Despite concerns over possible poor conditions for our Dragonfly walk today, it wasn’t actually too bad and when the sun shone it was quite warm. Unfortunately it’s not been consistently warm enough over the previous few days and although there were a few species of damselfly including Blue-tailed and Azure, they were a little elusive. Although a Common Blue Damselfly did settle briefly on the decking around the pond.
Common Blue Damselfly
There was only one Dragonfly visible, but as it had the good grace to have only recently ‘hatched’ it was hanging up in the vegetation at the back of the pond so everyone had the chance to see this Southern Hawker,
Newly emerged Southern Hawker
Having made a bit of gaffe with my ‘pug’ moth identification yesterday, I hope it’s a Southern Hawker. I’m guessing female as it has a rather stout abdomen. All the coloured parts look washed out and thee green colouration, typical of Southern Hawker hasn’t yet developed.
On the subject of identification, there was a large(ish) insect in one of the covered bowls in which we put peanuts to encourage badgers to forage outside the Woodland Hide. Looks, to me, like a beetle of some sort, but with an articulated back end. I’m sure I should know what it is, but don’t, hope the picture’s clear enough so someone can tell me.
Beetle in Badger feeding bowl
On slightly safer ground I’ll finish with this image of one of the smaller moths from the trap, but one of the more strikingly colourful. I think the name Rosy Footman says it all.
Rosy Footman
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 
The beetle is a Devil’s Coach-horse.
Its a vague guess from the memory, but a coachman beetle?
the comment from john is correct its the devils coach-horse ocypus olens
Thanks, Sean, John and Robert. I guess it’s quite a distinctive species, when you know it, which I now do thanks to you! Steve