10-12 July 2020 (Alice Holt, Thursley, Martin Down, Bentley Wood)

When the weather eventually improved went to a number of sites - actually Alice Holt twice in the hope of seeing Purple Emperor but no luck there.

At Alice Holt I photographed what I thought was a Migrant Hawker when in fact it turned out to be a Southern Hawker.

A nice selection of butterflies over the days with the highlight being a couple of fritillaries and purple hairstreak - the hairstreaks were playing hard to get to photograph - but no Turtle Doves at Martin Down.

A few new flowers as well.

2nd July 2020 (Burley Mill Lawn / Ober Water - New Forest)

Although the weather looked changeable I decided to go for some dragonflies in the New Forest.  It was very hard work but did eventually see Southern Damselfly and Keeled Skimmer.  Butterflies were only represented by a Meadow Brown and some unidentified blues.  New plants included a Heath Spotted Orchid.  Best of the birds were 4 Crossbills over Blackwater Arboretum.

Wargrave / Dinton Pastures (21/6/2020)

No sign of any Clubtail dragonflies at Wargrave, highlights being a Comma butterfly, Kingfisher and Rose-ringed Parakeet.

While dodging loads of families etc. Dinton offered up Common Spotted Orchid and a couple of Brown Hawkers

Basingstoke Canal (Fleet) & Fleet Pond (14/6/2020)

Started as a pleasant day but the clouded over making watching for dragonflies useless.

Highlights being some new flowers to add to my list, a fly-over Cuckoo, Little Egret and Roe Deer

Tundry Pond, Thursley, Warren Heath (7/6/2020)

More meanderings - I was starting to look at interesting flowers more so I photographed what I thought was Deadly Nightshade when it is actually Bittersweet.

A small smattering of Odonata, the best being an ovipositing female Blue Emperor and another Brilliant Emerald.

Nothing particular noteworthy from the birds apart from a couple of Red Kites and 3 Buzzards at Thursley.

Thursley is a right mess - all the best parts are now not really accessible for the dragonflies - the boardwalk is completely destroyed.  I hope that the fire has benefited some species but I tend to think that the Dartford Warbler's have lost some prime habitat by the car park - although I did hear one calling.

End of May walks (after allowed out after lockdown reduction of movements)

Spent some quality time out and about in a couple of locations [Lakeside Nature Reserve, Woolhampton, Moor Green Lakes], mainly for Odonata but kept eye open for other things as well.

Best were Downy Emerald, Brilliant Emerald and a few Hairy Dragonflies none of which decided to perch.  Also had a perched Scarce Chaser which I didn't photograph.

An undentified skipper at Moor Green Lakes with a Hobby overhead was really nice.

Slovenia (June 2019)

I have recently come back from a very pleasant week in Slovenia with Naturetrek.

It was a general nature holiday staying in a renovated farm building in the pretty village of Zerovnica with easy access to Zerovnica lake which dries up in the summer.

I saw a nice selection of species with the highlights being 8 new butterflies for me, a good selection of orchids but best of all was the 2 Wolves that ran across in front of myself and another person on the tour early one morning.  We were so astonished we didn't even reach for our cameras!

One day we visited Planina Cave and Rakov Skocjan which were geographically amazing.

Here is a selection of photos taken on the trip.