I usually see my first Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) earlier in the year – they often appear in late April and can be on the wing right through till mid September – but this year’s weather has been so extraordinary – or perhaps the ‘new’ ordinary i.e. uncharacteristic and unpredictable, with weeks of wet weather followed by a record-breaking heatwave followed by another week of rain – that the emergence dates of everything from odonata to lepidoptera to almost every wildlife species have this year varied wildly from the norm. So, I was rather relieved, on 28 May, to watch this beauty fly up from its grassy perch in the community orchard at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, and even more relieved when it settled again quite quickly and in a location where I was able to get some photographs.
Although I’ve seen the occasional adult Tawny and sometimes hear them calling at night in the woodland adjacent to my building, I hadn’t seen one for a couple of years and had never seen a fledgling. So, understandably, it only took me a moment to decide that I simply had to go for a look, soaked or not.
As it was still raining, I didn’t want to damage my camera so only managed to get a few quick photos, and I also didn’t want to disturb the bird, though I’m sure one, or both of its parents were perched nearby, well hidden amongst the foliage, keeping a close eye on their offspring. What a special sight this was – a bundle of fluff, perched on a branch, looking sleepy and making the occasional low chirruping sounds.
