Stomarsh wildlife
Monday, 12. May 2008, 11:31:25
Yesterday I visited Stodmarsh, near Canterbury in Kent. This reserve is a great place for birds, especially marsh harriers and hobbys. But I was in search of the reported hairy dragonflys. Entering the reserve it was already very hot and the insects were flying around. I did see a couple of hairy dragonflys but only brief glimpses as they wizzed past. I did however see lots of other Odonata (the insect order of dragonflys and damselflys). First up was this terenal (recently emerged) probable variable blue damselfly
There were also large red damselflys about including this striking red male
The third species of damselfly about were blue-tailed damselflys
I later managed to get some shots of a variable blue damselfly in full colour
And a mating pair
Catch of the day however has to be my first dragonfly of 2008 - and my first photo of this species: a broad bodied chaser (female)
In this damp environment there are quite a few Tetragnatha sp. spiders, probaly T. extensa
There were also a number of nursery web spider about, sunbathing on the plants
I also found my second ever Chrysolina polita beetle, the first being found at stodmarsh last year
By the river Stour there were a large number of froghoppers
I als saw my first scorpionflys of the year but they were very shy and active in the heat, heard my first ever (well that im certain of) turtle dove and heard plenty of cuckoos. There were a number of marsh harriers flying around in the distnace at one point and I saw a falcon of some sort (probably what I saw later...) being chased by crows. But the day was finshed of by the sight of 2 or 3 hobbys hunting high in the sky
By Dudley, # 12. May 2008, 13:42:26
By SittingFox, # 12. May 2008, 19:49:20
By cakkleberrylane, # 12. May 2008, 23:34:39
By zetorres, # 13. May 2008, 10:34:24