Once the mist had begun to lift I was out this morning in the countryside to the west of the house searching for dragon- and damselflies along the fleets and hedgerows and around the ponds. This is King's Fleet, which has a convenient footbridge from which to watch for activity.
Perhaps it was still early but not much was happening, the only dragonfly visible being this male Migrant Hawker.
A little way along the next hedgerow I found a male Willow Emerald Damselfly clinging to one of the metal posts which support the electric fence which, presumably, was warming quickly in the sunshine.
At this time of year there are far fewer dragonflies around and only three species. Those that are out are lethargic, so in a mass of reeds like this it's difficult to spot them. In the centre of this picture there's a....
....female Migrant Hawker. She's beautiful but her wings look a little moth-eaten.
Each species has its own favoured resting place. The Hawkers like reed beds or the sunny sides of thick hedgerows and adopt a vertical posture. The Damselflies prefer straight stems and perch at a 45-degree angle, while the Darters choose a sunny patch of earth or a pale-coloured leaf.
I was out for over three hours, wandering gently through gentle countryside but this is a controlled landscape, with the hand of man everywhere. Even in this very English scene, this pond's cover of algae thrive on the fertilizers scattered on the adjoining fields, and the bamboo on the far side is an import.
Three hours of gentle walking is all I'm comfortable with these days, and I was out for longer. When I finally arrived home it was good to be welcomed by a male Common Darter sunning himself in a flowerbed.
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