Sunshine at last

 After being laid low for a few days with a virus it was good to get out for some walks. One of the first creatures I saw at Felmersham Gravel Pits were eyecatching in flight - glimpses of a vivid red. There were a good number perched like this one- I believe it to be the 6 spot burnet moth-a day flyer with club antennae - so why isnt it called a butterfly?

 It was a great day for dragonflies- coulds of azure and common blue damsels, many blue-tailed damsels- often in tandem or in the wheel and my first emerald damsels for this year. They are such pretty creatures. But it was also a day for true dragons and I saw my first sightings this year of the southern-hawker - this one kindly perching and the brown hawker. The brown hawker can look dull but when it flies and catches the sun it is such a deep golden brown as to take the breath away. It was also great to see my first common darter this year- a female ovipositing into the ponds.

 The sunshine brought out the butterflies and it was lovely to see this one on Flitton Moor. There were good numbers of meadow browns, skippers and large whites as well.

And the moth trap came out last night now the rain has cleared and I was rewarded with a good number of moths- two very attractive ones- this large  emerald and also a bright yellow brimstone. What a difference to the sunshine makes............

Wonderful wildlife in Norfolk

 Just back from a glorious week away in one of my favourite palces- Norfolk - love it for the sea and the countryside and also the wonderful access to a wide range of wildlife. Mum and I had a very relaxed week which is what our break was about but it turned out to be surprisingly good for seeing creatures. Mum has a growing love for the damselfly and they seem to love her too. This common blue damsel landed on her hand and she was also visited by others on her blouse. It is thrilling to be so close to these dazzling creatures.

 The verges were alive with colourful wildflowers- dazzling red poppies, many different umbellifers, campions, silverweeds, oxeye daisy, purple loosestrife, meadowsweet, brambles and dog roses to name a few. In the wooded shade we saw a number of wild orchids - I am not sure about the name of this one but it was beautiful to look at.

The presence of so many flowers was not only lovely to the eye but had attracted a good number of bees of all kinds plus hoverflies and more butterflies than I have seen this year at home.

And there were two special treats this week- the first being several days when we saw the Swallowtail butterfly - Papilio machaon britannicus. Norfolk is the only place these can now be seen -they declined greatly last century due to drainage of the fens and marshes but more careful management has led to remaining populations at least holding their own. They are powerful flyers and it was especially stunning to see the spectacular male and female courtship display over one of the broads. A walk at Hickling was also fruitful and we saw 17 in a couple of hours. The other really special thing- at last I have seen the green eyed Norfolk Hawker - 2 good sightings made my week- no photos as they are busy now flying over the dykes - a large brown hawker- one at Horsey Mere and one at Hickling. And this was not even a wildlife trip!

4 spot conundrums............

 In my wanderings this year I have a feeling that I have seen less of these guys- the 4 spotted chaser than four years ago when I first started dragonflying. That in my perception was a good year for 4 spots but this year and last I seem to be seeing less of them. They are about but just not so many. They remain as larvae for 1-3 years so it may not be what has happened this year as much as what happened the last 1-3 years. An interesting question and has made me think I need to look back through my notes and see if I can find any clues?

 There also seem to be less butterflies this year- perhaps due to the heavy and prolongued rainfall- but I have seen a lot of bees - so what is good for one species may not be good for another. Bees are creatures I would like to learn some more about and are on my list of areas to read up on.

Had a great Sunday with the Wildlife Trust learning about longhorn and soldier beetles- and it was a great basis to help me understand more about the types of beetles and how to identify them. So looking at flowers and umbellifers this time of year is a good place to find them - now the hard task of identifying them. So lots to look out for - next week the Norfolk Hawker if I am lucky- but its time now for the Hawkers to be on the wing and who knows just what I may find!

Dragons get the munchies

Fabulous walk along the River Ouse at Roxton today. Had some good views of the red-eyed damselfly - they are easy to spot as they just love sitting on lilly pads. This is the Red-eyed- but I have not yet seen this year the small red-eyed- one to plan a visit to find on another sunny day.

 It was a day when the the dragons had got the munchies and here is a photo of the beautiful male banded demoiselle devouring a mayfly. Did not see any mayfly on the wing so this was a lucky catch for this creature - you may be able to make out the long tails of the mayfly which was still alive - David tried to release it but the demoiselle just flew off with it's catch.

 My first viewing this year of a Hairy Dragonfly female - and this one too was dining. She flew by me with a demoiselle in her basket claws and then perched to have her lunch. She was a very attractive dragon and quite different to the male counterpart. The hairs on her abdomen which give her the name are visible.

And a nice surprise- peeping over a leaf as I walked along was this scarce chase- probably towards the end of the season for them now so a nice last take for this year. There have been good numbers at Roxton so lets hope they have come to stay and will migrate down the river.  Altogether a good afternoon - with black tailed skimmers aplenty, 4 spotted chasers, common blue, azure and blue tailed damsels plus a few butterflies and lots of bumblebees.

Who is looking at who?

 A lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday was good for a visit to a couple of dragonfly sites, including Duck End. The marshy pond appears to be a real nursery this year for large red and azure damselflies and they arise in small clouds from the plants alongside the pond when diturbed by my footfall. The meadow behind this is abalze with wildflowers in particula the semi-parasitic yellow rattle, a member of the figwort family. The inflated capsules do indeed rattle when the seed is ripe inside them. But this was a nice chance to photograph a female large red damselfly- one of the red form typica.

 And it was encouraging to see several damsels in the wheel- a hopeful sign for azures again next year. There were also couples flying together and a few ovipositing the fertilised eggs onto vegetation at or just below the surface. And thus the circle of life starts again - after a few weeks green coloured larvae will hatch from the eggs and live in the pond r. They will feed greedily on small invertebrates until they emerge next spring as the beautiful azure- which seems to hold itself so ably as it flies.

 And I couldn't resist this shot - question- who is looking at who?

A day for the girls

 Could not resist a smile as I watched this proud Canada goose with its brood. There were two families on the bank of the pond, one couple had three quite mature goslings, but this couple had 13 - they must have been very careful and attentive parents to keep so many of the babes and they are now a good size.

 But the purpose of my stroll at Wetlands was dragonflies on a breezy and dull morning and I was incredibly lucky with what I found. There were hundreds of common damselflies including tenerals and some in tandem. I had always pondered the issue of the bluetailed damsel- books say it often the most common damsel to be found and I have previously only seen them in small numbers but today they were everywhere. The Small meadow was full of them and there amongst the grasses and wildflowers was this beautiful female black tailed skimmer. She was happy to pose for a photo and I am pleased with the outcome.

But it was a day for the girls today and my best find was this hairy dragonfly laying her eggs amongst the reedmace in one of the small ponds in The Wetlands. Hairy dragonflies are another species I have seen few of so this was thrilling, and I was rewarded with a good view of a male a little later on the pond outside the visitor centre as I headed to meet a friend for lunch.

The scarce chaser - a golden dragon

 On such a lovely morning I headed for a walk along the River Ouse at Roxton. As I left the car and walked along the lane I was thrilled to see so many banded demoiselles. I normally count drgaons carefully but as more and more danced in the air I quickly hit 50 and on the river bank itself the air was just full of these jewelled creatures. The sun really made them shimmer and the deep blue was brilliant and the green irridescent. After 200 I decided it was not a day for actually counting. I was pleased to see a pair in the wheel and so next years generation is 

 about to be as well.  

After a few minutes in the lane I had seen three golden scarce chasers, and the day was just better and better. Along the way I saw azure, common blue and my first large red eyed damsels for this year. And the real highpoint was just as I was on my way back from the lock and a glimpse of gold in the grass and nettlebeds. A closer look revealed a beautiful scarce chaser - had clearly emerged this morning and it was drying its wings and waiting for its maiden flight. A second look and I found the exuvaie close by and was able to retrieve it after a photo showing the chaser and the case. How fantastic- no doubt that this lovely dragonfly had emerged on this spot and so they are indeed breeding on this stretch of the river. And I was privileged to watch it fly into the air and its new life.There were more to see on my way back. And all the way along the path I listened to the call of the cuckoo. That always makes me so happy and today was no exception. So I headed home happily to get on with my day.