Species number 4 in my series to celebrate National dragonfly week. Today the banded demoiselle, Calopteyx splendens. This species is usually found slow flowing rivers with muddy bottoms, but they can wander far from these habitats, I’ve seen them a long way from any flowing water. The male (photo above) is metallic blue with a…
DetailsSpecies number 3 in my series to celebrate National dragonfly week. Today the Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula. This species is well known to UK odonata fans as the first species to emerge, usually with the first sightings in April, but in exceptionally mild springs they can emerge in March, as some did in 2012.…
DetailsDay 2 of my dragonfly species a day to celebrate the British Dragonfly Society’s National Dragonfly week. Today we’ll look at the Scarce emerald, Lestes Dryas Like other emerald damselfly species they are emerald green in colour and they have a habit of sitting with their wings at 45 degrees to the body, rather than…
DetailsAs its the British Dragonfly Society’s National Dragonfly week I thought I’d celebrate by posting about a species a day of these marvellous insects. First Up the Magnificent Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Its our largest dragonfly growing to 78mm in length and with a wingspan of 106mm, though some argued the female golden ringed is…
DetailsOn my visit to Kefalonia last May, I wanted to get a photo of a scarce swallowtail. I had some bad photos of a tatty specimen from my visit a few years ago and found another on a visited to Lake Avithos earlier in the holiday, but on this visit one decided to sit a…
DetailsA couple of weeks ago I was watching a female emperor dragonfly ovipositing (egg laying) in a pond, when an azure damselfly started mobbing it. I took some video of it happening and 2 other instances and have put them together in the video below.
DetailsAs well as Dragonflies there were some nice butterflies at Crockford Stream in the the New Forest, including a first for me, a Dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja. In the hot sun they were very active and didn’t perch for long, so I only managed a few grab shots.
DetailsToday I popped into Bedfords Park for a break and to have look for red eyed damselflies. But what caught my attention were the many emperor dragonflies spread along the lake margin, each patrolling their territories and scrapping with each other where they crossed paths. Occasionally one would hover, and this one did at a…
DetailsOn Tuesday I visited one of my favourite sites, Crockford Stream. The site is amazing for dragonflies and damselflies, including golden ringed dragonflies. The site is also a good one for the rare southern damselfly. It was good to see a few tandem pairs of these great little blue damselflies. The keeled skimmers were in…
DetailsA quick 1 photo post: a female bullfinch.