A walk round the pond - Week 39

It has been a pretty unsettled week, so not very good weather for dragonflies.  I didn't get to the pond until this afternoon and didn't expect to see much as there was a strong cool breeze.  In fact there were a dozen or so male migrant hawkers making the most of a bit of sunshine after days of rain.  They were either hunting or sunbathing low down out of the wind.  I think most were staying away from the water because of the breeze, and the fact that they didn't expect many females to be there.

I found a couple of favoured sunbathing spots.

No damselflies this week and only a few common darters, also sheltering from the breeze..

And another change from all the blue, a red admiral.

Next week's weather forecast looks slightly better but definitely autumnal.

A walk round the pond - Week 38

The two swans returned this week and brought the family with them.  They have four cygnets, all more or less full grown.

Migrant hawkers were the most numerous dragonflies this week, with many males on patrol while others were resting up and waiting their turn.

This one adopted a very strange posture.  Darters sometimes stand like this to avoid overheating in very hot weather (it is called obelisking) but I haven't heard of hawkers doing it and it wasn't very hot.

These two have damaged wings, probably damaged in a fights with rivals, perhaps with each other.

Females are much harder to find, partly because they don't usually come near the water except to mate and also because they are well camouflaged.  I was pleased to find these two in the hedge.

No black darters this week but some young ruddy darters so they will be around for a while yet.

And plenty of common darters - this is a mature female

Last week I saw no common blue damselflies and only a few emeralds.  This week one common blue and no emeralds. Both are near the end of their season.

A walk round the pond - Week 37

After walking round both ponds I was thinking of leaving when I saw a female southern hawker dancing in the reeds as she laid her eggs.  There was no chance of a photo and after several minutes I lost sight of her.  With time to spare I decided to look at the hedges again in case she had gone there to rest.  There was no sign of the female but I did find a male, the first I have seen on the site this year.

He hadn't been there half an hour earlier so he was presumably getting his breath back after mating.  Obligingly he flew around me a couple of times and settled close by so I could get a different view.

There were several male migrant hawkers this week, mostly on patrol.

This one is photographed in sunshine and shadow, showing the difference the light makes.

These rather acrobatic common darters were one of many mating pairs.

This is a mature male

and a fairly young female.

The females change colour as they age, usually becoming brown,

but sometimes developing male-type red colouration (known as androchrome).

There was again a single black darter, this one not posing well and sitting in a birch tree.

I saw no common blue damselflies this week and only a few emerald damselflies.  Their season will soon be over.

This female really is emerald green.

There weren't many butterflies this week, mostly speckled woods and a few common blues.

New visitors this week were a couple of mute swans.  Let's hope they nest next year instead of the Canada geese.

A walk round the pond - Week 36

Suddenly it is autumn, and it feels like it.  The weather hasn't been a very insect-friendly this week but some of them were out and about.  Migrant hawkers (Aeshna mixta) aren't migrants at all (although they were a long time ago when given the name).  In Ireland they are known as autumn hawkers, which is a much better name.  The few I saw were mostly at rest, low down to keep out of the breeze and try to catch a bit of sun, with only one on patrol.

The only other dragonflies around were common and ruddy darters, also sheltering from the wind.  This is a male ruddy darter.

The damselflies didn't even try flying in the strong breeze.

Butterflies are surprisingly strong fliers, even in windy weather.  Amongst others I saw common blue,

speckled wood,

and small tortoiseshell.

This queen common carder bee was fattening up but will soon be hibernating.