Stephen Barlow (who is an excellent photographer!) has just managed to get proof of Lesser Emperor seen yesterday at Alderford Lake. Stephen has observed this species at other locations in previous years and knew as the dragonfly hovered that it was smaller in size than the other Emperors also on the wing (shown below). Despite the blur in this photo (left) you can clearly see the striking blue saddle that stands out against the brown thorax and abdomen, and even the green eyes are visible. This is the 2nd ever recording of this migrant species in Shropshire and with reports of migrants appearing around the UK this is a great year to keep a keen eye out for something a bit different!
