Thursday 3 July 2014

Meadow Brown ?? + Broad-bodied Chaser

Walking past a nettle patch on the edge of the cricket field I could see the usual Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. Flitting among them was one lone large brown coloured flutter which led me a merry dance as I tried to photograph it for later identification. This was the best I could manage:

DSCN2942 Meadow Brown ?

The best identification I could get from my Guide to Butterflies of Britain was the Meadow Brown. I hope it is as I don't remember seeing, let alone photographing, one before now.

A lovely surprise was a large flash of orange brown fluttering round my garden pond. A Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly. It's several years since I last saw one in the garden and those sightings were of males. This time it was a female which made several brief sorties over the pond. Only landing once to give a brief opportunity for a photo.

Female Broad Bodied Chaser

Unfortunately she wouldn't let me move round to get a better shot. At one time their distribution was listed as being Southern England and Wales but I think they have been spreading further North as average temperatures have risen. When I first saw this one she appeared to be flying up from water level. I do hope they start to breed in my pond as it would be great to have a local colony.

There are a few of the regular Blue Tailed Damselflies around the pond as they do breed there. I was fascinated watching one male chasing a Hoverfly. No matter how the Hoverfly twisted and turned the Damsel followed its flight exactly until it took refuge in some dense vegetation.

8 comments:

  1. It looks like a Ringlet to me but I'm not the most reliable source of IDs.

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    1. Might be Adrian though they look darker in my identification sheet.

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  2. no matter what it is, it is lovely.

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    1. TWG: Either way it would be a new one for me.

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  3. I've got a lovely pick of a banded demoiselle female munchine on a mayfly on my creamcrackerednature blogger - they are magnificent hunters. Southern Hawkers are the deadliest I see

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  4. Ha ha! I can see you chasing after these flighty little beauties! Nice captures non-the-less John!

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  5. Maree - I'm a bit past the chasing stagg, more a question of wandering these days ;)

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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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