Sunday 5th August
This European heatwave has been a blessing to dragonfly enthusiasts with perhaps the best activity we’ve seen for many years. We had a warning back in Spring with the late start and a bounty of early emergencies across the board.
At first excited for the pleasing bounty I remember being a little concerned as if the odos knew far more about the coming season than we could possibly predict. They knew when the time was right; get out early and live their lives while they could.
Three months of exciting and exhausting action to sink our teeth into is showing signs of slowing down considerably, the reason being the lack of water. Most of the ponds are dry and even some streams have stopped flowing.
The surrounding heather hadn’t had the chance to fully bloom before before succumbing to the heat. Elsewhere lush meadows now a sea of hay which is at once beautiful and dangerous. Tinder dry with many fires breaking out.
Mother Nature’s way of clearing out the cobwebs and starting afresh? Despite the worrying state of our meadows they do provide a pleasing backdrop for photography.
Crockford has been simply fantastic this summer, but has now peaked. A visit during the week found very few Southern and Small Red damselflies, a sprinkling of tired-looking Keeled Skimmer and a few rather battered Golden-ringed.
The shallow ponds on the heaths of Town Common frequently dry out and recover but without frequent showers their surfaces are dry and crisp, the Black Darters having to seek out other options further afield.
Hawker Season is already upon us with Migrant Hawkers gaining numbers and feeding up rapidly among the woodland rides. Southern and Moorland Hawker are starting to patrol the remaining puddles, and therein lies the problem.
A brief respite from the parched conditions with a good lashing of rain last weekend helped replenish a few pools just enough to kick-start some activity but after a week those few pools have returned to puddles.
So far this August pickings have been slim and I’m having to choose wisely, resisting the urge to travel too far in fear of wasted fuel and time, preferring to remain local where there should be enough to satisfy.
Seeking out places where a profusion of feeder insects bring in the feasting hawkers. Choosing those areas which retain some water; the larger, deeper lakes and ponds. The constant flow of fast-running streams which contain some pools where the hawkers can patrol.
Mostly though I’m hoping for a few more downpours to replenish those ponds which offer a chance to just sit & watch without walking too far in these hot, parched dog days of summer.