Dragonflies and other wildlife - Thursley Common, 2 July 2006

Don Tagg led this walk on a day that was already blisteringly hot by 11 am, when we began by skirting Moat Pond, its edge alive with dragonflies.  These were mostly black-tailed skimmers, plus a few four-spotted chasers, and downy emperors (notable for flying head-downwards).  As always, we struggled to distinguish azure from common damselflies, and large red from small red damselflies!  A mighty brown hawker was spotted far out over the pond.

We then proceeded along the boardwalk out to Conifer Island, immediately encountering the bog-loving dragonflies, especially good numbers of keeled skimmers.  One was seen laying its eggs, guarded by its mate.  The bog asphodel was in full flower, and a reed bunting was singing.  Several butterflies were noted on the wing, including brimstone, large skipper and large white, as well as the brown China mark moth.  Brian was pleased to find a rarely recorded fungus on birch bark, Xenotypa aterrima, and we also noted the recurrence of the bracket fungus Phellinus pini on the same unhappy pine as previously.

Lunch was taken in the shade on Conifer Island, after which we continued southwards on the boardwalk, past the sunken stone; we watched four-spotted chasers over the shallow pond, and came across a newly hatched black darter.  Back on dry land, we cut across the heather to a tussocky area, where we found the lovely golden-ringed dragonfly patrolling a little watercourse.  Here also were a couple of beautiful damselflies engaged in a constant battle over territory.

We followed the edge of a dry stream bed back towards the car park, disturbing many silver-Y moths.  At a little bridge a mass of keeled skimmers was congregating.  Back at the car park Don exhibited some (dead!) Australian dragonflies, probably the world's largest   Sadly, not long after this walk Thursley Common suffered a devastating fire, which was reported on national news programmes. It reached as far east as Conifer Island.  Has anyone got an update?

DICK ALDER

Editor's note: I did a web search and came across a site with photos taken at Thursley since the fire, at intervals up to late October, along with accounts of the life returning to the burnt areas.  For those with web access, the address is: http://www.epcg.co.uk/viewpage.php?pid=4&id=4&click=4.