My First Keeled Skimmers!

With the weather looking promising this afternoon for some butterfly and dragonfly hunting I made a trip over to Hothfield Common near Ashford where I hoped to see a new Dragonfly, the Keeled Skimmer. I believe this is the only place that they can be seen in Kent. I arrived late morning where the sun was shining and the wind was slowly dropping and I had high hopes of seeing the dragonfly. Derek Smith gave me some good directions to the area I needed to be in and a few minutes later I arrived in the area consisting of a medium sized bog and boardwalk cutting through it. Derek assured me that as the temperature would rise the Skimmers would make their way to the boardwalk to warm up and after a few minutes I caught sight of my first ever Keeled Skimmer, a cracking male. As I slowly got my eye in I counted 15+ Keeled Skimmer with males, females and immatures seen. I was soon rattling off shot after shot as they posed on the boardwalk and low vegetation.

 Male Keeled Skimmer

Male Keeled Skimmer

A fascinating sight to watch was when the females were egg laying and the males hovered over the top keeping an eye on the female and never leaving her unless a rival male would fly near which then led to a chase before the male duly arrived back to keep and eye over the female. I attempted a few flight shots with most coming out blurred but one image just about passed the test.

Female Keeled Skimmer

Male Keeled Skimmer

After spending an hour and a half with them and listening to the sound of calling Yellowhammers everywhere I walked back to the car a happy man where near the car park there were c8 Nuthatch being few by the adults. A lovely little reserve and well worth the trip. I then drove back and called in at East Blean Woods where along with a few other butterfly enthusiasts I managed to see c40 Heath Fritillary gliding about in the coppiced areas making for some more butterfly shots. Moving on to another area it was pleasing to see my first Large Skipper and Emperor Dragonfly of the year and also noted were 1 Red Admiral and 3 Speckled Wood. I'm pretty sure I glimpsed a Meadow Brown but it soon vanished, one for another day. A lovely mornings work with a number of pleasing shots of the Keeled Skimmer although some of them are a little noisy! Maybe next week I will be back to full strength if my camera arrives back as I am desperate to get a few pleasing Heath Fritillary shots with it, weather permitting!

Male Keeled Skimmer 

Immature Male Keeled Skimmer