Midweek Blues, ABC Wednesday D is for Damselfly

Fancying myself a Time and Motion expert I'm using my time efficiently this week and combining two memes. (Believe it if you like ;-}) So my humble thanks go in two directions - to Rebecca at 'The Dusty Cellar' and to Denise and her Diligent Devotees for ABC Wednesday.

Our garden pond attracts a lot of wildlife. Birds drink from it and bathe in it, frogs and newts procreate in it, water boatmen (backswimmers) and pond skaters skim the water, dragonflies and damselflies hawk around it catching small insects and then lay their eggs on the water plants.

This year we have seen very few Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) so were pleased to have captured this one earlier in the summer.

Damselflies are generally smaller than dragonflies and have a weaker flight. When resting the wings of most damselflies are held parallel to the body. Dragonflies rest with wings outstretched.

The male Common blue damselfly is always blue but the female may be blue or dull green. It is common throughout Europe though noticeably absent from Iceland. It is so graceful and swift in the air and lands to mate and lay eggs. In common with dragonflies it cannot walk.

Next year we plan to add a small raised pond which will drain into the large pond but not have fish in it. This way we hope to increase the potential for wildlife.