A Common Sight.

The Common Blue Damselfly must be of our most abundant damselflies,hence the name.However it is  one of the most colourful especially the adult male in this bright blue.

My trip to Southford stream yesterday did not produce any early Banded Demoiselles but at the lake there were good numbers of the Common Blue in different stages of maturity.The immature males are a pale lilac,whereas the females prior to there adult green are a greyish.The adult female also has a blue form similar to the male.

A Beautiful Walk

A second visit this year to Shalfleet Stream hoping that the Beautiful Demoiselles are now on the wing.

Although the weather started today with blue skies it was not long before patchy cloud bubbled up and this lead to showers.Luckily they seemed to pass by and just after midday there were some extended sunny spells.

That was enough for the Demoiselles to appear and I quickly counted to double figures with females seemingly outnumbering the males by two to one.

It became a very pleasant walk along tree lined stream bank with good numbers of butterflies,particularly Orange Tip,nectaring on the wild flowers and I was treated to the continuous waft of wild garlic

A Welcome Visitor.

With this latest bout of unsettled weather,activity at my garden pond has been low.Total dragonfly sightings are in single figures for this season when normally I would expect a steady increase in numbers now.

However I am sure that once a settled spell returns things will change rapidly.Despite another very windy day  I was pleased to see a adult female Azure close to my pond along with the male I saw yesterday. I assume that they have emerged from my neighbours established pond as I have only found evidence of one emergence from mine.

Keeping Station

Despite an almost gale force wind today a couple of damselflies braved it to keep station at my garden pond.

Inevitably one was an adult Large Red and the other a male Azure.

First Azure.

The Azure Damselfly is one of our most common damsels here in the UK and today was my first sighting of one this year.

This immature Azure was seen fluttering around my garden and I would expect quite a few more in the near future.

Large Reds Gather Round.

With the warm weather now here, male Large Red Damselflies are gathering at my garden pond.

Although it did not join them a female Broad-bodied Chaser made several flights around the garden,no doubt on the lookout for a male.Once mated she will then deposit her eggs into the pond while in flight.

Choosing Your Spot.

Following a wet and dismal Sunday today has started bright and sunny,and the first adult male Large Red Damselfly has taken up station at my garden pond.

First of 2014.

I have been on the lookout for the first damselfly to emerge from my garden pond this year and today a female Large Red obliged.

The weather has been warm and sunny for the last few days and others will soon follow.

End of Season Dragonflies

On the Isle of Wight at this time there is always the hope of encountering a rarity.However into November and it is the Common Darter that is the dragonfly most likely to be seen in the hedgerows and around the ponds.

Today was no exception as a visit to the ponds of Clamerkin at Newtown produced a count of sixteen darters plus four mating and ovipositing pairs.A sighting too of a male Southern Hawker was a pleasant surprise.

Autumn Fliers.

Now that we are into autumn here,there are several dragonflies still to be encountered at our ponds and streams on the Isle of Wight.

Perhaps the most common is the Common Darter which is widespread and can be found in most habitats from sea cliffs to woods and all sizes of ponds.Another species is the Migrant Hawker.The males are often seen patrolling the marginal reeds in search of a female.