Landslip Ponds.

On the Islands' south west coast the cliffs are constantly on the move due to coastal erosion.The soft sandstone is weathered by wind,rain and sea to form scattered small ponds on these plateaus of landslip.These pools and ponds are a magnet for migrating dragonflies from the continent and there is always a chance to see a special arrival here.Today in warm sunshine several resident dragonflies were seen on and around these pools.Common Darters seemed to be the main species along with several Migrant Hawkers,although it was good to see that the Common Blue Damselfly is still here.Several males were seen patrolling a small pond together with females.I must say  it was the first time that I have witnessed the sight of a seemingly expired female floating on the water only to be plucked up by a male Common Blue and taken to the bank of the pond.There the male expected to mate but due to her condition it seemed to be a forlorn hope.

Late Season Visit to Bouldnor Ponds.

 At Bouldnor Forest ponds today the Common Darters were prominent with many males and egg laying pairs.Not surprising of course at this time of the season, although I was more than happy to see at least four male Emerald Damselflies vying for the best spot among some pondside reeds.The odd  male Southern and Migrant Hawkers were patrolling the ponds and rustling about in the bulrushes, several ovipositing female Migrant Hawkers.

  

Late Summer Hawkers.

A beautiful morning in Walters Copse at Newtown today as we enjoy a few days of sunny and warm weather.Southern Hawkers seemed to be in all the woodland rides although at least two Migrant Hawkers were spotted.The latter is a non-aggressive dragonfly and these two species tolerate one another when hunting for prey.
The male Southern is a colourful but somewhat gaudy dragonfly whereas the female is a wonderful apple-green and brown.The Migrant Hawker is slightly smaller than the Southern and definitely not as brightly coloured,the male showing mainly blue and brown. 

A Welcome Arrival.

Dragonflies have been elusive this season,especially at my garden pond.Emerging dragonfly and damselfly numbers are low,so this teneral Common Darter was a welcome sight today at my pond. Although  this new arrival seemed to have a skewiff wing it managed to eventually flutter away to cover.

The Obelisk.

The obelisk posture it seems,is an excellent way for a dragonfly to cool down on a very hot day. Favoured mainly by dragonflies that  spend a lot of time on some sort of perch  waiting for a meal to come by, a dragonfly will raise its body to a vertical position.This ensures that they cast as little shadow  as possible and therefore the suns' heat is minimized.

I think that this behaviour is not likely to be seen too often  in the UK, as temperatures rarely rise high enough.In hotter climates however it is a common sight.