There be dragons.....

Thursday 3 June
My enforced early return from Poland due to flooding, and my village being put on an evacuation order, allowed me some days in the garden in truly beautiful weather. There was quite a bit of activity in the pond and this Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly had taken up an aggressive territorial perching place. It chased (excuse the pun) off another male and then mated with a female.

Unfortunately the female later fell in the pond somehow and by the time I realised, had been attacked by Water Boatmen. I will spare the pictures of that! There were also six of these delicate Common Blue Damselflies, egg laying and flying in tandem (male and female). Most laid eggs on the Canadian Pondweed and some on plant stems. Occasionally they would split up but the males always hung around to protect the female during this activity.

and some red ones, which I think are Large Red Damselflies. Beetles were also on the hunt and this Soldier Beetle was particularly active. They are also know as "The Bloodsucker" due to their reddish colour, and are quite voracious predators, I watched this one consume at least four other smaller beetles and numerous flies.

I popped back inside for a minute and this male Blackbird arrived to do some sunbathing.