Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies (Libellula depressa), newly emerged and in pristine condition, were flying around Charlton Down Nature Area this morning. Both sexes have distinct and characteristic dark patches at the base of their wings. The female with her predominantly dark brown body was moving around near the blackthorn thicket at the bottom end of the site and settling now and again on cow parsley. The male with his pale blue abdomen was patrolling round and round the pond, then resting intermittently on grass, nettles and dandelion stalk right on the edge.
Broad-bodied Chasers are one species of dragonfly (Odonata) out of ten species recorded so far for the Nature Area.
Useful References & Links
Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Steve Brooks, Illustrated by Richard Lewington, British Wildlife Publishing, 1997, reprint 2010, ISBN978 0 9531 1399 0 3.
https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/odonata/species-and-identification/
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/07/british-dragonflies/
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Charlton Down Nature Area 
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