The Common Darter is a small, narrow-bodied dragonfly that is typically on the wing from July to October.
Common Darter.
nature spots
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.
Frogs.
Marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) are Europe’s largest native frog species; they are not native to the UK. There is a colony in the New Forest, and I try to see if I can spot some at this time of year. They are colourful frogs with a range from brown to green.
Grey Wagatail.
Grey Wagtail parent and one juvenile bird catching insects at Eyeworth pond, New Forest.
Common Tern.
Common Tern Hill Head.
Red-veined Darter.
A hot walk in the New Forest during a “heatwave” and spotted a new dragonfly, 1st for me. Red-veined Darter. According to the British Dragonfly Society, this dragonfly is a fairly frequent migrant, principally to southern Britain, with scattered sightings elsewhere. Numbers spotted have been increasing since the 1980s. Breeding has been observed regularly, but the colonies are not yet stable.
Golden-ringed Dragonfly.
A striking, large black dragonfly with yellow rings along the length of the abdomen.Breeds in acidic rivers and streams of all sizes. Can also be seen away from its breeding habitat over the heathland. One of our regular dragonfly spots in the New Forest at this time of the year.
| Scientific Name | Cordulegaster boltonii |
|---|---|
| Status & Distribution | Widely distributed in Scotland, Wales, and north and west England. |
Silver-studded.
Silver-studded Butterflies. A small butterfly is found mainly in heathland.
Sundew.
Sundews are plants found in the New Forest, growing in wet, acidic soil, where they get nutrients from insects.
There are 3 types of sundew in the forest.
I have seen the round-leaved sundew and the oblong-leaved sundew, but I have not yet seen the scarce great sundew. These plants are specially designed to survive in areas with low nutrients. The round-leaved sundew has round, sticky leaves that form a rosette and catch insects. In contrast, the oblong-leaved sundew has long leaves covered in sticky hairs that also trap prey. The great sundew has bigger leaves. When insects touch the leaves, they get stuck quickly; the hairs bend towards the insect to stop it from escaping, and the whole leaf curls over to trap it.
Continued Reflections from my World. 