Last Saturday was bright with sunny spells and the dragonflies at the ponds in Bouldnor Forest were active.The most prominent species of the day was the Emerald Damselfly,with several males to be seen.Among the others on show were a pair of mating Black-tailed Skimmers and Broad-bodied Chasers, with numerous emerging Common Darters, a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies,a mature male Ruddy Darter, and Emperor Dragonflies.A first of the season sighting was this immature Southern Hawker.
A visit to the ponds in Bouldnor Forest today was rewarded with the first Common Darter of the year.At least two were observed flying away from the pond edge and into the surrounding gorse. Broad-bodied Chasers were also evident with several males occupying the array of shallow ponds at the site. This male Four-spotted Chaser was seen,patrolling his section of a pond. Other species recorded were Azure,Large Red, and Blue Tailed Damselflies.
With the settled and warm sunny weather due to continue for another week at least,the dragonflies at Bouldnor Forest today were out and about. The damselflies seen at the ponds included Azure,Large Red,and Blue-tailed while dragonflies were two male Four-spotted Chasers, Emperor Dragonflies,one of which was an ovipositing female, Broad-bodied Chasers,and several teneral Common Darters. Close by, along the forest tracks were two Southern Hawkers.
A first seasonal visit to Bouldnor Forest ponds at Yarmouth today discovered a reasonable selection of species. Broad-bodied Chasers were of course very evident with several mature males flying over the ponds.However in the quieter spots just away from water one or two immature chasers were encountered and particularly this male starting to take on the blue abdomen. Competition was fierce at one of the ponds with not only Broad-bodied Chasers but also a male Emperor Dragonfly involved.This was too much for this male Four-spotted Chaser that took station over a small side pool away from all the action.
Recorded today at the site were 6 Emperor,7 Broad-bodied Chasers,Azure and Large Red Damselflies,together with a Blue-tailed Damselfly violacea, and of particular interest was a teneral Common Darter.
The Common Darter was a new addition to this year's species list today with at least twelve recorded around the ponds at Bouldnor,Yarmouth. All were either tenerals or immatures and I am certain that other individuals were scattered among the surrounding scrub and gorse as they seem to emerge in large numbers. Also present were the common damselflies and in particular several Blue-tailed Damselflies,again in and around the two Lestes barbarus scrapes.
A reasonable selection of spring dragonflies at Bouldnor Forest ponds today under mainly sunny skies. Several Emperor Dragonflies were recorded around the ponds which followed up my first sighting of the year of this species on the 18th May in the same location. Black-tailed Skimmers were also in evidence with at least two immature individuals. This was in addition to the four tenerals I encountered on the 28th May.
I have made a few visits to these ponds in the last week in the hope of seeing the first Lestes barbarus, but no luck up to now. In fact the two ponds used by this species over the last six years were today occupied by Blue-tailed Damselflies with a count of at least six.
Although several counties of the UK can boast more species, the Isle of Wight has, to the best of my knowledge, twenty three species of dragonfly and damselfly. All our damselflies are generally common around the UK, however that changed somewhat with the discovery of the Southern Emerald Damselfly, Lestes barbarus, in 2017 in a forested site in the West Wight. It was later confirmed that this new species has been at this location since at least 2015.
Perhaps the three most prolific species of damselfly are the Azure,Large Red,and the Blue-tailed.Closely following them in abundance could be the Common Blue Damselfly.The Azure is found in particular, in small ponds and ditches and emerges in the spring.The male is blue and the female has two colour forms,green with black and a blue form.
Emerging slightly eariler than the Azure is the Large Red Damselfly.Another very common species and found in various habitats.There are three colour forms in the female including the mainly black melanotum.
Colour forms are again seen in the Blue-tailed Damselfly with five in the female. Perhaps the most attractive is violacea, a colour seen in some immature females displaying lilac sides to the thorax. Another is rufescens with orange-pink sides.
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