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| Searching for Black Darters |
Today, I went out with my friend David to Roydon Common to try one last time to search for black darter dragonflies. At Strumpshaw on Wednesday, I was tipped off to where to see them and how to get there. There was a particular spot that was just beyond the fence at the other end of the reserve and it was a little bit out of the way from the actual car parks. We got a bit lost finding our way to this location, but we found it in the end. It was an interesting spot full of small pools, though it was slightly boggy underfoot when walking around them.
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| Common Darter |
The sun came out and so did the dragonflies. But sadly, none of them were black darters. They were all common darters and they were busy patrolling these pools. Some of them were partnered up with the males guarding their mate by clasping her at the back of the head with the claspers at the end of his abdomen as she lays an egg by dipping her abdomen into the water while hovering above the surface together. We also saw plenty of small coppers and hornets flying around us and we had buzzards soaring above our heads.
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| Common Darters laying eggs (sorry for the poor quality) |
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| Small Copper |
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| Hornet (missed the top of it's head, sorry yet again!) |
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| Hoverfly |
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| Fly Mesmbrina meridian |
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| The pond at Dersingham Bog |
After spending quite some time exploring the area and searching for these elusive, small black dragonflies, we eventually decided to move on for lunch at Dersingham Bog. While we were at Dersingham, we scanned the area surrounding the boardwalk for black darters and after lunch, David took me to the pond that I was unable to locate on Monday, where they were also suppose to be. Unfortunately, there was no sign of them, just common darters and a southern hawker. I think we were just too late in the season to see these regionally rare beauties. I really should have started the search in August at the peak of their season, but I was just unable to. Oh well! I shall have to try again next summer.
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| Southern Hawker |
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