First visit this year to one of our regular sites in the New Forest: Ipley Cross and Dibden Bottom.
Just after leaving the car park, we were welcomed by a very fresh-looking red admiral; hopefully a good omen?
Plenty of water still in Rushbush Pond, so that looked promising. Ipley Stream had dried up in places, and we didn't see a single odo where there was some water still. So focus on the pond!
Loads of common blue damsels skirting the surface, and many emerald damsels as well (first ones this year). The blue-tailed damsels were indeed blue-tailed (and not scarce blue-tailed) ... Black-tailed skimmer was by far the most common dragonfly, but we also saw broad-bodied and four-spotted chasers. Of course, an emperor was patrolling its empire as well.
On to the large pond on Dibden Bottom! Still plenty of water, even though it has been much bigger in previous years.
Again, many emerald damsels, many black-tailed skimmers, a few emperors and several four-spotted chasers.
Walking across the heathland between the ponds, we saw a few large skippers ...
... but the absolute highlight of the day: the hundreds and hundreds of silver-studded blues everywhere. Sometimes, it felt we were walking through clouds of them; I've never seen so many together there (or anywhere else, for that matter).
The silver-studded blue population at Dibden Bottom is clearly thriving!
Today's tables (one = 1; few = 2-4; several = 5-9; many = 10+):
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