Miles Leach has been keeping an eye on a friends new farm pond on the western slopes of Brown Clee Hill and has photographed Broad-bodied Chasers (left) and Azure Damselflies (below left). Broad-bodied Chasers are a well known pioneer species, often being the first dragon or damselfly spotted at a newly dug pond so it’s great that Miles has seen a number of males attempting to hold territory and a female ovipositing.
Elsewhere Jan Shields has an established pond and was about to confirm the first Southern Hawker exuvia for this year when it was swiped by the garden robin! I’ve lost large numbers of dragon and damselflies to the birds this year and at times it has almost seemed like the birds are hanging around and just waiting for the next emerging victim. Jan has however seen a lovely female Azure Damselfly (below right). This female is the less common blue form with blue patches seen on the central abdominal segments. Females are more commonly green with largely black abdomens (as seen in Mile’s photo below left).
