Old Winchester Hill - back for adonis blues ...

When we spent a day butterflying on Old Winchester Hill a few weeks ago, we saw several silver-spotted skippers, but no adonis blues ... Even though the forecast predicted broken clouds in the morning, and thicker clouds in the afternoon, we decided to try our luck once more, in probably our last chance to see a few adonis blues this year.

Forecast was correct: broken clouds indeed, but still enough sun and warmth for decent butterfly activity: chalk hill blues ...

... common blues ...

... a single brown argus ...

... and, yes, several adonis blues! As always, really hard to capture the iridescence of the shimmering blue wings; this picture came closest.

Lots of silver-spotted skippers as well, but none was willing to pose for us .... Unlike this meadow brown.

Totally focused on butterflies, we were surprised to see a single migrant hawker hawk around; I think the first dragonfly we ever saw around the Hill. Here the tables (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

Eyeworth Pond - quick splash 'n' dash

If you're almost passing Eyeworth Pond, it would be rude not to check it out quickly for damsels and dragons, wouldn't it?

When we visited the pond last year, we saw our very first red-eyed damsel, and we sure saw them today as well.

But in terms of numbers, small red-eyed damselflies were more numerous, and we didn't see that species last year.

Few more odo's as in the tables below (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+), and very few butterflies ...

Hillier Gardens take 3

When we went to Hillier Gardens last week, there was mostly thick cloud cover, but we still saw 13 species of butterflies. Would we see more species now that the weather was a lot warmer? Or would the trend of the heatwave of seeing relatively few butterflies, which became obvious when we were in Wisley Gardens and on Old Winchester Hill, continue?

Turned out to be the latter: we saw ten species, with quite low numbers for all species. Few large nymphalids still, and I really like how the sun shone through the wings of this red admiral.

In terms of odo's, a few of some of the usual species, including golden-ringed dragons.

Here the tables of what may well have been the final day of butterdamseldragonflying in Hillier Gardens this year (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

Oh, and we did see another hummingbird hawk-moth!

Old Winchester Hill

Our first visit to Old Winchester Hill this year. As could be expected, the Hill looked really dry and parched ...

There were still flowers around for the butterflies to feed from, but not nearly as much as last year, and it showed in terms of numbers of species and numbers of individuals we saw. Eleven species in total, still, but missing all of the larger nymphalids, for instance (maybe they've already started hibernating?) Of the two specialties for the site, silver-spotted skippers and adonis blues, we did see several silver-spotted skippers ...

... but not a single adonis blue. Possibly, we're still a bit too early for the second brood of this species, just like what happened when we butterflied on Old Winchester Hill early August last year?

The lack of many common species, and the low numbers in several species (although the chalk hill blues were present in abundance still) does make it start to feel a bit like the beginning of the end of the 2022 butterfly season …

Anyway, here's what we did see today (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

Wisley Gardens

Compared to last year's visit to Wisley Gardens, we saw significantly fewer butterflies this year, both in terms of number of species and number of individuals. Whether it's because of the ongoing drought, or whether it's because the hot summer so far have caused butterflies to 'live faster' and so die sooner, I don't know, but it was very noticeable. Even though we saw ten species, the numbers for most species were very low.

Damselflies and dragonflies didn't seem affected at all, and we saw ten species, one more than last year. 

Here are the three usual tables (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

St Catherine's Hill

The last time we went butterflying on St Catherine's Hill was almost two years ago; for some reason, we didn't go there last year. So time to go back there again, and see what butterfly species we could encounter.

By far the most common species was chalk hill blue; it was difficult to look somewhere and not see at least one fluttering about. 

One group of three males was trying very hard to make sure there would be chalkies there next year .... poor female ...

And one male was still flying, despite having lost one hindwing and a large part of one forewing.

Besides chalkies, the most notable species included silver-spotted skipper, brown argus, and clouded yellow; first time I managed to get a picture of one!

No damsels or dragons at St Catherine's Hill, so just the one table (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

Exbury Gardens

Last year a new dragonfly pond was established at Exbury Gardens, and it would be rude not checking it out, wouldn't it?

Turned out that Exbury Gardens has a range of ponds throughout the site, so we made sure to pay them all a visit. 

We were seeing a good range of damsel and dragon species (including red-eyed damsels, migrant and southern hawkers and golden-rings), until I saw a darter which was clearly redder than the common darters we're familiar with, and it had all-black legs for as far as we could see. Ruddy darter??? If so, that would be a new species for us ... Fortunately, it was very accommodating in terms of letting us take pictures.

Not wanting to talk ourselves into having seen a new species, I posted the pictures on the British Dragonflies and Damselflies group on Facebook, and quickly got the confirmation I was hoping for: ruddy darter indeed!

Exbury isn't as butterfly-friendly as Hillier and Wisley; we saw nine species, with nothing out of the ordinary. 

Today's tables (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):

Rushbush Pond, Dibden Bottom

The current draught in the UK has severely affected the ponds in the New Forest. Arriving at Dibden Bottom showed that the smaller ponds had all dried out ...

... as had the stream near Rushbush Pond; ...

... only Rushbush Pond itself still contained water (though significantly less than normal).

So, clearly, our focus would be on that one pond for the day. One species we hadn't seen yet this year, and so we were hoping to see today, was emerald damselfly. And they sure didn't disappoint!

Total of eight odo species, among which were also small red-eyed damsels and four-spotted chasers. 

Clearly, the old 'stick in the mud trick' still works!

Here are the usual three tables (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):