Damselflies

It's all go in the pond today. These are Common Blue Damselflies, Enallagma cyathigerum.There were six pairs and the odd unpaired male bothering them this morning. The Azure Damselfly is very similar to these but the markings on the shoulders have more black than blue.

In the early hours I am now finding the larvae, called nymphs, climbing up onto the watermint stalks, where they undergo their final metamorphosis to transform into these beautiful creatures. By mid afternoon they are fully flying, pairing, mating and laying their eggs under the leaves that float on the surface of the pond.

The males are always a beautiful blue but the females tend to be a duller greenish colour. My pond is relatively new and now in it's third year these will be the first to emerge from it. The larval stage for both Damsel and Dragon flies is the greatest part of their lives, lasting anything from three to five years, depending on the species.

The white flowers, out of focus, are Water Crowfoot. This is their first year flowering as well.