Better Late Than Not At All.

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.

 

Our Island Resident Species-Dragonflies(4).

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.

  

Our Island Resident Species-Dragonflies(2).

Of the five species of  Darter that breed in the UK, we have three of them here. Firstly the Red-veined Darter, a regular migrant every year to our Island shores and since 2014 or perhaps before, numerous individuals have been recorded at a site just inland from our south-western coastal cliffs. The location itself is a reservoir on farmland and it is  reasonable to think that they are breeding at the site.

The other two darter species are the Ruddy and the Common. Both  appear in June although, as in 2020 the first Ruddy Darter can be seen in May. They share the same habitat but the Ruddy is generally less numerous than the Common. The male Ruddy Darter has a waisted abdomen, blood-red in colour when mature, but male immatures are a yellow-ochre which is similar to that of the female.

The Common Darter is widespread and seen here in a wide variety of habitats. Not only close to water but in woodland rides, gardens, and field edges. Perhaps the best way to separate the Common from the Ruddy, especially in females and immatures, is to look at the legs. All black in the Ruddy and brown to black with a yellowish stripe in the Common.

       

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.

   

Southern Emerald Damselflies Back at Yarmouth.

The last sighting of Lestes barbarus was on the 21st of June at Yarmouth.Expert advice was that any further sightings would be when individuals had matured and returned to their breeding locations.This was well founded as yesterday I recorded up to three mature males on station at the larger of the two scrapes.Both scrapes are now dry so hopefully mating pairs will soon be seen throughout August.

Better Late Than Never.

This  garden pond at Shalflleet has reliably produced a thriving population of Small Red-eyed Damselflies for a number of seasons. This year I am glad to say that males are on the ponds' lily pads.I must admit that I was somewhat concerned as normally the first damselflies are recorded in the last week of June.Today there were at least three males together with a green/black immature male that briefly landed on a pad only to fly off.

Summer Takes a Turn for the Better.

The month of June has been very changeable, but we are promised a period of summery weather this weekend.Yesterday was one such day and a visit to the Southern Emerald site at Yarmouth was rewarded with a lone male in the scrub, of low bramble,gorse, and long grass between the two breeding scrapes.I can only surmise that any emergent that has  come from these scrapes has dispersed and will return when conditions are right.The water levels are high for this time due to this month's  rainfall and I assume that when dry it will suit this species.