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

Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

White Admiral

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Gold-ringed Dragonfly

Broad-bodied Chaser

The hoverfly Sericomyia silentis

The hoverfly Didea fasciata

Hampshire Dragonflies - Pig Bush 14th June

A visit to Pig Bush and to the Rowbarrow bog for Four-spotted Chaser, a common species in the New Forest which I had so far failed to see. There were several fresh individuals bombing around the bog with Keeled Skimmer and Large Red Damselfly also seen.

Keeled Skimmer

Four-spotted Chaser

Four-spotted Chaser

Four-spotted Chaser

Large Red Damselfly

Martin Down National Nature Reserve - 13th June

As with last year I headed up to Martin Down to look for the enigmatic hoverfly Doros profuges, the Phantom Hoverfly, but as per last year there was no sign, I suspect it was a week or two too late but the weather over the last few weeks has been suboptimal and any better spells I was tied up with work. Unsurprisingly there was no sign of Doros but a pleasant morning was had with Dark-green Fritillary new for my butterfly yearlist.

Dark Green Fitillary

Ectophasia crassipennis - A large and spectacular Tachinid fly that has colonised the UK in recent years with the first record in 2019 along the Sussex coast. The species is now reasonably frequent and is best search for on Hogweed flowers. 

Robberfly Eutolmus rufibarbis

Downland Villa - Once a rare and localised bee-fly, has undergone a significant range expansion and is now far more widespread and even common at some sites

Common Stiletto-fly

Hampshire Dragonflies - Hatchet Moor and Testwood Lakes 11th and 12th June

My next spring target in my quest to see all the regular Hampshire Odonata and Butterflies were Downy Emerald and Scarce Chaser. Hatchet Pond is a reliable site for the former and so after a survey on 11th June, but in less then ideal conditions, I stopped in the NW corner of the pond and quickly located a couple of Downy Emerald, despite the suboptimal conditions they refused to stop and were continuously patrolling back and forth low over the water. An immature male Emperor Dragonfly and Common Blue Damselfly also braved the wind and cloud.

Downy Emerald

Emperor Dragonfly

On 12th June I visited Testwood Lakes, a site within 15 minutes of home but one that I had never visited before. Main target was Scarce Chaser, a species of sluggish and well vegetated streams and rivers, it took a little while before I located my first, an adult male, in this species the juveniles are actually more stunning showing a bright orange hue. I was happy with this stunning adult male though.

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

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.

Male Keeled Skimmer

Immature male Keeled Skimmer

Egg laying female Broad-bodied Chaser

Beautiful Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle

The highly localised Southern Damselfly

Southern Damselfly

A stunning male Silver-studded Blue