Sightings of Black-tailed Skimmer have been made at Aston Locks and Venus Pool, both on 2nd June. As no photos came with the records I’ve posted this female photographed a couple of years ago by Jan Shields. Often the first thing you notice with this species is when it flies up in front of you having been basking on the bare ground of the path. Both females and immature males have this characteristic black ladder patterning along the abdomen. In males the abdomen will gradually be covered with powder blue pruinesence..apart from the very tail-end which unsurprisngly remains black.