I went to Wilberforce Wood and Foredyke Green this afternoon: a walk in the woods and grassland and some dragonfly surveys of the two ponds in the area. It was another sunny, warm day with a light breeze. We have become accustomed to this Mediterranean weather during the lockdown. In fact, they have just announced on the news that we've had the sunniest spring since records began and the driest May in England in over a century. I hadn't visited the site since last summer, and as I approached the Midmeredales pond I was expecting it to be dry. The ditches were bone dry. It was quite surprise to see that it had more water than when I first visited it early last summer. The paths had signs of having been very muddy in recent months, it is only and the end of February that the rain eased after a very wet autumn and winter, so the water table must have been very high in the area.
I walked around the pond. There is broad-leaved pondweed, some large water plantain and a reed bed on one side, the water looks quite transparent. Soon, several pairs of Azure damselflies make themselves apparent, ovipositing together. There is also one Blue-tailed Damselfly and a Broad-bodied Chaser flies around a couple of times without obviously settling.
Azure damselflies mating
Three Azure damselfly pairs ovipositing while a male checks them out.
Blue-tailed Damselfly.
After a while, I walk to Foredyke Green. Both sites are adjacent, but unfortunately they have different names. Foredyke Green Stream, a large dyke, has no visible Odonata. Foredyke Green pond (below) is looking magnificent, high water level, lush aquatic vegetation, and plenty of dragonflies and damselflies.
As soon as I arrive I'm surprised to spot a male Emperor dragonfly presiding over the pond. It is exactly one month earlier than the first record of this species last year in Hull Dragons. It doesn't look like is stopping, I try for a few in flight shots, but I'm very rusty, and it takes me a while to get my eyes used to following its fast flight, it has been many months without dragonflies!
It is much easier to photograph the Four-spot Chasers, which like to hunt from a perch. There is a male and a female about, I see a short chase, but I end up photographing the two different individuals when they settle.
Female Four-spot chaser. Anal appendages straight, and slightly apart at the base.
Anal appendages curve slightly outwards and they touch at the base. In this case the male's abdomen appears narrower.
Azures, and Blue-tailed damselflies are also about, including a female 'rufescens-obsoleta' form, and very active male Common Blue damselflies in the centre of the pond.
A Blue-tailed damselfly female settled on amphibious bistort.
A male Common Blue damselfly.
A female Broad-bodied Chaser makes an appearance.
Female broad-bodied chaser.
Finally, the Emperor decides to have a rest, and settles on a stem in the centre of the pond. I manage a few photos, then a male Common Blue-Damselfly, charges against the Emperor - probably 'seeing red' as it sees blue - and flushes it away.
Not only Odonata, at some point a mallard crossed the pond with her three ducklings.
And a nervous male Pied Wagtail was at the side of the pond.
Whitethroats, Chiffchaff and Willow warbler singing too. A good walk this afternoon.
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