Scarce Chasers & Downy Emeralds

I spent most mornings this week visiting the Nene at Lilford in the hope of finding emerging Scarce Chasers, frustratingly finding none. I was pipped at the post by a sighting at Barnwell Country Park on 17 May, still I've got plenty of mornings next week to find them (the weather looks good too). I did find 12 Hairy Dragonfly exuviae - this is exceptional for this short stretch of river. Elsewhere, Scarce Chasers have been recorded at Thorpe Waterville by Darryl Sutcliffe and at Titchmarsh Nature reserve by Bee Jackson, as well as recent emergees at Barnwell by James Underwood   

The new colony of Variable Damselflies at Weldon appears to be confirmed with several people reporting seeing males, and when I visited I found a female and a male, but due to the warm and breezy conditions I couldn't get a photo. This is a really interesting find as this pond is not at all "typical" - whatever that means in relation to Variables, and I am planning on writing it up for the Journal of the British Dragonfly Society.  

At the Chase, I found 72 Downy Emerald Exuviae in one pond and found 5 emerging. I watched them all take their maiden flights. I managed an emergence sequence, which was another of my targets for this year. The next species due to appear is the White-legged Damselfly, which probably wont be for just over 1 week - so keep an eye out on our rivers.

Female Large-Red ovipositing next to a recently emerged Azure Damselfly

46 of the 72 Downy Emerald exuviae fro the Chase

Female Downy Emerald emerging

Mating pair of Large Reds

Four-spotted Chaser