Coln Country Park, despite its grand name, is little more than a sailing lake with a path around the circumference. However it has attracted some rare birds in the past including great northern diver and a female long tailed duck; the latter being seen during 'lockdown' so was not broadcast for fear of attracting too many birders which was a shame as it would have been a first for me. The initial part of the footpath around the lake is quite exposed so was pretty gusty, but providing good conditions for a group of windsurfers. However as I walked towards the opposite end, a band of trees provided shelter and here it was quite warm in the sunshine. There were a few birds on the lake; a great crested grebe and a coot was all I saw, although I heard reed warblers in the long reeds around the edge and a couple reed buntings were singing from their perches in some taller bushes.
However, there were large numbers of blue damselflies; it was difficult to tell whether azure or common blue damselflies, but when checking google I have found you need to look for either a' mushroom' shape or a 'U' shape on the second segment of their body to determine which is which so I therefore examined carefully my photos when I got home and realised that I had some of each!
A larger dragonfly was also flying about and when at last it settled I was able to determine that it was a four spotted chaser.
After completing my walk at Coln Country Park, I drove round the corner and parked at Whelford Pools, a Gloucestershire Wildlife trust site. I have done some bird watching at this site before but as the hides are shut due to the coronavirus pandemic this was not my aim today. I walked partway along a footpath nothing the hundreds of blue damselflies but returned to the smaller of the two ponds where it was easier to spot and photograph the different species of damselflies. On the pond I noticed a species which had just a blue tip to its tail, so I took a few photos of different individuals. However when I returned home, I noticed that one was slightly different in having red eyes. No surprises -- this was a red-eyed damselfly, the others again, aptly named blue-tailed damselflies!
Another local hot spot for dragonflies and damselflies is Lower Moor Farm, this time owned by Wiltshire Wildlife trust. Between the two sites ( Whelford and Lower Moor Farm) there can apparently be found seventeen different species but like butterflies, they have different flight periods.
Coln country park - Bowmoor sailing lake
common blue damselflies
common blue damselfly - note mushroom shape on second segment
azure blue damselfly - U shape on second segment
four spotted chaser
blue tailed damselfy
red eyed damselfly
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