I am lucky to have the New Forest on my doorstep and am frequently out
exploring it's ponds, streams and bogs in season to observe probably the
best diversity of species to be found in the country. The forest is home
to some of our rarer species such as Southern, Scarce Blue-tailed and Small
Red-eyed Damselflies, Golden-ringed, Keeled Skimmer and Brown Hawker Dragonflies.
I have listed these locations geographically to enable you to visit several
sites within the same area on the same day. I've started with the north
which is usually quieter, while south of the A31 tends to become overcrowded
in peak season and on weekends. Bear in mind that the terrain can be tricky
and a stout pair of waterproof walking boots is advised or better still
a pair of wellies, especially for the boggy areas.
I must also point out that certain areas, such as Crockford Stream, are
sensitive and careful navigation should be practised to avoid disturbing
the delicate habitat, especially in regards to rare fauna and flora. Crockford
along with a few other sites are also home to ground-nesting birds during
the spring.
I have given grid references which when clicked on will open a new window
with a bird's eye view map.
Grid Reference SU 28538 15695.
I have been visiting Stagbury Pond on Cadnam Common weekly during the season
since discovering it's unrivalled diversity early in 2009. The pond itself
is reasonably shallow, accessible and contains a reed-filled island offering
a wealth of habitats for the 24 species encountered. A short walk to the south you will find a more extensive boggy area with
seepages. Although technically just outside of the New Forest National
Park the area is owned by The National Trust and is in my opinion the best
pond for dragonfly activity for miles.
In May the pond is a riot of activity with Downy Emeralds vying for attention
among the numerous Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers Later in the season look for the rare Small Red-eyed Damselflies skimming
across the surface and Hawkers patrolling the edges. Keep your eyes peeled for the extremely quick and locally scarce Common Hawker flying in for a brief visit. You may also be lucky to observe the female of the species ovipositing.
The west bank contains an extensive thicket of gorse which is always worth
thorough exploration, especially for photographers looking for perched
opportunities, although frankly the pond itself is to me one of the best
photographer-friendly ponds to be found in the area.
There are no dedicated car parks but roadside parking is available along the Furzey to Newbridge road. Take care to avoid damage to the soft verges and park away from the main carriageway if you don't want to get hit by a passing tractor. A short walk west brings you to the pond
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Grid Reference SU 22834 14619
A popular tourists spot for feeding ducks, including resident Mandarin.
Good for Downy Emeralds and Red-eyed Damselflies among others. Gets very
crowded during the season and on weekends, partly due to the excellent
opportunities to observe and photograph forest songbirds up close, hence
one of my favourite spots during the winter months.
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Grid Reference SU 22242 09555
I must advise against parking roadside to access this pond. Be sensible and park at SU 21761 10147 and walk south across the heath.
Slufters is a relatively large pond with seepages to the north where the
heather is usually populated with good numbers of Black Darters and Emerald
Damselflies. I'm personally not a great fan of this pond as every time
I've visited I've been buffeted by strong winds and all species present
can be viewed elsewhere in the forest. However I'm assured this is a pond
is worth a visit even though the resident species can be more easily observed
elsewhere.
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Grid Reference SU 21157 10777
The road to the south of Broomy Pond is private and has recently had a
gate placed at the entrance so, as with Slufters, park at SU 21761 10147 and walk in. Restricted access means that this pond is mostly undisturbed, surrounded by gorse to the south and reeds to the north. The reeded area is fenced off to protect the habitat .and this is where the majority of emergence takes place. Once emerged the tenerals can be observed outside of this fence among the heather.
Good for Downy Emeralds and Emerald Damselflies among other species. Be
sure to explore gorse area fully as this is a prime perching spot. I was
lucky to find and photograph a freshly-emerged Downy Emerald at this spot.
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Grid Reference SU 15149 07961
Blashford Lakes is a large area of reclaimed old gravel pits managed by Hampshire Wildlife Trust. Renown for water birds it is nevertheless a great site for dragonflies. The close proximity to the River Avon means that this is one of only a few sites within the New Forest where Brown Hawker can be observed.
The best dragonfly activity is along the footpath running south between
Ellingham Lake and Dockens Water and the small clearing beside the stream
(SU 15079 07537) by the footbridge which leads back to the reserve proper. It's also worth continuing beyond the gate to the clearing and follow the road side path which leads back via Ellingham Pound.
Be sure to check out the centre pond for patrolling hawkers, including a superb opportunity to witness the Brown Hawker in close proximity.
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Grid Reference SU 18547 12562
Latchmore Brook flows between Fritham in the heart of the forest to the
River Avon in the west and is best approached from the Ogdens car park
at SU 18114 12406. It is a popular spot for dog walkers and picnickers
in high season but there are plenty of opportunities to avoid the crowds
by exploring the feeder streams to the north of the main flow. The stream
itself is superb for Beautiful Demoiselles and Golden-ringed dragonflies
while the peat bogs and flows to the north are good for Keeled Skimmers
and the rare Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly.
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Grid Reference SU 18117 07164
Linford Bottom to the east of the A31 is a also a popular spot for dog walkers and picnickers and can become quite overcrowded in season and on weekends. Like Whitten Pond it's proximity to the River Avon means it is one of the only guarantee places in the forest where you can observe Brown Hawkers, usually patrolling the tree-line to the north of the stream.
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Burley Heath is a large and relatively quiet area in the south of the New
Forest, although Burbush car park (SU 20211 01770) has recently had a tendency to become overcrowded with cyclists during peak season and weekends, so an early arrival is recommended to guarantee a place. From here you can walk SE to Whitten Pond (SU 20404 01281), preferably following the feeder channel to the north. This is one of the only places in the forest where you can see Brown Hawkers in season.
To the east of the car park you will find Burbush Pond (SU 19836 01955) and Long Pond (SU 19933 02146), both excellent sited for Emerald and Small Red Damselflies. There are also some seasonal pools to the south of the old railway while the railway itself is a good spot for Small Reds.
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Grid Reference SU 25591 03932
Ober Water is a gravel bedded stream which flows east from near Burley through open heath then woodland, joining Blackwater to form the Lymington River. This is the best area in the whole of the New
Forest to see White-legged Damselflies. Other species of note are the Golden-ringed
Dragonfly which can be observed patrolling the whole stretch of the river,
and the very rare Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly. The latter species is found
in small feeder channels and runnells close to Markway Bridge on the A35
(SU 25541 03918).
The surrounded heath is also a prime spot for Keeled Skimmers, where they can be seen in their thousands around the many feeder streams and boggy pools to the south and in teneral form anywhere among the heather. Also to the south are Duckhole Bog (SU 24980 02323), and Holmhill Bog (SU 26618 02411), the latter feeding the Silver Stream (SU 27007 02496), another prime spot for the Southern Damselfly and Golden-ringed..
There are several approaches to Ober Water. At the western end park at Mill Lawn (SU 22391 03398) and follow the stream east towards Markway Bridge (SU 24969 03825). Along this stretch you will find, depending on time of season, Golden-ringed,
Black-tailed Skimmers, Beautiful Demoiselle and Small Red Damselflies while
in the feeder streams and pools to the south there are Keeled Skimmers,
Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers. It is also worth looking in the
side channels for Scarce Blue-tails.
For the Eastern End park at Puttles Bridge (SU 27113 02919) and walk west toward Markway Bridge.
Puttles Bridge is also the best approach to the Silver Stream.
For Duckhole Bog and Holmhill bog the best approach is from Wilverley car
park (SU 25405 00922)
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Grid Reference SU 38577 07205
The area around Ipley Cross contains Rushbush Pond (SU 38498 06894), Furzey Pond (SU 38568 06692) and Dibden Bottom (SU 38904 06462) The latter is one of the best sites in the New Forest to observe Black
Darters and Emerald Damselflies. Rushbush pond is a large shallow muddy
bottomed pool backed by a feeder stream for the Beaulieu River (SU 38081 06442) , itself a prime location for Beautiful Demoiselles , Hawkers and Common Darters. Furzey Pond is a small pond surrounded by heather and gorse and is worth a visit while in the area..
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Grid Reference SU 36781 01426
Hatchet Pond is a popular tourist and picnicking spot in The New Forest,
but by far the best spot for dragonfly enthusiast is the smaller pond (SU 36482 01062) accessed by the Hatchet Moor car park. This is a prime site surrounded
heather and Gorse and is one of the best places in the forest to observe
Downy Emeralds and Black-tailed Skimmers. The heath to the west contains
many feeder channels and boggy areas and is worth exploring.
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Grid Reference SU 35069 01949
I can highly recommend Hawkhill Inclosure as a prime site for observing
Hawkers in season. Indeed I have seen more Golden-ringed Dragonflies along
the rides here than in any other place. Park at the above grid reference,
go through the gate and follow the track NNW to a small clearing. This
wide sunny clearing was once a small industrial site and is now filled
with selection of native and introduced plant species which are a mecca
for butterflies and other insects. There are also plenty of perching opportunities
for dragonflies.
From there follow the track downhill to the stream at the bottom. This path is swarming with Common Darters during summer and again is a popular spot for Golden-ringed, Southern and Migrant Hawkers. At the main junction turn right and follow the stream as far as you like for beautiful Demoiselles and even more Golden-ringed.
A good circular walk is to follow the stream to SU 36402 02647, turn left and follow the path to the fork and follow the main gravel cycle
track (signposted Brockenhurst) until you reach the boggy area at (SU 34925 02325), which is swarming with Keeled Skimmers in season, then either traverse
the boggy area or continue to the crossroads, turn left and follow the
track downhill to the small bridge at the other end of the bog, then back
up the hill to the car park
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Grid Reference SZ 34908 99163
Nationally noted as one of the premier dragonfly sites in Britain, this
tranquil and popular gravel-based stream is fed from the boggy springs
of Beaulieu Common. The area also contains 4 seasonal ponds and several
boggy areas upstream. Crockford is one of the best sites to observe the
spectacular Golden-ringed Dragonfly and rare Southern Damselfly, as well
as the Beautiful Demoiselle among it's 28 observed species. It's close
proximity to the coast means that the Hairy Dragonfly is a occasional visitor.
The main area of activity is the clearing at SZ 34908 99163. The open stream is usually patrolled by Golden-ringed in season along
with other species such as Beautiful Demoiselles and Keeled Skimmers. The
banks of the stream has many Bog Myrtle bushes which are the preferred
habitat for Southern and Small Red Damselflies.Be sure to explore every
inch of the gorse thicket to the south of the stream for perched dragonflies.
It's possible to more or less follow the main stream NW to Two Bridges Bottom where there is a large pond worth exploring, but for me the open pools around the ford at SZ 34587 99435 and the stream leading down from Deep Moor are superior, as is the whole stream from the ford to Upper Crockford Bottom.
Park at Crockford Clump car park (Open from July onwards) or Crockford Bridge
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Grid Reference SZ 30786 91568
The whole stretch of coastline between Lymington and Keyhaven is a nationally
noted site for rare domestic and migrant water birds. The large areas of
water inland from the sea wall are also prime spots for coastal species
of dragonfly, including the Hairy Dragonfly which is very local in Hampshire.
As well as the lagoons there is a balancing pond (SZ 31104 92053) alongside the track leading from Lower Pennington to Keyhaven. Although
this pond is fenced off, the gorse track bordering is good for dragonflies.
Park at SZ 30786 91568 or SZ 31886 92714
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