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Dipped again! But still some little gems - Year List 2025 - (#30).

Tuesday 18th November 2025.

Shatterford Bottom - New Forest - SU 343050. 

A day spent searching for the elusive Great Grey Shike that didn't turn up, even with about another 20 birders looking for it too. But not all was lost, I managed to pick up another 3 species for the year list.

Crossbill - (small flocks of male & female seen feeding on Larch cones, these were a joy to watch). Dartford Warbler (4) (one seen and the others heard). Reed Bunting (2) females seen near to the large pond. 

Other very notable birds were: 

Kestrel (seen in flight then hovering over the heath). Stonechat - Great spotted Woodpecker - Green Woodpecker - Fieldfare (1st for this winter). Mistle Thrush - Water Rail - (heard near the pond).

Donald Watson sketch of a Great Grey Shike.

My last trip to Beaulieu Road Station or Shatterford Bottom was 28 years ago 13th June 1997.

These were my notes during an evening visit 

Shatterford Bottom OS - map 2024.
Area within the red is the site where the Great Grey Shrike was seen the day before. There was unfortunate reports that the Shrike had been trophy hunted by a handful of photographers possibly driving it out of the area.

Shatterford Bottom - OS map c.1984.
There have been some changes 

Shatterford Bottom - OS map c.1960

I last saw a Great Grey Shike at Little Cockley Plain near Ashley Walk in the New Forest on the 16th December 1985.
40 years ago!

Dartford Warbler - (Archibald Thorburn).

Crossbill - (H. Goodchild).

Reed Bunting - A. W. Seaby.

Kestrel (male) - (Charles F. Tunnicliffe).
I obtained this booklet because of the beautiful paintings done by probably my favourite bird artist, it is the precursor to Birds magazine from the RSPB. This particular volume is dated Winter 1963-64.

Water Rail - (Archibald Thorburn).

Year List 112


Shatterford car park 

The start of the walk towards the two bridges.

One of the two bridges, to the left is the area where the shrike had been seen.

Part of the pond 

The circled was the siting of the Crossbills

Views towards Denny wood.

Porcelain Fungus - (going over).

One of the tools for the day, the Kowa TS 611 c/w x27 wide eyepiece. Binoculars used were my trusty Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptems 8x30W (Sturminster Newton pair).

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