This report aims to summarise some of the notable wildlife sightings and conservation news in the New Forest National Park in January 2025. To contribute to future editions, please contact the New Forest Biodiversity Forum Chair (russ@wildnewforest.org.uk).
Notable wildlife sightings
The year opened with a relatively cool, calm, and changeable month, with below average temperatures and windspeed, above average rainfall, and an average amount of sunshine in the New Forest area.
A Lesser Yellowlegs found at Keyhaven Marsh on 02 Jan kick-started the ornithological year and was regularly reported until 18 Jan - this is only the second mid-winter record for Hampshire of this rare trans-Atlantic vagrant. The New Forest coast struck again on 12 Jan when a male Ferruginous Duck was located with Tufted Ducks on Normandy Lagoon, but it soon moved eastwards and was relocated on Brownwich Pond (near Titchfield) the following day; this is presumed to be the same bird as that seen on 19 Jan 2024, which also quickly relocated to Brownwich Pond. Other notable sightings in the Lymington-Hurst area included Red-necked Grebe, Short-eared Owl, and Water Pipit, two Slavonian Grebes, three juvenile White-tailed Eagles, and up to 20 Spoonbills. Lepe produced Red-necked Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, and two Slavonian Grebes, with a Great White Egret and up to seven Spoonbills there, and a flock of about 50 Barnacle Geese over on 04 Jan. The only notable inland record was a Great White Egret at Fulliford Passage on 12 Jan.
Lesser Yellowlegs at Keyhaven Marsh on 02 Jan 2025 (photo: Steve Laycock)
As expected for the time of year, there were few other notable wildlife reports, although the first frogspawn was seen on 24 Jan and a Common Lizard was photographed on 31 Jan.
Common Lizard on 31 Jan 2025 (photo: Keith Mantle)
Wildlife and conservation news
The Solent State of Nature Report was released in Jan 2025 by the Solent Seascape Project. The report can be accessed here and highlights the international importance of the Solent for wintering and breeding birds, and as a nursery area for fish, rays, and sharks. The report also documents the alarming decline of oyster reef, saltmarsh, and seagrass meadow habitats in the region, but encouragingly highlights current initiatives to restore these habitats.
Two interesting scientific papers documenting the potential environmental impacts of dogs were picked up by national and specialist media in Jan 2025. There is already increasing awareness of the issue of pesticides associated with spot-on flea treatments for dogs getting into rivers and ponds, but a new study has shown that these pesticides can also impact birds when the treated hairs are used as nest material. Researchers from University of Sussex revealed that the commonest chemicals used in spot-on treatments (fipronil and imidacloprid) were prevalent in bird’s nests, and that higher levels were associated with increased mortality of eggs and chicks. Given that piles of discarded dog hair (from grooming) are regularly found around New Forest car parks, these results are alarming and highlight the need for greater awareness of the potential environmental risks of spot-on treatments. National media coverage and the original paper can be found here and here.
A more familiar issue relates to dogs off leads and potential disturbance to ground-nesting birds. A novel GPS tracking study in lowland heathland habitats in southern England, reported here and here, found that a majority of tracked dogs were walked off-lead in the bird breeding season, even when signs were present requesting that dogs were kept on a lead, and that this greatly increased the area disturbed by dogs - at one site the researchers reported that over 90% of the area was disturbed by dogs, greatly eroding its conservation value.”
Finally, many thanks as always to all those who contributed their observations and images to the various online portals that provide source material for these reports, particularly Going Birding, Hampshire Fungus Recording Group, and the Wild New Forest and Hantsmoths Facebook sites.
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