It was good to be back on
Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, a place I have known for many years, but have not had the chance to visit since we left Cambridge two decades ago. The blustery conditions were far from ideal for dragonfly-spotting, but we were delighted to find this handsome female, sheltering in the long grass.
An ID of a female Black-tailed Skimmer (
Orthetrum cancellatum) was confirmed by the
British Dragonfly Society. You can see the yellow
costa, a major vein, on the wings in the top photo. The
pterostigma, a coloured mark on the outer extremity of each wing, is hard to make out in my pictures. It should be a dark shade between brown and black. Skimmers, not surprisingly, zoom along, just above the surface of the water. The
male of the species looks completely different ... perhaps it is a case of blue sky and sunshine!
If this iconic
windpump sends out a signal of the past, you may be interested to read about an ambitious project to protect the future, under the name of
Wicken Fen Vision.
You can read more about the plants
here.
 |
| There were one or two pairs of Damselfly about ... |
 |
| I think this is a Common Blue (male) ... |
 |
| ... and a male Azure Damselfly. |
what great captures. i love those blue damselflies. and i love that windmill. it's a nice structure. hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteBoth the skimmer and damselfly are pretty. Beautiful images.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of the dragons and damsels! We have a similar female skimmer here. Love the water lily! I was just trying to stitch one on my nature blocks....the real thing is so much prettier :-)
ReplyDeleteLovely dragon- and damselfly photos, Caroline. We used to visit relatives in Norfolk when I was a boy, but not sure I've ever been to Suffolk, so am following your adventures with interest!
ReplyDelete... Thank you to all ... and Jeremy, I grew up in Norfolk, so also know it well!
ReplyDeletebeautiful dragonfly and damselflies,
ReplyDelete