Oriole Birding - New Forest - Day 1 & 2 - 9th-10th July 2023

9^th July 2023

After a good run down from Norfolk I still had time for a walk around Matley Bog and although I did not find the proper cratered area I did see some fine Silver Studded Blues and Graylings along with Bee-wolves and Green Tiger Beetles before meeting up with the crew of four at the Ormonde House Hotel in Lyndhurst. 

Woodlark

Green Tiger Beetle

Pyrausta purpuralis

Silver-Y

Silver Studded Blue

Bog Myrtle

Grayling

Small Purple Barred

Lousewort

Dodder

Field Grasshopper

Gatekeeper

Ling - Calluna vulgaris

A brief look at Pig Bush produced only my second ever Rose Chafer as it bumbled around a Bramble clumps with various Bees and a couple of Bee-wolves were also foraging.

Bee-wolf - Philanthes triangulum

Rose Chafer

We soon headed out for a fine dinner in town at the Fox and Hounds but there was still time to walk off the meal on the nearby heath where Nightjars churred and kewicked around us but refused to show but it did not spoil the atmosphere with Song Thrushes singing and Tawny Owls starting up their night time serenade.

10^th July 2023

The day was to be spent visiting various sites across the forest but with all things insect related the weather meant that a fluid day ensued.  We started back at Matley Bog and walked out to the old MoD ranges to check the old bomb craters.  Most were bone dry after a scorching June but we did find Small Red and Emerald Damselflies and a brief Black Darter. 

Small Red Damselfly

 

Small Red Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

Bee-wolf

Silver Studded Blues and cryptic Graylings were thankfully still on show along with no less than six Grasshopper species with Woodland, Meadow, Common Green, Field, Mottled and Heath.  Persistent Cricket calls stumped me at first until I remembered about the tiny dark Wood Crickets in the Forest although I could not find one!  There was a good selection of Bumblebees including Bombus hypnorum and the funkily named Astata boops was the coolest Hymenopteran that we found.

Mottled Grasshopper

Mottled Grasshopper

Meadow Grasshopper

Field Grasshopper

Banana nymph Field Grasshopper

Meadow Brown

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Large Skipper

Silver Studded Blue

Small White

Gatekeeper

Astata boops

The favourite find was a pink but wondrously camouflaged Heath Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus) on her egg cocoon in her Honey Bee Heather trap while another Rose Chafer glinted in the brief sunshine.

 

Rose Chafer

Heath Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus)

Heath Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus)

Both Round and Oblong-leaved Sundews abounded and Betony, Dodder and Bog Asphodel were other botanic delights and a young Wasp Spider was waiting for an errant leaping Grasshopper.

 

Round-leaved Sundews

Bog Asphodel

Oblong-leaved Sundews

Eyebright

Wasp Spider

Woodlarks foraged on the path with Meadow Pipits and Redstart, Bullfinch, Garden Warbler and a flock of 30 Mistle Thrushes were noted along with herds of New Forest Ponies and five spotty Fallow Deer.      

                                         

Fallow Deer

              

Poecilobothrus nobilitatus

On to Shatterford but the wind had got up and finding Dragons became challenging but with a bit of effort we picked up Emperor, Broad Bodied and Four Spotted Chaser, Keeled Skimmer and Azure and Small Red Damselflies.  Silver Studded Blues appeared as if by magic when the sun came out and Silver-Y and Six Spot Burnets represented the day flying Moths.   I attempted to make a circuit of the walk but the way was barred by some serious bogginess but it was not a wasted loop with flocks totalling 26 Woodlark, a Dartford Warbler family, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits, Stonechats and Spotted Flycatchers.  Buzzards, Kestrels and a family of Ravens were around the pine copse.

Round-leaved Sundew

Keeled Skimmer

Azure Damselfly on Marsh St John's Wort

Looks like a small pale Figwort?

Lesser Bladderwort

Silver Studded Blues

Stonechats

Dartford Warbler

Lunch at Steff’s Kitchen in Beaulie and then to Crockford Bridge where the Willow carr shielded us from the westerly wind and although cool we found our target species with dancing Beautiful Demoiselles and ornately marked Southern Damselflies.  The only Blue-tails were Common but we did find more Southern Skimmers and one splendid Golden Ringed Dragonfly that briefly perched up.  Minnows zipped up the clear stream and we found several more day flying moths.

Southern Damselfly

Southern Damselfly

Southern Damselfly

Small Red Damselfly

Small Red Damselfly

Small Red Damselfly

Common Blue-tailed Damselfly

Common Blue-tailed Damselfly

Beautiful Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle

Golden Ringed Dragonfly

Xylota segnis

Grass Moth

mmm Heath Grasshopper? 

Hatchett Pond was our next stop for the day but we did not even see one Dragonfly.  However, the Lilies were in magnificent bloom but the Bogbean was not even budding. Lapwings were defending a well grown chick from the Grey Herons and Carrion Crows minding their own business. 

British Lilytrotters - how many can you see?

Lapwing

Bog Bean

Pig Bush to round up a long day where Spotted Flycatchers and Firecrest were both heard but not seen and a large Tit flock contained a few Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests, Treecreepers and Nuthatches but we also managed to add two more Odonata with Common Darter and a most unexpected Common Hawker.

Phytomyza ilicis

Common Darter 

Sneezewort