Table2. Comparative breeding bird populations, Fair Cross (New Forest) and
Rushey Plain (Epping Forest), in Summer 1976 (x indicates present but no
proof of breeding).
Species Number of breeding pairs Number of breeding pairs
Fair Cross Rushey Plain Fair Cross Rushey Plain
Mallard - x Mistle thrush 1
Kestrel - x Long tailed tit 1 x
Woodpigeon 4 x Marsh tit 3
Tawny owl x x Coal tit 8 3
Green woodpecker 2 1 Bluetit 11 14
Great spotted Great tit 5 7
woodpecker x 3 Nuthatch 1 1
Lesser spotted Treecreeper 4 1
woodpecker - Chaffinch 3 4
Tree pipit - 1 Redpoll - 3
Grey wagtail - - Bullfinch 1 1
Pied wagtail - x Tree sparrow - 4
Wren 4 4 Starling 1 7
Hedgesparrow - 7 Jay 1 x
Blackcap - 2 Jackdaw 2
Willow warbler x 9 Carrion crow 1 x
Chiffchaff
Wood warbler x
Goldcrest 4 - TOTAL number
Spotted flycatcher - x of territories 78 87
Redstart 2 Territories per
Robin 15 7 sq. km. 975 870
Blackbird 3 6 No. of species
Songthrush 1 1 holding territory 22 21
and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Apart from the relative density of holly and the
presence of Scots pine and bilberry, the overall mosaic pattern of heathland and
wood has some simlarity to areas of Epping Forest in the past. One such area
was Rushey Plain, at High Beach; today it consists of a mixture of old pollarded
beeches, oaks and hornbeams, plus younger birch woodland that has invaded
the former glades.
A comparison of the breeding birds of the New Forest and Rushey Plain
sites for the spring and summer of 1976 (Table 2) showed the total number of
species in each area to be virtually the same, with 21 in Epping as against 22 in
the New Forest. The average number of territories per square kilometre,
however, was greater for the New Forest, probably reflecting the greater
diveristy of habitat. It should however be noted that all the species recorded for
the New Forest site during 1976 also breed in Epping Forest.
One of the few localities for which detailed information about changes in
the bird community is available is Bookham Common, Surrey. Although, of
course, smaller, like Epping Forest it contains a mixture of mature woodland,
grassland and scrub. The bird community at Bookham has been well
documented over a long period of time in the London Bird Report and has made
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