First Banded Demoiselle of the Season.

 A return visit this afternoon to Brighstone Mill stream discovered my first sight of a Banded Demoiselle  this year. This immature female was the only Banded to be seen, together with just three Beautiful Demoiselles. 

Earlier in the day  the ponds at Bouldnor Forest produced several Broad-bodied Chasers and a blue form Common Blue Damselfly. With the exception of a few Large Red Damselflies no other species were recorded.

 

 

      

Our Island Resident Species-Damselflies(2).

The Common Blue Damselfly as the name suggests is a species that can be seen throughout the UK. It prefers large water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs, and larger ponds. Of course the male is a striking blue and  the female has two colour forms, dull green and blue. The male and tandem pairs are often seen flying low over open water 

Another blue damselfly is the Red-eyed Damselfly which is quite commonly seen here at large ponds and standing water bodies, particularly with floating vegetation  such as water-lilies. Females and immatures tend to be yellowish-green in colour and new emergents have purple tones in both male and female. They can sometimes be in the company of the Small Red-eyed Damselfly although the former is on the wing in May whereas the Small Red-eyed emerges in late June or July.

Similar in appearance to the Red-eyed is the Small Red-eyed Damselfly. This species was  first recorded only twenty years ago on the Isle of Wight and has now spread around the Island. It too likes ponds with surface vegetation but is quite happy in smaller ponds unlike the Red-eyed. Females can be yellow, green, or blue.

   

Back at Bouldnor.

It has been over a week since my last visit to Bouldnor at Yarmouth.This was mainly due to the cool and changeable weather since the end of May.However we are now enjoying a brief spell it seems, of warmer conditions before much needed rain is forecast for the coming weekend.

At the ponds one or two new species of the year were to be seen today.A couple of Common Darter,several Black-tailed Skimmers,and a male Common Blue Damselfly.Unfortunately despite a prolonged search I was unable to locate any Southern Emerald Damselflies and I hope that any recent emergents have dispersed into the scrub.

Common Blues Sign In.

A visit to the stream at Southford near to the village of Niton today did not produce any sightings.It seems that the Banded Demoiselles are not yet on the wing.However close by is a reservoir and a known spot for Common  Blue Damselflies.Happily I managed to find three individuals all immature/teneral.

Quiet at Bouldnor.

Dodging the heavy showers was the name of the game today although when the sun shone it was pleasantly warm.However a walk around the ponds at Bouldnor did not produce any great quantity of dragonflies.Most prolific were male Ruddy Darters and they could be seen every few feet along the banks of the ponds.There were also  several Common Darters but none of the larger dragonflies that I would expect to see at this time of year.This was also true of damselflies as I only encountered one male Common Blue Damselfly and a single male Emerald Damselfly. 

Dragonflies Out in the Hot Weather.

There were plenty of dragonflies on show around Bouldnor Forest ponds yesterday with the weather  set fair and temperatures in the high twenties celsius. Much of the ground surrounding the shallow pond are clear of vegetation and Black-tailed Skimmers are consequently numerous.It is also time for the emergence of Common Darters and many tenerals are easily disturbed from their hiding places in the scrub. I was lucky enough to come across one or two Emerald Damselflies in the long grass and short scrub along with an immature male Common Blue Damselfly..Mature Ruddy Darters have now returned and the  blood red males can be seen near to the pond edge.

Several species of dragonfly mainly immature,frequent the paths and tracks in the forest at the moment,Inevitably most are Black-tailed Skimmers,although I did see my first Southern Hawker as it hunted for insects.When successful it would take its prey to a convenient perch, usually high up in the branches of a tree

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An Uncommon Blue.

I was pleased to see this female blue form Common Blue Damselfly in my garden yesterday,particularly as I would not expect to record this species here.She has obviously not emerged from my small pond as this species prefers larger bodies of water.

Damselflies Put On A Good Show.

Despite a rather cloudy afternoon there was activity around the Bouldnor Forest ponds yesterday. Common Darters are still emerging in good numbers and I disturbed plenty as I walked past the long grass and  gorse bushes that surround the ponds.Blue-tailed Damselflies are now evident with males at the pond edges as well as females in the margins.So too are the Emerald Damselflies although numbers are never particularly high.Other damselflies included Common Blue,Azure, and Large Red.The larger dragonflies were not to be seen due no doubt to the dull conditions.

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.

Poor Weather Keeps the Banded Away.

Despite today's blustery and cool weather I made a first of the year visit to Southford Stream in the hope of seeing the Banded Demoiselle. Numbers were very low with just four sightings,three males and one female and no activity at all along this particular stretch of stream.Still,perhaps this was due to disappointing weather and no doubt numbers will increase as the season progresses.

There were however many Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies in several areas of long grass close to the stream.These originate from the reservoir which is very close by.

Damselflies at Bouldnor Forest Ponds.

Yesterdays trip to the new ponds at Bouldnor also produced,not surprisingly perhaps,three of our commonest damselflies.At the largest of the ponds a teneral female Common Blue Damselfly.This species is found in a very wide range of waters but generally shuns small ponds,preferring larger ponds,lakes,and reservoirs

The second species was an immature male Blue-tailed Damselfly,identified by its  greenish thorax which will turn blue when adult.Thirdly a female Azure Damselfly,abundant here on the Isle of Wight and over most of the country.

   

As Blue as the Sky.

A visit to my local pond at Clamerkin NT on another hot and sunny afternoon and although there did not seem to be much dragonfly activity I was treated to a number of male Common Blue Damselflies.A colourful and beautiful damselfly.