Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
I love it! And many of the finding skills and ID challenge skills learned from birding are transferable. A bit weird though in that it does probably decrease the chance of finding a good bird because your eyes are focussing generally closer. You still hear stuff, but a Black Kite sailing overhead is more likely to do so unclocked if you're scrutinising damselflies 😆.Ha, ironically Paul it was 10th June -.
I've put them down as Common Darter though both were deep reddish but flitting about some way out (around 50 metres out low over the large pool where I also had Norfolk Hawkers).
Just a couple of things to add..........I mentioned missing the guided dragonfly walk around Beinn Eighe NNR two weeks ago - seems like they too didn't come across any Azure's. I have liaised with the leader of the walk and she puts it down to possible global warming. So if anyone intends to make that pilgrimage trip. might be worth hanging on until next year to see if any rain over Spring.
Secondly, living on the edge of Wolverhampton, so far this summer on my patch I have had lots of Emperor's, a number of Brown Hawkers last week, immature male Broad-Bodied Chaser, lots of Banded Demoiselles and a few beautiful Demoiselles, loads of Large Red-eyed Damselflies, Azure's, Common Blue's - all the common stuff I guess. Within an hours drive into Shropshire I know where White-Faced Darters can be found along with Black Darters, also Golden-ringed and Keeled Skimmers.
I'm so pleased I got into Dragging!
It's also a really exciting time because the distribution of several species is changing pretty dramatically so every season you really don't know what might turn up, pretty much on any patch!