Forest of Dean (1 Viewer)

[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]

Re Forest of Dean.

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 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