Having had such a good experience and trip to Aylesbeare last Tuesday, I returned yesterday determined to get some good photos and add to my Dragonfly list. As usual I had an adventure and finished up seeing more than I had hoped or expected. It is worth noting that if you are looking specifically for Dragonflies on a walk, the place to look is not necessarily next to water. Almost exclusively over the last week or so all my sightings of Dragonflies have been alongside hedges and tracks. This is because when they first emerge they spread out into the surrounding habitat to feed and mature, then the males return to water to “hold” a territory to breed joined by the females. Yesterday my sightings included a Broad Bodied Chaser as well as this female Keeled Skimmer. There was also two interesting specimens that I didn’t manage to see long enough to identify.
The Green Hairstreak Butterfly is a new species for me and I was struck by the lovely subtle colour. Almost Blue but not quite! The colour of this butterfly is actually caused by light reflecting from the tiny scales on the wing and not pigment.
The highlight of the day was a male Hobby which I watched catching Dragonflies on the wing and then of course eating them! It seemed to favour a specific territory and probably has a nest nearby. I didn’t really get close enough for anything like a decent photo but perhaps if I go back to the same area I can get a better shot. I would have thought this to be a real possibility. This dead tree in the photo looks like a good spot for him and hopefully he will be there again and I can approach to a better distance.