Azures at last

[Colin Adams]

At Priory Meadow this lunchtime.

Broad-bodied Chasers were continuing to emerge from the south pond. I found 8 exuviae (all on the west side of the pond - on Sunday they were all on the north side). Also saw a male emergent, and disturbed two tenerals who flew off from the surrounding grasses to the trees.

Two adults (the male in immature colouring) were on the brambles by the bird feeder.

And at last the first teneral Azure Damselflies that I've seen this year. Two were adjacent to the north pond, and three were adjacent to the south pond. None were within a metre of the water's edge though, so it's unclear if emergence has started from the north pond yet. Normally the Azures start emerging from the north pond many days prior to the south pond (it's much shallower). But this year it was so dry two weeks ago (there were just two small puddles in it) that emergence has presumably been delayed (assuming larvae were able to survive in the mud at all).