Here Be Dragons

A sunny sortie on the canal bank this afternoon at Coombe Hill Nature Reserve, wafted up numerous damsels which flitted daintily out of the way. Flying busily over the water were a few Broad-bodied Chasers, some more hefty dragons and  some like this Four-spotted Chaser, which handily for me kept coming back to the same twig in the water.

This common darter is named from the four spots on it's forewings which distinguishes it from the Broad-bodied Chaser. The male never develops the blue colour though. They like breeding in boggy pools however many migrate far from water apparently.