Quiet Times at Bouldnor Forest Ponds.

The ponds at Bouldnor today seemed quiet with not much dragonfly activity.This handsome male Emperor was the only highlight.

A Very Elegant Greek Dragonfly.

My wife is currently in the Greek Island of Thassos situated in the north of the Aegean Sea.She was lucky enough today to see this handsome dragonfly on the beach.It is a Bladetail, Lindenia tetraphylla  found in Central and South West Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. A description of this species is below.

It is the largest member of the Gomphidae family to be found in Europe. This elegant species gets its name from the four ‘blades’ located underneath the tip of the abdomen. The thorax and abdomen of the bladetail both have a sandy grey base colour, and the thorax is decorated with four curved black stripes which form two ring-like patterns at the front.

Heatwave Leads to More Dragonflies on the Wing.

The ongoing heatwave has produced several new dragonfly species  and today at Bouldnor Forest,Yarmouth I saw my first Common Darter of the year. The individuals pictured are the two immatures observed fluttering away from the pond margins.Also recorded were at least four Emperor ,all males together with four male Broad-bodied Chasers and a Hairy Dreagonfly.Along a nearby woodland track was a female Beautiful Demoiselle.

 

Stock Photo

First Adult Dragonfly this Season in my Garden.

Sightings of odonata in my garden this year have been few to date.However today in the bright and hot sunshine this female Broad-bodied Chaser spent sometime perched on several different types of suppport in the flower border.

Season Underway

Yesterday saw the first Large Red Damselfly emerge in my garden.The container on my patio produced this emergent pictured below and was closely followed by another.Meanwhile at my garden pond I saw a first Broad-bodied Chaser flutter away from the pond margin. 

Large Red Damselflies Take to the Air.

A morning visit to the old pond at Bouldnor Forest today was rewarded with at least 6 teneral Large Red Damselflies.All were observed fluttering away from the pond margins to the safety of the surrouding trees and bushes.