Lavernock Point NR & Cosmeston Lakes 06/11/2016

Spent a couple off hours in the morning at Lavernock looking for dragons, it was not until the sun came out and it warmed up that a few showed up at the small pond. Five male Common Darters and one female with a male and the female in tandem and ovipositing.

No others found, with none found at Cosmeston either.

Llanerch Wood 02/11/2016

Spent a Hour at Llanerch Wood to see if any dragons were about, with this barmy weather anything was possible. I was not disappointed there were a few male Common Darters basking in the sun with one chasing a female, also a male Migrant Hawker made an appearance but I was not able to get a photo.

If this weather keeps up I wonder how much longer we will see these Dragons for.

Lavernock Point NR & Cosmeston Lakes 09/10/2016

A bit cold to start but when it warmed up and the sun came out so did the Dragons, around the gun emplacement buildings male Common Darters were Basking In the sun on the ground. At the pond there were plenty of Common Darters some males basking and a few m&f in tandem and ovipositing, a male Migrant Hawker was patroling over the pond.

At Cosmeston on the pond to the left of the visitor centre there were again plenty of Common Darters some basking and some in tandem and ovipositing, there was also three male Migrant Hawkers with one pairing up with a female and copulating.

Walking around the park I also found alot of females basking on fence posts and male Migrant Hawkers patroling the hedgerows.

Penallta & Parc Cwm Darran 02/10/2016

Looked at the horse-shoe ponds at Penallta and found no Dragons in residence, it was still a bit cold and the sun was stuck behind the clouds. I did find some Common Darters on the paths away from the ponds.

I then moved on to P.C.D. where I had to wait for the sun to come out before things started to happen. First the Common Darters started to show then Two male Southern Hawkers started to patrol the ponds. I did find a female Southern Hawker ovipositing on the bank and a female Migrant Hawker made a brief appearance. There was only One Damselfly on the pond which was an Emerald, a little late in the year for them but it has been a funny year weather wise.

The males would not stop for a photo.

Lavernock Point NR and Cosmeston Lakes 18/09/2016

Alot of activity at the small pool at Lavernock with up to 15 pairs of Common Darters in tandem and ovipositing and a few singles in the area plus a pair of Migrant Hawkers copulating. There were also Two males patroling plus a male Southern Hawker.

At Cosmeston on the pool to the left of the visitor centre there were again alot of Common Darters in tandem and ovipositing plus Three male Migrant Hawkers patroling the pool.

Cosmeston Lakes 28/08/2016

Checked out the pool to the left of the visitor centre, there was a male and female Emperor (the female was ovipositing) Two other Hawkers (Common/Migrant) again camera shy plus a few Blue-tailed Damsels. A number of male Common Darters were basking on the board-walk.

Walking around the park there were alot of Common Blue Damsels in the meadow areas and at the main Dragonfly pool there were alot of Dragons hawking over the pool but the only ones I could catch on camera were a male Emperor and a male Common Darter.

Apart from a few camera shy Dragons it was a good day.

Lavernock Point NR 28/08/2016

A few Dragons at the small pool at Lavernock NR, a male Southern Hawker who did not want his photo taken, a Common Hawker who was more accommodating and alot of Common Darters some in tandem.

I then moved on to Cosmeston

Parc Cwm Darran 23/08/2016

After Penallta I got to PCD where I found Two male Southern Hawkers on the Dragonfly pond along with alot of Common Darters, also alot of Emerald Damselflies and a few Common Blues. Walking around the parc there were alot of male Common Darters on the paths and vegetation.

On the way home over Gelligaer common I stopped off at a pond by the roadside and found a male Emperor, a male Southern Hawker plus a female Southern Hawker ovipositing.

Penallta Park 23/08/2016

On Sunday I went to Lavernock NR but only saw a single male Common Darter (very windy and overcast) then moved onto Cosmeston Lakes but did not get a chance to go around as rain stopped play.
At Penallta on Tuesday things were alot better although a bit breezy the Dragons were about. A few Emerald and Blue-tailed Damsels were at the horse-shoe ponds with alot of Common Darters, some in tandem and some ovipositing. On one pond a male Southern Hawker was hunting, a female Southern Hawker and female Common Hawker were ovipositing.
Taking a walk around the many paths I found another female Southern Hawker resting on a bush and a male Golden-ringed hunting over a patch of bramble.

I then moved onto PCD.

Llanerch Wood 15/08/2016

Spent a couple of hours at Llanerch wood ponds on Monday bug hunting, while there I saw plenty of Blue-tailed Damsels plus a few Common Darters. A single Southern Hawker was hunting over one of the ponds and a number of Red-eyed Damsels with a pair in tandem were resting on the lily pads.

Parc Cwm Darran 14/08/2016

At the Dragonfly ponds I found a male Emperor patroling the lower pond being harassed by a couple of hawkers, one I found in the margin a female Common Hawker ovipositing the other could of been a male judging by the colouration. A few Damsels were present, Blue-tailed, Large Red and Emerald with alot of male and female Common Darters. On one of the other ponds a lone male Broad-bodied Chaser.

There were no Dragons on the big lake.