First dragon of 2026

04 Monday May 2026

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British dragonflies, British odonata, Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa, Odonata

This week’s posts will all be about flying creatures, the latest flying creatures to grace our skies, the most recent species of odonata and lepidoptera to begin their short lives, much to my everlasting delight (not, I hasten to add, my delight in the fact that they have short lives but, rather, that I and so many others and many of you can delight in sharing the air with these stunning creatures). I’ve already written about my first odonata species of 2026, the Large red damselflies that featured in my post published on 25 April, First damsels of 2026. Today, I present my first large dragonfly of the year, a surprise Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) that flitted out from the hedgerow I was passing on 22 April, a much earlier sighting that in previous years.

Two dragons

28 Wednesday May 2025

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British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula depressa, Libellula quadrimaculata, Odonata

For me, the larger dragonflies have been few and far between this Spring. I’ve seen the odd one but fleetingly and its flown off before I could get a good view. Or I’ve heard one, that distinctive sound of the small wings rustling together as it takes flight. So, finally to have found two dragons that stayed still long enough for me to admire their colours and get some photographs has been very welcome indeed. Below are a Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) and a Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa). Fingers crossed for more sightings to come.

A day of golden dragons

19 Wednesday Jun 2024

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Black-tailed skimmer, British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula depressa, Libellula quadrimaculata, Odonata, Orthetrum cancellatum

Last Saturday was a day of golden dragons …

240619 black-tailed skimmer

my first Black-tailed skimmers (Orthetrum cancellatum) of the year (unfortunately, the male didn’t stop for a photo),

240619 broad-bodied chaser

a female Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa), and …

240619 four-spotted chaser

a Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata).

The chasers

31 Wednesday May 2023

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British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, chaser dragonflies, dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula depressa, Libellula dragonflies, Libellula quadrimaculata

There are three common or locally common species of chaser dragonflies, the Libellula, in Britain – so far, I’ve only seen two of them, the two shown here, the Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) and the Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa). I’ve just been checking the Welsh biodiversity database and found that the third species, the Scarce chaser (Libellula fulva), can be found at a couple of local sites, so I need to make finding that species a priority. Meantime, these other two chasers are active now around ponds and small lakes so do try and spot yourself a dragon or two if you’re out walking in your local countryside.

Four-spotted chaser

Broad-bodied chaser (male)

Golden dragon

05 Thursday May 2022

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British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, dragonfly, Libellula depressa

Golden dragon sounds like the name of a Chinese restaurant but no! This particular golden dragon is a Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa), my first dragonfly of the year and a glorious glowing beauty, I’m sure you’ll agree. Now that my long lens is out of action and I’ve only got my point-and-shoot camera for photos, I didn’t think I’d be able to get good dragonflies shots this year. But this dragon was busy munching on its lunch so I was able to get quite close.

220505 broad-bodied chaser

There be dragons

20 Tuesday Jul 2021

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Black-tailed skimmer, British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, dragonfly, Emperor, Southern hawker

Our local dragonflies seem to relish this hot summer weather we’ve been experiencing, but they are so speedy and flighty I find them quite difficult to photograph. Fortunately, these few were more co-operative …

Black-tailed skimmer

Emperor

Broad-bodied chaser

Southern hawker

192/366 Damsels and dragons

10 Friday Jul 2020

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Blue-tailed damselfly, British damselflies, British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, Common blue damselfly, Common Darter, Emperor dragonfly

Last summer was so hot and dry that many of the local ponds dried up completely, which may be why I’m not seeing as many damselflies and dragonflies as I have in previous years – perhaps their larvae didn’t survive that dry period. Here are a few I have seen in recent weeks …

Blue-tailed damselfly: though the females come in several colour forms, both they and the males, like this one, have the blue spot on their lower abdomen, which is how they got their name.

Common blue damselflies, here an immature female, a male and, below, a pair in classic mating pose.

200710 common blues mating 200710 broad-bodied chaser

And the dragons: a glowing female Broad-bodied chaser

200710 common darter

I’ve seen my first two Common darters in recent days, which is late, as they can appear as early as May.

200710 emperor female ovipositing

A female Emperor laying her eggs (ovipositing) under the vegetation of a local pond. Let’s hope that pond retains enough water this year for her offspring to survive the winter months.

127/366 First dragonflies

06 Wednesday May 2020

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British dragonflies, Broad-bodied Chaser, dragonflies, dragonfly, Lavernock Nature Reserve

I was delighted to see my first dragonflies of the year at Lavernock Nature Reserve during this morning’s walk: two female (with the golden abdomen) and two male (blue abdomen) Broad-bodied chasers.

200506 Broad-bodied chaser (1) 200506 Broad-bodied chaser (2) 200506 Broad-bodied chaser (3)

Lively Lavernock

12 Tuesday Jun 2018

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#30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, Blue-tailed damselfly, Broad-bodied Chaser, Common blue butterfly, Emperor dragonfly, Large Red damselfly, Large skipper, Lavernock Nature Reserve, Six-spot burnet, Small copper, Speckled wood

Day 12 of my #30DaysWild was spent wandering around the nature reserve at Lavernock. Though it’s not yet the riot of colour it will be in another month or so, many wildflowers are already blooming, including the Common spotted and Pyramidal orchids, and plenty of critters were feasting on nectar and pollen.

180612 Pyramidal & Common spotted orchids

Today’s highlights included my first Six-spot burnet moth of the year, which was dazzling in the bright sunlight, and my second Small copper butterfly, a rather tatty looking specimen but still lovely to see. The Large skippers, Common blues and Speckled woods were abundant, and I also saw whites, a Brimstone and several Meadow brown butterflies.

180612 1 small copper

The pond was alive with dragon- and damselfly action, with both a female Emperor and a female Broad-bodied chaser ovipositing. There were three male Broad-bodied chasers constantly squabbling over territory and a Four-spotted chaser trying to avoid them all. Damselflies included Large reds, Common blues, Azures and Blue-tailed. ’Twas a very lively place today!

180612 Broad-bodied chaser male 180612 Broad-bodied chaser emale

Birding at St David’s Vale

26 Saturday May 2018

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Broad-bodied Chaser, Cockchafer, Common heath moth, Glamorgan Bird Club, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Small heath butterfly, St David's Vale, Stonechat, Tree pipit, Whinchat, Willow warbler

I might also have called this blog post ‘One hundred and eighty!’. Let me explain …

180525 St Davids Vale (1)

Last Wednesday I joined fourteen other members of the Glamorgan Bird Club for a day’s birding in the stunning scenery of St David’s Vale, near Abergavenny. We walked part of an ancient hollow way …

180525 St Davids Vale (4) 180525 St Davids Vale (6)

Beneath mighty oaks in an equally ancient woodland carpeted with bluebells …

180525 St Davids Vale (2) 180525 St Davids Vale (3)

And then, as the sun broke through the low cloud that had earlier floated across the border from England, we climbed up on to the broad open moorland, with panoramic views all around and the impressive peak of Sugarloaf looming to our right.

180525 St Davids Vale (5)

Most of the birds mocked my photographic skills and no-so-long lens as they perched on distant tree tops and bushes but I was delighted to hear and then see my very first Wood warbler, and then, on the moorland, several beautiful Whinchats. And those two sightings brought my year list to – yes, you guessed it – one hundred and eighty!

Our keen amateur naturalists also spotted a Small heath butterfly and two Common heath moths (this is the male; the female landed on my trouser leg so another birder got that picture), and a Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly. And we were entertained by the bumbling flights of several Cockchafers (I’ll cover those in a future post.)

Small heath butterfly

Common heath moth

Broad-bodied chaser

Cockchafer

My bird list for the today was: Mistlethrush, Robin, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Great tit, Carrion crow, Meadow pipit, Willow warbler, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Blue tit, Blackcap, Skylark, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Garden warbler, Long-tailed tit, Wood warbler, Stonechat, Raven, Tree pipit, Linnet, Whinchat, Wren, Cuckoo, House sparrow, Pied wagtail, Dunnock, Magpie and Jackdaw. It was a perfectly wonderful day!