I often reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a wildlife-rich part of the country. Nestled between the wild coastline and the tranquility of the broads, RSPB Minsmere is a wonderful place for experiencing the spectacles of nature at any time of year.
However, when summer arrives I get particularly excited about a certain species taking flight. As temperatures warm, a spectacular transformation occurs in our ponds, streams and waterways. A mysterious insect nymph lurking beneath the surface makes its ultimate journey out of the water, outgrows its exoskeleton for the final time and unfolds its delicate wings ready for take-off.
I’m talking of course about dragonflies.
Hairy dragonfly photo credit Ian Barthorpe
Most people are familiar with the bright-bodied adult forms, often dressed up in their ethereal blues and glorious greens. Take a stroll among the reeds and you’ll be greeted by a performance of aerial acrobatics as hawkers, chasers and darters in their adult form catch midges and mosquitos on the wing.
They have among the best eyesight of all insects, with 30,000 facets making up their huge compound eyes which span around their head like a bike helmet. This makes them incredibly difficult to sneak past unnoticed, shown by their amazing 95% success rate when intercepting the flight path of their prey.
Ruddy darter photo credit Ian Barthorpe
A particular favourite of mine are the southern hawkers. A seemingly curious dragonfly, they can often be spotted hovering boldly around the pond, approaching us as if to ask ‘what on earth are you up to?’ and ‘can I play?!’. We spotted both a male and female this morning, and made the curious discovery that females often choose to lay eggs outside of the pond in rotting wood rather than on the surface of the water.
Female southern hawker - ovipositing in the Minsmere pond platform!
I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter many beautiful dragonflies in the past few weeks, as Minsmere opens the gates of the pond for families of enthusiastic dippers, keen to discover all about the creatures of the deep. As nymphs they are ferocious aquatic hunters; their extendable labium (jaw) able to engulf any unsuspecting prey as it swims past (think the ‘Alien’ movies!)
Dragonfly nymph (RSPB-images.com)
To spot some of these incredible invertebrates visit Minsmere this summer and pick up a dragonfly spotter sheet. Even better, to glimpse the underwater hunters don't miss our pond dipping sessions every Monday & Wednesday through the holidays.