RSPB column: Dragons and damsels
Moving into summer, many birds are occupied with bringing up their young and become much less conspicuous, but for nature lovers there is plenty to enjoy this season as insects take centre stage. Butterflies flit along hedgerows, grasshoppers chirrup in fields and bumblebees work busily from flower to flower. However, for me, dragonflies patrolling the ponds and waterways are the very essence of summer.
Dragonflies or odonata, is a general term which covers Dragonflies (Anisoptera), and Damselflies (Zygoptera). Most Damselflies rest with their wings closed along their body, or abdomen, while Dragonflies rest wings open like an aeroplane. Damselflies are also much daintier looking and have a lighter, fluttering flight, whereas the Dragonflies tend to be larger, more robust looking, and are strong, agile flyers.
Dragonflies have two pairs of wings, but each wing can be moved independently, allowing them to hover, fly forwards, sideways and even backwards. Powerful flight muscles enable some Dragonflies to get up to 30mph, making them one the UK’s fastest insects. They catch their prey, usually other flying insects, by grabbing them mid-air using their long legs.
Different dragonflies have different habits. Chasers are highly territorial and as their name suggests, will chase others away, but also tend to return to a favoured perch of bankside vegetation. Black-tailed Skimmers, like Chasers are low flying but prefer to rest on the ground. Red-eyed Damselflies prefer to sit on floating vegetation away from the banks, while Hawkers are relentless flyers and hardly ever seem to rest.
Our Discovery Pond near the visitor centre at RSPB Pagham Harbour is a great place to spend time watching dragonflies and has been host to at least 16 species. There are more species that can be found elsewhere on the reserve and our nearby RSPB Medmerry reserve.