This walk was led by Don Tagg for the Dragonfly Society, with ENHS as guests. We began at Black Pond, which has been cleared out since the last joint visit in 2009. It was feared that the brilliant emerald (Somatochlora metallica) would have been lost in the process, but one showed up immediately to entertain us, as before. Black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) also showed. Marsh St John's-wort (Hypericum elodes) was also seen to be recovering on the west bank of the pond, but the two wartime water tanks on the common proved unproductive this time. On the way to them, a colony of the mining-bee Halictus rubicundus was found in the path, attended by a ‘bee-wolf’, Philanthus triangulum.
A lunch break was taken at A3 pond, where we watched brown hawker (Aeshna grandis), large red damselfly (Phyrrosoma nymphula), and blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans). Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) and large skipper (Ochlodes venata) butterflies were flying, and we realised we were sitting upon a colony of the mining-bee Andrea flavipes!
Then came a long march to Middle Pond, for a downy emerald (Cordulia aenea), two brown hawkers and a red-eyed damselfly (Erythromma najas). Back over the A3, one large red damselfly was noted by the ditch, then we skirted the east side of Black Pond, with a reed warbler singing. A clouded border moth (Lomaspilis marginata) was briefly detained.
Finally we investigated the newly created wetland below the dam. It proved interesting, with an emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) egg-laying, common darters (Sympetrum striolatum) patrolling, many common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum), and a black darter (Sympetrum danae) proving very photogenic.
Dick Alder