First dragonflies

My dragonfly season always seems to get off to a slow start - perhaps I am just too impatient. This year the weather has been poor with just an occasional sunny day in between all the rain, not good for dragonflies.  On 17th May, I eventually saw a dragonfly, a female Broad-bodied Chaser at Prudhoe.

A week later I saw an emerging Four-spotted Chaser at Gosforth Nature Reserve, a mile or so from here.  I was a few minutes too late to see the start but was able to watch as it pumped up its abdomen and wings.

Here it has climbed higher up the reed.  It is always amazing to compare the size of the nymph with the fully expanded dragonfly, a miracle of packaging.

I waited as it readied itself for its first flight.

I am hoping to see a dragonfly emerge from my new pond this year.  In between all the floods over the past six months I managed a bit of work to deepen one end and in doing so I saw several dragonfly nymphs which looked to be large enough to be ready for this year.  I put one of them in a tray of water for a few photos.  It was covered in silt so the photos aren't great but it was fun to try.

This must mean that a Broad-bodied Chaser laid eggs in the pond in 2022 in its first season, even though I didn't see one there that year.  I am now checking the pond every morning in the hope of seeing an emergence.