Damsel flies
I was delighted today to discover that damsel flies have been breeding in my little wildlife pond. I found several of these "creatures" (right) clinging to the upper edge of the pond liner which the drought has exposed. On closer inspection, they turned out to be empty skins, then I noticed this poor creature, still alive but grievously injured. I guessed it had been attacked by a bird. Then I found another, with wings half-expanded. When I came back with the camera, it had gone. "I didn't think it would be ready to fly so quickly," I thought, then spotted an insouciant herring gull on the roof....
There were also a lot of smaller insects, flying about just above the surface and resting on it or on the lily leaves. I couldn't take a photo, they were too small and too fast. Less than 1cm length and wingspan, iridescent blue-green. I've never seen them before, any ideas?
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