Emperor Explosion

Overnight between Friday night and Saturday morning at least 17 Emperor Dragonflies hatched from the pond. I found a dismembered wing, so at least one didn't make it into the air, but the calm conditions that followed the Friday evening storm were ideal for safe departures.

Barry, Friday daytime's beleaguered wing damaged individual, was still hanging around. He tried to fly and fell in the pond, so I picked him up and carried him around on my finger for a couple of hours. Saturday was the first day of the public event I am running with the National Trust and The British Dragonfly Society, so along with all the evidence of the hatch, Barry became a star attraction in capturing the attention of early visitors to Tyntesfield.

We attempted some pioneering veterinary surgery by trying to attach the found wing to Barry's withered stump with superglue, but alas our attempts failed. Various opinions were given as to how best manage Barry's end of life care (he was clearly running out of energy in front of my eyes). In the end we let him clamber on to some raspberry canes for some peace and quiet.

Over Saturday night 11 more Emperor's hatched, I visited at midnight to see it all going on, until recently I assumed it all happened in daylight hours, a magical thing to see (with the aid of an infra red camera). That brings the current tally 35 and still plenty more to come.

Barry the grounded Emperor Dragonfly. Eye damage from crash.

Barry meets visitors at Tyntesfield

A found dragonfly wing. Would it fit Barry?

Last known picture of Emperor Barry

A male Broad bodied chaser.

My first ever flying dragonfly photo. A female Broad bodied chaser.

My second ever flying dragonfly photo. Again, a female Broad bodied chaser.

Barry's Bad Day

This morning I posted about an emerging dragonfly recognisable by some damage to the case of one of its wing pairs. When I returned to the pond mid morning I found the same individual well advanced in hatching, but clearly in trouble. The inflating right wings were stuck in the shell and he (or she) was still upside down and wriggling forlornly. Normally they flip upright and pull the abdomen clear before the wings inflate.

I decided to intervene (against some people's rules, but not mine). The story unfolds in the pictures below. At some point a concerned visitor to the pond christened this Dragonfly 'Barry', so Barry it is, although I cannot say he was definitely male, it is hereafter referred to as 'he'.

Emperor Dragonfly hatching. Left wings are stuck in the shell.

I gave him a stick to hang onto to and pull himself upright, but both wing and abdomen are still stuck

I carefully broke away the loose bits of shell, freeing the abdomen. The 'stuck' bits remain on the wings.

Very, very carefully I removed the remaining pieces, but the inflation stage was already apparently over.

Such a remarkable animal, just had to wait and see now if he could fly.

This fluid was leaking from the good wing side, not a good sign.

Eyes of an Emperor

Actually very hairy animals in close up

The wings hardened over time, but weren't looking too good.

Eventually they opened, but Barry failed to take off. Will he be there in the morning?

Slow Larval Flow

Seven Emperor Dragonflies have now emerged from the kitchen garden pond since Tuesday, the pioneers of what should be a more numerous spectacle over the next few days. No casualties to beak or blow yet, but weather conditions are looking unsettled beyond the weekend and so potentially more perilous.

Two pictures below in the interests of observational science rather than the art of photography. The first is from 8pm last night. This larvae had just emerged from the water and looked set to hatch, but this morning there was no empty case (exuvia), so I assume it returned to the water and didn't make the transition. The second image is from 6am this morning, with another larvae having just crawled up an adjacent Iris leaf. I think this is quite possibly the same animal, evidenced by some apparent damage to the tip of the right wing case. Of course, it could be two individuals with similar damage, but if it's good enough for elephant ears and whale fins, then I'll take it for dragonfly identification.

Technically speaking, these are adult dragonflies in larval cases, rather than larvae at this stage, but I will be continuing to flounder with mixed terminology for the next week or so of observation and study. After this, I will hopefully myself have emerged as an expert.

Emperor Dragonfly larvae preparing to hatch (Thursday evening)

Emperor Dragonfly larvae preparing to hatch (Friday morning)

Dragonflies Are Go

This year I will be filming Emperor Dragonflies emerging from the Tyntesfield kitchen garden in collaboration with the National Trust and the British Dragonfly Society. I/we will be on site at the pond every day from Saturday 28th May until Saturday June 4th, documenting the spectacular event that is dragonfly hatching and sharing knowledge and enthusiasm of these extraordinary animals with visitors.

Today I went to test a camera and check on what was happening at the pond. I had the great privilege of finding the first of the season had already emerged (leaving only a larval case or exuvia behind). The second proceeded to hatch in front of me and in a very obliging position for my camera. The pictures below are a sequence of this one individual dragonfly. Spanning four hours, the last was taken seconds before it flew away. Hopefully these are the first of many that will take to the air over the next two weeks.

*If you click on a picture you get them all in a larger gallery format (without the captions).

Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) just out of the water and starting to moult

First the flight muscles break through and then the head begins to pull away

The head is now fully clear of the underwater shell

The top half of the body peels back, revealing the legs

Taking an upside down fresh air breather

Still resting

The legs get pulled back in towards the body ready to swing upright. Wings still to be inflated.

After swinging up, the abdomen is released and the wings pumped up

Fluid is drained from the expanded wings and they harden

The wings open, flight muscles vibrate and the adult Emperor Dragonfly is ready for take off

Hornet and Egg

I love hornets, when I see one I am filled with mild terror, even though they are far less aggressive than wasps (which I am also fond of). I've been wanting to find a nest so I could take some pictures, but in the end the nest found me, right above my head as I ventured into my garden shed.

I took a few hasty pictures whilst the queen was out gathering building materials. In one of the cells there is an egg, the first hornet egg I have seen. Interesting to me that she builds the nest around her developing brood.

The queen abandoned this nest shortly after, possibly due to my disturbance (regrettable, but I do need to get in and out of the shed). There is another, or perhaps the same hornet hanging about nearby (a few inches away), but she doesn't seem to be particularly active in building a new nest. The old starter nest in the picture has been partially  deconstructed, presumably to recycle the materials.

A Hornet

A Hornet egg in a nest in my shed

Jewelwings

I took a swift walk down to the Land Yeo, the stream that runs through the valley below Tyntesfield. I was hoping to see some damselflies and was rewarded immediately on entering the woods that line the stream by finding aptly named Beautiful Demoiselles. I only had ten minutes, but that was enough to grab a few shots of both a emerald/blue male and golden female.

Beautiful Demoiselle (female)

Beautiful Demoiselle (female)

Beautiful Demoiselle (male)

Beautiful Demoiselle (male)

Back on the estate and in my back garden, this year's frog tadpoles now have tiny back legs appearing and are transforming from the black blobs they were a couple of weeks ago. I have had more than a few conversations about the ethics of taking spawn / tadpoles and putting them in a tank, I took just 12 from a water butt in which they were unlikely to survive. I still have 12 and they are growing well. I've also been able to enthuse small children and adults as to the wonders of pond life, so my conscience is clear.

Frog tadpole with rear legs appearing

Ground Beetle (Poecilus cupreus (or possibly P. versicolor?))

Nettle tip (with sheltering beetle)

Damselflies emerge and avoid puns

Delighted to see my first damselflies of the year today (May 13th) emerging from the kitchen garden pond. I won't say anything about being unlucky or in distress, but the individual pictured below didn't make the best of starts. It's been quite a blustery day, so I assume the wings got damaged by a collision before they had time to dry. Happily, I also saw one fly away successfully and another drying off on a more sheltered bit of leaf.

A newly emerged damselfly with damaged wings