Changing of the guards

I haven't seen any of the chasers for the last two weeks. Last year, after clashes over the pond it was clear that there was only room for one male broad-bodied chaser, (an example of the male the Libellula Depressa is pictured above).  This year we have had two apparently content to occupy different parts of the bank.

This may be due to the higher levels of the vegetation at the edge of the pond, meaning that there are more perches to choose from, or because there are more females in the neighbourhood -- I have seen several in the long grass behind the pond (home-grown like the one that died and which was the subject of a blog last month).

Whatever the reason, it was wonderful to see them back.

This week saw the return of the hawkers. The girls swear an emperor has visited, but all I've seen is this rather small but beautiful common sympetrum (at least, that's what I assume it is, it's the first I've seen).