New Forest and Dorset for Oriole Birding - 6th August 2024:

Persistent rain greeted us at breakfast and breakfast became a slightly more leisurely affair and after picking up some lunch it looked like it was clearing up so we headed for Acres Down in the hope that raptors would fly afterwards.

The walk along the ridge through the Birches and Holly gave good views of a brood of Firecrest (although we were sheltering from the rain once again at that point) along with Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, various Tits and a family group of streaky little Siskins that dangled around in front of us.  Bullfinches were vocal but invisible and the first of the high flying Crossbills called over our heads where Raven also kronked.

Down at the viewpoint the woods appeared to be emitting yellow-green smoke but we soon realised that it must have been the pine trees releasing their pollen in great drifts that climbed up and then drifted across the landscape heading south in the near flat calm conditions.  I can’t ever remember seeing this before.

 Smoking trees

We stood there for over an hour scanning the trees both near and far and the only raptor seen was a Buzzard sitting forlornly in a dead tree below us.  The number of tree top Woodpigeons and Stock Doves sort of indicated the lack or perching up Goshawks let alone flying ones!

However it was far from wasted time with several more Crossbills over and then Anne found a female Hawfinch feeding on the closest fruiting Rowan where she lingered long enough for good scope views.  I usually only get them as flyovers here.  Labyrinth Spiders captivated the crew from their funnel tunnels.

A fine buck Roe Deer was patiently closing the distance on an uninterested doe in the meadow below us and three Mistle Thrushes dropped in but way a long way off. With the cloud darkening again we retraced our steps hearing a Whimbrel invisibly calling on the way.

Roe Deer

Decision time – give up on afternoon Butterflies and go to the coast or push on to Stockbridge Down?  I chose the latter and we drove north in the light rain seeing a Peregrine in Romsey on the way and after a squeeze got into the car park where we sat and ate lunch, hoping that the sun would come out.

It felt promising and I was glad that we persevered with the weather as it warmed up and Sol made a concerted effort to enliven proceedings.  The next couple of hours were superb as we ambled first along the lower meadows thick in a carpet of Marjoram, Knapweeds and Ragwort and dotted with Wild Basil, Agrimony, Weld, Small Scabious, Toadflax, Fleabane, Selfheal, Perforate St John’s Wort and Red Bartsia.  The scent of the crushed herbs was redolent of hot sultry Mediterranean hillsides and thankfully there were actually the invertebrates to complete the picture.

Meadow Browns were the commonest Butterfly but there were also Gatekeepers and a good number of lightening blue Chalk Hill Blues and darker Common Blues along with chocolatey Brown Argus and gleaming Small Coppers.  Small Heaths danced and two female Brimstone and a single Small White were noted.

Meadow Brown

Common Blue

Brown Argus

Common Blue

Small Copper

Common Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

There were moths too down here with Agapeta zoegana, Treble Bar, Silver-Y, Six Spot Burnet, Garden Carpet and Pyrausta aurata.  There were countless Honey Bees and a good selection of commoner Bumblebees included several Bombus vestalis while I was pleased to find Melitta tricincta in attendance at the still flowering Red Bartsia.

Agapeta zoegana

Pyrausta aurata

Treble Bar

Silver-Y

Six Spot Burnet

Bombus vestalis

Melitta tricincta

Melitta tricincta

Melitta tricincta -  actually on the Red Bartsia

Hoverflies included four Eristalis species along with Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Sphaerophoria, Eupeodes latifasciatus and Episyrphus balteatus and amongst the other flies were several Machimus atricapillus Robberflies, Mesembrina meridiana, Lucilia, Sarcophaga and a couple of Tachinid types that I need help with. The group was fascinated with everything, even after I told them about the breeding habits of Sicus ferrugineous.

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis nemorum

Sphaerophoria  sp - a smaller species - not scripta

Eupeodes latifasciatus

Eristalis intricaria

Machimus atricapillus

Machimus atricapillus

Wondering if it is a worn Blepharipa pratensis?

Lucilia sp

There were plenty of Grasshoppers with Field and Meadow being obvious and Long-winged Coneheads and Dark Bush-crickets were also found and I am sure some more time would have revealed more.  Pretty Rose Plant Bugs dotted blooms and Red Soldier Beetles were still on the Wild Carrot but we only found a few Cinnabar moth cats on the Ragwort.

Meadow Grasshopper

Red Soldier Beetle

Cinnabar - one of only 12 cats seen

Rosy Plant Bug - Calocoris roseomaculatus

Rosy Plant Bug - Calocoris roseomaculatus

Knapweed

Wild Basil

Wild  Marjoram

Small Scabious

Red Bartsia

Toadflax

Eyebright sp

Fleabane

Small Scabious

Harebell

Juniper

Wild Parsnip

Wild Basil

A couple of Red Kites cruised over as well as a family of Buzzards and a Kestrel

Leaving the bottom levels we walked up through to the more sparsely vegetated areas with hard, short paths that I thought looed better for Silver Spotted Skippers.  We spread and out and scanned the flower dotted slope where flickering Blues and Browns skipped between the haze of lilac and purple blooms.  Suddenly a shout from behind me and Marilyn had found one!

We all reconvened and this newly fresh as a button furry delight just sat there for a few minutes and let everyone get wondrous views. I think that this may be my first away from my regular Kentish haunts.

Silver Spotted Skipper

And just behind the Skipper, Autumn Gentians were budding

With time getting on was sauntered back to the van, squeezed out under the height bar once again and headed back towards Lyndhurst but in a route that allowed a final stop at Eyeworth Pond.  It was still warm but the cloud was bubbling up again and in our short visit we quickly found quite a few Red-eyed Damselflies on the lily pads and a hoed for Kingfisher that flew up and down calling and even perched up long enough to check it was a male.

Kingfisher

Marsh St John's Wort

Marsh Pennywort

The regular small birds came down to some crumbs including blue triangular Nuthatches and Treecreepers and Firecrests were heard within the Holly understorey.

Nuthatch

The evening meal at La Pergola beckoned and so we wiggled the last of the journey home through Boulderwood after a very successful day.  I am now somewhat full of lasagne and banoffee pie and could really do with some sleep.