I'm trying to catch up with posts on some of the trips out that I've made over the past couple of months.
Although, several years ago, I saw a Red-eyed Damselfly only about 5 miles (8 km) from my home, I only managed one poor image. Furthermore it was in a place where it shouldn't have been as the habitat was wrong. Return visits didn't yield a repeat sighting, but I did find an inaccessible pond on a nearby private estate, which looked as if it was ideal for the species. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to meet the Land Manager of the estate, and he is extremely knowledgeable about, and supportive of, the wildlife under his charge. He informed me of a publicly accessible place for Red-eyed Damselfly.
My first visit to Ticknall Limeyards turned out to be a little early in the year and didn't even look promising as there were no lily pads to be seen. However, I totally trust the word of the gentleman who informed me of the location, and returned on this first day of June. There weren't too many lily pads around, but there were Red-eyed Damselfly. Sadly the pads were all well out into the water, so no close-up photography was possible, but I did manage to get some images that were a considerable improvement on my previous attempt!
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| Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) (male) - Ticknall Limeyarrds |
Unfortunately, I did not see a female of the species. I will have to return here before their season is over.
There were other damselflies around, but I spent little time on them.
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| Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male) - Ticknall Limeyards |
There were a few teneral damselflies showing absolutely no colour or markings to give a clue to their identity. I think that this one might be a female Common Blue as there seems to be a 'spine' under segment 8.
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| possible Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (teneral female) - Ticknall Limeyards |
Very visible due to its aggressive behaviour was a male Four-spotted Chaser.
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| Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) (male) - Ticknall Limeyards |
The sun had been somewhat intermittent for the first part of my visit, but then there was a more prolonged period of sun and a male Broad-bodied Chaser appeared, and posed quite obligingly.
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| Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) (male) - Ticknall Limeyards |
It had been an interesting late-morning visit, but I now had to return home for lunch. I'm hoping to revisit this location next week.
My next post should - all things being equal - be the second part of my account of our Scottish holiday.
