Pretty in pink...

The sun shone during my morning walk alonmg the river, but there was a chill breeze and consequently very few insects. By mid-May the riverside reeds and sedges should be fluttering with blue-tailed and azure damselflies, but they were notably absent. The meadow buttercups are emerging and I found plenty of adder's-tongue fern fronds in the small hay-meadows - they seem to have benefited from the winter flooding.

As I was returning, I saw a sudden shimmer of glassy wings - a weak fluttering flight which ended in some nearby tall grass. When I went to investigate I found a freshly emerged blue-tailed damselfly, which had not yet gained its final colouring, meaning it had a decidedly delicate rosy hue.