What, Even More Dragonflies?

As I mentioned last week everything is bursting into life.  So as not to rush around like a ‘headless chicken’ I tried to plan places to visit and species to see.  Had to make the most of the heatwave as today it’s broken with heavy showers and thunder due.  I have seen and photographed lots of interesting things in the last ten days but I thought I would treat you all to more odonata including a couple of first time sightings!

Standing guard over the garden pond. Male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). His manner with the visiting ladies leaves a lot to be desired!

My old buddy John came up from Hertfordshire for a couple of days.  We visited Strumpshaw Fen primarily for Swallowtail butterflies.  The butterflies were notable by their absence but the dragons put on a great display.

Love the orange colouration of newly emerged Scarce Chasers (Libellula fulva). The males turn blue with a powdery substance called pruinescence whilst the females are brown

Banded Demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens) are gorgeous and always worth a photo

Another blue dragonfly on a stick? This is a male Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) which usually only rest on the ground!  Seen at Hickling Broad

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) usually rests on floating water weeds like lilies. There were hundreds on the Suffolk Stour

So what about these two lifers?  I always like to have a target to aim for.  If you fail to see what you travel a long way for this can leave an empty feeling.  A successful trip and it’s big smiles for days.  Damselflies are not the most ‘in your face’ creatures.  Unlike their big, brash, colourful cousins the dragonflies, damsels keep low in the vegetation and go about their business in a slow, quiet way.  Make no mistake these tiny insects are vicious predators in their own right.  A day out to the Suffolk/Essex border produced the first and also a look at ‘Constable Country’.

White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)  Flatford Suffolk. A very distinctive species, this is an immature male which will turn pale blue

The next target was going to be much more tricky.  The species can be found only at one site in East Anglia, it is usually found in the south, south/west of the Country.  I happened to meet an old friend who knew the exact spot for this tiny damselfly.  The place is kept somewhat secret to protect this delicate species.  I knew roughly the area but armed with a map, x marks the spot, I found them.  Without my friends help I would still be searching now!  Let me introduce…..

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura pumillio) At just over one inch (27mm) long proof that good things come in small packages!

I still have one more rare species to see locally however it should soon be time for the summer butterflies so who knows what I will post next!