Wildlife group hit by theft of bird monitoring kit

Wild New Forest said the trail cameras and the automated feeder used for monitoring hawfinch behaviour

Conservationists have been left "upset and disheartened" over the theft of "vital" kit used for monitoring rare birds in the New Forest.

Marcus Ward, director of Wild New Forest said two trail cameras and an automated feeder had been stolen from the Bolderwood area of the national park in the early hours of Wednesday.

The equipment was used to track the movements of hawfinch as part of a long term study into the birds' behaviour in the forest.

Mr Ward said the theft had halted work on the project and that it would "have an impact for the whole season".

Mr Ward said the theft affected his whole 12-member team, especially the youngsters who they train in conservation and ecology

Mr Ward said he discovered the kit was missing shortly after 04:30 BST. The group announced the theft in a social media post.

"They were vital tools for monitoring and understanding [hawfinch] behaviour, part of a long-term study that's helping build a clearer picture of how these birds live, breed, and survive in the forest.

"It's not just theft, it's a blow to conservation. Without this gear, we can't continue our research in the same way.

"And with species like the Hawfinch under real pressure, every bit of data matters," the post said.

The Hawfinch is the UK's largest finch and has suffered from a loss of traditional breeding areas.

Mr Ward said the New Forest was "one of the last strongholds for hawfinch".

He said the stolen feeder, valued at £600, had to be specially bought from the US.

"It's quite unusual but of not much use, I wouldn't have thought, for anybody unless they're doing fieldwork with hawfinches."

"It takes about six to eight weeks to get it delivered, so now it's too late to get it replaced for this season.

"We're just a small community interest company and we fund all of this ourselves out of our own pockets, so it's quite a hit."

Mr Ward said his whole 12-member team was affected, especially youngsters who train in conservation skills such as bird ringing.

"They won't be able to train anymore, so it's going to stop us operating this year, which is really infuriating," he said.