Large Red's Now Emerging.

Several Large Red Damselflies have appeared in my garden, emerging not only from my garden pond but also from an established pond next door. The following photo shows one such immature that was seen today.

My pond was created in 2010 and over that time it had become clogged with many pond plants. It seems that this has led to much less activity  regarding dragonflies as well as damselflies. Therefore over the winter most of the plants were thinned and cleared and now the photograph below shows a rather bare looking pond. However, several bunches of Hornwort have been added and the  Frogbit has again returned. Both are good oxygenators and popular with the wildlife.

First Damselfly of the Season.

A first visit of the year to Bouldnor Old Pond at Yarmouth today produced my first damselfly of the season. I disturbed a teneral female Large Red Damselfly in the reeds at the edge of the pond and it fluttered past me  into a bramble thicket. Not surprisingly despite a quick search I was unable to relocate it. This was the only sighting of the day but no doubt  it will be the first of many Large Red's seen in the  coming days.

Stock Photo

Find Water and Find Dragonflies.

 As I happened to be very near to the pond in Stag Lane,Newport this morning, I  stopped for a quick visit and was rewarded with good numbers of  odonata. As we are now well into a prolonged dry period with no substantial rain  for nearly two months this large pond is well down on it's usual level. Emperor Dragonflies were patrolling the reeded margins and  the open water and some Common Darters were also evident. Perhaps the most interesting sightings were several male Small Red-eyed Damselflies  perching on reed stems in the sunshine. 

Emerald Damselfly on Show.

The first sighting of the year of the Emerald Damselfly was recorded today at Bouldnor Forest ponds. Initially a female and then a male. Other species were very limited despite a warm and partly sunny day.

Summer Dragonflies on the Wing.

 Three new species for 2022 were recorded today in Bouldnor Forest near to Yarmouth. A male Golden-ringed Dragonfly hunting along  the main track seen at the end of my visit and earlier two immature Southern Hawkers,one male and one female, doing the same in a forest ride. At the ponds, along with the common damselflies and darters was a mature male Ruddy Darter. Other species  included several Black-tailed Skimmers, Emperor Dragonflies, Common Darters, and Broad-bodied Chasers.

Common Darters Take Flight.

The Common Darter was a new addition to this year's species list today with at least twelve  recorded around the ponds at Bouldnor,Yarmouth. All were either tenerals or immatures and I am certain that other individuals were scattered among the surrounding scrub and gorse as they seem to emerge in large numbers. Also present were the common damselflies and in particular several Blue-tailed Damselflies,again in and around the two Lestes barbarus  scrapes.

Spring Dragonflies on Show at Bouldnor.

A reasonable selection of spring dragonflies at Bouldnor Forest ponds today under mainly sunny skies. Several Emperor Dragonflies were recorded around the ponds which followed up my first sighting of the year of this species on the 18th May in the same location. Black-tailed Skimmers were also in evidence with at least two immature individuals. This was in addition to the four tenerals I encountered on the 28th May.

I have made a few visits to these ponds in the last week in the hope of seeing the first Lestes barbarus, but no luck up to now. In fact the two ponds used by this species over the last six years were today occupied by Blue-tailed Damselflies with a count of at least six.

First Dragonfly of the Year.

A walk around the ponds in Bouldnor Forest,Yarmouth today was rewarded with my first dragonfly of the season. Along a narrow path leading away from the ponds bordered by gorse,I came across this immature female Broad-bodied Chaser enjoying the warm sunshine.This was one of two Broad-bodied seen ,as later I disturbed  a teneral from pondside vegetation. Particularly noticeable today were damselflies,with numerous Large Red's and several Azure.

First Large Red's of the Season.

The  beautiful spring weather of today was rewarded with the first sightings of Large Red Damselflies at the Old Pond in Bouldnor Forest. At least six individuals were disturbed from the pondside grasses and they quickly fluttered  up into the trees. However this female took time to enjoy the warm sunshine on a wooden fence post before disappearing into the wood.

 

 

Southern Emerald Damselflies Yet Again on Show.

At Bouldnor Forest ponds yesterday I quickly bypassed the two Southern Emerald Damselfly breeding scrapes and made for the only spot where sightings have been made this season. I did not linger at the scrapes as they are still full of water. This continuous summertime high water level has not occurred over the years that I have visited and is no doubt due to the bouts of heavy rain in early summer. How this may effect Lestes barbarus breeding remains to be seen.The dry grassy 'path' that seems to be a favourite spot for the Southern Emerald is pictured in the second photograph. Sure enough a female was seen immediately and several other sightings were made afterwards. However it could have been the same individual so numbers are unsure. 

At the same location I also came across a female Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa , the final two photos clearly show the differences with Lestes barbarus.