Forest of Dean

[Rob Chace]

Hi there, anybody out there regular on this patch?
I am thinking of going up on monday 14th march. Is there any activity with the goshawks yet? Is new fancy view point the best place to go?
Also is there a best place to see hawfinch? Any advice will be greatly recieved.
Ta v much in advance, Rob

[markgriff]

Rob,

I'm not local to the area but I'm planning a trip down there on 19th March, so I've been keeping an eye on reports from New Fancy.

Goshawks have been reported from there over the last couple of weeks and three birds were reported as showing well today.

With regards to Hawfinches, on the directions given on Birdguides, it does make reference to a possible location. (See below)

Directions: From A4151 follow B4226 (signposted Forest of Dean); at Speech House Hotel (Hawfinch site!) turn left on unclassified road; New Fancy is on the right after approx. 2 miles, just before you reach a T-junction.

Regards,

[Rob Chace]

Cheers Mark will have a look at birdguides.
Regards Rob B (:

[fender]

Hello Rob, My wife and i have regularly been birdwatching in the forest for almost ten years. It has much to offer the bird/wildlife watcher. We have particulary been watching the Peregrine falcon's at Symmonds Yat Rock over the past year. Goshawks have been seen from there over the past couple of weeks as well as at New Fancy.
Hawfinches have been seen at Park End, near the church too. Regards, Phil.

[Reader]

The Goshawks are showing and I fully intend (weather permitting) to go down there this weekend after them. New Fancy viewpoint is THE place to go for them. Also apparently Crossbills are showing there as well. I remember getting a Two Bar Crossbill here a few years ago and there were quite a few Crossbills around then.

Hawfinch are usually found near the pig farm at Speech House and if they are showing they can be pretty close so keep your fingers crossed.

BTW don't forget the Mandarins (if you are year listing) at Cannop Ponds.

[POP]

The Goshawks were showing well last Saturday.For Hawfinches,come out of Goshawk view point,turn right go past school on left,just pass this work is being carried out building site,park just pass this entrance and walk to a paddock,next to the building site,across the paddock are bushes and small trees,had two Hawfinches there.

POP

[Eagle]

If you want to read up a trip I made to Forest of Dean last month have a look at My birding Day....7 raptor day!!!

Its a brilliant area and so much to see...can confirm Goshawk, Buzzard, Peregrine
and the Crossbills!! all from Fancy Viewpoint.

[Ruby]

Hi,

I've never actually been to New Fancy (so certainly not any sort of an expert!!) but from what I can gather, a nice sunny day with a bit of breeze in late Feb through to end of March is the best time to see them displaying.... not sure if things quieten down a bit once you get into April??

I have been keeping a weather eye open myself, with a trip in mind.

A friend went down on a grotty day about 2 weeks ago and got some distant sightings, but that was about as good as it got.

Talking of Forest of Dean.... anyone know a good spot for Dipper?? This would be a life tick for me (pretty rare in Surrey!!)


Rgds.... Ruby

[jeff]

Wathcing this one as i'm due a return to FoD, last time it lashed it down with rain the whole time (i'm still drying out now! no jokes about acholism please) :-(

Saw a few brambling and mandarin, hopefully better weather next time i return :-)

Eagles '7 raptor day' thread is http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=28384, looks like she had dipper at Cannop? Or had she/they driven somewhere else?

[Rob Chace]

Thanks to all for advice & directions. Will post to let you know how we got on. :clap:

[Dawsy]

I was at new fancy view on Sunday. The RSPB people there said that goshawks had been displaying earlier in the day but the best I saw was a blob of approximately the correct size and shape which someone had picked out with a scope in a tree about half a mile away. It's got to be worth a visit though I hope you have better luck than me. Oh yeah Nagshead RSPB (about 1 mile from new fancy view) reserve apparently has hawfinches which can be seen from a hide by a bathing pool but I've never had any luck but again it's well worth a visit.
Michael

[fender]

Hi,

I've never actually been to New Fancy (so certainly not any sort of an expert!!) but from what I can gather, a nice sunny day with a bit of breeze in late Feb through to end of March is the best time to see them displaying.... not sure if things quieten down a bit once you get into April??

I have been keeping a weather eye open myself, with a trip in mind.

A friend went down on a grotty day about 2 weeks ago and got some distant sightings, but that was about as good as it got.

Talking of Forest of Dean.... anyone know a good spot for Dipper?? This would be a life tick for me (pretty rare in Surrey!!)


Rgds.... Ruby Hello Ruby, my wife and i saw our first Dipper at Park End in the forest, along the stream that runs through there. They have been seen along the stream that adjoins Canop Ponds too. Good luck! Phil.

[John P]

I was there on Monday 7th, it was a very murky morning but we saw two Goshawks from New Fancy at about 10.30 am.

There were Hawfinches in Parkend earlier in the morning, can't tell you where cos I don't know, I was told about them by a local birder at New Fancy.

If anyone is looking for accomodation in the area I've stayed at Edale House (http://www.btinternet.com/~brian.whitton/frames.html) a couple of times now and it's very nice.

[Reader]

Well I'm off to there on Sunday so I hope the Goshawks are showing when I get there.

[jeff]

Well I'm off to there on Sunday so I hope the Goshawks are showing when I get there.

Well i hope you did better than we did...... Plenty of Buzzards but no Goshawks :-(

Ah! well there is always next time :-)

Jeff

[jeff]

Well i hope you did better than we did...... Plenty of Buzzards but no Goshawks :-(

Ah! well there is always next time :-)

Jeff

This was prob. the best bird of the day for us. 17:00 at sousby pools? It landed in the highest tree, i didn't expect the pictures to turn out at all given the bad light etc.

Jeff

[Reader]

Well i hope you did better than we did...... Plenty of Buzzards but no Goshawks :-(

Ah! well there is always next time :-)

Jeff

Blimey Jeff. What time did you get there?

I arrived there at 09:15 and left at 10:30 and by then I had had at least 6 seperate sightings. One was in the air as I arrived and I even found one perched on a tree at the far side of the clearing. It was being mobbed by loads of small birds and even at least half a dozen Jays were harrasing it. A couple landed just above its head and seemed to be displaying by it.

The way they were showing, albeit distantly, I would have thought you were guaranteed some sightings.

Now that is what I call bad luck.

[jeff]

Blimey Jeff. What time did you get there?

I arrived there at 09:15 and left at 10:30 and by then I had had at least 6 seperate sightings. One was in the air as I arrived and I even found one perched on a tree at the far side of the clearing. It was being mobbed by loads of small birds and even at least half a dozen Jays were harrasing it. A couple landed just above its head and seemed to be displaying by it.

The way they were showing, albeit distantly, I would have thought you were guaranteed some sightings.

Now that is what I call bad luck.

We got there about 11:15 and left about 12:30 :-(

Ah well! I'll get 'em one day.

PS. We did get lucky and see the severn bore, just as we were driving past the wave came rolling up the river.

[Denis]

Hello,

I was "one of the RSPB people" at this site on both Sat and Sunday. We had some good views of Goshawks from around 14:45 - 16:00 when we finished. Two birds flew almost overhead, we had two performing their display "dance" and one settled in a tree providing OK - if distant - views.

I'm also one of the RSPB staff at Symonds Yat for the summer so if any of you do come along please say "hello" - or better still, come and Volunteer for a day or two.

I'm the middle aged one with the beard....not easily mistaken for my young female colleague.

Cheers

Denis

[jeff]

Hello,

I was "one of the RSPB people" at this site on both Sat and Sunday. We had some good views of Goshawks from around 14:45 - 16:00 when we finished. Two birds flew almost overhead, we had two performing their display "dance" and one settled in a tree providing OK - if distant - views.

I'm also one of the RSPB staff at Symonds Yat for the summer so if any of you do come along please say "hello" - or better still, come and Volunteer for a day or two.

I'm the middle aged one with the beard....not easily mistaken for my young female colleague.

Cheers

Denis

Fraid i only saw a young blonde and a bloke with a name badge with 'ken' on it.

PS. What happened to the enormous feeder at speech house?

Cheers

Jeff

[Denis]

Hi Jeff,

I must have been hiding in the bushes...old habits and all that. Funny how birders alway seem to remember Lucy though - can't think why.

The feeder has been relocated to Beechenhurst Lodge where it's viewable from the visitor centre.

Cheers

Denis

[jeff]

Hi Jeff,

I must have been hiding in the bushes...old habits and all that. Funny how birders alway seem to remember Lucy though - can't think why.

The feeder has been relocated to Beechenhurst Lodge where it's viewable from the visitor centre.

Cheers

Denis

Denis,

Cheers, to be fair i did notice ken as well :-)

Jeff

[Rob Chace]

Thanks to all for advice & directions. Will post to let you know how we got on. :clap:
Hi everyone, just got back from FOD, managed to see one immature goshawk this morning at about 11:30 from new fancy viewpoint, having an aerial dust up with a buzzard (of which we saw plenty), also 1 sparrowhawk & a peregrine. 1 brambling when we returned this afternoon. No sign of any hawfinch at speech house or parkend church, but we did come across 10 mandarins at lower hide at nags head. Thanks again for the help.
Regards Rob. B (:

[Ruby]

Hi All,

Spent the day in the F of D yesterday.....

Arrived at New Fancy at about 09:00 and over the course of the next 2 hours or so had about 8-9 sightings of Goshawk - usually single birds, but pairs on a couple of occasions. For info, we didn't have a single sighting between about 10:45 and when we left at 12:00 - don't know if this is typical. Slightly odd, as this is when the sun came out and it warmed up considerably....

Buzzards a-plenty, with up to 10 birds in the air at a time, plus several Sparrowhawk sightings - one very close.

Saw (and heard!) several Ravens.

Stunning male Siskin perched on a treetop right in front of us - one of quite a few seen at various times throughout the day... Haven't seen a single Siskin in the SE this Winter.

Dipped on Dipper, but did see several Mandarin at Cannop, plus Marsh Tit and Kingfisher.

Spent an hour or so in the hide in front of the lower pond at Nagshead, for stunning views of Marsh Tit, Bullfinch, Goldcrest and more Siskins perched right in front of us waiting to go down to the pool. No Hawfinch, either here or at the building site paddock opposite Speech House - but lots of Thrushes.

Finished off at Symonds Yat for the Peregrine, Ravens and 5 Goosander in the river down below...

Very enjoyable day....


Ruby.

[jeff]

Just me that dipped on the Goshawks then :-( Nothing new there then, guess i'll have to go for the morning show next time ;-)

Jeff

[fr0sty]

nop not just you
I dipped on them 2 day as well

[Eagle]

Just me that dipped on the Goshawks then :-( Nothing new there then, guess i'll have to go for the morning show next time ;-)

Jeff

As I said get there for 9am!!

[Eagle]

Hi All,
Dipped on Dipper, but did see several Mandarin at Cannop, plus Marsh Tit and Kingfisher.
Very enjoyable day....
Ruby.

Sounds a good day to me!!
Good numbers of Raptors....and other delights!!
Shame about the Dipper!
The Mandarin are very impressive aren't they?
Kingfisher....now I didn't see one of them!!!

[Ruby]

Yes. I don't think that the Mandarin helped on this occasion.... They were tucked in under the bank of the little stream, not far up from the bridge and exploded out of nowhere as we inadvertantly flushed them - scared the bejasus out of us!! (and presumably any Dipper that may have been around...)

They then carried on just in front of us all the way up to the ponds - letting us get within about 20m before flying on again - probably didn't help with the Dipper-sneaking!!

Anyway.... very nice birds in their own right... I'd cunningly left my camera in the car, otherwise may have been able to get some nice close pics...

The Kingfisher was also on this stream, which we also flushed a couple of times...


Rgds... Ruby

[Reader]

Yes. I don't think that the Mandarin helped on this occasion.... They were tucked in under the bank of the little stream, not far up from the bridge and exploded out of nowhere as we inadvertantly flushed them - scared the bejasus out of us!! (and presumably any Dipper that may have been around...)

They then carried on just in front of us all the way up to the ponds - letting us get within about 20m before flying on again - probably didn't help with the Dipper-sneaking!!

Anyway.... very nice birds in their own right... I'd cunningly left my camera in the car, otherwise may have been able to get some nice close pics...

The Kingfisher was also on this stream, which we also flushed a couple of times...


Rgds... Ruby


Just for you Ruby. A few photo's of one I took at Cannop Ponds last Sunday.

[Ruby]

Hi Reader,

Fantastic pics..... Just the way mine would have turned out (in my imagination, if only I'd have had a camera!!!)

BTW - The feeder that's been moved from Speech House - does anyone know where the new location is?? It wasn't a place name that I am familiar with....


Rgds... Ruby

[jeff]

Hi Jeff,

The feeder has been relocated to Beechenhurst Lodge where it's viewable from the visitor centre.

Cheers

Denis

Ruby,

I asked the same question, it's been move to Beechenhurst Lodge.

Or do you mean where is Beechenhurst Lodge?

'Beechenhurst Lodge & Picnic Site . FC
1/2 ml W of Speech House on B4226


Picnic site with views over the Cannop Valley. Starting point for the Sculpture Trail walk. Cafe, shop, information boards, toilets (inc. disabled), barbecues, play equipment for children. Parking. Access to cycleway. Also group BBQ (gas) + events area.

Open all year, daily. Parking charge.'

[Ruby]

Ruby,

I asked the same question, it's been move to Beechenhurst Lodge.

Or do you mean where is Beechenhurst Lodge?


Ah yes.... But where is Beechenhurst Lodge??

[jeff]

Ah yes.... But where is Beechenhurst Lodge??

Sorry, did an edit above.

Nice pics John, we had 22 at Cannop Ponds.

Also found a few at other places, found these two under a tree somewhere, all loved up, or maybe they were just sleepy ;-)

Jeff

[jeff]

Ah yes.... But where is Beechenhurst Lodge??

I'll have to find the place next time as well, bit of a shock not seeing the feeder hanging from the tree and here was me expecting some shots of brambling under it as well :-)

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandGloucestershireForestofDeanForestOfDeanBeec henhurstLodge

[Ruby]

HI Jeff,

Thanks v much for the directions - that;s great.

Lovely pictures as well....


RGds... Ruby

[WHIMBREL]

Further to information required for viewing Goshawk at New Fancy in the Forest of Dean, I was fortunate enough to view one perched in the upper reaches of a conifer, and three soaring on the horizon above the treeline to the right of Cinderford this morning (Good Friday) between 10 and 11.30 AM. It could prove a worthwhile journey over this holiday weekend, for those wanting to see this impressive raptor.

Bill

[Andrew Rowlands]

Further to information required for viewing Goshawk at New Fancy in the Forest of Dean, I was fortunate enough to view one perched in the upper reaches of a conifer, ...

"Welcome to Birdforum!" Bill, on behalf of all of us here on the Staff.

New Fancy is a great place to gain experience of Goshawks.



Be very careful ID'ing distant perched raptors, esp. where there are Common Buzzards (the French don't call them Buse Variable for nothing!).

A friend was at New Fancy one morning this week, looking for evidence of territorial behaviour from the Goshawks; he works (voluntarily) with the forestry to pinpoint and protect Gos nest sites.

A car full of twitcher types (including an 'expert') pulled up and setup camp. A few Gos were seen in flight then someone found a distant, perched raptor. The 'expert' then took over a 'scope and began several minutes of lecturing on ID features of Goshawk as this bird was proclaimed to be.

My friend waited quietly and patiently until the bird took off (he doesn't have a 'scope) - it was a Common Buzzard.

Regards,

Andy.

[WHIMBREL]

Andrew, thank you for the 'Welcome to Birdforum'. The perched Goshawk was not initially identified by me, but by others who I understand had watched it in flight above the treeline prior to
going to perch in the conifer. I do however accept your caution regarding perched raptors in the spirit offerred.
Now Common Buzzards are a great favourite of mine and a raptor I have had the privilege to study since their recovery from the myxomatosis crisis in the late fifties, when I was but a wee slip of a lad. The variables in colour and shades never cease to amaze me, but converesly can help in identity of individuals, on two occasions I have observed birds that were almost albinistic in colour, only the eyes betrayed the fact they weren't. Bill.

[tim major]

[QUOTE=Denis]Hello,

I was "one of the RSPB people" at this site on both Sat and Sunday. We had some good views of Goshawks from around 14:45 - 16:00 when we finished. Two birds flew almost overhead, we had two performing their display "dance" and one settled in a tree providing OK - if distant - views.

I'm also one of the RSPB staff at Symonds Yat for the summer so if any of you do come along please say "hello" - or better still, come and Volunteer for a day or two.

I'm the middle aged one with the beard....not easily mistaken for my young female colleague.

Cheers
hi dennis,been to new fancy last 2 yrs. to watch the goshawks-may have met you . found the halden hills (near exeter) raptor view point few weeks ago- what are the chances of seeing goshawks there?

[Reader]

[QUOTE=Denis]Hello,

I was "one of the RSPB people" at this site on both Sat and Sunday. We had some good views of Goshawks from around 14:45 - 16:00 when we finished. Two birds flew almost overhead, we had two performing their display "dance" and one settled in a tree providing OK - if distant - views.

I'm also one of the RSPB staff at Symonds Yat for the summer so if any of you do come along please say "hello" - or better still, come and Volunteer for a day or two.

I'm the middle aged one with the beard....not easily mistaken for my young female colleague.

Cheers
hi dennis,been to new fancy last 2 yrs. to watch the goshawks-may have met you . found the halden hills (near exeter) raptor view point few weeks ago- what are the chances of seeing goshawks there?


Hi Tim and a very warm welcome to Birdforum. You should announce yourself in the Hello Forum

What a brilliant place to to be for the Goshawks. I go there at least once a year and I bet I have met you over the last couple of years, allthough this year the last time I was there 13/03/05.

Regarding Haldon Hills. I don't think they show anywhere near as well as Fancy View, in fact I have struggled to see them there. I have visited the viewpoint quite a few times and have found over the years that it has progressively not been as good each year that I visit. Mind you regular visitors might know differently.