Busy at Bouldnor.

A good variety of species at Bouldnor Forest ponds today.The Black-tailed Skimmers are around the ponds with plenty of males patrolling and duelling with the male Broad-bodied Chasers over the water.Along the margins the Blue-tailed Damselflies and Azure Damselflies are searching for the females while in the surrounding gorse and long grass there are teneral Black-tailed Skimmers.A first sighting too of a teneral  Common Darter.

First Emperor.

This morning at 10 o'clock BST  a dragonfly  emerged  from my garden pond.It was an Emperor,our largest dragonfly in the UK and my first sighting of this species this year.The white wings slowly began to turn transparent  as fluid was pumped through and some colour appeared on the abdomen which gradually straightened.Another hour and a half and the wings unfolded and just before noon the teneral made its maiden flight.

Beautiful Demoiselles Put On A Show.

There were plenty of Beautiful Demoiselles to see at Shalfleet yesterday.By now most are mature adults and they were easily disturbed as I walked alonmg the south facing hedgerows that bordered the wooded stream.All were waiting for the sunshine and when it appeared they would burst into action with their jaunty flight.

Broad-bodied Chasers in the Garden.

Not surprisingly the first dragonflies of the year at my garden pond were Broad-bodied Chasers.Today a mature male kept guard pondside and close by a female was noticed in the flower border.

Slow Going.

The new season does not seem to be quickening at the moment.No sightings at my local pond at Newtown and just a few Azure Damselflies emerging from a collection of ponds close by.This teneral was one of several I observed together with some immatures and up to ten adult males.

Broad-bodied Chasers Make an Appearance.

Yesterday was another sunny and warm  day and I returned to Shalfleet stream to see the emerging Beautiful Demoiselles.Several immatures were to be found in the sun catching spots where the hunting for passing insects was good along the field boundaries.
This was followed by a trip to the Bouldnor Forest ponds not too far away.The Large Red Damselflies continue to emerge in ever increasing numbers although there is no sign of other damselfly species.However I was very pleased to see three Broad-bodied Chasers,a female and two tenerals.

Beautiful Demoiselles at Shalfleet Stream.

Now that the cold and windy weather of April has gone,we are enjoying a period of dry, sunny,and above average temperatures for early May.The dragonflies have responded and today I visited my local stream for the first time this year.I was not disappointed as a walk along the wooded bank of the stream produced six immature Beautiful Demoiselles.Half were males, and they were all easily disturbed which caused them to flutter off to the nearest cover.

Large Reds Take to the Wing.

It is always a treat to have a  first sighting of a species in the new season despite the fact that soon there will be numerous individuals fluttering about our ponds and ditches.This is particularly so for the Large Red Damselfly which is normally the first  to emerge.

Today at the Bouldnor Forest ponds in the early afternoon I observed many tenerals taking their maiden flight away from the margins to the safety of  the trees and bushes.

It's Always Worth Taking a Closer Look.

The Southern Skimmer,Orthetrum brunneum can be quite common in Southern Europe although here in the UK it is unrecorded.Breeding has taken place in the Channel Islands and the species is gradually spreading northwards through France.

This Skimmer is very similar to the Keeled Skimmer and in Greece where I regularly holiday it can be tricky to separate it from the anceps subspecies of the Keeled.However there are several minor differences which are not obvious in the field.Careful study of any photographs seems to be the best method,especially to a non-expert like me.So a close look at two photos from last August taken on the Greek Island of Thassos identified this as a probable immature male Keeled Skimmer.
It looked a good candidate for a first Southern Skimmer for me.However, although this individual has several double cells in the right place on the outer wings for a Southern Skimmer,so too can the Keeled,usually in fewer numbers.Other features are necessary to confirm which species it is such as abdomen shape and the markings on the thorax.Therefore unless it 'ticks all the boxes' identification is not always certain.  

  

Back on the Landslip.

Despite a brisk easterly wind the sun was shining yesterday and there was autumn warmth in sheltered spots.At several ponds on the landslip at Compton Chine the dragonfly activity remains high with all the species encountered a few days ago  still evident.However I was very pleased to observe a female Emperor majestically cruising around  the largest pond looking for places to lay her eggs.Quite late in the season to see this particular species on the wing.