The New Forest

by Mike Read – 13^th November 2007

Mike Read is well known both for his photographs and his sense of humour, so we were treated to one of his terrible jokes about a chicken and some library books before he embarked on showing us some of his brilliant photographs.  Mike lives just down the road from the New Forest, and he has got to know it very well from frequent visits over the years. 

At the beginning of the talk, Mike told us about some of the pressures on the New Forest which result from the many visitors, and the busy A31 that cuts through the northern part.  In recent years, the impacts have been eased by restricting off-road access by cars and introducing a blanket speed limit.  But cyclists, dogs and the sheer numbers of people still provide some disturbance to the local wildlife. 

In the main part of the talk, Mike took us on a journey through a year in the life of the New Forest, through winter to the new life of spring, the height of summer, finishing with the fruitfulness of autumn.  Since it is on his doorstep, Mike often visits early in the morning to take photographs before most visitors arrive.  On one occasion, he was lurking in the undergrowth and wanted to stay out of sight while a couple passed by.  They also decided it was a good place to stop to have a drink.  They chose a nice dry bank to sit on, but unfortunately for them (and fortunately for Mike) it turned out to be an ant’s nest, so they didn’t linger!

The range of photographs that Mike showed us was stunning, covering the birds, animals, plants and landscapes of the New Forest.  I particularly remember a photograph of a Hobby feeding her chicks, the product of many patient days of waiting in a hide up an adjacent tree.  There were other photos of some of the tranquil corners of the forest, away from the areas frequented by visitors.  And of course, there were the New Forest ponies.  In the tea interval Mike had some examples of his photos and books for sale.  I was tempted and bought one of his packs of Christmas cards, featuring a Barn Owl in winter - to supplement my RSPB cards, of course. 

Richard Swinbank