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It was inevitable that the warm, sunny days couldn’t continue. The past week has seen almost constant cloud cover, stiff breezes and just the odd smattering of rain. This in turn has subdued nearly all activity until the afternoons.

On Thursday 12th I spent an uneventful morning scouring the banks of Ober Water and the surrounding heaths & bogs for signs of life. My main intention was to hopefully find some early White-legged Damsels and maybe – just maybe – an early Scarce Blue-tail. No such luck, not even a single Beautiful Demoiselle graced the banks of the stream, although there were a couple of Four-spotted Chasers flying off into the distance.

Duckhole Bog was also devoid of life. Not a damsel or dragon to be seen. I returned to the banks of the stream and waited an hour hoping that the brief sunny spells would produce a sighting before reluctantly moving on.

I paid a brief visit to Broomy Pond where a few Large Reds and Azures were in attendance. Whilst there I received a call from Doug who excitedly informed me that a mass emergence of Emperors was underway at Dunyeates Pond in Poole. Maybe a visit to Dorset would’ve been a better idea!

Starved of my dragon fix, Sue & I took an afternoon trip to our favourite pond at Cadnam Common. The cloud had broken up a little to produce some decent sunny spells and the water was alive with Broad-bodied Chasers.

Over a dozen mature and young males were fighting over 3 females. There were several couplings followed by immediate ovipositing where the successful male would try to defend his mate.

With so many males around this was no easy task and many battles ensued. This was a spectacle to observe, but you had to feel a little sorry for the poor female who undefended was soon engaged in unwelcome couplings

Besides BBC’s there were a few Four-spotted Chasers and Downy Emeralds holding their own amid the chaos. Surprisingly there were few damsels to be seen. Usually the pond margins are alive with Azures and Large Reds, but we only saw a couple of Red-eyeds and a single Blue-tail. It’s possible the stiff breeze kept them hunkered down among the islands reeds or perhaps the populations had been decimated by the many dragons or the pair of Swallows who appeared frequently over the water.

On Saturday we had an invite to Clive Farrell’s home in Dorset for a butterfly bonanza. The grounds contain many sculptured ponds where Azures were swarming in the surrounding foliage. Several spent Emperor exuvia were attached to the reeds but the only dragons on the wing in the breeze were Four-spotted chasers. A visit on a more dragon-friendly day is a must.

On Monday 16th I visited Bentley Wood, mainly for the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, but did visit the ponds where only a few Large Reds were seen. However I did encounter a lone female Broad-bodied Chaser along one of the forest rides.

In such dull weather conditions I’ve decided to concentrate on butterflies in the mornings and wait until the afternoons for dragons. On Tuesday 17th I followed my visit to Martin Down with a visit to Canford Magna on the banks of the River Stour after a tip from one of my Flickr friends.

Last year The Stour proved excellent for Banded Demoiselles, White-legged Damsels and Brown Hawkers so I was anxious to survey this new location.

There were plenty of Bandeds but the main prize during my short visit were hundreds of teneral White-legged Damselflies taking refuge in the lush bank-side grass.

I only had a half-hour and promised myself a return visit to explore further in the near future.

Once again Dorset has produced the goods ahead of Hampshire, but this good fortune  means WLD’s should appear along Ober Water shortly. I’m just waiting for a better day before I venture down that way…

This superb unseasonable weather has meant I’ve barely had time to eat, let alone keep up to date with the internet. All winter I’d been longing for the season to start and now it’s here I’m making the most of it!

After a forgetfully dumb visit to Titchfield Haven on Tuesday 3rd (they’re closed Monday & Tuesday) we returned on Wednesday to check on the Hairy activity. There were plenty around, but none offering the chance of a decent shot.I did however manage a male as it stopped to feed on a Large Red Damsel

A female Broad-bodied Chaser was more obliging

She even allowed me to change position

And just as we were about to leave a Four-spotted Chaser perched for me

On Thursday I paid a short visit to my favourite pond for a little Downy playtime

Titchfield had previously supplied me with decent chances to capture a Hairy but the draw of Somerset was too hard to resist and as both Sue & I had Friday 6th free we made a day of it.

Hairy’s were once again in abundance, this time joined by swarms of Four-spotted Chasers. At one point there were 11 all perched in a small area and would have made a great photo opportunity if I hadn’t been focused on getting a decent single specimen

However Hairy’s were my main focus and this time I managed a female, a couple of males and a couple of breeding pairs

This female could have been better positioned, but to give her her due she had just been bothered by a male and was desperately trying to right herself, so I didn’t push it.

This male gave me the run around, and while I was attempting to reposition myself for a better capture he dropped down into the foliage

This one was slightly better placed though

Another excellent chance for a breeding pair provided almost a carbon copy of the week previous

Damsels were once again in abundance and I allowed myself a couple of shots, first a female Red-eyed

and a most colourful female Blue-tailed

We could have stayed at Westhay all night, but with a two hour journey ahead of us we just had time to witness the marvelous display of hawking Hairy’s as they polished off the rising cloud of midges late afternoon.

Sunday saw us back at Pangbourne on a dull and very windy day with Doug in tow hoping to spot a few Club-tails. We saw two, but at least the journey was worthwhile. This freshly-emerged specimen was showing us more than we needed to see

 

Who knew they were green? Well I guess you learn something every day!

Afterwards we took a trip cross-country to Thursley Common and were a tad disappointed. The wind was still horrendous and nothing at all was showing along the boardwalks. The main pond at least provided some opportunities with a playful Azure

A male Blue-tailed

and finally a difficultly-perched Downy Emerald

Besides the wind the major disappointment of the day was somehow the quality setting on my camera had accidentally switched to JPEG Basic before we reached Thursley and all shots I took at that location, including the ones above, were saved in this format.

Without getting into the old argument RAW vs JPEG I’ll just say I always prefer to shoot RAW, so from now on I’m making sure that’s added to my list of pre-shoot checks.

On Monday 9th I crossed the county border yet again to visit Ramsdown Forest on the edge of the New Forest for the Scarce Chasers. A little flush & stalk provided the goods

Again the windy conditions meant that they weren’t going far, even if it meant taking resident on my finger

 

And of course I had to get my angled shot

 

and one just prior to take-off

Afterwards I nipped into Troublefield where along with yet more Scarce Chasers was the most spectacular display of Beautiful Demoiselles

Everywhere you looked there were swarms of them

The only place I’d previously seen such numbers is Durley Mill on the upper reaches of the River Hamble

On Wednesday the 10th I visited Keyhaven mainly for the Wall Brown butterflies but was surprised to see two Hairy Dragonflies hawking the ride along the old highway, along with an Emperor. Meither stopped. I did manage a pair of Blue-tails during my walk along the sea wall though

By yesterday the weather had taken a turn for the worst and after a brief soaking at Higher Hyde Heath in Dorset I braved the clouds to witness a couple of patrolling Downy’s and a few damsels, including this fresh Azure

So a cooling of the weather and some much-needed rain has dampened a lot of the activity this week, but when the sun does shine all hell breaks loose as you will see next time……

Last year Sue & I promised ourselves a trip to find the Common Club-tail Dragonfly, but due to other commitments we never did get to go. So on a very windy Sunday we drove the 60 miles to Goring-On-Thames armed with a highlighted OS map.

About half-an-hour into the walk I spied, my first ever, fly high into a tree. Nevertheless I still frantically snapped away just in case it was the only one I saw.

I needn’t have worried. Just as we started our walk back down the track we saw this teneral fly up from the foliage and back down again a few feet away. He wasn;t exactly in a prime position and once again I got seriously stung getting my shots.

There was no way Sue was following me in, so after I had my fill I thought if she can’t come to the dragon then I will take the dragon to her. Surprisingly the closer I got with my finger the more he stayed put, until he obligingly crawled onto it.

I gingerly tiptoed over to Sue to enable her to get a photo and he made a girl very happy when he obligingly crawled from my finger to hers. Of course I had to capture the moment!

After our little encounter we drove the short distance down-stream to another reliable location and saw a half-a-dozen more perched quite happily in the bank-side foliage

I had no idea what to expect and thought that they would be difficult to locate or approach for a photograph, but having all been fresh individuals and probably because of the windy conditions they proved most obliging.

If you have never seen this beautiful species I urge you to take a trip to Goring-On-Thames or Pangbourne – two of the only stretches of this river accessible among the prime real estate – and witness them for yourselves.

The following day we took a trip to Pulborough in West Sussex to another suggested location.

The small area just north of Stopham Bridge was a relative jungle compared to the well-manicured banks of the Thames with waist-high nettles, brambles and several other obstacles which makes the going tough. However the clearing is ideal for dragon spotting being surrounded by gorse and trees. Just make sure you’re well protected!

Although we saw a few Four-spotted Chasers, several Banded Demoiselles and swarms of Mayflies, we didn’t see any Club-tails. It is possible that they haven’t emerged there yet or we didn’t look hard enough.

On the south side of the bridge, at the end of the lane leading from the pub, there is a footpath leading to a wide riverside area which is easier going and again may well provide a feast of dragonfly activity later in the season.

A little disappointed with this location after the fruits of the previous day, we decided to drive the 20 miles to Thursley Common to get our fix – and it is well that we did so! As soon as we reached the pond we were greeted by several Downy Emeralds patrolling the banks.

The wet reeded area to the north of the pond is backed by gorse and trees and I had my chance to get a couple of perched shots

From experience I know that the Downy can be hard to approach and does tend to like perching in – or in the case of this one – on trees

I could have stayed here all evening stalking my quarry but as time was getting on and the wind yet again was proving uncomfortable I relented knowing I had a few good shots in the bag. Just enough time to grab a Four-spotted Chaser

So a perfect start to May and the perfect end to a Bank Holiday weekend.

We have been blessed with exceptionally good weather this April, which in turn had resulted in earlier than usual emergence of many dragonfly species.

I’m pleased to say the New Forest is catching up with Dorset with Azure, Blue-tailed, Common Blue, Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle and Red-eyed damselflies joining the Large Reds.Dragons on the wing include Broad-bodied Chasers, Four-spotted Chasers, Hairy’s, Downy’s and Emperors.

After a well-deserved rest on Tuesday I ventured out for an early morning butterfly hunt at Hod Hill in Dorset before meeting Doug Overton at Dunyeats Pond. Cloudy & cool weather meant activity was muted with a few damsels and a Four-spotted Chaser patrolling.

At the end of our short lunchtime visit Doug spied a freshly-emerged Hairy dragonfly in a bad way resting on a small log on the pond. Unfortunately this poor individual had not emerged properly and it’s wings were undeveloped. We relocated him to some sheltered undergrowth where no doubt he would end up in the food chain.

After this sad encounter I left Doug and decided to visit my favourite pond where things were really kicking off. I only had time for a short stay, but returned an hour later with my partner Sue for some serious dragonfly watching.

Among the large Red, Azure and Blue-tailed damsels were several male Broad-bodied Chasers engaging in battle around the pond. These were joined later by a few females enabling brief coupling before the females oviposited immediately afterwards.

Thursday early morning, perhaps a little too early and cool for any real activity, I briefly visited Hatchet Pond and Crockford Stream, but it was only when I reached Keyhaven that any signs of life were seen, with Blue-tailed, Azure, Large Red and a single Red-eyed damselfly. The only dragonfly on the wing was a sole male Hairy.

By the time I reached Ramsdown Forest the temperature had increased enough to enable a spectacular display of Four-spotted Chasers vying for territory on the small pond, later joined by a male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Time ran out all too soon and I had to cut my visit short, but Sue and I decided to visit Durley Mill later that afternoon in the hope that the Beautiful Demoiselles were on the wing. Sure enough there were several males and a few females along the banks of the infant Hamble River, mostly flying high above the tree line but there were a few males willing to perch long enough for a photo or two

The upper Hamble has to be one of the best places to observe the Beautifuls – even better than Crockford Stream in my opinion – with 100’s on the wing in peak season. From a photographers point of view the variety of bank-side foliage allows you a wide choice of compositional opportunities.

While most of the country were celebrating the royal wedding Doug, Sue & I took advantage of the quiet roads to visit Shapwick Heath and Westhay Moor on the Somerset Levels.

The weather was a little threatening but brief sunny intervals at Shapwick saw Hairy’s patrolling the reeds. However the advantage of cloud cover means damsels are less flighty and these provided our main photographic subjects to begin with.

Common Blues, Azures, Blue-tails were interspersed with Variables – a species we’re not lucky to have access to in the New Forest.

However the most impressive display of all were the Red-eyed Damsels. As soon as the sun broke through they would take off as one from the bank-side foliage and fly in formation to their chosen lily pads.

So far the only opportunities for photographing a Hairy or two had been the possibility of an in-flight male or ovipositing female but I eventually persuaded Doug to move on to Westhay where Jerry had kindly given me a tip that opportunities were plentiful.

However before we could leave we spotted a male and female Broad-bodied along with our first Scarce Chaser of the year.

When we finally dragged ourselves away from Shapwick we took the short ride to Westhay and had a spot of lunch before delving in.

Opposite the disabled Car Park near the hide was undoubtedly the best display of damsel activity we had ever witnessed. Hundreds taking to the air in response to our movement. Plants and reeds festooned with several individuals giving endless possibilities to choose your composition.

But it was the Hairy’s we were really their to see and sure enough barely 100 yards down the path we spotted our first perched female, albeit hidden by the vegetation. We needn’t had worried as she was soon followed by several males and a selection of breeding pairs perched in more suitable locations.

We were like kids in a sweet shop!

The next hour was spent capturing more shots than we needed and all too soon it was time to hit the road. We never did venture any further down that path, but you can guarantee we’ll be back to complete the transect and take in Ham Wall next time.

For two enthusiasts so blessed with variety that can be found in the New Forest, the Somerset Levels are a real eye-opener and a must visit for any dragonfly fan.

Once again thanks to Jerry for the locations and also Mike for the inspiration to visit such a wonderful place.

As of last week the New Forest is still lagging way behind Dorset in sightings, although I’m pleased to say that it has now finally woken up with several species now present. Along with the Large Reds, there have been sightings of Hairys, Downy Emeralds, Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers, Azures, Blue-tails and Common Blues.

On Wednesday of last week, after a great day at Studland, I decided to scout a few reliable sites in the forest but the only species to be seen were Large Reds, albeit in greater numbers. having spent the end of the week in pursuit of my other passion, butterflies, I decided to spend Sunday afternoon at Keyhaven.

Several Large Reds, Azures and Blue-tails were on the wing, a fresh Four-spotted Chaser disappeared over the tree tops and a little later I had my first sighting of a Hairy Dragonfly, followed closely afterwards by two more.

I then spent the next 3 hours watching 2 males and a female patrolling the bank, weaving in & out of the reeds at great speed and with maneuverability. This of course didn’t provide the best opportunity for a photograph! So I had no other choice than to attempt an in-flight shot

After a reliable report of plentiful Hairy activity along with a large population of damsels, I decided to take a trip to outside of Hampshire Somerset Levels on Monday.

We arrived shortly after midday and took a short walk along one of the many paths where damsels were in profusion, mostly Azures and Common Blues along with possibly some Variables, although unable to get close for a photo I cannot be sure.

Having found our bearings we found the path of most activity and were rewarded with a good 18 Hairy’s patrolling the rides, but it was a good hour before I had my first close chance for a perched shot

She was very accommodating and allowed me several shots

even allowing me to get in close

Satisfied with a good opportunity, we decided to explore further and spotted several more along with a few Four-spotted Chasers, although none perched close enough for a decent shot

Returning to the main path we spotted our first Banded Demoiselles of the season

We counted 3 males and 2 females, all very flighty

So all in all a very rewarding day and well worth the 2 hour drive

Just because it’s called Hampshire Dragonflies doesn’t mean I restrict my locations, and Dorset is a very special place for dragonflies as well as being a top County for wildlife and habitat in general. So I paid a long overdue visit to Studland today in search of the Hairy Dragonfly, among others.

The Hairy is a magnificent beast and sorely lacking from most of Hampshire. There are a few spots where a sighting is almost guaranteed, but there had been a report of sightings in Studland along with some excellent photos over the weekend. So armed with a grid reference, off I went.

As is typical with me, having found nothing at the location (still early at 10.30am I guess) I went on a trek around ‘Little Sea’. Biting off more than I can chew as usual; but I did disturb a couple of Hairy’s a good way further down the south side. No chance of a photo though.

After a long and tiring walk I found a busy and productive little area on the north side of the lake where I spotted and photographed my first Downy of the season.

Major excitement and payoff for the hard slog, but she wasn’t perched in a very good place to begin with. High on gorse and in shadow. Luckily she moved a little to the left with the sun upon her and I grasped the opportunity, hoping I had a result.

Also in this patch were several Large Reds

and a good number of teneral Blue-tailed damsels, another first for the season.

Further along the track and in a small clearing I spotted a rather pristine and mature Four-spotted Chaser. Just enough time to rattle off one shot before he took flight.

Tired and thirsty I finally made it back to the car park and partook of some much-needed refreshment, but as it was only 2.30pm I decided to look again at the original grid reference and disturbed another 2 Hairy’s, neither of which would settle. So they’re there, I just need some luck! But then they never were an easy subject to photograph!

Four new species for the season and three photographed, so it would be very churlish to complain. As well as dragonflies I spotted a Common Lizard, a female Sand Lizard, an Adder and a huge and very fast Grass Snake.

So despite the self-inflicted exhaustion it was a fantastic day, and a site I can highly recommend.

Just be aware that there is a charge for parking at the designated car park (although there is free road-side parking if you’re early and lucky), the cafe charge extortionate prices, in season it is overrun with tourists and day-trippers and be advised that the eastern end of the beach and heath allows nude sunbathing!

At last! It’s been a long wait. The first Large Red sightings have already been posted on the BDS website, with Dorset leading Hampshire by nearly a week.

However after a hopeful visit to the New Forest today I am pleased to announce the Large Reds are finally appearing! At Broomy Pond today there were at least 30 tenerals to be seen, desperately clinging to the heather in the wind.

After a long winter they were such a pleasure to watch, and a chance to get my eye in again for photo oppotunities.

Looking forward to the new season with a renewed passion, but then I always thought I would!

After the disaster of the previous posting and armed with a new camera body, in much the same way as a rider would jump straight back on the horse after a fall, I revisited the spot where my previous camera shutter failed.

I was surprised and a little overjoyed to find the same male Southern Hawker  patrolling the small pond, occasionally flying up to do battle with an incoming female.

It was the perfect opportunity to try out the new camera, if a little challenging due to my quarry’s penchant for erratic flight patterns and  refusal to hover.

Nevertheless I persisted and managed a few in-flight as well as one perched

Satisfied with an opportunity to christen the new camera on my favourite subject, I continued on with my partner to pursue our other main activity of that day – the gathering of Autumn’s harvest of fruit and fungi.

However while picking sloes and blackberries I spied another male Southern Hawker which we’d obviously disturbed from his roost. He was reluctant to travel far given the hour and temperature, so once again I had a perfect opportunity for some perched shots.

He looked magnificent against the golden ferns and the relative gloom meant I had to use a little fill-flash

So intent was he on resting up for the day, I even managed to get in close

The next time I ventured out was the 7th October. I decided to explore a small area around Holmsley which is riddled with small ponds surrounding a small stream. I didn’t expect to find anything around the ponds, but did see a few Common Darters enjoying the brief sunny intervals.

It was on the walk back where I encountered a male Southern Hawker resting in the foliage

With an hour or so left I decided to pay a visit to Pennington just in case, and was rewarded with a Male Migrant Hawker and the odd Common Darter

I did call into Crockford Stream on the way back and didn’t expect to find anything, but there was a single male Southern briefly flying over the stream.

On Sunday 10th I revisited a private area where I met the landowner! Unperturbed, I introduced myself and told him what I was doing on his land and if there was a chance I could continue to observe and photograph the wonderful selection of wildlife with his permission.

For someone who had encountered a trespasser, he was very obliging and gave permission to carry on as he was also a wildlife enthusiast. He was at that time rehousing a selection of the reptiles on site.

For once I explored the area without the nagging doubt that I would get a tap on the shoulder, have the dogs set on me or shot at!

As regards dragons, there were a few Common Darters to be seen, along with a couple of male Southern Hawkers.

The following Monday was chilly, yet bright with some warming intervals of sunshine, so I ventured out yet again to Pennington with a main objective of encountering some Kingfishers. Alas no luck, but there were a few Common Darters, a couple of male Migrant Hawkers and surpringly a lone male Blue-tailed Damselfly looking ragged but holding on

As with last year around this time I realise that the usual hot-spots rarely deliver and most sightings tend to be around the heaths and along the rides. This has once again proved to be the case and during the colder days when I’ve had a chance to venture out I’ve come across the odd wayward Common Darter and Southern Hawker, the last being last Friday 22nd.

This is usually the time of year I spend exploring new prospective areas in and around the forest ready for next spring, and I’m hoping that during one of these forays I’ll come across a dragon or two before they disappear completely.

Firstly many apologies for the lack of posting recently. The combination of family commitments, camera failure and making the most of sunny days in the field are my excuse, but I hope I can make up for it with this post.

On the 22nd of September the weather was reasonable but dragon sightings were minimal. I called into a reliable pond where there were a few Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers on the wing, but little else. Crockford Stream was even less successful with only one sighting of a lone male Southern Hawker along the stream. Only one poor in-flight Migrant shot that day.

Saturday 25th proved much better with fine weather and plenty of Migrant activity along with the mating and ovipositing  Common Darters. There was even a lone male Blue-tailed Damselfly among the foliage, but he shot off before I could get a photograph.

Besides patrolling males, there was also a lone female ovipositing among the bank-side vegetation. She even perched for a short while allowing a decent photo opportunity.

The next day I ventured out with the camera,  Wednesday 28th September, proved to be a much better day than the forecast would have you believe. Reasonably calm wind and a welcome burst of warm sunshine.

After a morning of autumn foraging, I decided to pay a visit to a small, almost insignificant pond on the northern edge of the New Forest. This was the last dedicated location I had visited the previous year in search of dragons and on that occasion I witnessed one male and one female Southern Hawker.

Today’s visit didn’t disappoint either. Besides a couple of tandem pairs of Common Darters, there were a pair of Southern Hawkers. Most of the activity came from the patrolling male, but on three occasions the female would come in and they would attempt to couple – usually ending up in more of an aerial battle.

The male proved to be extremely active and one of the more difficult individuals I’ve ever had the chance of photographing. Indeed the only opportunities were with me stood in the pond attempting to get some in-flight shots.

Unlike most of the other male Southerns I’ve attempted to photograph in-flight, this individual refused to hover, preferring to circle the small pond in unpredictable staggering flight. Nevertheless I persevered and managed a couple of decent in-flight shots before disaster struck.

My camera’s shutter mechanism had failed. The first warning came with a noticeable slowing of the shutter until about 5 shots later it failed completely. That was the end of my photography for the day and the near future so I returned home early.

My one consolation was the results of what proved to be a worthy adversary, but the season isn’t over yet! More soon…

Altogether a much better week than last week, with some reasonably warm, sunny days to bring out the Hawkers. Migrants are our most plentiful at this time of year which begs the question why not rename this species the Common  and reclassify the Common Hawker as the Moorland Hawker – a more fitting name.

Sunday was a pleasant day with several species on the wing including Migrant, Southern and Brown Hawkers, Common and Ruddy Darters, Common Blue, Blue-tailed, Emerald and Small Red-eyed Damsels.

On Wednesday I joined Doug at Troublefield for an hour and was greeted by my first male Migrant perched

The appearance of some warm, sunny spells brought out more Migrants and a few Southerns providing an excellent aerial display with up to half-a-dozen in flight at a time. Occasionally they would land, in some cases perching reasonably close allowing a shot or two.

On Thursday I joined Doug again for an hour at Burley. Nothing much was visible over the ponds except a few Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damsels and several Common Darters. We continued over to Whitten Pond and was greeted by a patrolling male Southern Hawker and an ovipositing female Migrant along the lead-in stream.

Also present were a few ovipositing pairs of Common Darters, and these provided a real challenge to capture in-flight with their continual bobbing and weaving.

Afterwards I popped over to Pennington and witnessed yet another ovipositing Migrant

Friday’s weather looked promising so I visited Badminston Common where I knew I’d find some action. Surprisingly there wasn’t much going on at the pools, but searching the reeds revealed my first Migrant of the day.

A bleak, dark cloud hovered over the common and took a while to clear, considerably dropping the temperature and putting pay to activity, but there were a few persistent Common Blue Damsels hovering along the margins of the path. I decided to survey the gorse and was rewarded by perched Common Darters and yet more Migrants.

The sun seemed reluctant to reveal itself for much of the time but in those brief sunny intervals I witnessed a further dozen or so Hawkers – both Migrant and Southern – and several more Common Darters.

Better luck was to be found at Pennington where the Migrants seemed to be out in force. Several males were patrolling their territories, occasionally finding a female to mate with. I was determined to get an acceptable in-flight shot so busied myself until I acheived the result I was looking for

Satisfied, I continued to explore the the margins, witnessing at least 3 mating pairs flying out of range until I found a pair perched among the reeds.

I stayed around the vicinity for the rest of the afternoon honing in on the sound of females ovipositing among the reeds, Occasionally they would hover towards the bank in their quest for suitable laying sites.

Finally a promising Saturday weatherwise proved a tad disappointing, probably due to the low temperatures overnight. I joined Doug at Delph Woods where we were greeted by a Brown Hawker, a lone Emperor, a few Southerns and the odd Migrant patrolling the pond.

This brief moment of activity was shortlived and it was hard work finding much to photograph besides the profusion of Common Darters. Careful searching did produce more species including Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Emerald Damsels along with a few Black Darters and a beautifully perched Southern Hawker.

Despite the slow finish to what was a successful week, we should be grateful for any opportunities and sightings with reasonable diversity late in the season. Provided we continue to have reasonable weather without a frost we should continue to observe Migrants, Southerns and of course Common Darters for several more weeks.