Dainties Doing well

With a busy day planned for yesterday (Friday) visiting Oare Marshes to survey for Dainty Damselfly and then over to mid Kent to look for Golden ringed Dragonfly, I was out for most of the day. The morning started at 08:30 where I visited Oare Marshes again to see whether the Dainty Damselfly was to be seen in better numbers. On arrival at the site in sunny warm conditions, I had barely arrived when I saw 2 male Dainty Damselfly resting in the grass. I spent the next 2 hours walking around the site checking the grasses, ditches and the breeding pool where I saw at least 50 Dainty Damselfly. This is all to be seen in a small area and heaven knows, how many more there might have been in areas where I could not survey them. As much as I didn't want to take a lot more photos, I found myself once again getting a number of very pleasing photos of this small damselfly. I think this has been the best year for me in obtaining photos of this little stunner. As the time went on, I started to see tandem pairs and a few mating pairs. A look over the pool around 10:30 saw about 15 males patrolling for females. I'm sure If I had stayed around for a few hours longer, my total numbers would probably have been higher. Also to be seen there included c25 Scarce Emerald Damselfly which prompted more photos which shall be posted in due coarse, 1 Norfolk Hawker and a few Four spotted Chaser. After returning back to the car around 11am, I then drove over to a site in the middle of Kent where Golden ringed Dragonfly can be seen. I don't normally visit this site until mid July so I wasn't sure if I would be successful. After arriving, a few hours at the stream revealed c30 Beautiful Demoiselle, c10 Banded Demoiselle, 2 White legged Damselfly, c10 Large Red Damselfly, 1 Broad bodied Chaser and 1 Golden ringed Dragonfly which posed briefly but was never seen again. I will have to return again in mid July to see whether I can see the Golden ringed Dragonfly in better numbers. Whilst at the stream, I decided to have a look in the reeds for exuviae and knowing that Beautiful Demoiselle were on site and that I hadn't got any in my collection, I was eager to find some. I managed to find 5 Demoiselle exuviae and after getting back home and checking them with the hand lens, I had found 4 Beautiful Demoiselle and 1 Banded Demoiselle exuviae, a right result. Another successful day and with 2 dragonfly tours over the next 2 weekends, I shall be kept bust hopefully educating others about the Odonata of Kent. 

                                            

Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) - female

                                        

 Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) - female

Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) - male