New Fancy View/Symonds Yat -Forest of Dean

[wolfbirder]

Hi

Thought might be worth checking on these points for reports of raptors for everyone's benefit.

I see Goshawks have been showing well already at New Fancy View ths year. I generally visit once or even twice each spring, thinking of leaving it until it warms up a bit end of march /early April.

Pls report here regards current activity at both locations. Perhaps include passerines seen below as well. Brambling, Siskin, Crossbill, can be seen and I even had GG Shrike & wild boar from the viewpoint last year.

Is the Gos display earlier than normal this year?

[dbradnum]

Is the Gos display earlier than normal this year?

Don't think so - although I'm not familiar with the Forest of Dean birds specifically, the ones I go to see in the Brecks normally start displaying on the days with better weather in February.

[luke]

First week of March is usually best for Goshawk displaying, though they will continue right into march. i was in the forest yesturday and had great views of Hawfinch feeding in the car park just down the road from Speech house, and also a Great Grey Shrike showing well in the area called Boys grave which is half way between speech house and new fancy view. We also got a couple of Goshawk from the view point but the weather was ideal for Displaying, though the buzzards were!

[macs]

I was there 2 weeks ago and had nice views of Goshawks from New Fancy, the weather was great!
Disappointment at Symonds Yat - the main viewpoint is closed until Easter and the alternative one is not so good.

Regards

Maciej

[wolfbirder]

Cheers for the updates lads, hope to get there soon. So the GG Shrike is back too, wonder if its the returning bird?

Any Hawfinches at Brierley this year?

[wolfbirder]

Been to Forest of Dean today - first stop Brierley briefly but no Hawfinches. 5 had been seen opposite Speech House hotel so I drove round and got onto one bird but not great views.

Then onto New Fancy View between 10-2.30pm. On the feeders below nice views of Siskin and a Brambling. From the viewpoint I reckon I had 18 sightings of Goshawk, involving a minimum of 6-8 birds (usually in pairs but once or twice in three's), but frustratingly all views were fairly distant. Plenty of Buzzards, a couple of Sparrowhawks for comparison, and a pair of Peregrines whizzed through (tho I initially thought they looked like Hobby).

Nearby a walk at Boys Grave revealed the Great Grey Shrike nicely. Speech House woodland horse paddocks did not reveal a Hawfinch again, but accros the road at the arboretum car park there is a fallen trunk with plenty of seed on, and had 2-3 Brambling including near full summer plummage males, and Gt Sp Woodpecker.

[Sy V]

Wolfie

I fancy a crack at this place tomorrow. Is the info here (http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/Recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandGloucestershireNoForestForestOfDeanNewFancy )good enough to get me to the right place.

Sounds great!

Simon

[wolfbirder]

Yes fine Simon, you just need a good road map, and if you get lost just ask for the Speech House hotel, you are only a mile away. It's also signposted off the road.

When you return from New fancy View to Speech House look for an obvious parking area on your left after about half a mile, a small sign in the car park says Boys Grave (but parked cars may obscure the sign). There is only one track to take, once thru the gate branch off to the right and we had the shrike after a few hundred yards, perched in trees in the obvious bare area to your left.

Hawfinches...... especially early morning opposite Speech house hotel. Nice Brambling accross the road at Aboretum car park on fallen log coming to seed, also feeder in New Fancy view car park - both excellent for photos. You will have tired eyes looking for those Gos's at distance, but there are usually plenty there to help.

[wolfbirder]

Back again today - at least 10 Hawfinches were opposite Speech House hotel at 9am by horse paddocks, but very flighty and hard to get onto.

Between 10am -2pm had about a dozen Gos sightings involving about 7 birds, nearly all first two hours. But again very distant this year! Plenty of 'close' Buzzard & Raven! Crossbill & Hawfinch early morning by feeder seen here by others, but too many photographers taking photos including one chap stood 5 yards away when I was there. 2 Sand Martin through and singing Chiffchaff also.

Great views of passerines including 4 Brambling, Treecreeper & Nuthatch by Speech House hotel at Cyril Hart Arboretum car park.

Great Grey Shrike still showing well at Boys Grave, and of course several Mandarin at Cannop Ponds. Nice male Brambling at Brierley but no Hawfinches in brief late afternoon visit.

[Drumming Sniper]

Crossbill & Hawfinch early morning by feeder seen here by others, but too many photographers taking photos including one chap stood 5 yards away when I was there.


This is pretty much par for the course at the New Fancy feeding station. If you were really unlucky, your visit might have coincided with that of the large gentleman who likes to park almost on top of the feeders, roll down his windows, stick a Hubble telescope-sized camera out and then proceed to converse with his companion at volumes that can be heard halfway up to the viewpoint. Especially frustrating when you've been watching quietly from a sensible distance prior to his arrival.

I really don't understand some people.

DS

[wolfbirder]

This is pretty much par for the course at the New Fancy feeding station. If you were really unlucky, your visit might have coincided with that of the large gentleman who likes to park almost on top of the feeders, roll down his windows, stick a Hubble telescope-sized camera out and then proceed to converse with his companion at volumes that can be heard halfway up to the viewpoint. Especially frustrating when you've been watching quietly from a sensible distance prior to his arrival.

I really don't understand some people.

DS

Yes he was there too. I didnt even bother waiting for the Hawfinch that had been seen there!:-C

Still i love the area overall.

[Xenospiza]

On Sunday 22/3 in excellent weather: 4 Goshawks (2 overhead engaging in a bit of talon-clenching), 1 Crossbill, 6 Ravens, 1 Sand Martin and 5 Goosanders (!) from New Fancy View, 1 Brambling at the feeders; at least 1 Hawfinch near Speech House, 1 Great Grey Shrike at Boys Grave and a pair of Willow Tits at a stake-out of the birders I was with.
The Wild Boar do a fair bit of digging in the area!

[Drumming Sniper]

According to the jungle drums - or should that be the forest drums? - the RSPB wardens begin their stint at Symonds Yat Rock on April 4th. I'm not sure if the viewpoint opens on that day or if it'll be open before that but in either event we're nearly there now.

DS

[thommy_s]

Thinking of going to New Fancy monday morning. Wondering if there is a good chance of Goshawks around 8.30? Also, is it a good spot for hawfinch on those feeders?