Southern Damselfly at Crockford Stream (3 Viewers)

[Owene]

Looking at some potential sites to visit in dorset and hampshire and came across this one online. Anyone know it and how easy it is to park and access?

 

[Swindon Addick]

The road crosses the stream on a bridge. Easy to walk along the stream from there (upstream tends to be best for the Southerns). There's a car park right next to it, but that's closed at this time of year due to ground-nesting birds and wanting to keep dog-walkers away. Park at the next car part along the road in either direction and walk a few minutes along the side of the road. All very easy, and the site is widely-advertised which means there are likely to be others there at the same time if the weather's good. Remember they're legally protected from disturbance so don't go beating through the vegetation. But you don't need to - there are usually a few sat on bushes beside the stream.

 

[Owene]

Thank you so much.

 

[aeshna5]

It's a few years since I visited but they were very obvious on the occasions I visited with a good range of other species including Beautiful Demoiselle, Keeled Skimmer, Golden-ringed Dragonfly & Small Red Damselfly. Silver-studded Blues should be appearing now in the surrounding heath if we only get some decent weather (can't remember a June so cool & overcast!).

 

[pdwinter]

New Forest car parks

We provide over 100 free car parks in the New Forest. If you find one is full on arrival, please drive on to the next one. There are plenty of alternative tracks to use, or places to park in the beautiful surroundings of the New Forest, so please don’t obstruct gateways and car park entrances...

www.forestryengland.uk

Beaulieu Heath or Norley Wood are the ones you want. Norley Wood will get you to the bridge quicker but tends to get used by the dogwalkers who can't use Crockford CP.

 

[Owene]

Thank you so much. Likely to be next Friday or maybe Saturday but sand lizard is my Saturday priority

 

[Scridifer]

Good luck Owen!

Chris

 

[Owene]

Good luck Owen!

Chris

Thanks Chris. Hopefully a full couple of days, got a few non bird targets in that part of the world and a lot of year ticks

 

[Clive Watson]

New Forest car parks

We provide over 100 free car parks in the New Forest. If you find one is full on arrival, please drive on to the next one. There are plenty of alternative tracks to use, or places to park in the beautiful surroundings of the New Forest, so please don’t obstruct gateways and car park entrances...

www.forestryengland.uk

Beaulieu Heath or Norley Wood are the ones you want. Norley Wood will get you to the bridge quicker but tends to get used by the dogwalkers who can't use Crockford CP.

I drove past this last week on the way back from the Normandy Roseate Terns and was disappointed to find both Crockford Bridge and Crockford Clump car parks closed. Not knowing where else to park I carried on without stopping.

 

[pdwinter]

If you haven't been yet Owene, then the weather is perfect and this is the peak time. I counted 100 on a survey 2 days ago along a ditch in a wet meadow (about 600m stretch) and I only access the ditch where it is (a) safe for me and (b) the cattle have reduced the vegetation so there must have been many more.

 

[Owene]

Thank you Paul only just saw this. I was there yesterday afternoon and while I didn’t get to 100 they were really prevalent.

 

[pdwinter]

Thank you Paul only just saw this. I was there yesterday afternoon and while I didn’t get to 100 they were really prevalent.

I expect we had different objectives! I didn't have much time to enjoy the Southerns as my surveys are really to detect all the species present. Glad you had the weather for them.