A Blue Scarlet Darter.

The male Scarlet Darter or Broad Scarlet is a striking sight with it's magnificent bright scarlet body and eyes.In contrast the immature male, as well as the female are yellow-brown.As the females mature they become olive in colour,so I was confused to see an all blue darter displaying a resemblance to this species when on the holiday on the Greek Island of Thassos recently.So confused in fact that I posted the following photos of this individual on an established dragonfly website to get a positive ID from those in the know.I was not disappointed as several diagnostic features were explained to me which confirmed that this very mature female darter was a blue Scarlet Darter. 

However I should not be surprised as many dragonfly species display this pruinosity or 'bloom' mainly as a blue colouring , although it can take on other colours.

  

A Regular at Church.

This small Greek church is snuggled in a depression of ground in the holiday resort of Skala Panagia on the Greek Island of Thassos.In this shady spot next to the church is a small damp and wet area mainly covered in reeds, and home to several species of dragonfly. One of those species seems to be the Eastern Willow Spreadwing or Eastern Willow Emerald Damselfly.It is mainly confined to Greece and the Balkans whereas its western relative the Willow Emerald Damselfly is resident throughout the rest of Europe. 

Back to Thassos.

 Three years ago we made a second visit to the Greek Island of Thassos and found that tourist development had arrived at the spectacular beach which we had first seen almost deserted twenty years previously.So I hoped that the chances for the remaining wildlife had not diminished still further when I visited the same location for a short holiday last week.The several streams that flowed across the flat land  to the beach were still there although the signs of human pollution are evident.At this time of year they are almost dry but  the winter rains from the mountains no doubt increases the flow.
The colourful male Scarlet Darters line the streams margins where they can still find some open water with the females appearing now and again to mate and oviposit.Away from the stream in the sand dunes that separate the tourist apartments from the beach I can always find loads of Red-veined Darters in all stages of maturity.

Woodland Hawkers.

At this time of the year the long summer days
provide a bounty of flying insects in our woodlands and meadows.Along  the sunny rides and clearings our dragonflies and in particular the hawkers find an abundant supply of prey.

Two species seem to be most noticeable in my local copse at present,the Emperor and the Southern Hawker.Whereas most seem to be still immature,as so this female opposite,it was a treat to come across a more mature female (pictured below).

Our Lucky Day.

As mentioned in some of my earlier posts the Small Red-eyed Damselfly is a relatively recent addition to the fauna of the UK.The male is colourful damselfly and can normally be seen passing the time on a lily-pad usually some way out on the pond.Therefore I am fortunate to be able to visit a modest sized garden pond  where this damselfly can be observed at close quarters.

It is early in their season so today there were just a few males to see on their lily-pads.The photo below of a teneral male Red-eyed was a result of its near fatal encounter with a strand of spiders web.The damselfly was struggling in vain to free itself from its snare just an inch or so above the water and some short distance out on the pond.Taking a handy hosepipe I managed to free it using the end of the hose and it happily clung to my finger until I deposited it onto a pondside leaf.My reward was several photos of this youngster who eventually fluttered off into cover.

Pond News.

The summery weather has triggered a lot of activity at my garden pond recently.However apart from the usual damselflies there have not been many of the larger dragonflies to see.So yesterday it was good to witness this female Emperor Dragonfly ovipositing into the extensive carpet of frogbit.

Another visitor was this maturing Common Darter that has taken up his spot on the pebbles awaiting females.  

Hunting Hawkers.

On a walk through the wood today I came across two hawkers on the lookout for a meal.The first an immature female Southern Hawker and secondly an adult male Emperor Dragonfly.

Red-veined Back Again.

Last year at this time we made a visit to a location in the West Wight to see Red-veined Darters.This species is not common in the UK although reports of sightings continue to be received from various regions.Once again this season it looks as though the Red-veined is present in reasonable numbers at some coastal ponds and reservoirs on the Island.This particular  reservoir is on farmland and it is great to see that this species has seemingly colonised it.

A Busy Broad-bodied Chaser.

The females of some  dragonfly species take on the colouring  similar to the males.The Broad-bodied Chaser is one such species, for as the  female ages the abdomen becomes blue.This female was seen at my garden pond recently busily ovipositing.

A Ready Ruddy.

Back at my local patch of forest ponds this adult male Ruddy Darter has taken up his position beside one of the small ponds.Thankfully this particular pond still has some sort of water level as others are now dry or very low.Dragonfly activity continues to produce newly emerging Common Darters and Black-tailed Skimmers along with increasing numbers of Emerald Damselflies such as this adult male.