Favourite Forest Birds: Alice Holt's Top Ten

(Based on nothing in particular except the author's opinion!)

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Number One. Has to be the NIGHTJARS. This heathland bird thrives in the prickly scrub where conifers have been felled and is a remarkable sight and sound on summer evenings as it hawks insects or sits in the scrub uttering its unmistakable "churring"

You'll be very lucky to see a resting nightjar in daytime like the one on the left. They stay well hidden in srcub, completely still and remarkably camouflaged. Your much more likely to see them fluttering in the dusk on their long wings, gaping for inects like the one on the right (photo (c) Jan Sevcik)

To listen to the sound of a Nightjar "churring" >>click here

Number Two. Another sight on Summer evenings which you're almost guaranteed to see is the "roding" display flight of the male WOODCOCK as he flies fast over the treetops, patrolling his territory and uttering a continuous, barely audible grunting, over which periodic, plaintive squeaks are heard.

photo (c) R.S.P.B.

Number Three. A joyful sight, to be met with any day throughout the Forest is the NUTHATCH, clinging to a tree trunk, "updide down" and issuing noisy , piping, chirpy calls. If you're lucky you may see them wedging nuts and pine cones into a crack in the bark and hammering them open with their chisel like beaks. Or in spring you may see them plastering up the doorway of an old woodpecker hole with mud, to make it safer to nest in.

Number Four. Goes jointly to the WOODPECKERS, the three main species of which are all breeding in the Forest. Of the three you're far more likely to see the GREAT SPOTTED (left) in among the trees and the GREEN (centre) on grassland and anthills in clearings. The tiny LESSER SPOTTED (right) is quite rare and stays well hidden up in the high branches of the oaks.

Number Five is the ROOKS AT BENTLEY STATION. Spectacular in the breeding season, when there's much squabbling over nests and sticks, the really breathtaking sight is when vast clouds of Rooks and accompanying Jackdaws come wheeling in from the fields where they've been foraging all day ,lit against a Winter sunset. The below picture (caught on a mobile phone late one December afternoon) gives you some idea.

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Number Six. The BLACKCAP who's quite visible (for a Warbler!). Sings loudly and boldly throughout the Spring and early Summer, breeding all over the Forest ,wherever there's dense undergrowth and a little sunlight. In the Autumn ,listen out near Elder bushes and you'll hear the sharp little "tack-tack" call as they feed on the ripe berries. The female (right, below) has a chocolate brown cap. In some mild districts a few stay in Britain all year, but Alice Holt seems too cold for them in winter.

Number Seven. Another warbler: the ubiquitous CHIFFCHAFF. He starts up his incessant "chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff" in early spring, long before many other migrants arive, and sings from seemingly every tree in Alice Holt until late July or so when he quietens down after the breeding season is over. Easiest to see in April or May before the green foliage is fully out, he's quite bold, sitting on exposed twigs and performing little hopping flights around the branches

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Number Eight is the HOBBY. Once a real rarity, this dashing little Summer migrant Falcon is now increasing steadily all over Southern England. Like the Nightjar, it enjoys the open, scrubby areas created by felling of conifers, which provide a good substitute for its favourite heathland habitat. It's supposed to be a common sight and a regular breeder in the Forest. Perhaps one day I'll see one!

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Number Nine is another cheat, awarded jointly to the OWLS. From the left we have: the TAWNY OWL, a bird without which no deciduous woodland would be complete; the BARN OWL often to be seen at dawn or dusk along the forest margins in Blacknest & Isington; and the LITTLE OWL who lives quietly in the old trees at Bentley Hall and near Batt's Corner and is active all day long. On the right I've added the LONG EARED OWL which is a conifer lover and harder to spot, but is sometimes given away by his quiet, deep single note hoot.

Number Ten is a bird more often heard than seen, which I associate with bright clear June mornings and long hot days when the Forest is in the glory of its full leaf. The TURTLE DOVE, which breeds "In the eaves of the Forest" and can be met with purring softly in the oaks in more open areas, along the Forest edge or in quieter corners of the surrounding fields.

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LIST OF BIRDS FOUND IN ALICE HOLT FOREST AND IMMEDIATE

SURROUNDS

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Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficolis This delightful little bird is an occasional site along the River Wey near the Forest, especially in winter

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Large, fish eating bird which frequently follows the River Wey up from the sea and is increasingly a fixture on lakes and fisheries throughout the area.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta. This small, white heron was a true rarity in Britain until recently. But now some 50 pairs breed and 1500 or so winter here, mainly on the South and East coasts. Two or three are generally to be seen pretty much all winter in the Wey near Anstey Bridge and occasionally flying over the Forest. They are sometimes present in summer, but not for long so it’s doubtful if they are breeding. Hopefully this will follow in time.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea. The familiar heron, to be seen in all the ponds ,streams and ditches of the Forest, or flying over on its broad, grey wings, often emitting its deep, squawking croak. There are a large number of herons which assemble at Birdworld to be fed, having become semi-tame and “part of the show”

Mute Swan Cygnus olor. Our commonest swan, the one you see in lakes and on rivers everywhere with the elegant black knob on its brow above its orange beak. To be seen on the Wey and local ponds, and often in the water meadows between Anstey Bridge and Wrecclesham.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis. A very common bird in still waters all over Britain, this North American goose is now fully naturalised. A flock lives on the fishing lake at Nye Wood, near Straits Inclosure, and can be heard flying backwards and forwards between there and the pond at Broadview Farm. They fly in a loose “V” formation, with much honking as they go.

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata. Like the Canada Goose, this is a naturalised import, from China this time. It’s by no means as common, living in scattered wooded areas of Southern England. The male is spectacularly beautiful but it’s shy and is more often to be seen in spring flying fast and direct , chasing the duck between the trees and making an occasional whistling or grunting call. From a family known as the “Perching Ducks” they nest in holes in trees, rather than on the ground. Their love of trees means they are most likely to be encountered near Kennels Pond or the Lodge Pond

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. The familiar “Wild Duck” where the female is brown ,except for her bluish wing patch and the drake has a handsome grey and brown body with a glossy green head and again the blue “speculum” or wing patch. They are to be met with everywhere in the Forest, mainly, but not entirely on ponds ,streams and ditches. They often fly high over the treetops in small groups. Early in the year you’ll see two or three males chasing a single female, each hoping to win her favours and settle down to build a nest, generally in rushes or other waterside vegetation.

Red Kite Milvus milvus. One of the success stories of conservation: it’s now thriving in Mid Wales which was once its only remaining toehold in Britain. Further populations have been reintroduced successfully in Scotland and the Chilterns near Stokenchurch, where large flocks can now be seen. This population is fanning out and individuals range far and wide. An occasional visitor to Alice Holt, it would be marvellous were they to settle down again. The surrounding wooded hills and valleys are perfect Kite country as the name "Kite Hill" (near Goose Green) suggests.

Buzzard Buteo buteo. Another bird of prey on the up. In the 50’s and 60’s chemicals like DDT and the myxamotosis epidemic in rabbits, its major prey species reduced Buzzards to the far North, West and South West of Britain. Now they’re spreading Eastwards again as far as Kent and Essex. They’re booming in Alice Holt. Ten years ago they were mainly to be seen in the quiet wooded valleys of the Malmstone Ridge, around Wheatley and South Hay, or up behind Bentley towards Long Sutton. Now it’s not uncommon to see five or six, wheeling over the Forest in spring, issuing their “mewing” territorial calls and they are definitely breeding. With its eagle-like frame and 1.3m wing span, it’s the largest bird of prey likely to be regularly encountered around the Forest.

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nicus. Sparrowhawks are to be seen in the Forest all year, and doubtless breed there. However they’re not as common as one might expect given that the habitat is nigh on perfect for them. They’re most likely to be seen in a sudden flash, dashing along a ride and sometimes crashing onto a Blackbird or Great Tit, which generally doesn’t know what’s hit it until it’s too late.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. Our most familiar Falcon, easily recognised from its habit of hovering, which it manages by skilfully flying into the wind at exactly the same speed the wind blows it backwards. Generally to be seen on farmland and waste open ground where it can hunt for the mice and voles which form its main food. Kestrels breed in the treetops of the forest itself and the youngsters can be heard around midsummer making a lot of “kik-kik-kik” calls once they’re out of the nest, but still expect their parents to feed them.

Hobby Falco subbuteo. This little falcon, a little smaller in body than a kestrel and with longer, more pointed wings is a summer visitor and something of an Alice Holt celebrity. Generally a heathland bird, it enjoys the scrubby open clearings where conifers have been felled. I must confess I’ve never seen one in Alice Holt but they’re becoming more common throughout Southern England.

Red-Legged Partridge Alectoris rufa. Native to South West Europe, hence the alternative name of French Partridge. This species was introduced for shooting and is now naturalised and far more numerous than the “Common” or Grey Partridge. It’s a frequent site on the big open fields around Binsted and Bentley ,often in “coveys” or little flocks that run like chickens before taking wing in a whirring flight low over the ground. It’s often seen in the fileds and clearings in and around the Forest, especially in the breeding season when the coveys break up and pairs nest on the ground in the undergrowth, often laying as many as twenty beautiful, round browny-green eggs.

Grey Partridge Perdix perdix. Our lovely native English Partridge has declined massively in numbers, preferring old fashioned little fields and hedgerows with fallow ground and plenty of weeds and much less at home on the agro-industrial praries than the imported “Frenchman”. It’s still to be seen in farmland around the Forest, especially in the little fields between Catham Copse and Isington

Pheasant Phasianus colcheus. Ubiquitous in the English countryside, most of the birds one sees are reared stock bred like chickens and released for shooting. However it’s a truly naturalised species having been here since at least Norman times. Alice Holt holds a modest wild stock which can be heard calling at dusk in the winter when they fly up in the trees to roost safe from foxes. In the spring the males get very territorial, rounding up females ,calling and whirring their wings to dissuade other cocks from coming to poach their harem of hens. Like the partridge the nest is on the ground in dense cover and the eggs are the same browny green , a little smaller than a domestic hen’s egg.

Golden Pheasant Crysolophus pictus. This is a Chinese pheasant, somewhat smaller and more delicate of build than the common Pheasant. The male is quite specacular with patches of scarlet and bright yellow, and a magnificent tail. The call is a metallic screechy sound. A breeding pair was in residence throughout 2007, whether they were “wild” (naturalised) stock or escapes from Birdworld I don’t know, but they suddenly disappeared and no young ensued: presumably this was foxes’ work.

Moorhen Gallinula cloropus. The commonest member of the family that includes rails, crakes and cranes. This is a very familiar bird, chugging jerkily over the surface of any pond, bobbing its white edged little tail. Often it goes on a wander quite far from the water's edge and if disturbed will go running across the ground , head down on its great greenish legs before flying weakly into water or any damp, dense vegetation.

Coot Fulica atra. Larger than the moorhen, plain black and with a white, rather than red forehead patch. It’s more noisy and aggressive and prefers larger expanses of water such as the Lodge Pond, whereas the moorhen is happy in any damp ditch or tangled swampy area. The nest is often very obvious, a basket of rushes and twigs perched out on an old branch near the surface of the water and containing large blotchy brown eggs. The young follow the parents immediately into the water, little black bundles of fluff with reddish bills at first.

Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria. Often thought of as a shorebird, it’s just as much at home inland, breeding on Northern moors, bogs and tundras. In the Winter there are often large flocks on open fields up on the Hog's Back or the Downs towards Winchester, and from time to time they are to be seen at Binsted, or on the floodplain of the Wey above Wrecclesham. Often mixes with Lapwings.

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus. Our commonest as well as our most handsome plover. Huge flocks come in from Northern Europe in Winter to feed on the ploughed fields and marshes round about. We’re lucky enough to retain a good breeding population too, with most fields between the Forest and Binsted supporting one or two pairs. They’re often to be seen tumbling in display, uttering their shrill call or frantically trying to distract crows who are ever on the lookout for eggs or chicks from the nests.

Woodcock Scalopax rusticola. This large, portly wader has abandoned the mudflats and marshes and become a true woodland bird. Many damp woodlands play host to migratory populations in Winter, where they flush heavily from wet undergrowth and fly off, zig-zagging through the bare winter trees. They’re a Winter occasional in Alice Holt, generally in remoter parts of the Forest. But in Summer they really come into their own with many breeding pairs throughout the Forest. Every evening from March to July the males can be seen endlessly patrolling over the treetops, flying fast and uttering a strange mixture of grumbling grunts interspersed with plaintive squeaks. This “roding” display of the Woodcock is truly on of the most wonderful (as well as reliable) wildlife spectacles of Alice Holt.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Similar to a Woodcock but smaller and more delicate, the snipe is more of a marshland bird, enjoying boggy, flooded pastures. Mainly a winter sight, it appears from time to time in any wet rough grassland hereabouts, but especially on the Wey water meadows. When flushed it “springs” off, fluttering rapidly through the air and uttering a guttural squawk.

Black-Headed Gull Larus ribibundas. This is the small gull with a thin red beak and red legs. In summer it has a chocolate brown head whilst in Winter the head is pale with sooty smudges behind the eye. Less coastal than most gulls it will be found pretty much anywhere on land and often collects in large squabbling flocks on the River Wey meadows when they are in flood.

Herring Gull Larus argentatus. The classic “seagull”, much larger than the Black-Headed ,with a pale grey back, white head and strong yellow bill, bearing a red spot on the lower jaw. It’s a seaside gull but visits rivers and farmland in Winter and is often to be seen flying over in small flocks which range far from their overnight roosts in search of the day’s feeding.

Lesser Black-Backed Gull Larus fuscus. About the same size as the herring gull, but with a black back. Often seen singly, or mixed in with flocks of other gulls. Like the Black-Backed and Herring Gulls it visits farmland, especially at ploughing time, and will feed on the River Wey when it floods the meadows.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo. The name hirundo means “swallow” and it’s sometimes called the “Sea Swallow” on account of it’s long wings and forked tail. To be found wandering up and down the Wey, or on larger ponds in summer, periodically swooping to dip its bill in the water and seize a tiny fish.

Stock Dove Columba oenas. A small and easily overlooked member of the pigeon family, rather similar to the Rock Dove (which is the wild basis of domesticated homing pigeons). It it to be seen in the more open parts of the Forest and along the edges where there are mature trees, especially oaks.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto. This smart, browny grey dove with its little black half-collar is to be found in all the villages, farms and other human habitations around the Forest. It was unknown in Britain until the early 1950s when an unexplained population explosion in its native Balkan home range reached these shores. Generally seen in pairs it has a rather wheezy cooing call and a distinctive way of flying almost vertically upwards before cruising down to its desired spot, often down by the edge of the road, where it feeds at no small risk of getting hit by cars.

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur. This summer visitor has one of the most beautifully restful calls, referred to in the Psalms as “the song of the turtle”. It was formerly a very common bird of woods and farmland, but has declined alarmingly, partly due to modern agricultural practices and partly due to the enormous numbers trapped or shot when it migrates through North Africa and Southern Europe en route for its breeding grounds. Luckily it’s still common in Alice Holt and can be heard in early Summer, contentedly purring ,often out of sight in the dense treetops.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus. One of the commonest birds in the Forest, but a delight to see with it’s pinky-grey plumage tinged with white and shimmering green around the neck. This is our largest Pigeon , a heavy bird that takes a lot of feeding. It will stock up on acorns, holding up to sixty in its neck pouch or “crop” or spend a whole day stripping the black ivy berries. Its call is the familiar “Hooo-Hooooo-Hooo-HooHoo” and it calls all day in the summer, crashing off through the treetops with a smacking of wings when disturbed. An early breeder, it makes a rough platform of twigs often only a few feet up in a hawthorn bush and the hatched white eggshells are often found where the mother discarded them on the forest floor.Generally they raise a second brood in the late summer. In winter huge flocks form to go foraging on the surrounding farmland. Hundreds are shot by farmers for food and pest control but it makes little difference to this adaptable bird, which is nowadays almost as much at home in city parks and suburban gardens as in the countryside.

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus. The bird which signals that “Sumer is icumen in” is found all around the Forest and from April to the end of June the male’s ringing two note call can be heard echoing through the treetops and the surrounding fields. It breeds in the nests of other birds, including the Dunnock and various warblers.

Tawny Owl Strix aluco. The commonest owl to be found in broadleaved woods. Often called the Brown Owl. It is very familiar in Alice Holt, and breeds all over the Forest. The calls range from the classic “TuWhit- TuWhoo” (more accurately rendered “HooHooHooHoo”) to a range of plaintive squeaks. It is nocturnal, although occasionally seen in daylight, especially in the later part of summer when the large, ungainly young owlets are out of the nest and expecting food. It tries to get some sleep during the day, hiding up in the branches of an oak but its rest is frequently disturbed by a cacophony of Blackbirds, Wrens, Great Tits and screeching Jays all mobbing and scolding the unfortunate owl. Its diet is mainly small rodents such as Woodmice and Field Voles plus small birds and beetles. The bones, wing cases, feather quills and other hard remains of all these are to be found in owl pellets, neatly wrapped in fur and regurgitated onto the ground below its roosting perch.

Long-eared Owl Asio otus. A large, secretive owl, not often seen. It is truly nocturnal and is more at home in coniferous woods. It’s much quieter than the Tawny but its deep, single note “Oo” hoot repeated every couple of seconds gives away it’s location. I’ve never seen them in Alice Holt, but I’ve heard them calling in Catham Copse.

Barn Owl Tyto alba. Not a woodland owl ,but to be found in farmland all around the Forest. Often seen in daylight this almost white owl is a specacular site as it silenly quarters a field at dawn or dusk ,searching for rodents. The call is an alarming hissing screech which can be quite spooky the first time you hear it. Good spots to see Barn Owls are along the edge of the Forest on the Blacknest Road or in the fields between Bentley and Isington Mill.

Little Owl Athene noctua. A little ball-shaped owl which loves open parkland with big craggy old trees. Often visible in daylight, sitting and twisting its head. It lives in the big poplars in the grounds of Bentley Hall. I’d lay money there are Little Owls in the Plain Piece and other open areas around Alice Holt Lodge, although I’ve never seen one in that spot.Will sometimes use rabbit burrows to nest in.

Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. Alice Holt Forest’s avian superstar! The nightjar is a rare and secretive brown bird which lies up all day in the bracken and thickets, completely camouflaged. After dark on summer evenings it becomes active. First some gentle “poop” calls and a smacking sound (made by the wings clapping together) are heard, then the males begin their incredible “churring” call: a mechanical sound rather like a distant generator buzzing away. As darkness falls they start flitting and darting around on their long falcon-like wings, chasing moths and other insects which they catch in their gaping, frog-like mouths. The beaks are surrounded by sensitive bristles which aid this process. Wherever conifers have been cleared and have grown over with dry, prickly scrub Nightjars are to be found, and enjoying their chorus on a hot summer evening is one of the great experiences of Alice Holt.

Swift Apus apus. One of our later-arriving migrants, the sound of Swifts screeching as they sail through the air on their stiff, curved blade-like wings is a sign that “real” Summer is here. Not a Forest bird as such, the Swift enjoys the freedom of the skies and is to be seen high over the Forest canopy hunting insects to feed their young in the nests they build in the spire of Holy Cross Church, Binsted.

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis. An unmistakable bird, generally glimpsed as an arrow-like flash of sapphire shooting past while on a riverside walk. They breed along the River Wey, eating the Minnows, Bullheads and Trout Fry that are abundant in the clear waters. They may be found anywhere else there’s water such as any of the ponds, or even along larger ditches in the surrounding fields. Many people rarely see them. But a sharp alarmed-sounding “squeak” call generally precedes their dashing fly-by by half a second or so and alerts the birdwatcher to keep his eyes open for the familiar blue flash.

Green Woodpecker Picus viridis. Although not as numerous as the Greter Spotted in Alice Holt, this is for many people the Woodpecker most often seen. It’s a big and fairly tame greeny-yellow bird with a red crest and a curious undulating flight with wings that appear awkwardly set too far back on the body. It spends as much time on the ground as in the trees and especially loves old grassland where it can bore into anthills and use its long, sticky tongue to slurp up the ants. It’s call is a ringing, cackling sound giving it the alternative name “Yaffle”.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dedrocopus major. A daily sight throughout the Forest, this black and white woodpecker is a good deal smaller than the Green. It’s much more of a woodland bird, spending most of its time flying from tree to tree. It crawls up the branches looking for dead and rotten patches which it pecks away at steadily in search of beetles and other invertebrates living in the decaying wood. This leaves tell tale holes and chiselled out areas which can be seen on many trees and even fences. Its flight is undulating with wings alternately opened and closed and the red crown and under-tail patches visible. From late winter it communicates the onset of the breeding season by drumming rapidly on hollow trees, making a remarkable percussion sound. The round nest hole is bored out about twenty to thirty feet up a tree trunk, well away from branches, often in an apparently healthy tree. The youngsters can be heard noisily demanding food from inside. A frequent visitor to gardens, it will drive smaller birds off the peanut holder and is not averse to pinching their eggs and nestlings too as a snack.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dedrocopus minor. People often think they’ve see the Lesser Spotted, when in fact it’s the Greater Spotted they’ve encountered: fooled by its comparatively small size. But the Lesser Spotted (which is much rarer) is really very small: little bigger than a sparrow. It has less bold markings, with a distinctively barred back. It likes to stay well up in the branches , creeping about out of sight but I have had one visit my bird table once or twice.

Skylark Alauda arvensis. Not a Forest bird, but a common resident of the surrounding fields, especially the higher, open farmland around Binsted and Bentley. Thankfully still common, whereas agricultural intensification has decimated populations elsewhere. There is nothing quite like squinting into the deep blue sky of a shimmeringly hot June day to try and spot a displaying Skylark spiralling up, up ,up almost out of sight; singing passionately before suddenly ceasing and careering earthwards in its free-fall descent to the nest area.

Swallow Hirundo rustica. A familiar and well loved bird, the swallow visits the Alice Holt area in Summer, generally arriving in mid-April. Thereafter it is to be seen in any open ground, around habitations, or over grassy glades swooping after insects or dipping its beak in the surface of a pond. It often flies very high over the Forest from dawn on hot, clear mornings presumably when there are high flying insects. By contrast it is known for its habit of swooping very low over the ground when insects are flying low in humid weather when rain is approaching.

House Martin Delichon urbica. Almost as well loved a bird as the Swallow, the House Martin is the chubbier, short tailed black-and-white version which builds little enclosed mud nests outside under the eaves of houses (The swallow builds an open nest of hay ,feathers etc generally on a nail or rafter inside a barn). Common throughout the area.

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. An unexceptional little brown bird with a peeping call, likely to be met with in any open ground or to be seen in modest flocks in Winter. The similar Tree Pipit (A.trivialis) is much rarer and a Summer visitor only, preferring open woodlands and heath with plenty of trees. This should mean it’s breeding in or near Alice Holt, but I’ve never personally seen it.

Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba. A very common bird, likely to be met all year, anywhere there’s grass. It may be seen alone, in family groups or in small flocks. Loves to flit and skip about on my lawn, chasing flies in summer. It’s subspecies of the White Wagtail particular to Britain and adjacent North Sea coastal regions of Europe.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. A summer visitor with a bright yellow face and front. Not seen as often as in former years, but by no means uncommon. Enjoys water but is not as linked to waterside locations as the Grey Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea. “Grey” refers to the slaty-coloured back and head which are more boldly marked than the Yellow Wagtail. But the front is just as bright yellow, causing confusion sometimes. A waterside bird, generally seen singly or in pairs along the Wey, where it presumably breeds. Remains here in Winter, unlike the migratory Yellow Wagtail.

Wren Trogladytes trogladytes. Its interesting Latin name refers to it’s love of creeping into holes and crevices. This tiny brown bird, chubby and with a distinctive cocked tail creeps about mouse-like near the Forest floor. But it’s small size belies its singing power which is prodigiously loud! A real woodland bird, it’s also at home in larger gardens. The nickname “Jenny” Wren comes from the old belief that it was the wife of “Cock” Robin. Both birds feature in old Midwinter rituals such as the “Wren hunt” where Wrens or Robins were captured and paraded round in a cage before being killed on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day). The nest is a delicate affair of lichens, mosses and spider webs hidden away in a crevice or among Ivy stems. A tame and bold little bird, it often mobs predators especially Tawny Owls.

Dunnock Prunella modularis. When Winter is coming to an end, one of the delights of Alice Holt is to hear the little tinkling song of the Dunnock which seems to respond to any glimmer of sunshine by singing and performing its quaint mating ritual where the males flit their wings in front of the females, who are notoriously promiscuous, mating slyly mating with other males as soon as the first one's back is turned. Sometimes called the “Hedge Sparrow”, it’s a little brown bird, delicately marked with bluey-grey and is most at home on the ground under the trees. The nest is a small cup of moss, often not very well hidden low in a bush and containing plain sky blue eggs.

Robin Erithacus rubecula. Few birds are as well loved in Britain as the Robin, quiet companion of the gardener. It’s a bird who’s natural habitat is woodland and it’s adapted to seek out any large creature ,such as wallowing deer or rooting wild boar which disturbs the leaf litter, thereby exposing the little invertebrates on which it feeds. Hence its fondness for gardens and its habit of following the gardener as he forks over the vegetable plot. They are in the Forest everywhere ,Winter and Summer alike. The delicate wheezing alarm call is one of the background elements of the Forest’s soundscape. After late summer, when the main dawn chorus has petered out and many birds no longer sing, the Robin continues to give his soft, delicate warbling, often from a perch low in a tree as dusk falls on a Winter’s evening. The nest is on the ground, low in a bush or in an odd cranny such as a hollow tree or garden shed and contains blotchy brown eggs. The youngsters are browny-orange and rather boldly spotted, looking quite unlike the adult and causing many a birdwatcher to leaf through the book ,thinking they’ve seen an unfamiliar rarity!

Nightingale Luscinia megaryhnchos. This apparently bred in the Forest up until the 1940’s. As the area of conifers is steadily felled and allowed to revert to dense willow ,hazel and birch scrub, it’s to be hoped that this most famous of songsters will search out some of the wetter, more impenetrable thickets to set up its summer territory. People often hear the Blackcap’s song and thing this loud trill must be a Nightingale, but one only has to hear the real thing to appreciate how much louder and more distinctively “glugging” is the frenzied call of the Nightingale, famously transcribed by Shakespeare as “Jug-Jug”. I’ve heard them singing round about the Forest: in the wet woods along the old Bentley to Bordon railway and in the streambed that crosses the Blacknest Road near Bentley Hall. But never for long and never in the Forest proper. Let’s hope that soon this fantastic sound will become a feature of summer evenings in the Forest ,just like the Woodcock’s roding or the Nightjar’s churring.

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos. Once a fixture of every hedge and garden in the land, Song Thrushes have declined alarmingly. Luckily Alice Holt still has a full complement, delighting us with their varied song, full of poops, trills and all sorts of mimic notes. They nest throughout the woods, making a well constructed cup of grasses lines with smooth mud like the inside of a coconut shell . The sky blue eggs carry little black spots and the mother drops the hatched eggshells away from the nest where they may be found on Forest rides in late May or early June. Once there’s a brood of hungry youngsters to be fed, the Song Thrush will spend all day collecting the pink hedge snails from the undergrowth, hammering them open on a favourite anvil stone and leaving little piles of broken shells.

Redwing Turdus iliacus. A North European Thrush which breeds in Scandinavia , Siberia and a few higher Scottish mountains. It visits Alice Holt in huge flocks in Winter, scavenging for berries. It’s a handsome bird, a tad smaller than a Song Thrush with a boldly marked head and red patch uner the wings. It loves the berries of Holly, Hawthorn and Guelder Rose.

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus. Similar to the Song Thrush, but larger, more boldly spotted on a whitish, rather than buff background. It has a lovely fluting song, delivered from a high perch and is altogether a more impressive and mobile bird, spending more time on the wing or high in the tress and less time scuttling about beneath the bushes. A great lover of berries, it will defend the Forest’s fruiting Yew trees ,noisily driving away other thrushes with its harsh clacking call.

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris. Like the Redwing a flocking Winter visitor from the North. The numbers depend on the hardness of the weather. About the size of a Mistle Thrush, but heavily patterned with slate blue and brown. Its harsh, rattling cry is very distinctive as it flies over the open fields in Winter. Less at home in the denser parts of the Forest, but ventures in after berries in cold weather.

Blackbird Turdus merula. Our commonest thrush and perhaps our most most familiar bird of all. Like most garden and bird table visitors, it’s originally a bird of the deciduous wild woods. It breeds all over the Forest. The nest is solidly built like a Song Thrush’s but is lined with fine grasses and hair rather than mud and the eggs are a duller blue with blotchy brown freckles. In hard weather it will take any berries, including the bitter ivy berries which are otherwise left to the Wood Pigeons. Its song is one of the lovliest of all Alice Holt’s birds: a flowing, mellow fluting sound, much more tuneful than its cousin the Song Thrush. The alarm call is the familiar “chap chap chap ” scolding: often to be heard when there’s a Tawny Owl trying to roost in the Blackbird’s territory.

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin. Easily overlooked this dull coloured greeny brown warbler is to be found in Summer among the foliage of the more open parts of the wood. Often tamer and less flighty than other warblers

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla. An absolute Alice Holt speciality, the bold, liquid trilling of male Blackcaps is a herald of Spring. It’s a large warbler, brown with a neat “hat” ,jet black in the male and chocolate brown in the female. It loves sunny corners where dense scrub and brambles have grown up in the sunlight. Less insectivorous than the other warblers, it can be found around elder bushes, feeding on the berries in late summer, when it repeatedly emits its sharp “Tack” call.

Whitethroat Sylvia communis. After the Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have arrived, they are belatedly followed by Alice Holt’s summer population of Whitethroats. It’s a pale brown bird with a grey cap and, as the name suggests a white throat patch. It obligingly sings from a perch in the open or performs a short song flight, issuing its scratchy, tinkling little tune. Its favourite habitat is among the thornier, drier, sun-drenched patches of scrub in and around the Forest.

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus. More likely to be heard than seen, this large brown warbler inhabits Ponds around the Forest wherever there is sufficient reed or reedmace to provide it with the secure, hidden nesting cover it needs.

Willow Warbler Phyloscopus trochilus. A very common bird, but hardly commonly seen. It lurks among the Summer foliage and is to all intents and purposes identical to the Chiffchaff. It’s only really distinguishable by it’s delightful long, repeated, descending soft whistle which is quite different from the Chiffchaff’s call.

Chiffchaff Phyloscopus collybita. Early in Spring, a sudden change happens in Alice Holt. One day you’ll suddenly hear the plaintive, onomatopoetic “Chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff” coming repeatedly from the newly green-flushed branches of any deciduous tree in the Forest. Thereafter the Chiffchaffs will hardly stop from dawn to dusk until late summer. Like the Willow Warbler it’s a small greenish bird, a little yellowy below and flits from twig to twig calling and feeding on spiders and other delicate little invertebrates.

Goldcrest Regulus regulus. Britain's smallest bird. This is a plump little warbler with a large black eye beneath a thin yellow-orange crest. It has a preference for conifers especially larches, from the thinnest twigs of which it suspends its tiny nest of lichens, feathers and hair. It tamely and quietly creeps around at lower levels often affording a very close up view. Or flocks can be seen busily flitting from treetop to treetop, performing acrobatic movements in the twiggy branches and emitting their thin “zeep” noise. It’s altogether more tit-like than warblerish and often mixes with tits. It’s found all year in Alice Holt, but numbers are much larger in Winter.

Spotted Flycatcher Musciapa striata. This brown summer visitor is easily overlooked, but still seems nowhere near as common in the Forest as might be expected. They prefer open woodland and like to perch in the lower branches of the big, mature oaks or beeches from which they dart out to catch insects before returning to the same perch. This distinctive flight pattern, often repeated for hours on end is the best way to identify the Spotted Flycatcher.

Great Tit Parus major. Abundant and highly visible throughout the Forest all year. This is our largest, boldest and most aggressive tit, nesting in holes in any deciduous tree. It often flocks and its ringing “pe-Beep pe-Beep pe-Beep” song is to be heard from late Winter throughout the breeding season. Like so many woodland birds, it finds gardens an equally agreeable habitat and is a bird table regular, often driving the smaller tits off with a threatening whirr of its wings and a peevish “chee-chee-chee” scolding call.

Coal Tit Parus ater. Much less familiar than the Great Tit and a woodland bird less inclined to set up shop in suburban gardens. It looks like a diminutive, rounded great tit with a rather plain buff colour scheme to replace the Great Tit’s blues and yellows. The black crown has a distinctive white spot on the nape of the neck. To be found all over the Forest, generally singly or in pairs.

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus. The most numerous of the tits. A resourceful, bold and cheeky little bird. Much smaller than the great tit, brighter in colour and lacking the black crown. Very active and vocal all year, both individually and in flocks. It mixes easily with other birds , visits bird tables and will set up home in any nest hole going, raising a huge brood of chicks which emerge as little frog-faced balls of bluey-yellow fluff, stumbling clumsily about the branches or sitting helplessly on the ground and frequently providing an easy meal for predators.

Marsh Tit Parus palustris. Another of the quieter and frequently seen tits. It’s a neat little brown bird, paler underneath with a pure black “hat” covering the eyes. It's commoner in Alice Holt than in most places and will visit bird tables in parties of two or three or tagging along with other tit species. The very similar Willow Tit is often found in conifers, but every time I’ve looked hard enough at the distinguishing feature it’s turned out to have a clearly visible glossy sheen to the black cap, making it definitely a Marsh Tit, as the Willow Tit has a matt black cap.

Long-Tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. This is very common throughout the area, at home in woodlands, gardens and open country with trees and hedges. Were it not for the extremely long tail, it would qualify as Britain’s smallest bird as it's actual body is tiny. Another acrobat, it hangs upside down on twigs, picking spiders and aphids from the bark. In winter it flocks up, dozens often streaming through the treetops, stopping frequently and keeping up a constant communication in the form of cheeping, churring calls.

Nuthatch Sitta europaea. A candidate for Alice Holt’s most distinctive and emblematic bird. This chubby little woodpecker-like, blue bird, with a bold eyestripe on its large head lives and breeds all year in the Forest. It’s seen alone most often , or in pairs in the breeding season when the male displays in front of the female. It flies from tree to tree, generally landing on the trunk “upside down” with its head cocked outwards to reveal the large, chisel shaped beak. It hops up and dwn, clinging to the trunks and branches, constantly calling with its loud, flutey whistle. Its name comes from its habit of collecting hazel nuts, wedging them in cracks in the bark and chopping them open with a few sharp blows of the bill. It does the same to pinecones and is a regular on bird feeders, where it will keep other birds at bay with its fearsome beak. Another of its distinctive habits is to move into an old woodpecker nest hole and remodel the opening to suit itself by plastering mud around the edge of the hole to make a more suitably sized front door.

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris. One might expect to see a fair few of these specialised woodland birds. But they’re surprisingly uncommon. However from time to time one sees the brown ,streaked back and white underparts as it spirals slowly and systematically up each treetrunk, probing for invertebrates with its thin, curved bill.
Nests under loose bark on old trees. I’ve never seen clear evidence of breeding in Alice Holt but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are resident pairs as it’s a secretive bird, easily disturbed.

Magpie Pica pica. Once fairly common, now positively abundant. This intelligent and adaptable member of the crow family gets a lot of blame for its thieving reputation and its fondness for the eggs and chicks of other songbirds. Whilst it undoubtedly never misses an opportunity to gobble down the contents of an unguarded thrush or blackbird’s nest, its role in the decline of songbirds has been grossly overstated, compared with habitat destruction and the relentless intensification of arable practices by profit-hungry farmers. May be encountered anywhere around the Forest often in pairs or family groups. In a hard Winter it occasionally forms flocks dozens or even hundreds strong, loosely spread out over the fields.

Jay Garrulus glandarius. A beautiful and distinctive (if noisy) bird which is always a joy to see in Alice Holt. It’s present all year, breeding successfully as witnessed by the gawky youngsters one meets swaying unsteadily on branches while mum scolds and shrieks, driving away intruders, be they inquisitive humans or hungry Grey Squirrels. The native population of the Forest is sometimes boosted with large numbers of continental birds, who migrate here looking for their favourite Autumn food, acorns. Like squirrels they bury acorns, frequently losing them and thus assisting the oaks to propagate. A great tormentor of predators such as owls, the Jay is itself not averse to raiding the nests of other birds.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula. A neat and attractive little crow with a grey hood and a twinkling blue eye. In winter they join the great flocks of Rooks roosting at Bentley and fanning out every day in search of food. In spring they pair up and find a hole in an old tree. The bond between male and female is very strong, and one will not easily abandon the other if it’s attacked or injured.

Rook Corvus frugilegus. The term “rookery” has come to mean any dense colony, but refers specifically to the great groups of Rooks’ nests, each a large bundle of sticks set high in the treetops. There is a large rookery on the edge of the Forest at Bentley Station. In winter the wheeling flocks of Rooks and accompanying Jackdaws, numbering many hundreds coming in from the fields at dusk to roost is one of the most impressive sights and sounds of the Forest. Soon after Christmas they start “doing up” the nests, squabbling and pinching sticks off each other, and relentlessly driving away herons, which like to cohabit in rookeries. By late spring the big “teenagers” are out of the nests with their parents, hopping around the fields and verges begging for insects, grubs and seeds. An intelligent bird with a highly developed social structure, including “sentries” posted to keep lookout while the flock feeds.

Carrion Crow Corvus corone. Some people struggle to tell the difference between a Rook and a Crow. The Crow is larger, heavier and lacks the white face patch at the base of the bill. They are generally solitary, in pairs or sometimes small flocks and they make a single nest high in a tree, well away from the noisy rookery. Like Jays and Magpies they are very aggressive to predators, mobbing Buzzards relentlessly, but are of course predators themselves, being great raiders of pheasant and partridge nests in addition to eating a lot of road kill and other carrion.

Starling Sternus vulgaris. A very common bird in many areas and a hate-figure among many bird table owners, who dislike its greedy, aggressive habits. It’s much less numerous hereabouts. There’s a little flock that roosts at the Jolly Farmer in Blacknest and ranges about the surrounding area, landing mainly on grassy fields to probe for insects. The warbling, gurgling, whistling song, delivered from a sunny perch on bright mornings is a delight, especially as at such times the sunlight catching the Starling’s iridescent plumage shows this much-maligned bird at its most beautiful.

House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Once widely perceived as Britain’s commonest bird (Altough even in its heyday, the “Cockney Sparra” probably owed that honour to his nursery rhyme murder victim “Cock Robin”) the House Sparrow has declined alarmingly. Magpies, the saloon bar philosopher’s favourite culprit is not to blame, as sparrow nests are generally inaccessibly tucked away under the roof tiles of buildings. Autumn ploughing of stubble, spraying of set aside with weed killer, the decline in farm insect populations due to dosing cattle with more and more medicinal chemicals can all be factors. It’s had a bit of a revival recently, but the vast flocks once seen on cereal farms and the little groups chirping and dust bathing in city streets are nowhere near as common as they were in my childhood. It was three or four years after I first moved to Alice Holt that I saw the first ones, now a few come regularly to the garden to pick up spilt grain from the chickens. The sound of the humble little Sparrows chirping happily on a sunny morning is a classic case of “You don’t know what you’ve lost till it’s gone”.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs . The word “finch” comes from this birds plaintive call “fink, fink”. Both sexes are pretty birds: the male pink and blue and the female green. It’s very common in Alice Holt, equally at home among the trees or out in the surrounding fields. It flocks in Winter, sometimes mixing with other birds such as tits, other finches and the odd nuthatch or woodpecker.

Linnet Cardeulis cannabina. A delightful tiny finch with a pretty song. Most often seen roaming the surrounding fields in flocks in winter. But also breeds in the area ,when the male is especially fine with a rosy front, red cap and a tinkling little song.

Redpoll Cardeulis flammea. Similar to a Linnet but chubbier and more streaked brown with a distinctive little black face patch that sets off the red forehead spot of both male and female. A woodland bird, enjoying conifers, alders and birch trees. Most often seen in small flocks in Winter, either around the forest, or sometimes in gardens.

Goldfinch Cardeulis carduelis. If there was ever a bird seemingly created for mankind’s pure delight it’s the goldfinch. It has bright yellow wing patches and a handsome red face mask. It’s song is a lovely soft twittering. It’s quite tame too and easy to see as it perches in a birch tree, singing happily in the sun, or flits in little flocks looking for seeds among the dry vegetation. Its favourite is thistle down, from which it extracts the seeds. Much commoner than before, it now visits bird feeders in gardens, which seems to be a recent adaptation.

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris. One of Alice Holt’s commonest residents, visible all year and breeding all over the Forest, surrounding farm hedges and gardens. Its repetitive wheezing call is one of the sounds of summer in Alice Holt. A bird table regular, it’s quite aggressive, fanning its wings to threaten other birds off its favourite peanut feeder.

Siskin Carduelis spinus. Easily overlooked, this bird is like a diminutive, streaked greenfinch. It’s a fairly frequent Winter visitor, including at bird tables where it can be very acrobatic on feeders. However it’s a shy bird and always appears nervous, being easily driven off by its close cousins the green finches.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula. As the name suggests this is a large, thickset finch with a short “bull nosed” beak. The male is brilliant pink below, slaty grey above while the female is grey-brown. Both have a distinctive black cap and white rump, visible as they flit away down hedgerows. Nationally it’s another formerly common bird that’s suffered serious population decline, which makes it all the more important that it’s still breeding successfully in Alice Holt. Shy and retiring, it’s nearly always seen in pairs, often on Blackthorn or other fruiting shrubs as it loves to eat the little flower buds: a habit which once justified thousands being shot each year by the owners of commercial orchards.

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella. This lovely bright yellow Bunting was one of the first to signal the alarming decline of our “common” farmland birds, causing a major awareness shift towards conserving wider landscapes rather than just remarkable habitats and “star” rarity species such as Avocets and Ospreys. It loves old fashioned mixed farmland with small fields and lots of overgrown hedges. So this part of Hampshire, with its many former hop garden plots surrounded by tall hedges is pretty good. It’s still not a common sight ,but may be met with ,often in small flocks down any quiet Farmland lane, especially near Straits Inclosure or around Isington. It’s song is famously rendered as “Little-bit-of-bread-and-NO-cheese” or among the superstitious Scots, who feared the streaked eggs bore the marks of the Devil as “D’iel, D’iel, D’iel’ll TAK ye!”

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