Best sighting this week was a Broad-bodied Chaser in the Magic Garden. This was my first sighting of this dragonfly in the village, although there were a couple of records from other people in the parish last year. It is another of the species which has been progressing northwards in recent years so hopefully records might become regular in future. Unfortunately it never settled to allow me to take a photo. Another chaser, Four-spotted, was also here along with my first Banded Demoiselle of the year…
And at least 50 Azure damselflies, many doing what comes naturally...
In the village Common Blue damselfly definitely doesn’t live up to its name but I did find a couple a long way from water on the path along the railway…
A few minutes after taking this picture I tripped over a
hidden strand of fence wire and crashed down heavily on to my binoculars.
Typical birder the first thing I did, whilst still lying on the floor, was to
check my bins were still working but by the time I got home the pain was
starting to build and got much worse over the next couple of days. I eventually
ended up in hospital as I was struggling to breath. Fortunately it was only a
broken rib and severe bruising of the sternum but it was the worse pain I have
ever felt. The only silver lining was
the order from the doctor to rest just as the Euros started!! (if my wife ever reads this it was an accident
honestly…)
We also managed our second moth trapping session of the year
catching a very creditable 114 moths of 41 species. This included six new
species for the village: Brindled Flat-body, Yarrow Conch, Grey Pine Carpet,
Scalloped Hazel, Rustic Shoulder-knot and Least Black Arches.
A few pictures from the catch…
I mentioned in my last post the conditions had really suited Cowslips, another plant which, in the village at least, has done remarkably well this year is Ragged Robin with plants in many new areas and in much greater density than I have ever seen before.
