Wednesday 13 July 2016

Dowrog Common - Small Red Damselfly

It's that time of year! Whilst not really birding on a holiday in Pembrokeshire, I took the opportunity to visit a couple of sites which could potentially yield UK lifer species for me?

First stop for the morning was Dowrog Common and after wandering aimlessly for the first hour or so, nothing of note had come my way..... Then I bumped into a local guy who put me right on the location of the key pools for Small Red Damselfly? Was it Chris?? Many many thanks my friend!

Not the easiest of terrain and with the warning 'adders' keeping me focussed, I managed to find the pools in question!


Access was nigh on impossible and the mud 'accommodating' so I kept to the dryer margins....


And eventually, I mananged to flush my first - a male with classic waisted shape to the abdomen .... Small Red Damselfly....


Showing the typical blood red abdomen devoid of black markings and characteristic droopy tip.




Typical females have black on the abdomen but there is an all red form with more parallel / less waisted abdomen. This one had me going as an 'erythrogastrum' contender?? It never hung around for more pics!


Close up of male....


The most striking variant was this immature male - the pale eyes and upper legs give it quite a striking appearance!



With close ups to finish....



It all came good in the end. My next target Southern Damslefly in the Preseli Hills.... And no precise location yet again - this was going to be tough!