There's a small pool/pond or whatever anyone might want to call it, it hasn't got a name as yet, it's below and in the shadow of the Aqueduct Bridge which takes the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune. For the sake of my own records, I have decided to name it Aqueduct Pond, who knows the name might stick like Conder Pool did all those years ago.
Aqueduct Pond is quietly notorious as a rare site in our area to find the Emerald Damselfly, a still-water species, not recorded on any rivers or canals, and only scarcely on small streams. By coincidence, it wasn't until I looked through my records, that I discovered I had paid my first ever visit to this pool last year on the same date of 10 August 2022.
The image above of the male Emerald Damselfly barely reaches moderate level. Excuses are, it was some distance away and so small, but there's more to see in this image than in the video below, but both are acceptable as records of this brilliant little damselfly.
Also on the pond, 2 Southern Hawker female came to oviposit on vegetation at the side of the pool, they were still there 20 minutes later when I left the site.
An unmistakable large and gaudy hawker, its dark body inlaid with bright nuggets of apple-green. The Southern Hawker female is my second most favourite dragonfly standing behind the Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Two Brown Hawker were seen, one of which was also ovipositing, and a few Common Darter were all male.
I had a pleasant stroll back to Lancaster via the canal towpath, to find another female Southern Hawker, and by the time I reached Lancaster I had counted 12 Brown Hawker, a lone male Common Darter, and 8 Speckled Wood.
..................................................................
A is for Avocet....T is for Tern!
There's a little tragedy surrounding this tale about an error I made in my post of 6 August, when I made the claim that an Avocet nest was out of sight and still active on Conder Pool. In fact it was a Common Tern nest on a small rock pile at the west end of the pool. The nest held a chick which subsequently perished at the hands of a spring tide which submerged the nest and drowned the chick.
There was more bad news from Conder Pool, when I hear of road kills of 'a good few' Avocet chicks as the parent birds guide them to a richer and better food source in the River Conder, but are flattened by some of the muppets who speed along the busy B5290.
But in the end there is some positive and joyful news from Conder Pool in 2023....Figures show there was a 36% success rate of fledged Avocet this year, compared to 13% success in 2022.
Pete -
ReplyDeleteNice header pic and video of the Southern Hawkers. Not such a bad picture of the Emerald Damselfly, you can only shoot what you are given and if it is so far away then so be it. You can still enjoy the colours.
Sounds like a nice little pond down there.
Shame about the Avocet mortality some people use that stretch of road as a race track I have seen some horrible speeds whilst watching from that hide it is quite frightening.
Thanks for the update and pictures always enjoy them.
Ian
A nice little area always worth a visit. Unfortunately, like many of these projects there is rarely a long term management plan and some of the ponds are getting shaded out with too much vegetation. There is also a Common Blue butterfly colony in the vicinity as well. Steve
ReplyDeleteIan....Thank you for comments again. You should try to get to 'Aqueduct Pond', you would get some great images of the Emerald Damselflies Ian.
ReplyDeleteSteve....I take your point about long term management plans, but as you know, the Emerald Damselfly being a shy flier over open water, has the requirement of extensive emergent and marginal vegetation. Thanks for your input Steve.
Two Southern Hawkers in one shot is probably a rather rare thing, Pete, with the exception of a mating pair, of course. I'm as green as those two dragons!
ReplyDeleteAqueduct Pond would seem to be a very attractive spot, and I can imagine that you'll be making a few return visits. I look forward to hearing about what you find when you do return.
That's really bad news about the young Avocets from Conder Pool. Perhaps there should be something like 'wildlife crossing' signs at the roadside, although I suspect, from what you and Ian have said, that some low-lifes my take this as a challenge to see how many they can get - bit like the grouse shooting imbeciles.
Best wishes - - - Richard
Richard....Yes I did think I was seeing double when the two hawkers came to lay eggs side by side. Well of course I was seeing double, but you get what I mean.
ReplyDeleteYes, Aqueduct Pond is an attractive little pond, the main attraction being the Emerald Damselfly, I'll certainly be giving it another go soon.
We'll leave the Conder Avocet and the B5290 issue there Richard, a bit too depressing for me.
Regards and Thanks Richard....Pete.