This exquisite creature is a Broad Bodied Chaser dragonfly, newly
hatched and showing itself off in the mid May sunshine. These are musclely,
showy critters spangled gold when they first emerge. When they take to the wing
it looks like someone has chucked a fistful of cheap and cheerful chocolates in
the air, wrappers glittering. They are also confiding, allowing a close
approach, confident in their getaway speed. Like many dragonflies they wiggle
and tilt their heads as you sneak up trying to catch a better view of you. This
one was loitering in Newcastle today. I am not sure if they have established at
Druridge Bay, but they have been moving north over the last twenty years, like so
many of their relatives. Broad Bodied Chasers are often very quick to turn up
in new ponds, even sites with very little vegetation. This individual may be a
male or female. The females stay this beautiful collage of gold and browns
whilst the males develop a powder blue coating over the abdomen as they mature.
Newly hatched males have the same colours as females maybe to reduce trouble
from their older kin who see off contenders for the same territories in aerial
duels.
I found this one today three weeks earlier than I normally
spot them, and the first Common Blue damselflies were fluttering up too, also early.
Keep your eyes open along the Bay. The coastal wetlands are top spots for
dragonflies and damselflies in the north east but under-recorded. I suspect
there are many dragonflies to be found
between Cresswell and Amble that we’ve not noticed before and these unusually early arrivals may be a good omen
No comments:
Post a Comment