Some good news from the Washes where a second pair of Stilts have 2 young on the RSPB reserve. Some gorgeous weather either end of the week meant some good weekends for searching out Butterflies, Dragons and Damsels. Last weekend, at Paxton Pits I watched 5 or 6 Norfolk Hawkers patrolling their chosen pit, full of Water Soldier. They were zooming around and not settling at all, I was pleased to get any shots of the green eyed beast. One did clatter around in the foliage, I guess freshly emerged. I also saw an Emerald dragonfly of some description a couple of times hawking over the Lilies, very distinctive and not like anything I'd seen before I feel confident of the family and it would most likely be Downy Emerald as these do occur into Bedfordshire, however they are not really known in Cambs.
Having received confirmation that the damselflies I had photographed were indeed Variable almost the first Damselfly I saw around Roswell Pits last weekend was also a Variable, however I've not encountered any further.
On Ely Common this weekend up to 9 Marbled Whites were flying and along the drove at Thistle Corner a thriving population was on the wing in the managed field edges. Further along this path at the entrance to a reasonable Elm copse 20 or so White-Letter Hairstreaks are in residence and being drawn to the brambles, a cracking little site for these butterflies. A Brown Hawker also took a fancy to this area, my first of the year.
In the garden Ruddy Darter were active around the pond and meadow while our Lesser Whitethroat has started singing again suggesting a brood has fledged and there maybe just enough time to squeeze in a second.
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