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| Common Darter 27th Aug 2022 |
A Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is photographed in the garden, resting on the side of the water-butt pond. It will stay most of the morning. Later, I set about clearing the filamentous green alga from both ponds.
I remove the alga in small clumps. Wash it gently in a small tub of clear pond water, remove as many of the aquatic invertebrates as is possible, from the sticky algal grasp. Once washed the alga is left to drain on the side of the pond(s), prior to disposal.
It is encouraging to see how much motile life, exists within these ponds - aquatic worms; ramshorn and other pond snails; daphnia; chironomids; mayfly nymphs. Along with those critters that remain a complete mystery to me?
In one of the small wash cycles, I observe a couple of nymphs who are both touting three tails, they do not not look right for mayfly nymph?
Transferring them to the shallow top of a specimen bottle, we view them under the dissecting microscope, and confirm that they are damselfly nymphs.
To date we have only recorded two species of damselfly in the garden: Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella), and Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) - so it is likely that these nymphs belong to one (or both?) of these species.
Add to this the recent discovery of the dragonfly nymph (Sympetrum cf striolatum), and it bodes well for the water-butt pond as a wildlife habitat, if it is able to attract and support these predators.
It is encouraging to see how much motile life, exists within these ponds - aquatic worms; ramshorn and other pond snails; daphnia; chironomids; mayfly nymphs. Along with those critters that remain a complete mystery to me?
In one of the small wash cycles, I observe a couple of nymphs who are both touting three tails, they do not not look right for mayfly nymph?
Transferring them to the shallow top of a specimen bottle, we view them under the dissecting microscope, and confirm that they are damselfly nymphs.
To date we have only recorded two species of damselfly in the garden: Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella), and Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) - so it is likely that these nymphs belong to one (or both?) of these species.
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| damselfly nymphs 27th Aug 2022 |
Add to this the recent discovery of the dragonfly nymph (Sympetrum cf striolatum), and it bodes well for the water-butt pond as a wildlife habitat, if it is able to attract and support these predators.
Next year, I will be looking out for exuviae, in the hope that the ponds remain suitable to bring these species to maturity.
Bragging to R on Whatsapp about the damsel nymphs, the retort is a photo of Willow Emerald (Chalcolestes viridis), a LIFER that R has just seen, at a site in Hertfordshire. By coincidence this is the second time this week, that Willow Emerald had been drawn to my attention.
S had photographed a specimen at Buchan Country Park on Thursday. So I have decided to take a good long look for it, when next in the Park.
Bragging to R on Whatsapp about the damsel nymphs, the retort is a photo of Willow Emerald (Chalcolestes viridis), a LIFER that R has just seen, at a site in Hertfordshire. By coincidence this is the second time this week, that Willow Emerald had been drawn to my attention.
S had photographed a specimen at Buchan Country Park on Thursday. So I have decided to take a good long look for it, when next in the Park.
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