fungus Thecaphora ulicis and were rewarded with two infected pods, the first UK records since they were found there in 1982. The only other notable fungus report was a cluster of over 80 Spring Funnels Bonomyces sinopicus at a burn site where they were first recorded last year. Notable plants included Jersey Cudweed at Sowley on 25 Apr, which appears to be one of the first New Forest records of this formerly very rare but now rapidly increasing species. Spring Funnels on 22 Apr 2025 (photo: Holly Fitzgerald)   Jersey Cudweed at Sowley on 25 Apr 2025 (photo: Russell Wynn)   Wildlife and conservation news The prolonged period of dry and sunny spring weather saw numerous wildfires reported across the country, including several on the Dorset heathlands, but the only significant event in the New Forest concerned one at Calshot on 05 Apr (see here ).   More positive news came from the lower Lymington River, where Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust recently purchased an 11-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that connects to the existing Lymington Reedbeds Nature Reserve (see here ).   A new paper on the significance of pine for beetles in the New Forest has recently been published by Paul Brock and Howard Mendel and is available here .   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.

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.

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in February 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings February was a rather unremarkable month for weather in the New Forest, with temperature and rainfall about average overall, and sunshine a little below average (contributing to the general feeling that this winter has been rather gloomy). However, this masked a cooler first half of the month and milder second half, as the wind veered from east to west.   Scarlet (or Ruby) Elf Cup on 23 Feb 2025 (photo: Marion Nesbitt) Aside from the now regular sightings of White-tailed Eagles and Spoonbills, there were few ornithological highlights during February. At least three White-tailed Eagles were seen at various coastal and inland sites, and up to 20 Spoonbills continued to spend the winter at the coast between Calshot and Hurst. The coastal strip also produced records of several notable winter visitors including Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, four Slavonian Grebes, Velvet Scoter, Spotted Redshank, Little Gull, Short-eared Owl, and Black Redstart. A nice colour-ring observation relates to a Curlew ringed as a chick in The Netherlands on 15 June 2023 that was photographed on the Beaulieu River on 02 Feb. Inland, a sighting of two Ring-necked Parakeets at Acres Down on 17 Feb was notable (and unwelcome!). Colour-ringed Curlew on 02 Feb 2025, ringed as a chick in The Netherlands on 15 June 2023 (photo: Peter Gloyns) In other news, the first Adders were reported on 19 Feb, while the heroic efforts of Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol saw 199 Common Toads saved between 26 Jan and 23 Feb, as well as ten Common Frogs and 106 Palmate/Smooth newts. These numbers compare to 23 Common Toads and 12 Palmate/Smooth Newts lost as road casualties, indicating that an order of magnitude more amphibians were saved than were lost - a great result! Adders on 27 Feb 2025 (photo: John Foreman)   Wildlife and conservation news The Environment Agency have purchased nearly 400 acres of farmland around Keyhaven (see here and here ), which follows the recent announcement that a wider land area here has been purchased as part of the Kingwell (Aubrey) Limited Natural Capital Scheme. This latest acquisition includes parts of the Avon Water and land around Aubrey and Vidle Van Farms, and is a key part of the Environment Agency’s Habitat Compensation Restoration Programme in the Hampshire/Sussex region. Although the land will remain in agricultural use for at least the next five years, it will gradually transition to an extensive area of managed habitat creation through a combination of habitat compensation work and the Natural Capital Scheme.   A new study (see here and here ) by Bournemouth University and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has revealed that Foxes in the New Forest are consuming significant quantities of human food waste, contributing to an artificially high population that is negatively impacting some species of breeding wader. The team analysed the stomach contents of 447 Foxes that were removed by local wildlife managers, and found that, on average, 14% of their diet was made of anthropogenic food sources. Scavenging of discarded food waste in bin bags was thought to be a significant contributor, but there is hope that an imminent transition to wheelie bins in the New Forest will help reduce this source.   A member of the Wild New Forest Facebook community posted the graph below showing the latest New Forest livestock numbers, based on the register of commoning ‘marking fees’ paid to the Verderers. Although not a direct measure of the actual numbers of livestock on the open forest, it nevertheless shows the ‘boom and bust’ of cattle numbers in the last decade in response to changing agri-environment payments, and the fact the pony numbers have shown a more gradual increase from 4500 to 5500. Graph showing proxy for New Forest livestock numbers, based on the Verderers marking register (provided by Tony Hockley)   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.

This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in January 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair ( russ@wildnewforest.org.uk ).   Notable wildlife sightings The year opened with a relatively cool, calm, and changeable month, with below average temperatures and windspeed, above average rainfall, and an average amount of sunshine in the New Forest area.   A Lesser Yellowlegs found at Keyhaven Marsh on 02 Jan kick-started the ornithological year and was regularly reported until 18 Jan - this is only the second mid-winter record for Hampshire of this rare trans-Atlantic vagrant. The New Forest coast struck again on 12 Jan when a male Ferruginous Duck was located with Tufted Ducks on Normandy Lagoon, but it soon moved eastwards and was relocated on Brownwich Pond (near Titchfield) the following day; this is presumed to be the same bird as that seen on 19 Jan 2024, which also quickly relocated to Brownwich Pond. Other notable sightings in the Lymington-Hurst area included Red-necked Grebe, Short-eared Owl, and Water Pipit, two Slavonian Grebes, three juvenile White-tailed Eagles, and up to 20 Spoonbills. Lepe produced Red-necked Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, and two Slavonian Grebes, with a Great White Egret and up to seven Spoonbills there, and a flock of about 50 Barnacle Geese over on 04 Jan. The only notable inland record was a Great White Egret at Fulliford Passage on 12 Jan.   Lesser Yellowlegs at Keyhaven Marsh on 02 Jan 2025 (photo: Steve Laycock) As expected for the time of year, there were few other notable wildlife reports, although the first frogspawn was seen on 24 Jan and a Common Lizard was photographed on 31 Jan. Common Lizard on 31 Jan 2025 (photo: Keith Mantle)   Wildlife and conservation news The Solent State of Nature Report was released in Jan 2025 by the Solent Seascape Project. The report can be accessed here and highlights the international importance of the Solent for wintering and breeding birds, and as a nursery area for fish, rays, and sharks. The report also documents the alarming decline of oyster reef, saltmarsh, and seagrass meadow habitats in the region, but encouragingly highlights current initiatives to restore these habitats.     Two interesting scientific papers documenting the potential environmental impacts of dogs were picked up by national and specialist media in Jan 2025. There is already increasing awareness of the issue of pesticides associated with spot-on flea treatments for dogs getting into rivers and ponds, but a new study has shown that these pesticides can also impact birds when the treated hairs are used as nest material. Researchers from University of Sussex revealed that the commonest chemicals used in spot-on treatments (fipronil and imidacloprid) were prevalent in bird’s nests, and that higher levels were associated with increased mortality of eggs and chicks. Given that piles of discarded dog hair (from grooming) are regularly found around New Forest car parks, these results are alarming and highlight the need for greater awareness of the potential environmental risks of spot-on treatments. National media coverage and the original paper can be found her e and here .   A more familiar issue relates to dogs off leads and potential disturbance to ground-nesting birds. A novel GPS tracking study in lowland heathland habitats in southern England, reported here and here , found that a majority of tracked dogs were walked off-lead in the bird breeding season, even when signs were present requesting that dogs were kept on a lead, and that this greatly increased the area disturbed by dogs - at one site the researchers reported that over 90% of the area was disturbed by dogs, greatly eroding its conservation value .”       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.