Shorne Chaser !

Fishing lakes at Shorne Country Park

As we move into peak Dragonfly watching season I couldn't resist another visit to the fishing lakes at Shorne Country park to see if I could add a few more species to my list, as I mentioned in a previous post, up to nineteen species have been reported at the country park,  I managed to see just six species on my last visit and only distant views of  a chaser species.

So with the temperatures rising, the sun shining,  and time on my hands, my search began.

The matted weed shown in the foreground of the photo above was particularly attractive to the female Emperors, first and largest dragonfly to be seen  today. couldn't get a decent flight picture but a nice photo of the Emperor female oviposting .

Still good numbers of Black Tailed Skimmers, by far the most numerous Dragonfly species around the lake. the males still partial to waiting on the lakeside banks, where they dart out to chase off another male, or hopefully a passing female.

On this visit I noticed that a Common Darters were making an appearance around the edges of the lake, none settling for a photograph though.

Then I stumbled on the Dragonfly I was looking for, as always in my case, common and widespread,
but a lovely looking Dragonfly all the same, typically, this one was on its favoured perch where it kept returning too, allowing photograph or two.

This particular individual appeared slightly different from the norm, with the wingtips darker. a quick look in my field guide where it was noted as a Four-spotted Chaser - the colour form praenubila,first time I have come across one of these.

Four-spotted Chaser - the colour form praenubila

 Damselflys were much the same as my last visit, Red-Eyed Damselflys guarding there chosen lily pads, Azure Damselflys attached in tandem to the females oviposting in the weed mats, a few Large Reds and a Blue Tailed Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly

Blue-Tailed Damselfly

Red-Eyed Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

A walk through the woodland revealed a Banded Demoiselle and on the small pond at the back of the woodland cafe a family of Pied Wagtails hunting for insects in the grass alongside the pond appeared to have caught a Emerald damselfly.

So my Common and widespread list of Odonata species at Shorne stands as follows :-

1. Emperor Dragonfly

2. Black Tailed Skimmer

3. Four-Spotted Chaser

4. Common Darter

5. Banded Demoiselle

6. Emerald Damselfly

7. Red-Eyed Damselfly

8. Blue-Tailed Damselfly

9. Azure Damselfly

10. Large Red Damselfly

31st Jun 18 update to list

11. Ruddy Darter
12. Brown Hawker
13. Downy Emerald
14. Small Red-Eyed damselfly