Thursday 25 May 2023

Dainty Damselflies Emerging

With sunny weather and light winds forecast for yesterday (Wednesday) I decided on a trip to Oare Marshes in Faversham to see whether any Dainty Damselfly had emerged yet. Being that the site is along the seawall, it really does need to be a light wind to have any chance of finding them. Arriving just after 8:30am, I slowly made my way to the site and was quite optimistic of finding a few. I soon set about walking through the long grass next to the pool and it wasn't long until a damselfly took flight and soon landed again. A quick look through the binoculars confirmed it was a female Dainty Damselfly, the first of c12 Dainty Damselfly seen. It was then a case of trying to capture a few images which with patience, I think I achieved. Moving on and continually checking I found a few immature males and then a few males which were colouring up nicely. Again with patience and edging in slowly, I was able to capture some pleasing shots showing off the features needed to identify this species. Every now and then, an Azure or Variable would arrive and it was quite noticeable of the size difference compared to the Dainty. A check of the breeding pool every now and then revealed a few damselflies emerging which I expect were Dainty Damselfly but a little too far to be sure. It was nice every now and then to just put the camera down and spend some time studying their features and behaviour. It's good to keep educating yourself. There were a few females which had me scratching my head which showed all the features but a slightly darker pterostigma. I'm hoping my angle on the shots may have effected this lighting issue. After a couple of hours and a few shots taken, I decided to call it a day and walked back to the car seeing 1 Hairy Dragonfly and 1 Four spotted Chaser on the way. I am running a Dainty Damselfly tour in 2 weeks time at Oare Marshes and places are still available by clicking on the link:  https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2023-06-03-wilder-kent-safari-dainty-damselfies-oare-marshes























Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) - male 


















Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) - female 


6 comments:

  1. I don't know how you keep your hands so steady Marc I would be shaking with excitement at that range. Take care, Mike.

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    1. I have quite a weird technique but I know others probably do the same. I often find myself holding my breath to eliminate any movement as I'm taking the shot. Sometimes I feel like I'm holding it for ages. It works for me though and that's the most important thing. Take care.

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  2. Another little beauty the Dainty Damselfly which I may never see up here in't north. Excellent images as ever Marc, so plenty of pressure on you to keep it up, but we know you can do that.

    Regards....Pete.

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    1. Many thanks Pete. hopefully a few more visits to see them in the next few weeks when fingers crossed, their numbers will be encouraging. Take care.

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  3. Fabulous documentation of these little beauties, Marc. I would love to see this species one day.

    I see in your response to Mike that you speak of holding your breath while taking shots. A while ago I realised that, instinctively, I did this, and suddenly understood why I was getting light-headed after an intensive photo session!

    Best wishes - stay safe - - - Richard

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    1. That's the only problem. It can make you go a little funny. As long as someone doesn't come past and see you flat out in the grass. You will have to male the pilgrimage one day Richard to see them. get the diary planned for next year... or next week. Take care.

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