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The Raptors of the New Forest (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR262A day in the New Forest in search of the region’s birds of prey and other summer wildlife.
£60
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
The extensive woodlands and lowland heaths of the New Forest National Park are home to an exciting variety of raptors from the agile Hobby and rare Honey Buzzard to the occasional White-tailed Eagle that drifts over from the Isle of Wight. We will split our day trip between a morning of raptor-watching from Pig Bush – one of the New Forest’s key sites for birds of prey – and a more general birdwatching/natural history stroll in the afternoon. Other species to look out for include Redstart, Tree Pipit, Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and Crossbill.
We will meet in the car park at Pig Bush at 9am and will finish around 5pm. Bring a telescope if you have one!
N.B. If the weather on the day proves unsuitable for raptor-watching, we will spend the morning walking the trails that criss-cross the woodlands and heaths of Pig Bush before moving to another nearby site in the afternoon.
- Enjoy a morning of raptor-watching at Pig Bush
- Honey Buzzard & Hobby possible
- Explore the forests & heaths of the New Forest National Park
- Birds including Redstart, Tree Pipit & Woodlark
- Led by an expert Naturetrek naturalist guide
Dates & Prices
2026
Tour Leader: Mark Edgeller
Mark has had a life-long interest in wildlife and has been a birder for more than 45-years, initially around the heaths and woods of the Surrey/Hants border near his childhood home and at Pagham Harbour in Sussex.
After studying a degree in Geography, teacher-training brought him to Southampton and he spent 30-years teaching in local primary schools before taking early retirement in 2022. He is an active member of Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS), serving on several committees, leading guided walks and as a writer for their annual report. He also takes part in local surveys for HOS, the National Trust and the BTO. More recently he has taken up moth-trapping and is enjoying the identification challenges that brings.
His current birding is mostly close to home along the Hampshire coast with regular forays to the bird observatories at Portland Bill and Gibraltar Point. He has been lucky enough to watch wildlife in more than 30 countries with Wallcreepers in the Pyrenees and Orangutans in Borneo a couple of the many highlights.
When not out birding, Mark and his wife Gilly enjoy walking, reading, music and gardening.
Tour Leader: Mark Edgeller
Mark has had a life-long interest in wildlife and has been a birder for more than 45-years, initially around the heaths and woods of the Surrey/Hants border near his childhood home and at Pagham Harbour in Sussex.
After studying a degree in Geography, teacher-training brought him to Southampton and he spent 30-years teaching in local primary schools before taking early retirement in 2022. He is an active member of Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS), serving on several committees, leading guided walks and as a writer for their annual report. He also takes part in local surveys for HOS, the National Trust and the BTO. More recently he has taken up moth-trapping and is enjoying the identification challenges that brings.
His current birding is mostly close to home along the Hampshire coast with regular forays to the bird observatories at Portland Bill and Gibraltar Point. He has been lucky enough to watch wildlife in more than 30 countries with Wallcreepers in the Pyrenees and Orangutans in Borneo a couple of the many highlights.
When not out birding, Mark and his wife Gilly enjoy walking, reading, music and gardening.
Tour Leader: Mark Edgeller
Mark has had a life-long interest in wildlife and has been a birder for more than 45-years, initially around the heaths and woods of the Surrey/Hants border near his childhood home and at Pagham Harbour in Sussex.
After studying a degree in Geography, teacher-training brought him to Southampton and he spent 30-years teaching in local primary schools before taking early retirement in 2022. He is an active member of Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS), serving on several committees, leading guided walks and as a writer for their annual report. He also takes part in local surveys for HOS, the National Trust and the BTO. More recently he has taken up moth-trapping and is enjoying the identification challenges that brings.
His current birding is mostly close to home along the Hampshire coast with regular forays to the bird observatories at Portland Bill and Gibraltar Point. He has been lucky enough to watch wildlife in more than 30 countries with Wallcreepers in the Pyrenees and Orangutans in Borneo a couple of the many highlights.
When not out birding, Mark and his wife Gilly enjoy walking, reading, music and gardening.
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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