And I shouldn’t complain as I wilt at the laptop! Traditionally as a course finishes the weather turns spectacularly hot and much more dragonfly activity abounds. A cycle trip to Country Garden Roses just near Hadnall revealed a relatively new pond alive with activity; Four-spotted and Broad-bodied Chasers, Black-tailed Skimmers, Emperor, Common Darter, Azure, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies. Unfortunately I had no camera so have just put in a fabulous photo of a female Emperor taken by S.Barlow (far left) and a wonderful Broad-bodied Chaser sent in by S.Townsend (left).
P.Sams also observed this late evening behaviour with a Southern Hawker larva emerging from the water at 7pm and reaching the stage observed here by 9pm. This species is well known to emerge under the cover of darkness though to my knowledge it usually commences the process in the early hours of the morning so it is ready to fly by daylight.