Monday 12 July 2010

Visitors to the Garden Pond

I have been waiting quite a while to see the return of a Broad Bodied Chaser to the garden. I didn't see any last summer or the summer before that but one had visited two and three years ago. Finally I spotted one yesterday.

Broad Bodied Chaser

It flew around the garden a few times and only landed twice so I was lucky to get a few hurried shots and a short piece of video.

I am very sure that Blue-tailed Damselflies have been breeding in the pond for a while as the numbers seen are gradually increasing year by year. This year I can normally see six flitting about amongst the reeds. This is the first time I have spotted them mating.

Pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies

Various insects come to the pond to drink, flies, wasps and the occasional visit from a Tiger Crane Fly. Their numbers have increased this year as their yellow ochre colouring can often be spotted flying about various areas of the village.

Crane Fly

Filming was difficult as the sunlight was so strong bright colours became washed out and there was a stiff gusty breeze.



Today has started out dull and wet. The garden desperately needs a decent amount of rain though so far today we have only had one hundreth of an inch. The last rainfall was one tenth of an inch on the 29th June.

11 comments:

  1. These are really beautiful, John. A great video too! How nice to have the damsels and dragons come to you rather than having to go hunting for them although that is fun too of course :)

    No rain here yet but it looks like it could at any moment!

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  2. Lovely shots John, especially the Broad Bodied Chaser. I've not had any dragons round my pond yet.

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  3. Lovely photos, John. I am quite envious of your pond activity.

    cheers,
    Wilma

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  5. Thank you Keith. The BBC came out better than I expected as the camera was having a job to focus with things blowing about in the wind. I usually see dragons here late July through to mid September.

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  6. 2nd attempt:
    Hello Jan. It does help when things come to me instead of having to chase round after them ;)

    We have had a quarter of an inch of rain today so that should help some of the plants a bit.

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  7. Thank you Wilma. The pond has attracted more wildlife than I had ever hoped for so there is nearly always something to investigate on, in or around it.

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  8. Super close up shots of the insects ~ and of the pond environment. I've left a comment on your previous post as well. Hard to keep up in this summery weather...especially when I've been visited by Bandido's uncle. At least your hedgehogs are ground level ;)

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  9. Thank you Glo. I am also finding it hard to keep up - too many attractions outside in the good weather.
    Hedgehogs can climb walls but at least you don't find them over your head ;)

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  10. Lovely garden sighting of the Broad Bodied Chaser John, Linda

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  11. I was nice to see one return after a gap of two years Linda.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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