Norfolk hawker and other wildlife from RSPB Strumpshaw Fen

Back in June I had visit to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk, one of my favourite reserves. I decided to do an anti clockwise loop and started in the area near the ‘Doctors Garden.’ The sun decided to disappear behind the cloud as I arrived around lunchtime, so I wasn’t holding up much hope of seeing much insect life, let alone swallowtail butterflies or Norfolk hawker dragonflies. There was some insect life though, in the form of this variable damselfly, a species I had never managed a decent photo of.

Soon after I entered the reserve I found this Blue tailed damselfly mating pair.

I then came across this ‘false wasp beetle’ as I have called it in the past, though I’ve seen other common names such as striped longhorn beetle and black and yellow longhorn beetle

I was hoping to find some scarce chaser dragonflies down by the river, but only glimpse a couple of possible individuals which were very flighty considering the cloud, though it was warm and muggy, which meant lots and lots of mosquitoes like this lady.

I can tell its a female as it has the long pointy mouth for piercing skin and sucking blood, and only female mosquitoes bite!

Nearby on some nettles a number of wolf spiders where optimistically trying to bask in the non existent sun.

A large number of mossie bites later I reached the meadow, and finally spotted a Norfolk hawker, a female egglaying.

I stayed in the meadow a good hour or two and observed lots of Norfolk Hawker activity which increased with the sun emerging periodically. I was surprised to see a number of hairy dragonflies too. I managed a nice in-flight shot of the Norfolk hawker…

…and one OK shot of one perched.

I got this shot of a mating pair, though its ruined somewhat by the messy background.

There were a few emerald damselflies emerging in the meadow too.

And a number of southern marsh orchids growing too.

The meadow itself is maintained by grazing with Highland cattle, which are quite photogenic.

As the light started to go and the cloud return, I had to think about heading to the campsite for the night, I had a quick look around the swallowtail boardwalk in an optimistic look for swallowtail caterpillars/pupa, with no luck. I did however find this wasp.