Lords Piece

Following Martin's lead I grabbed a couple of hours at Lords Piece this afternoon. The small pond by the car park is stuffed with dragon and damsel flies and the heat of the afternoon had them buzzing. Some kind soul had already put sticks out and these insects were most obliging.

Broad-bodied Chasers, Libellula depressa were most numerous, with a good number of Four Spotted Chasers, Libellula quadrimaculata scattered about. One individual, identified by a portion of the left  rear wing missing, took ownership of one stick and posed really close.

 

Female BBC ovipositing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragonfly Nymphs

A quiet hour by the pond looking for newtpoles was unrewarding, the three months of 'newt nuptials' have produced nothing visually, I assume the offspring are extremely adept at hiding.  In another way it was a valuable look at the progress the Broad Bodied Chaser nymphs are making. I was under the impression that all the nymphs in the pond came from a single laying but given the variation in maturity that is obviously erroneous. The other puzzle is that on several occasions Southern Hawkers were depositing eggs in the pond and immediately close by on marginal plants, of these there is no sign whatsoever. However, the specimen pictured below is so different from the BBC nymphs that I am hopeful that it is an Aeshna species. Unfortunately my Field Guide to Dragonflies is sadly lacking in the nymph department.

Looking like some 'alien beast' from a 1950's sci fi movie, a nymph approaching the point where it will climb up a reed stem and become an adult dragonfly.

One day it may look like this

 

How the majority look

Broad Bodied Chasers

At long last a break in the weather, today dawned sunny and warm, although a stiff westerly breeze was still blowing. The garden was alive with insects, particularly Bumble Bees. I guess they were all a tad hungry after such awful weather precluded them foraging.

My eagle eyed good lady alerted me to a probable female Broad Bodied Chaser sunning itself in one of the shrubs. I know these are the most common of our dragonflies but I had a hunch that this one is one of "our" dragonflies. I wasn't dead certain that it had come from our pond, but I had photographed a female laying eggs in one of the plant containers in the pond on June 19th last year. I know that the nymph phase can be one or two years but "ours" seem too small to be mature. However, having detected one more in the bushes I finally found one on the reeds in the pond, obviously newly emerged. Its body was small and the wings not fully extended and possibly a male. I observed this individual for about two hours and monitored its first flight - all of four metres - a short pause then into full flight.

After it had gone I found two exuviae at the base of the reeds, there are lots more nymphs in the pond and I am really hoping I can capture a series of emergence shots.

Pristine and newly emerged. Libellula depressa

Hanging out to dry

Ready to go

First flight - 4 metres

Exuvia - proof they are "ours"

Exuvia - underside

 These are the photographs from last year

BBC female laying eggs

BBC eggs