This month has seen two new Odonata species added to the garden list – bringing the total to six species recorded to date.
On the 2nd a single Large Red Damselfly (
Pyrrhosoma nymphula) was hawking over the grassland – and by the 11th at least four individuals were present comprising two pairs in cop. on both New Pond and Bucket Pond respectively.
An immature Broad-bodied Chaser (
Libellula depressa) spent the 14th patrolling the three small ponds and roosting at length on a bamboo cane standing in a nearby flowerpot. Early in the morning a teneral Large Red was drying out on the Japanese Maple (
Acer cultivar) behind New Pond and later three full coloured Large Reds were present incl. a pair in cop.
The following day I found three Large Red exuvia attached to the Slender Clubrush (
Isolepsis cernua) in New Pond.
Having returned from our Norway trip yesterday, I spent most of today in the back garden and saw another pair of Large Red in cop. I searched for more exuvia across all three ponds but did not find any.
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| Large Red Damselfly pair in cop. 11th May |
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| Large Red Damsefly 14th May |
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| teneral Large Red Damselfly 14th May |
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| Broad-bodied Chaser 14th May |
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| Large Red Damselfly exuvia 15th May |
