A 'Golden' Oldie!

Having spent the best part of the last couple of years getting more interested in dragonflies and damselflies and photographing them, it was back last year on the 22nd July that I met up with Mike Hook at Sissinghurst where our mission was to try to find arguably the king of the dragonfly world, the Golden ringed Dragonfly. I had seen many photos of them and read about them but wanted to see if it lived up to its name and was actually as striking to the eye as the photos suggested. On a lovely warm day if I remember Mike took me to a spot where not long after I glimpsed my first ever Golden ringed Dragonfly as it flew low up the small stream near the castle. I only saw it briefly but its size and black and Gold colours certainly stood out well. We continued on where soon we reached a part of a stream near a bridge with a good view over the water. Mike soon found a male patrolling and was joined by another and after a bit of searching we eventually found it perched up a few metres away. Wow, wow and wow, there it was in all it glory, a superb posing Golden ringed Dragonfly. Its size was indeed impressive as were the colours and I was able to spend some time getting a few photos from close range of the beauty. Mike took a well deserved rest as his mission had been accomplished but was soon joining me for the camera fest. We continued to have good views before Mike eventually dragged me away to wander again. I didn't return this year to Sissinghurst at the right time but believe some were seen again. This species still remains a very scarce dragonfly in Kent with only a couple of sites to see it on the wing but one species that already I must make the effort to see next year in the county. 

Golden ringed Dragonfly