Nature is unpredictable

If someone had asked me at the start of 2013 which species of dragonfly or damselfly would I expect to see the most of this year, I would have answered without hesitation, “The Common blue damselfly”.

 In 2012 around the ponds and along the main tracks and even in the open grassland, clouds of common blues would rise in the air at every step, disturbed by me walking through their space. It seemed as though the huge population could not help but repeat itself in 2013. The similar azure damselfly had disappeared after the first bout of wind and rain that characterised the summer weather of last year, but the common blues ruled OK and lived up to their name.

 However, I seem to be proved wrong because very few common blue damselflies are around so far this year. As an early emerging species the pond edges should be full of these little blue streaks and although they are there, they are very few in number and if you spot a small line of blue weaving in and out of the grass in search of small flies to eat, you are more likely to be looking at an azure damselfly at the moment.

Common blue damselfly. Look for the 'club' shape in the first body section after the thorax.

Azure damselfly. Look for the 'U' shape in the first body section below the thorax.

Why should this be? Maybe the cold weather of this winter affected the larvae of the common blues more than any other and they just haven’t emerged in their usual numbers? Perhaps they are just waiting for a more settled spell to guarantee their successful reproduction for 2014. Let’s hope so.

All five species of dragonfly and damselfly that should be seen at the moment are mostly around all the main ponds. There’s also plenty to see from the hide and it’s possible to see some young chicks about. Look for terns, eiders and lapwing and great crested grebes. There are whitethroats and sedge warblers along the paths and if you are lucky a reed warbler or two as well.

 Reed warbler.