Beaulieu Road Heath - 16th January

The weather was cloudy with some rain. Highlights were male Hen Harrier, Stock Dove and Crossbill.

It was pretty quiet out on the heath today. Even though it was winter there seemed to be a distinct scarcity of birds. The recent cold weather may have pushed them off towards the coast. One of the first birds we saw was a male Hen Harrier floating over the heath. We got a couple of views of him before he eventually disappeared. We heard a Dartford Warbler call from one place on the heath and saw a couple of Meadow Pipit, but that was all. We walked to the woods and across the grassy plain seeing a couple of Stock Doves fly over. Denny Woods were not as busy with birds as usual either. We saw one tit flock with Great, Blue, Long-tailed and a Marsh Tit. Back at the car park we did see a few Crossbills fly over. However the male Hen Harrier was back floating over the heath – a magnificent bird.
Simon Curson