The Deskbound Birder: Common Blue Damselfly

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Hampshire Dragonflies and Butterflies - Hatchet Small Pond 14th June and Parkhill Inclosure 15th June

In my continued efforts to try to see all the regularly breeding Dragon/Damselflies and Butterflies in Hampshire this year I visited Hatchet Small Pond on 14th June hoping for Large Red-eyed Damselfly which soon showed itself in the windy and cool conditions but little else of note was seen.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

On 15th June I then visited Parkhill Inclosure near to Brockenhurst where the main targets were Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral of which I saw both with around 15 of the former and two of the latter. Gold-ringed Dragonfly was also new for my 2025 dragonfly list.

Silver-washed Fritillary

White Admiral

Large Skipper

Gold-ringed Dragonfly

Broad-bodied Chaser

The hoverfly Sericomyia silentis

The hoverfly Didea fasciata

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Hampshire Dragonflies - Hatchet Moor and Crockford Bridge 10th June

With a good selection of the spring butterflies under my belt it was time for me to head to a couple of New Forest sites to get my Hampshire Odonata list underway in my quest to see all the regular butterfly and Odonata species in the county.

I started at Hatchet Small Pond to the south of the main Hatchet Pond where the only new species for the year was Black-tailed Skimmer, but I did also see Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Large Red Damselfly

Blue-tailed Damselfly - Note the red mite on top of the abdomen and the line of dark coloured mites on the underside of the abdomen.

Common Blue Damselfly

I then headed to Crockford Bridge, a classic New Forest Odonata site, but by now it was a little cloudy and the wind had really gathered strength and so it was not easy finding species. However, after a little while I saw Southern Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle, Broad-bodied Chaser, Keeled Skimmer and a glimpse of a probable Gold-ringed Dragonfly but it was swept away by the wind before I could be sure. The walk back to the car produced my first Silver-studded Blue of the year and an Emperor Dragonfly.