Return to the Dragons' Lair

Thursday, being cloudy and humid, seemed less good a prospect for my summer dragonfly hunting. However, temperatures over 20 degrees and the forecast's promise of some afternoon sun led me back to Stover for a go at Downy Emerald.

That I'd bumped into a Ranger shortly after seeing the Grass Snake on Tuesday, and gotten some gen on where to find them, also had a bearing I admit! :)

Didn't get much sun [about 30 seconds at a time cloud gaps], but some fleeting glimpses of fast-moving Downy Emerald Dragonflies did eventually come my way - they're about the size of 4-spots, but very different animals! They were thin dark streaks, with the occasional flash of incredible metallic green when they passed through the fleeting patches of sunlight. Worth standing around for 40 odd minutes, I think! :D Less fast-moving, but much more surprising, was an early female Southern Hawker - prospecting around the edge of the same pool. Not that I knew that at the time; 'big hawker - closer to an Emperor than a Hairy - lots of green on it'. Given the location and time it had to be either Common or Southern, but I had to check Brooks and Lewington to be sure which.

Also saw a few Blue-tailed Damselfly down a couple of the side ways, but unsurprisngly the lack of sunshine and 3 degrees cooler temperatures made for reduced activity. [Though the 4-spots and Black-tails did their best to keep the dogfights going around the larger pools] Only 9 species [only 9... It's a good spot!] No second Grass Snake for me - though I was walking softly and hoping mightily - but there was an utterly adorable ickle baby Toadling, sat on a log by the hide... Awwww.......

To make matters even more sickeningly cute... The House Sparrows fledged while I was out.

Ahem.

Today at my course there was heat and frustration, interspersed with the local Herring Gulls sallying forth to beat up an unlucky Buzzard! That's 18 species there now - not bad at all!