Southern Emerald Isle.

Despite the occasional cloudy period a visit to our Southern Emerald site today was rewarded with several mature damselflies around their shallow pools.The small collection of scrape-like pools here all look to be dry except the largest which seems to have a puddle in the centre. However this type of habitat is apparently preferred by this species.

More Dragons on Thassos.

Although the sight of  Norfolk Hawkers on Thassos was a treat,there are also other dragonflies to be seen at this beach side pond at Chrissi Ammoudia .Perhaps the most common here at any time is the Scarlet Darter or Broad Scarlet The male is bright scarlet whereas the female is yellow-brown.Mature females can take on a blue-grey colour. Inevitably a male Emperor Dragonfly is ever present, continuously patrolling the water,   now and again stopping to rest in the margins.This led to the occasional midair sortie with the Norfolk Hawkers but they always gave way to the Emperor.

In among the reeds were teneral Common Darters mingling with good numbers of Blue-tailed Damselflies and away from all this activity in the shallower sections several Black-tailed Skimmers battled for the best locations of the open bank.

Early Trip to Thassos.

A holiday to the Greek Island of Thassos,just a 30 minute ferry ride from the Greek mainland in the north Aegean has become an annual event over the last few years.Instead of the usual August holiday we decided to visit in the first week of June.Less people crowding the 3 kilometre long beach and a chance perhaps of seeing a few different dragonfly species.
At a favourite spot just at the back of the beach is a reed lined pool which in the winter discharges water from the nearby mountains.Now it is a magnet for dragonflies and a notable new species for me was the Green-eyed Hawker or as it is commonly known in the UK,the Norfolk Hawker.A very handsome dragonfly with conspicuous green eyes,a mainly plain brown body and a yellow triangle on upperside  S2. This diagnostic feature gives it its scientific name Aeshna isoceles. In the southern Balkans there is a sub-species antehumeralis so named for the presence of larger yellow antehumeral streaks.

More Southern Emeralds.

A further visit yesterday  to the site of the recently discovered Southern Emerald Damselflies was rewarded with more sightings in and around the shallow pond, pictured below.It seems to be a typical location for this species as it is prone to dry out at certain times particularly in the early summer.Among the several damselflies seen was a maturing female showing the two tone wing spots,a diagnostic feature of this species.
Rather embarrassingly it has been brought to my attention that my post of the 17th June 2016 also shows Southern Emeralds not Lestes sponsa as I originally believed.Therefore it seems that Lestes barbarus has been resident for at least two seasons.  

Ruddy Darters Make an Appearance.

During yesterdays visit to my local forest pond there were numerous teneral darters on the fringes of a shallow scrape.The new emergents in question were Ruddy Darters,easily identified by their all black legs.

First Sighting of the Southern Emerald Damselfly.

A visit today to a local forest pond was rewarded with my first ever sighting of the impressive Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus.Quite a few tenerals were fluttering away from the very shallow scrape-like pond and apparently this is the first record of this continental species on the Isle of Wight.

Red-eyes Now Appearing.

Despite the promise of a sunny day the cloud returned during the morning and by the time I arrived at my chosen location of Dickson pond it was well and truly overcast.However the damselfly species that I had come to see had decided to ignore the inclement weather and was emerging among the reeds around the pond.The Red-eyed Damselfly normally emerges during May whereas the very similar Small Red-eyed Damselfly is out towards the end of June.Both species can be found in the same habitat so when seen together careful inspection is required to tell them apart.

Blue-tailed Damselflies Out in Force.

The recent fine and mainly dry weather has given way to an unsettled period of rain and cloud.So yesterday a visit to a large body of water known as Dodnor Nature Reserve adjacent to the coast was marred by a brisk wind and an overcast sky.However the lakeside reeds seemed to be crowded with what must be our most common damselfly,the Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans.The female has five colour forms and all were on show.Perhaps the two most colourful  are rufescens (shown below devouring a moth) and violacea,also pictured below,with violet sides to the thorax.

First Dragonfly of the Season.

Two female Broad-bodied Chasers have been flying around my garden and pond for  the last two or three days.I have not yet seen  a male Chaser  so no doubt these ladies are waiting for him.This species is always the first dragonfly to appear at my pond every year and I expect plenty of direct aerial egg-laying to go on in the short while.

First Beautiful Demoiselles.

At this time of year a visit to Shalfleet Stream is a treat as many wildflowers are in bloom along wooded banks of this meandering stream.In particular the drifts of Wild Garlic are a sight to behold ,as they attract  butterflies and other insects to their flowers.My first walk along the stream today was rewarded with three Beautiful Demoiselles,all immature males.It will not be long before they mature and along with other males we can sit and watch them 'dance' over the water in aerial combat.A true sign of early summer.