Nature- Page No 1. Damselfly, Poppy Beauty, and the Beast below!
12 June 2007
Picture by Nigel Collor
Local Councillor Nigel Collor, with sharp eyed intent, grabbed this excellent shot of an Azure Blue Damselfly which was hovering in and around his exotic garden pond. Nice picture and lovely waterlily there too Nigel, ah shure you are a budding horticulturist and naturalist all rolled into one. Many thanks for sending in the picture.
Now the reason any of us know that its an Azure Blue is thanks to 'our roving man on the spot' Phil Eyden who sent me the following info...
"What you have there is a male Azure Damselfly.
At least I'm about 90% certain it's an Azure as opposed to a Common Blue or a Variable, though they are very similar looking. The difference between them is down to tiny variations in the patternation of the abdominal segments.
You can tell they are the same order of insects as dragonflies as their body shape is similar. Damsels tend to rest with their wings stretched back, and dragons with their wings splayed out to the sides. Damsels are also much smaller and are match-stick sized. The young live as nymphs in ponds all year and they tend to emerge and moult into adults from late May onwards.
I'm afraid they are very common around ponds right across lowland England and Ireland, but that doesn't make them any less attractive to look in their stunning electric blue. Over the last couple of years I've seen quite a lot at Bushy Ruff and a few at Samphire Hoe and often try to get pictures of them"
Here is a sight not seen very often anymore. So much of the earth nowadays is sprayed with chemicals to prevent such a colourful occurence, but spotted just south of Barham by Fab Forumite Ken 'Vintage' Baker, this poppyfield makes an excellent and rather beautiful front page shot. Ken was in there like a shot to capture the short life of the poppy just for us. Well done that man! Keep them coming Ken.Picture by Ken Baker.
Here's a guy you dont want to run into very often and look at those long sinewy spindley legs. Brings to mind that erstwhile councillor DavidH, he of the Castle St flower enterprise initiative! Whereas and however, it is often quite pleasant to run into the Castle St variety, the guy pictured here looks pretty scary to you and me. Did you know that it's none other than the European Cave Spider with the longest legs in all Britain, on any spider that is. The pic and Info is from our 'roving man on the spot' Phil Eyden who spotted it on the Western Heights funday, deep in the deep deep dark Drop Redoubt. The beast is munching happily on a millipede above, but watch out, you could be next!! ooh scary! Im outa here! Picture by Phil Eyden
Great pictures once again by Fab Forumites out and about.
Local Councillor Nigel Collor, with sharp eyed intent, grabbed this excellent shot of an Azure Blue Damselfly which was hovering in and around his exotic garden pond. Nice picture and lovely waterlily there too Nigel, ah shure you are a budding horticulturist and naturalist all rolled into one. Many thanks for sending in the picture.
Now the reason any of us know that its an Azure Blue is thanks to 'our roving man on the spot' Phil Eyden who sent me the following info...
"What you have there is a male Azure Damselfly.
At least I'm about 90% certain it's an Azure as opposed to a Common Blue or a Variable, though they are very similar looking. The difference between them is down to tiny variations in the patternation of the abdominal segments.
You can tell they are the same order of insects as dragonflies as their body shape is similar. Damsels tend to rest with their wings stretched back, and dragons with their wings splayed out to the sides. Damsels are also much smaller and are match-stick sized. The young live as nymphs in ponds all year and they tend to emerge and moult into adults from late May onwards.
I'm afraid they are very common around ponds right across lowland England and Ireland, but that doesn't make them any less attractive to look in their stunning electric blue. Over the last couple of years I've seen quite a lot at Bushy Ruff and a few at Samphire Hoe and often try to get pictures of them"
Here is a sight not seen very often anymore. So much of the earth nowadays is sprayed with chemicals to prevent such a colourful occurence, but spotted just south of Barham by Fab Forumite Ken 'Vintage' Baker, this poppyfield makes an excellent and rather beautiful front page shot. Ken was in there like a shot to capture the short life of the poppy just for us. Well done that man! Keep them coming Ken.Picture by Ken Baker.
Here's a guy you dont want to run into very often and look at those long sinewy spindley legs. Brings to mind that erstwhile councillor DavidH, he of the Castle St flower enterprise initiative! Whereas and however, it is often quite pleasant to run into the Castle St variety, the guy pictured here looks pretty scary to you and me. Did you know that it's none other than the European Cave Spider with the longest legs in all Britain, on any spider that is. The pic and Info is from our 'roving man on the spot' Phil Eyden who spotted it on the Western Heights funday, deep in the deep deep dark Drop Redoubt. The beast is munching happily on a millipede above, but watch out, you could be next!! ooh scary! Im outa here! Picture by Phil Eyden
Great pictures once again by Fab Forumites out and about.