Signs Of Life

 So far this Spring has been far from ideal for insects and has been particularly poor for dragon and damselflies. After the chill of April we've had the monsoon of May but this morning at least seemed to offer a few more possibilities. I began at Priors Hall before taking the short stroll to Weldon. Apart from one brief and light shower I managed to avoid any rain.

Azure Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle and Large Red

Best birds at Priors Hall today were a female Cuckoo calling from the reedbed at the large pond and five drake Mandarins. A Brown Hare was the only mammal of note, one made a typically brief appearance before speeding off. During the sunnier spells a good number of Dingy Skippers were seen as well as a single Grizzled. Speckled Woods were common and other species noted included Brimstone and Orange-tip. Large Red Damselfly numbers are beginning to build and they were joined today by at least half a dozen Azure Damselflies. Hopefully a bit more decent weather will encourage other species to emerge.

Dingy Skipper and Speckled Wood.

From Priors Hall I wandered along to the stream at Weldon where I searched the vegetation for more odes. My efforts were rewarded with my first Banded Demoiselles of the season with several of each sex on view. More Azures were noted here too as well as a few more Large Reds but I couldn't find any dragons. A newly fledged Grey Wagtail was very obliging as it sat on a rock  presumably waiting for one of its parents to bring some food and there were a few tadpoles seen in the nearby pond. I'm hoping that the next week or two may bring a few Variable Damselflies out but the way this Spring is going nothing is certain!

Grey Wagtail and tadpoles