We interrupt this blog...

Breaking news... the Tense Towers pond has recorded a new breeding species of dragonfly!

When I returned from work yesterday evening, I scanned the pond for signs of life, whilst enjoying a mug of tea. Lo and behold, there were two exuviae (empty larval skins) clamped to the reed stems. Too big to be damsels and too small to be hawkers. A swift perusal of the relevant ID guide (thank you, Mr Cham), confirmed that they belonged to Common Darters. Sadly their owners were nowhere to be seen, presumed on the wing elsewhere.

This morning, still in shorts and slippers, I ventured out again, just in case. There was a further larval skin which we had missed the previous evening, but also a newly emerged adult, still clinging to its exuvia whilst it inflated first its wings and then its abdomen. Predictably, I was nearly late for work!

Early morning and we have emergence

The day was not as warm as yesterday and there were frequent rain showers, some of them heavy. These facts would explain what I found on my return home...

But not a very warm day, so still around at tea time

In fact, there were now two adults, neither of which had felt like venturing far all day, presumably due to the conditions. We've seen Common Darters in the garden almost from the minute that the pond was dug, seven or eight years ago. I recall that we've witnessed plenty of Dartery love (pervy, I know) and Mrs D laying eggs. But we've never had proof of confirmed breeding for this species, either by finding an exuvia or a newly emerged adult. So this was an historic moment for the Tense Towers pond and a pleasing endorsement of our wildlife gardening ethos.

An all home grown Common Darter

There, that makes up for two Odo-free weeks in Shetland, more of which later...