30th June - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Another blistering hot day forecast and it was very warm as I left home, but pulling up on the sea wall at Hill Head there was a lovely easterly breeze coming off the sea and cooling things down considerably.  ut at sea Common Terns were fishing in the shallow waters of the low tide and from the reserve there was the unmistakeable sounds of the south scrape.

Ian arrived and we walked around to the visitor centre to book in.  In the bay, with the tide low there were five redshank feeding on the mud, probably early returning birds, the summer doesn't last long for waders.

After checking in we checked out the Broad-leaved Helleborine, fenced off just inside the east side gate.  It was still to flower but looked a little more advanced than the one seen in Abbotts Wood a week ago.

We walked around to the west side, as we approached the gate there were several white butterflies about and then once inside the gate, I picked up a Clouded Yellow butterfly cruising around the grass and flowers.  We watched as it teased us, touching the grasses and flower heads as if to settle, this meant we had to follow but things looked positive and eventually it settled on the path.

But it didn't stay settled, moving on and leading us a dance once again, but this time it settled on an unopened flower head and stayed this time.

A migratory species here in the UK, we have good years when there are lots of them seen through the summer, and other years, like last year when they are hardly seen at all.  This is my second sighting of the year, so I expect that this is a good year, and to get one settled like this is extremely unusual, normally you have to chase after them as they speed past, only to get a brief view as they lay in the grass.

A nice close up.

Just inside the gate one of the many whites had settled on a daisy head.  This one the larger Large White.

We were here for the recently reported Norfolk Hawker, a rare dragonfly here in the south, but we decided to drop into the Meon Shore Hide.  The first thing to strike us was the water levels, despite the lack of rain they were very high with hardly any mud, much higher than they were a month agon when I was last here.  

The Avocet were in a group at the far side of the scrape.  Black-headed Gull juveniles were begging for food from the islands and amongst them were a few Common Tern.  Colour was added by five Black-tailed Godwits that flew in.

A female Marsh Harrier patrolled the reeds at the back of the scrape and put up all the gulls and duck.  In the distance a Buzzard circled high above the distantreed bed.

We decided to walk on to Darter's Dip.  Butterflies were everywhere, mostly the three whites but also Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Peacocks.  Once again there was a LArge White posing nicely as it nectared on the bramble flowers

Another nice close up.

At the bridge there were several Common Blue Damselflies and this female Four-spot Chaser.

Ian started the search for the Norfolk Hawker, I wondered off and found this dragonfly.  At frst I thought it was another Four-spot Chaser, but when I got home I looked in more detail.  The eyes are blue, which was unusual.  Looking very worn there was also black tips to the wings and at the base of the wings.  I circulated the photo and asked for comments and the main opinion was that this was a Scarce Chaser, another rare dragonfly for the south coast.

Then Ian found the Norfolk Hawker and after a wait as it circled the pool, it finally it settled on a reed stem.  A very distinctive dragonfly from the others seen at the dip.  A rusty brown with distinctive green eyes.  It is larger than the chasers and darters usually seen.

Here you can see the yellow markings on the thorax, indicating that this is a male.

A nice close up.

They were found mainly in the ditches around the grazing marshes of the fens and broads in Norfolk, but recently have expanded moving through Kent and Cambridgeshire.  They like clear water with at least 70% cover of Water Soldier, an invasive oxygenating plant. Recent records have found that outside of the Broads include ponds that are more like their sites in mainland Europe where it is less dependent on the Water Soldier.

Great to see this species here in Hampshire, a first for me.  It looks like there are at least two today and there was also a report of a pair mating a few days ago.

The fourth dragonfly seen on the dip was this female Common Darter.

Unfortunately the search for the other rarity here, the Willow Emerald was unsuccessful.  After a brief look in the Pumfrett Hide we walked down to the Spurgin Hide, which was as equally quiet.  A walk back along the path towards the sea wall produced this nice Red Admiral.

We decided to try the Walkway pond on the east side for Willow Emerald, but without any luck.  Plenty of bramble here and with it plenty more butterflies.  A nice back lit Comma.

The Willows on both sides of the reserve were looking burnt with brown leaves, making the area look like autumn.

We speculated on what might have caused this, could it be stress brought on by the drought conditions.  Well it turns out this was due to the larvae and adult forms of the Blue Willow Beetle.  Despite the name it can be shiny green or even black.

It can become a severe pest, as is the case here.  This has been bought on by the milder winters allowing the larvae to survive when normally controlled.  The devastation occurs in the early summer months, but the trees will respond back with new leaves later in the year, some could already be seen sprouting.

We walked down to the Knight's Bank hide where there were more Comma and a few Marbled Whites.  Both Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls patrolled the meadow hawking insects coming up from the grass.

Coming out of the hide there was a confiding Green-veined White on the bramble, the second brood have a much more defined dark vein in the wings than those seen on the early broods in the year.

So an interesting day, with potentially two new dragonfly species, the Scarce Chaser and the Norfolk Hawker.  Whilst I like the warm dry weather this has been very hot so I am looking forward to the break in the weather that should come mid week with things getting fresher.

27th June - Alver Valley and Whiteley Woods, Hampshire

I met Ian at the garden centre car park adjacent to the Alver Valley park.  Warm weather was forecast once again, but overnight there had been some rain and this morning it was a little bit overcast, but still warm enough for butterflies.  We were here to go and look at a little copse of Wych Elms, in the hope we could find some White-letter Hairstreaks.

As we arrived at the spot there was a hairstreak showing, but the wrong species, a Purple Hairstreak, there were one or two about and they made their way over to the surrounding Oak trees.

The sun was breaking through the clouds and this would wake up the butterflies.  We picked up the White-letter Hairstreaks, but they remained at the top of the trees and were not settling on the leaves, let alone coming down as we hoped for.

Finally I was able to follow one and it settled on theleaves and I was able to get some record photographs of this notoriously difficult butterfly to photograph.

We stuck it out and were able to watch several more buzzing around the top of the trees.  They are known for this behaviour and will come down, usually first thing in the morning to nectar, but we either missed them or they just weren't coming down.

While we watched and waited there were some other butterflies to keep us interested.  A smart Comma, a butterfly that appears to be doing very well this year.

Then in the tall grasses an Essex Skipper.

Identified from the black clubs on the end of the antennae.

Nectaring on the Ragwort.

After a couple of hours we decided to move on and headed to Whiteley Woods, the target a Purple Emperor for Ian.

Walking down the main ride it didn't take long to see one, a lone male was flying around the first Sallow and Oak we came to.  A little further along we saw another two and then three chasing each other around the oak tree, but at no time did they look like they were going to come down, or even rest on the leaves.

We stuck around waiting, and in doing so managed to see several Purple Hairstreak.  These did settle on the leaves and I was able to get some photographs.

We decided to move on to see if we could get a grounded Emperor.  We passed another two which took the total to five, but like the others they stayed high.  It was very windy now, the clouds blown away and it was getting warm, this may have been one of the reasons for them staying high.

As we watched the oaks I picked up a falcon high above the wood.  It turned out to be a Peregrine, an adult that looked a little worn, probably after an arduous breeding season.

There were plenty of butterflies as we walked the main path, Silver-washed Fritillaries were about but as usual not stopping.  In the rides there were Common Spotted Orchids and the bramble flowers were out.  In the grasses a Small Skipper.

But only one White Admiral.

The most numerous butterfly was the Ringlet with numbers above fifty.

Plenty of Comma.

We saw another three Purple Emperor taking the count to eight, but not one wanted to come to ground, or settle somewhere that would allow a photograph.

The third common skipper was a Large Skipper.

A nice head on view.

A pair of coupling Ringlet on the path was unusual.

Another early emergence for the Gatekeeper, normally seen in early July, there were at least three about, setting on the bramble.

So, no grounded Purple Emperor, but good views and a nice count.  The White-letter Hairstreaks frustrated as usual, but at least I was able to get some views.  The Purple Hairstreaks were much better.  An enjoyable morning and early afternoon on another sunny day with plenty of butterflies.

24th June - Pig Bush, New Forest, Hampshire

The forecast today was cooler, overcast and with the threat of rain.  A the weekend Ian had followed up on a report of Lesser Butterfly Orchids at Pig Bush.  With only a short time this morning I decided to go and see if I could find them.  Ian had provided some coordinates, so I was confident as I pulled into the car park at Pig Bush.

Normally here I head off through the woods and down towards Denny Wood, today I crossed the road and walked through the heather on the other side.  I followed the coordinates and made my way through the heather.  But before I reached the coordinates I came across one of my own, a lovely looking specimen.

The Lesser Butterfly-orchid is a delicate-looking, white-flowered orchid. It grows to between 15 and 30cm in height. Two shiny, spreading tongue-shaped leaves grow opposite one another at the base of the stem. From these emerges the stem, which bears 1-3, narrow, sheathing and erect leaves. The inflorescence is formed of up to 25 flowers, each with a distinctive strap-like lip, lateral wings and a long nectar-bearing spur.

Early success, but I was keen to try and find the site Ian had sent me, so I continued following the directions, which took me close to the road.  I flushed a Skylark and it flew up, but quickly settled on the road quite close to me.  A chance for some views you never get the chance to see.

I reached the site and sure enough there were quite a few Lesser Butterfly Orchids, the flower spikes coming up though the heather.

Lesser Butterfly-orchid is very similar to Greater Butterfly Orchid - the key difference between the two is the position of the pollen sacs. In Lesser Butterfly Orchid these are 1-2mm long and are parallel to each other forming an II shape. Those of Greater Butterfly Orchid are 3-4mm and converge above to form an inverted V. Greater Butterfly Orchid also tends to be larger, with a longer spur.

Lesser Butterfly-orchid is a perennial plant that overwinters as an underground tuber, from which the two basal leaves emerge in spring. A second tuber develops over the summer, from which a plant may grow the following year (although the plant can persist as a tuber for several years). The flowers appear around early June and release a sweet, nocturnal fragrance that entices night-flying moths to sip the nectar from the spur and, in passing, to transfer sticky pollen between flowers on its proboscis. The Elephant Hawkmoth is a key pollinator.

I continued to walk around the heath and after leaving the Lesser Butterfly Orchids, I came across this male Silver-studded Blue.

Other orchids in the area were some lovely Heath Spotted Orchids.  Heath Spotted Orchids are the most common orchid found in the New Forest.

The leaves are more heavily spotted than the Common Spotted and the flowers have dots instead of ther lines seen on the Common Spotted.

A short visit, but another orchid lifer and an orchid that takes this year list to 25, which is the best I have ever done, still some more to find too this year.