Mike's Natural Musings: Buck Beck Ponds

Showing posts with label Buck Beck Ponds. Show all posts

Friday, 22 May 2020

A Disappointing Visit to Buck Beck Ponds

As it was still warm yesterday afternoon I made a late decision to visit an edgeland pond that has regularly produced good plants, butterflies, damselflies and large dragonflies. I was devastated, therefore, when I arrived and saw that it had been totally encroached upon by the industrial estate behind it. It has always been an edgeland site being behind Tesco's as it is and with one or two car dealerships there. The industrial estate is greatly expanded, however, and a car storage compound with fencing has been constructed right up to it. Behind the pond there used to be a large hawthorn/blackthorn hedge which provided shelter and infront of hit a small meadow/beach area. The hedge and beach have now gone, replace by a fence and earth back right up to the waters edge making access to that side difficult if not impossible.

However, after sitting and watching for a while I consoled my self with the fact that some of the flowers were still there: ragged robin, yellow flag and ox-eye daisies just coming into flower. There were also azure damselflies and the occasional large red on the wing. On checking my notes when I got home I notice that I haven't photographed the large dragons until into June so I will go back for a look in a couple of weeks.

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Azure Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Ragged Robin

Yellow Flag Iris

Monday, 8 June 2015

First Dragonflies of the Year.

Since we have been home from Scotland the weather has been warm and I have been champing at the bit to photograph some dragonflies so off I went this morning to my nearest local spot, a small pond 10 minutes from home. It is always good for four spotted chasers and broad bodied chasers and I was full of optimism. It was good to be back at this local spot; the meadows were full of ox-eye daises and ragged robin. There was plenty of activity at the pond with 3 or 4 four spotted chasers over the water and a male and at least one female broad bodied chaser. Although I didn't manage a shot of the female, the male was very cooperative. There were also azure and blue-tailed damselflies on the wing. Yellow flag iris was in flower and sedge warbler and black cap were singing well.

An excellent morning.

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Azure damselfly

Mating azure damselflies

Azure damselfly

Mating blue-tailed damselflies

Broad Bodied Chaser

Four Spotted Chaser

Orange Tip

Ox-eye Daisy

Ragged Robin

Viper's Buglos

Yellow Flag Iris.

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Dragonfly Fest.

Once the unpacking from last week's trip to North Wales had been completed, tidying up done and lawn cut, I decided to make the most of the beautiful sunny day by grabbing an hour down at Buck Beck Ponds. I was keen to get to grips with the Broad Bodied Chasers again and, hopefully, photograph the male in full colour. When the male first emerges it is the same golden bronze colour as the female, but after a few days he changes to a fabulous powder blue with yellow spots on the side; a stunning insect. As soon as I arrived I could see loads of activity; a male and female broad bodied were copulating in mid air and the female then dipped her abdomen in the water as she flew over the pond surface ovipositing. When not attending to the female, the male insect spent his time challenging a four spotted chaser for squatting rights on the reed stem that I put in as a perch for them.

A wonderful hour or so of wildlife watching.

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Broad Bodied Chaser, Male

Four Spotted Chaser

Monday, 19 May 2014

Success with Broad Bodied Chaser.

Having just returned from the C2C bike tour on Saturday it was time for some sorting out and catching up with jobs, but today I managed to escape to local Buck Beck Ponds for an hour to check on the dragonflies. I knew that broad bodied chasers had emerged so I was keen to see what was happening here. The weather was bright, sunny and warm as I arrived so I was full of anticipation. I was well rewarded as there was a freshly emerged adult on the wing and I managed to capture some pleasing images of it. I think that it may be a brand, spanking new male that still has to adopt it's beautiful blue colour so I shall return in a week or so to see if it has changed. Other sightings included orange tip, green veined white, common blue, speckled wood, brimstone and peacock butterflies with common blue and azure damselflies. A black cap was in full song and there was a superb display of ragged robin.

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Azure damselfly

Broad bodied chaser.

Orange tip

Ragged Robin

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

A Feast of Dragonflies

After a wonderful sunrise and early light this morning the sky clouded over and it, yet again, turned cool. In the afternoon, however, the sky cleared, the sun came out and it was warm! An ideal opportunity, then, to revisit my ponds by Buck Beck to see if the broad bodies were performing. When I arrived at the ponds it was still warm and sunny and at least 6 males were patrolling the pond with about 3 females so competition was fierce. The males were either dueling with each other or vying for mating rights with the females. The activity was frenetic and I thought that there was no chance of photographs. As the afternoon wore on, however, the males began to perch up for brief intervals and with patience it was possible to secure photographs. What a wonderful wildlife spectacle. There a reasonable number of butterflies on the wing as well, and I managed to photograph common blue, large skipper, small heath and a mother shipton's moth. The large number of tadpoles in the pond are now sprouting legs.

Dragonfly species: