Wednesday, 13 August 2025

New Forest - 10th August

Before the heat of the day in the UK's fourth heat wave, I headed to the New Forest for a couple of species. First, to Dibden Bottom where up to three male Black Darter showed well. And then to Denny Wood where Woodland Grasshopper was soon found and then to Matley Bog where Bog Bush-Cricket and Large Marsh Grasshopper showed amongst the quaking Sphagnum bog - the latter giving their distinctive but insignificant clicking stridulation.

Black Darter

Woodland Grasshopper

Lareg Marsh Grasshopper

Sunday, 10 August 2025

Hampshire Butterflies - Stockbridge Down 8th August - My Final Butterfl

After my trip to Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo I returned to the UK itching to head out for my final regularly breeding butterfly in Hampshire. And so On 8th August I headed to Stockbridge Down and walked from the eastern car park up slope to the rampart and then across the open downland. It was not until I was in the open downland where there was a high abundance of flowering Scabious that I encountered my first Silver-spotted Skipper eventually seeing around four individuals.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Silver-spotted Skipper

Silver-spotted Skipper

It was a fantastic few owns on the reserve with an abundance of butterflies on the wing with Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue, Dingy Skipper, Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell and Small Copper being the highlights.

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Adonis Blue

Small Tortoiseshell - Only the second that I have seen in Hampshire this year

Small Tortoiseshell

Green-veined White

Speckled Wood

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Clouded Yellow

Dingy Skipper

Treblebar

Kite-tailed Robberfly Tolmerus atricapillus

Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes a Conopid fly

The Tachinid fly Nowickia ferox

Hornet Robberfly Asilus crabroniformis with Field Grasshopper prey

Hornet Robberfly

Silver-spotted Skipper was the last of the regularly breeding butterfly for me to see in Hampshire this year and so at the end of the season my list looks like this: