Wildlife calendar
Each month, on this page, we feature wildlife and plants that you may see in the New Forest National Park.
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May
Hawthorn hedges are covered with ‘may’ blossom and the verges are full of cow parsley, red campion and greater stitchwort.
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AprilApril is the busiest month for arrivals and departures in the New Forest, as migrating birds from Africa and southern Europe flock into the UK to breed and the winter visitors fly out. |
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MarchSpring officially arrives with the vernal equinox around the 21 of March, when daytime and nighttime are of equal length. New life is visible everywhere in the New Forest. |
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FebruaryIn February there are some days when spring seems to be just around the corner, and others when winter keeps a tight grip. |
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JanuaryThe new year can bring the coldest winter weather and the highest chance of snow, but there are still great opportunities for wildlife-watching in the New Forest. |
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DecemberLife can be hard for wildlife in the winter. For many small birds and mammals, finding enough food to survive takes up almost every hour of daylight. |
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NovemberThis is a wonderful month to enjoy the last of the autumn colours in the broad-leaved woodlands of the New Forest National Park. |
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OctoberThis month marks the peak of the rut – the annual mating season for red, sika and fallow deer. The word is Middle English for ‘roar’, and if you see or hear this event in the Forest you will understand how it got its name. |
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SeptemberAs swallows congregate for their migration south, there is more than a hint of autumn in the air. The days shorten and the sun ascends lower in the sky, with the autumn equinox - when day and night are of equal length - occurring on September 23rd. |
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AugustAugust is a good month to look and listen out for summer’s chirpiest insects: the New Forest is home to 67 per cent of the grasshoppers and crickets that are found in Britain. |
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JulyHot weather brings out the adder, sand lizard, smooth snake and common lizard to bask in the sun so you are most likely to see these timid reptiles at this time of year. |
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June
Wild flowers in bloom this month are the dog rose, enchanters nightshade, foxglove, self heal and honeysuckle.
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