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.
Since a first sighting of a Large Red Damselfly in Bouldnor Forest on the 8th of April,the weather has been cool and windy.However today the brisk winds have gone and that has allowed the temperatures to rise in the spring sunshine. As a result the first damselfly was observed in my Freshwater garden this morning. This immature male Large Red probably emerged from the pond next door seeking a warm sunny spot.
Three new species for 2022 were recorded today in Bouldnor Forest near to Yarmouth. A male Golden-ringed Dragonfly hunting along the main track seen at the end of my visit and earlier two immature Southern Hawkers,one male and one female, doing the same in a forest ride. At the ponds, along with the common damselflies and darters was a mature male Ruddy Darter. Other species included several Black-tailed Skimmers, Emperor Dragonflies, Common Darters, and Broad-bodied Chasers.
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.
Top sighting today at Yarmouth was a female Southern Emerald Damselfly a short distance away from the two breeding ponds in Bouldnor Forest. Despite numerous visits to the site since mid-May this is the first record of Lestes barbarus for 2021. At this time of year the two ponds are normally dry but other than a short period in early June, heavy bouts of rain have meant that they are continually full of water. This has given the opportunity for other species, such as the Emperor Dragonfly, to persistently quarter the ponds. Another dragonfly of note was an immature female Southern Hawker spotted hunting along a forest ride.
The last entry in our Island resident species list describes the final three species. The large and impressive Golden-ringed Dragonfly is frequently seen on the Isle of Wight, in woodland rides and fields when immature, and along streams when mature. Territorial males will patrol up and down their breeding waterways while the female may be seen prodding her long needle-like ovipositor into the bed of shallow water while hovering in flight to deposit her eggs.
The Emperor Dragonfly is perhaps our largest dragonfly, and the male Emperor is unmistakable as he quarters any large pond. The female is a visitor to ponds large and small in order to lay her eggs.
The Migrant Hawker is a late summer hawker and seen here into October. It is usual to see this species in woodland rides hawking for insects well into the evening.
Only one of the three 'emerald' species that breed in the UK are found here. The Downy Emerald, Cordulia aenea is on the wing in May and is normally encountered at woodland ponds. That is the male in particular, as they endlessly it seems, patrol the pond close to the bank. The best view is usually fleeting as the males will occasionally hover for a few seconds before continuing their flight. If one is lucky a glimpse of a female can be seen as she deposits her eggs in a sheltered position of a shallow spot, maybe amongst reeds near to the pond edge.
The Hairy Dragonfly is the first hawker of the year, emerging in May. It is aptly described as a small darkish 'mosaic hawker' with a hairy thorax. Mature males like to patrol at low level along well vegetated ditches and ponds. The female is rather secretive and only visits water to find a mate or lay eggs.
The Southern Hawker is common on the Isle of Wight and immatures can be seen in June. It is a regular visitor to my garden pond with females ovipositing into pond side moss and reeds. In fact close observation of an egg-laying female can mean that she could attempt to lay her eggs on your trouser leg or even on your camera. The mature male is somewhat gaudy although the adult female is resplendent in chocolate-brown and green markings.
As far as I am aware the Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva has been breeding on the Isle of Wight for less than ten years. The preferred habitat is water meadows with slow flowing waterways and sometimes mature ponds as well as fishing lakes with dense marginal vegetation. Any small open stretches are favoured by the males in order to perch on the emergent plants.
A common chaser here is the Broad-bodied Chaser. The first adults are seen in April when as immature, the males have the same colouring as females. As they mature males take on a blue abdomen whereas the females remain yellowish-brown. However some very mature females may develop limited pruinosity
The third chaser is of course the Four-spotted Chaser. Although never common on the Island it has made a resurgence recently. Once mainly found close to Brading Marsh it seems to have spread far and wide and can be encountered in a variety of habitats. A male even turned up at my garden pond some time ago.
