A Spotted Flycatcher at Stoney Cross, New Forest.
Spotted Flycatchers fly from a high perch, dash out to grab a flying insect and often return to the same spot.
UK Conservation status: Red list.
Flycatcher.
Month: July 2026
Watering Hole.
As our heatwave continues, another hot walk across the open plain in the New Forest: a 4-mile round trip to Whitten Pond.
Cows drink 60 to 120 litres of water a day. Some of the ponds dry out in the summer, but Forestry England says there are up to 1000 ponds in the New Forest.
As we walked over Holmsley Ridge, Whitten Pond came into view, and a large herd of cows was also heading to the water. We arrived about the same time.
Ring Plover, which I am more used to seeing on the coast, were at the pond, and a small family were around the edge. They are one of our coastal birds that will breed inland.
A juvenile Pied Wagtail.
Stonechat {Male}.
Matley Bog.
A walk through Matley Bog and Heath ( New Forest) this morning on another hot day.
Fallow deer in woodland.
Spotted a Buzzard’s nest high in a tree, the young birds had already fledged.
Adult birds were still about.
Azure damselflies.
I think these are Azure damselflies. Many were flying this morning at Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve, but bird spotting is not so good at the moment, as the season is between the winter visitors and the summer nesting.
High Flyer.
Grey Heron flying high in the New Forest.
Song Thrush.
Common Darter.
The Common Darter is a small, narrow-bodied dragonfly that is typically on the wing from July to October.
White-legged Damselflies.
Parenthood.
Yesterday’s New Forest walk was a bit of a surprise as we found another Raft Spider stronghold. We found a nest full of newly hatched spiderlings. What was different about this nest was that it was being guarded by a parent spider. I had not seen this before.
Adult on guard.
Raft spiders do not spin webs to catch insects; they grab and catch their prey.
Continued Reflections from my World. 