Azure Damselfly now on the wing

With the sun shining this afternnon I made a visit to Clamerkin NT pond and to a collection of small ponds very close by.I was very pleased to encounter several Large Red and Azure Damselflies around the pond and a very good number of the latter at the nearby ponds.

A Struggle for the Large Red.

After the brief period of summer weather it has again become cool and rather autumnal.Not a good omen for the emerging spring species.As a result of the poor weather we have had to endure over the last few months, sightings of dragonflies have been minimal.

Today after a bright start the wind and rain are back and this Large Red was found on a bench beside my garden pond in desperate need of some warmth.If things do not improve soon we could see a disastrous start to the season for our odonata.

Despite a brisk and cold wind today,Monday the 13th,the sun shone on and off  and enticed out a pair of Large Reds.During the morning a male appeared and was closely followed by a female.

Fingers crossed for lots more of these and hopefully some newly emerged species in the next few days,weather permitting.

First Damselfly on the year at my Garden Pond.

Today the first damselfly appeared at my garden pond.This was two weeks later than the first Large Red  at this location in 2012.However the weather has no doubt had a say in emergence times.The damselfly spent some time on this Marsh Marigold plant in the warm sunshine.

My pond is about 2 metres by 3 metresThis is a third season of the pond and the first when the Large Red can emerge from it as this species  generally has a two year cycle from egg to adult.It is likely that the above speciman originated from a nearby pond as I could see no evidence of it coming from mine.

Another Large Red,this time a female discovered in a flower bed in the garden on the 6th May.Soon to be seen in good numbers I am sure. 

The Reds Are First Again

Here on the Isle of Wight the spring weather has at last arrived and the first damselflies are on the wing.The prolonged cold  snap of March and April is now hopefully over and today I was fortunate enough to observe six Large Red Damselflies flutter away from the pond at Clamerkin NT during my brief midday visit.

Not all  newly emerged damselflies fared well as can be seen by the second photograph.