Dragonflies at Paxton Pits

A visit to Cobham Hide followed by a walk up the Haul Road at Paxton Pits produced a sizeable list of Dragonflies and Damsels etc. The star was definitely the Southern Migrant Hawker, a fairly newly listed species for the UK and my first sighting of one. Otherwise while Brown Hawker (egg laying), Emerald  Damsel, Common Blue Damsel, Ruddy Darter and Banded Demoiselle are still in prime condition, some other species are coming to the end of their brief lives like the Four-spot Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly

Glimpses of Life

 For me, my camera and the photographs that I take are a glimpse of so many creatures and behaviours that I would not be able to see and certainly not recall in any detail without its magnification and ability to capture a sequences. Here three scenarios from yesterday afternoon at Paxton. First a fledgling Wren that got left behind by the parents and other young, looking first at me and then elsewhere till it heard them calling and flew off. Then some solitary bees on the thistles with a male trying to mate (unsuccessfully). The Great Crested Grebe I photographed as a record hoping we will have a sequence through to successful rearing of young this time. Only when looking at photographs could I see that the air around was full of blue damselflies which it was eating. The brown hawker I only saw when reviewing my photographs as it was so well camouflaged

Paxton Dragonfly Open Day

The weather was excellent for the Open Day for the Dragonfly Society and resulted in most of the larger dragonflies being on the wing hunting and then resting wonderfully camouflaged in the undergrowth. Here Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker and Emperor. The banded Demoiselles are still very active, plenty of Ruddy Darters (mating pair) and Common Darters (male and female) and a single Willow Emerald - the first of the year with Emerald now come to the end of their season. There were also Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed (mating image) and Red-eyed  Damselflies

 

Lakenheath Dragons

Thursday's hot weather suited the Damselflies and Dragonflies at Lakenheath; I particularly enjoyed the Willow Emerald which were everywhere through the reserve together with Common and Ruddy Darters and Migrant and Brown Hawkers.

Yesterday was our monthly Dragonfly and Butterfly count at Paxton Pits and, despite the windy weather , we ended up with reasonable numbers of both groups. Brown Argus are particularly common this year and good to catch a mating pair. Lots of Ruddy and Common Darters, Emerald (with blue on body and black stigma) and Willow Emerald (green with pale stigma) Spread wings, Brown and Migrant Hawkers, Common Damselflies and Variable mating in the Water Soldier area.