The Season Awakes

As mentioned in my previous post, I returned home Friday after work in the seemingly warm sunshine and went out in the garden to check the pond and was greeted with the lovely sight of a male Large Red Damselfly. The previous few nights had seen a few nymphs on the surface so I had a good idea that they would emerge soon and given the weather on Friday, it was no surprise really that they should start to emerge. I spent some time laying at the pond just taking in the sighting and after a while, went indoors to get the camera to take a few photos of my first of the year. It took a while for me to be accepted as every time I moved, the damselfly would move around the stem and hide but after a while and with some patience, I was finally rewarded with some lovely unobstructed views and managed to take a number of pleasing images. Up close, they really are stunning little colourful damselflies. With a bit of luck, I still have a few more to emerge and will hopefully be able to photograph another emergence soon as well as keeping an eye out for the Hairy Dragonfly nymphs which should soon be moving into the shallows to start the change of breathing in water to air. I will have to start checking the base of the reeds during the evenings from now on with a torch to see the tell tale head and back of the thorax just sticking above the water line. A real favourite of mine to see. It won't be long now.

 

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) - male