Diary 2006

Sat 1 
Sun 2 
Mon 3 At LdR saw 5 males Sympecma fusca and one female Ischnura elegans (already in full colours, equalling the Dutch national record?), all of them over the water on the near side of the lake. The water of the Merse is still too high to cross, so I parked outside the pit entrance gate. Nothing at the Merse or at the other rivers and streams back along SS223 towards the Orgia crossing.
Tue 4 Walked with V towards the river Tressa. Nothing at all, dragons-wise. At CM again saw lots of solitary males Sympecma fusca on and near the water and about half a dozen tandems. Still no photos of solitary females.
Wed 5 
Thu 6 At QG walked along a small stream (near the restaurant); it's easily accessible in places but the water was mucky and seemed a bit fast. No dragons or damsels. At CM it was fresh and windy; saw only one male Sympecma fusca.
Fri 7 Very little at LdR, just a couple of males Sympecma fusca. More importantly, I heard they're going to open the lake to sports angling. Talked to the manager, nice enough guy. They've started clearing away small trees, undergrowth, reeds, etc. Wonder how this will affect odonate life at the lake. Felt a bit shocked to hear what the guy said, but then: it's their lake, they decide... On the plus side, ordered my new cam today!
Sat 8 Long and disappointing day: Lake Boracifero doesn't exist - it's a lecky station (geothermal) but not a lake! At the Lago del Accesa, saw a few Sympecma fusca but nothing else. Also the lake at Capanne seems like a phantom lake; if it exists at all, I certainly didn't find it. On the way back I stopped briefly at the Gonna (along the SS223, from the exit towards S. Lorenzo a Merse, it's exactly 10 km up the road). Beautiful little river, fast-flowing, so must revisit to look for Calopteryx virgo later in the season. Probably too fast-flowing for Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Also saw various signs for the Farma coming from Roccastrada towards Monticiano (at a hamlet called Piloni).
Sun 9 Saw nothing at all in Sambuca. Looked in the village (downstream from the dam), and then went across the bridge and turning right. The Pesa does look promising: it's reasonably accessible in some spots, and fast- and slow-flowing stretches alternate. Also, about 200 metres up the road (after the bridge) there is a small tributary. Must check it out again later (in May?). At Petriccio saw only one Sympecma fusca, but it was a female - a first photographically! It was sitting along the little stream flowing into the lagoon.
Mon 10 
Tue 11 
Wed 12 
Thu 13 After a few cold days, spring is back now; the weather forecast for the next two days is great, and the damsels at CM must have heard - they were out in numbers today. Out with the new camera for the first time today and it seems to be performing much faster than the old, trusted 10D. We saw large numbers of Sympecma fusca (lots of single males by the lake's edge fighting with each other, and half a dozen or so tandems and ovipositing females). We also saw the first Ischnura elegans of the season at this lake (10 days after the our sighting of the year at the LdR); lots of teneral and immature males and females, and some already with fully developed colours. No monkey business yet, though.
Fri 14 Nothing whatsoever at the LdR, and nothing whatsoever at the Bagnaia forest pond. Then at the Merse (bridge Orgia) saw one female Sympecma fusca. Not much for a three-hour trip! I did notice again, though, that the little stream near the bar along the SS223 does look promising; very clean water over a rocky bed with small muddy patches, faster and slower sections, and loads of vegetation on the banks. Could be good as soon as riverine species start flying.
Sat 15 While sitting down for our picnic lunch saw an aeshnid flying fairly high and then coming lower down, hovering. Couldn't ID it, but it looked fairly small and was definitely an aeshnid. Location: at Lecceto, left of the horse-riding school, following the white road for a few metres and then taking the path down for about 100 metres, where there are some rocks on the left and a small grassy patch. Must ask Carlo what it could have been; my money's on Brachytron pratense.
Sun 16 
Mon 17 Hundreds of Sympecma fusca at the lake at CM, and loads of Ischnura elegans, mostly still tenerals and immatures but some already fully coloured and at the water. Also saw and photographed three teneral Enallagma cyathigerum (2 females and a male). And then saw, tracked, followed, and cursed a dragon which at first I thought must be a Brachytron pratense. But then I could see clearly the light-blue saddle and whitish frons, so it was an Anax parthenope; a single male flying low, hovering, investigating incessantly without ever even once sitting down. No wonder I only have two photos of this species so far, and then of a pair mating. Blast. Anyway, while walking through the tall, dried-out grass stems, I must have destroyed a spider's web, because when I took a short break, I found two Sympecma fusca, wrapped in web, sticking to my T-shirt. I removed them carefully, hoping they were still alive and playing dead, but these poor guys weren't acting - they were dead all right. Didn't know what to do with them, so I put them on the low wall in the corner near the water pump. When I got back to that same spot barely two minutes later, I saw an Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis sicula) just swallowing the tail end of the female Sympecma fusca. Ah well, at least they didn't die in vain...
Tue 18 
Wed 19 Still plenty of Sympecma fusca at the lake at CM, and lots of Ischnura elegans, with the males already flying at the water. Also saw one teneral Enallagma cyathigerum. And then saw, briefly, a dragon which I thought must be a Brachytron pratense. It looked smaller than the Anax parthenope I saw yesterday. And also the flight wasn't like the slow, regal hovering flight of Anax parthenope. Instead it had a very fast and erratic flight, dashing quickly from side to side. Plus it never flew over the open water but kept to the reed beds. And then it looked brown, not black. For now I'd say it was either Brachytron pratense (don't know; never seen one in the flesh and have no reference point) or an Aeshna isoceles. The latter would explain the brown impression it made but I seem to remember Aeshna isoceles flies very slowly and hoveringly too. I last saw it at 11, and waited until 12.30 for it to show its face again, but it never did. It's a mystery. Another mystery is what on earth happened to the little lake that's supposed to be at More di Cuna - it's simply not there. So I drove on to Monterroni d'Arbia and took the road to Radi. About halfway there's a big lake on the left but with private access only. Then, another kilometre further on, there's a small lake, along a white road, again on the left (at about 1 km short of Radi). The white road was blocked (barred), so I parked the car there and had a quick look (divieto di accesso, of course). Looks like a very promising little lake. Worth checking out a bit later (for now saw only one Sympecma fusca). On to the Radi lake where I saw and photographed loads of Ischnura elegans, and then finally crossing the Tressa to go back to the lake at CM. Nothing at the river; nothing worth reporting again at the lake.
Thu 20 Not much flying at Petriccio; just saw a few Sympecma fusca. Took a beautiful photo of a female, though.
Fri 21 Saw only one female Sympecma fusca at LdR and nothing at all at the Gonna. It is a very pretty river, though, with a small tributary. The bed is gravely, and there's plenty of faster and slower sections, sunny spots and shady bits, so it does look very good for e.g. Calopteryx virgo. Must check it out in May. At the lake at CM saw tons of Sympecma fusca (males, females, tandems, copulas) and also lots of Ischnura elegans (mostly still immature females but also males at the water, and three copulas). Then I found an (the?) answer to Wednesday's mystery: the second of the two dragonflies I saw was (possibly/definitely) a female Anax parthenope; I saw her interact briefly with a male Anax parthenope by bending the tip of her abdomen downwards in flight - "count me out, mate". I didn't see them copulate but saw, photographed and positively ID'ed the male, and saw and photographed her ovipositing. But, and this is what gets me, she did so alone, not in tandem as Anax parthenope are supposed to do. Also saw a green damselfly which I reckon must be a Coenagrion puella. I checked with Carlo but he wasn't sure. Oh, and finally, I heard the bee-eaters for the first time today; they're back, so all you dragons and damsels out there, beware...
Sat 22 
Sun 23 Wonderful hot if a bit breezy day. Tons of activity from Sympecma fusca at the lake at CM, and tons too from Ischnura elegans, including a copulating pair with a young female (f. violacea). Also saw that mystery female dragonfly again, very briefly; still no positive ID. Then saw three fully-coloured blueys out over the water but couldn't ID them. My guess would be they were Enallagma cyathigerum. Saw a few teneral Platycnemis pennipes (one of which got caught in a web as I approached her, so I photographed, freed and then rebuked her. Also saw a teneral Orthetrum cancellatum with wings still glassy; could be either gender, I didn't want to pursue him/her too much.
Mon 24 
Tue 25 Sympecma fusca are still out in massive numbers at the lake at CM, but they're about to be overtaken, numerically, by Platycnemis pennipes, of which there were loads and loads of tenerals and immatures. Again saw a few fully-coloured blueys out over the water but still couldn't ID them positively. My money would still be on Enallagma cyathigerum (strong, low and fast flight over the open water and 'sniffing the water'). Also saw four teneral Orthetrum cancellatum with their wings still glassy; they all flew up from the bank as I walked past and settled further up the field; could have been either gender - the photos aren't conclusive. Ischnura elegans were also out in numbers with a lot of activity on the water and copulating pairs on the banks. And also on the water were three male Ischnura pumilio; difficult to spot from the bank with so many Ischnura elegans around. The trick: watch out for the amount of black on S9 and S10 rather than figuring out how much of S8 is blue. Saw and photographed an orange female Ischnura pumilio (f. aurantiaca). And finally saw that mystery female dragonfly again, very briefly and just before packing in; still no positive ID. Blast! On a different note: it must be because this lake is shallow, has a muddy bottom and no trees to shade it that it seems to be so far ahead of, say, the LdR. Its water must be considerably warmer than that in other places.
Wed 26 Only saw a single immature female at the forest pond: a Coenagrion puella. Nothing at the stream along the SS223 (except again the impression it's a very fine little stream for later in the year). At the LdR saw another 10 or so immature Coenagrion puella. Also saw 5 teneral Platycnemis pennipes, two dozen Ischnura elegans, mostly in the tall grasses beside the eastern side of the lake, and - unbelievably - a fully-coloured and strong-flying Sympetrum fonscolombii. Don't know what the tenerals or immatures of this species look like, but this fellow was neither. Didn't think they'd fly this early in the year. Photographed an ovipositing Sympecma fusca sitting the tripod in the water (and with the cam nearly touching the water too). Risky but worth it; some great shots with her reflection in the water. Unusually, she was not in tandem - don't know what happened to her mate. Work at the lake is progressing, if that's the right word; they're clearing a lot of the small trees and bushes along the river-side of the lake. Hope they'll leave at least the reed beds in peace.
Thu 27 Managed to spend an hour at Petriccio (in between showers). It was chilly (16C) and windy too. And so there wasn't much flying - a few Sympecma fusca males and females and a male Ischnura elegans. Took some beautiful photos of a male Sympecma fusca, though. The weather forecast for the next few days isn't looking great.
Fri 28 At the lake at CM today there was nothing at all on the water - the recent cold showers have managed to cool things down a little, it seems. But then, as the day warmed up, there was more activity. Apart from the usual suspects (Sympecma fusca, Ischnura elegans and Platycnemis pennipes in large numbers) saw three immature female Erythromma lindenii. And again a few fully-coloured blueys who again refused to come closer to the water's edge and allow themselves to be ID'ed properly. Still, pretty certain they were Enallagma cyathigerum.
Sat 29 
Sun 30 

Mon 1 Visited the lake at Mod for the first time this year. Today was a warm if somewhat cloudy and breezy day. The water was very high, compared to the levels we saw last summer. Apart from the usual Sympecma fusca (males, females, tandems, copulas) and ditto Ischnura elegans, we saw only a handful of Platycnemis pennipes. The species whose numbers were striking were Sympetrum fonscolombii - at least fifty, including males, females, copulas and even ovipositing tandems - and Enallagma cyathigerum - again at least 50. Made some beautiful photographs of fully-coloured males and of a few copulas. Also saw and photographed a single, immature male Coenagrion puella. And the final species: Anax parthenope. We saw a solitary male feeding over the meadow to the right of the lake. Spent half an hour 'chasing' after it, hoping for it to sit down and let us take its portrait. No such luck; they are by far the most elusive and frustrating species we've come across so far. They're very strong flyers too, alternating flying with gliding, and eating on the wing, and by doing so, never running out of steam.
Tue 2 Sunny if windy day at the lake at CM. Didn't manage to see much new or interesting. The usual suspects were still out in numbers (Sympecma fusca, Ischnura elegans and Platycnemis pennipes) and also a few Ischnura pumilio and some fully-coloured Enallagma cyathigerum, including a few copulas. But there were no dragons on the wing, apart from the one which flew off and away as I approached it (reckon it was an Orthetrum cancellatum). Nothing at all yet at the Tressa. At the forest pond, none of the above species were to be seen. But we did see two male Libellula depressa (already fighting like mad over the pond - they are incredibly fast and agile as they chase each other), and a large number of Coenagrion puella - at least 50 immature males and females and already a dozen mature males hovering over the pond. They're tricky to photograph, those adults!
Wed 3 Again a warm and sunny day, with the wind again a mixed blessing. Went to the lake at Mug for the first time this year, and didn't find anything new or exciting. As expected, there were lots of Ischnura elegans and Enallagma cyathigerum (males, females, tandems, copulas, ovipositing females). Also we saw a dozen or so Sympetrum fonscolombii, already guarding their small territories and seeing off any intruders. And finally we saw an immature Orthetrum cancellatum (not sure which gender). So we went on to the forest pond and saw the same two species we saw yesterday: Coenagrion puella and Libellula depressa. Of the former we again saw loads, mostly still tenerals and immatures, but also adult males and females as well as copulas and ovipositing females. Of Libellula depressa we saw one male defending the pond as his territory, with two further males in the tree tops around the pond. We also saw a female further up the path and at some stage the dominant male spotted her and tried to pound on her. But after a brief skirmish, she saw him off and went back to sunbathe and rest in the tree tops. Not a great day, photographically, and that new angle finder definitely requires a bit of getting used to. Final note: there were loads of those semi-dragonflies flying today (hairy-looking things; black and yellow), and I remember last year seeing Anax imperator feeding on those guys voraciously. So with the emperors probably emerging within the next couple of weeks, they're going to find the banquet table laden high!
Thu 4 Even warmer today and less wind. Went to the lake at CM: lots of Ischnura elegans, Platycnemis pennipes, Sympecma fusca and Enallagma cyathigerum (males, females, tandems, copulas, ovipositing females). Also saw twenty or so Erythromma lindenii (took some truly wonderful photos of a very trusting male; funny how they will allow you to get really close while Enallagma cyathigerum, equally plentiful, will fly off as soon as you get to within a couple of yards). Then saw two mature male Orthetrum cancellatum, already chasing each other and defending their territory from a vantage point - typically a piece of emergent vegetation just a metre or so into the water. Also briefly saw a male Anax parthenope feeding over the field, hovering and then disappearing - that species is driving me nuts! Also saw a teneral dragonfly (some Sympetrum species, I reckon, but neither the photos nor the exuvia are conclusive). It was sitting right beside its exuvia, about a couple of metres from the water's edge. When I first spotted it, it looked as if something had gone wrong during its emergence; it wasn't moving at all (I got very close with the cam). But when I went back to the same spot ten minutes later, it saw it take off and complete its maiden flight successfully. Beautiful. Over the lake there were lots of swallows and swifts; don't know if these guys will take dragons or damsels. But the bee-eaters nearby gladly would, except that they don't get close to the lake (when I'm there).
Fri 5 Usually if it's hot, the wind is a mixed blessing. Today it was simply a pain in the backside. When I got to the LdR I realized taking a good photo was going to be tough; the wind was very strong over the open fields and water. Pity because I saw unbelievable numbers of Coenagrion puella (500+), but they were difficult to photograph (very skittish and moving like mad in the wind). When I did manage to get close to one, looking through the viewfinder almost made me feel sea-sick; imagine what it must be like for them! I went across to the river to see if any Calopteryx were flying yet, and sure enough - by the reed beds there were at least a dozen males Calopteryx splendens on the wing. I also saw a male Gomphus vulgatissimus but couldn't get close enough to him for a killer pic. For the record: at the lake I also saw good numbers of Erythromma lindenii, Enallagma cyathigerum, Platycnemis pennipes and Ischnura elegans, but no Sympecma fusca - maybe their numbers are starting to go down, or maybe they were even more cryptic than usual. On my way to the Merse at Orgia I stopped briefly at the drainage stream along the SS223; I'd checked it out before and it had struck me as a very promising little stream. Left the camera in the car and went down for a quick look. Then I rushed back to the car to grab the cam, because ... I'd seen my first ever Pyrrhosoma nymphula. So I got back and took lots of photos, some of which have come out well despite the wind. I saw two males, which interacted (read: fought) briefly and I noticed how they seem to hold very small territories and move a lot within those territories (fairly high up in the bank-side vegetation). At this stream I also saw a couple of Coenagrion puella in tandem and a solitary male Libellula depressa. Then I went briefly to the river at the bridge and saw half a dozen male Calopteryx splendens and 3-4 females.
Sat 6 Decided to go back to the stream near Filetta to try and make some more photos of those male Pyrrhosoma nymphula. But they weren't there! Visited the spot (three times) where one had his territory yesterday but didn't see him again today; maybe they change their territories day by day. Walked through the stream up the field and back down to the main river. What a gorgeous spot. And what a pleasant surprise when I saw and photographed two female Pyrrhosoma nymphula, and of different colour forms too! To think that I looked desperately for this species for two years and then all of a sudden: here they are. Funny how people in the North of Europe probably stumble over them while here in Italy (or at least the part of Italy we're in) they're so rare. Then again, if I told someone in Germany I can photograph Lindenia tetraphylla, Trithemis annulata and Selysiothemis nigra in a single morning, they'd probably go ape. Along the same stream I also saw a few Calopteryx splendens, a female Libellula depressa as well as an adult and an immature male Libellula fulva. In many ways the immature males are much prettier than the adults. Also saw four bee-eaters sitting in a tree by the stream; they're shy and keep their distance but even from afar their colours are simply spectacular. Wish dragons weren't on their diet, though. At around noon stopped briefly at the bridge on the river and saw plenty more Calopteryx splendens (20+) plus, while wading in the river, two male Gomphus vulgatissimus; both mature males with that beautiful green colour. One of them came hovering low and slowly towards me, as if to check me out from up close. Tried to follow them and figure out where they had sat down (which in my experience they do often), but lost sight of them and couldn't find them again. Ah well, there's always a next time...
Sun 7 
Mon 8 A dull and overcast day today, but at least there wasn't much wind. So we went back to the LdR to photograph Coenagrion puella. Mission accomplished, and spoilt for choice: they are very, very numerous at the moment. Also saw plenty of Platycnemis pennipes and Ischnura elegans as well as a few Enallagma cyathigerum and a solitary male Orthetrum cancellatum. Went back to the river just to make sure we hadn't overlooked any Calopteryx virgo there last Friday, but we hadn't: there were about 20 Calopteryx on the wing, all Calopteryx splendens. While standing in the river, an immature Gomphus vulgatissimus came up really close and sat down on a branch just in front of the camera - very kind indeed. He's going be famous throughout the world now! Walked back to the lake and for the first time managed to make a few reasonably good photos of Libellula quadrimaculata: there was one solitary male (immature, f. praenubila) but unfortunately he had two favourite perches, and when we set the camera up in front of the first, he'd choose to sit on the second, and vice versa. Still, we're going to add a few photos to the site: species 42. Hope to get some more, and better, photos of this species soon. They're very beautiful insects.
Tue 9 Visited five sites today looking to make more photos of Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Libellula quadrimaculata and Gomphus vulgatissimus. In that sense the day was a complete failure; didn't see any of those species all day. Did manage to see a beautiful demonstration of wing-whirring. When I got to the LdR - the rain had just stopped and the sun was coming through - I spotted a male Libellula fulva who was revving up and getting ready to go; he whirred his wings very, very fast and shook his whole body frantically in order to generate enough body heat to get going. Made lots of photos but of course they're all a bit 'shaken'... Also saw and photographed a few tandems and copulas of Coenagrion puella. At the Gonna I'd hoped to see Calopteryx virgo but in fact didn't see a bean (and, what's worse, not a single dragon or damsel). The water was quite mucky and the current maybe too strong; will try again after a spell of sunny and calm weather (don't know if the flying season for Calopteryx virgo starts a bit later than for Calopteryx splendens; hope so and hope that that is the explanation for their absence). At Bagnaia saw a male Libellula depressa holding the fort at the first pond, and another at the second. In the meadow by the second pond spotted a young female Anax imperator. Don't know why Carlo says they're shy because I ended up, almost literally, with the lens touching her and still she didn't mind one single bit. Took some really nice close-ups of her. Also made some photos of a group egg-laying session (Coenagrion puella) but couldn't frame a decent close-up. Funny to see how the males stand proudly upright, stiff as matchsticks, while the females go about their egg business. Something to work on next time.
Wed 10 Only managed to stay at the lake at CM for about an hour. Didn't see anything out of the ordinary, other than a young male Anax imperator, who wouldn't let me get close enough for a good photograph. Other than that I did see still quite a lot of Sympecma fusca (although they are now being outnumbered easily by Platycnemis pennipes), as well as loads of Ischnura elegans. Checked a lot of them to try and spot Ischnura pumilio but didn't find any. Also saw good numbers of Enallagma cyathigerum and Erythromma lindenii. Hopefully the weather will settle down soon; there's too much rain and too much wind at the moment...
Thu 11 Went briefly to the lake at Petriccio; there wasn't much flying at all after this morning's terrible squalls. Only saw a few Platycnemis pennipes, half a dozen Sympecma fusca and Ischnura elegans and three Libellula depressa (the two males dog-fighting as if their life depended on it and the female staying out of trouble). On the way out saw a stunning young Enallagma cyathigerum - very pretty green colour; she's going up on the site. At QG followed the stream a few hundred yards to either side of the bridge but it isn't a great site; hardly accessible for the brambles and nettles, with steep banks and too much water rushing through. Saw only a male and a female Libellula depressa.
Fri 12 What a glorious day today; warm and only a slight breeze. Went to the stream at Filetta looking for Pyrrhosoma nymphula and did see 6 males and a copula but couldn't persuade any of them to sit still in front of the camera. They are quite skittish, maybe because the population density is too low; if you get more individuals and competition for territories and perches is greater, then they can't afford to abandon their posts at the drop of a hat or the sound of a camera shutter. Anyway, will go back soon and try again; their flying season is short, so mustn't wait too long. Also at the stream saw a lot of Libellula fulva: mature males and especially immature males (or females?). Made some very nice photos. Also saw a couple of male Calopteryx splendens, a male Orthetrum brunneum, a young female Orthetrum coerulescens and two, absolutely beautiful mature Gomphus vulgatissimus in full green battle dress. They do sit down on rocks in the middle of the stream, so I first I thought they were Onychogomphus forcipatus or Onychogomphus uncatus. At noon went to the LdR and there the number of species and of individuals flying was incredible. Saw two male Anax imperator (keeping their distance from each other but giving the two male Anax parthenope a really hard time), a male Aeshna isoceles (a first for my checklist for this lake), 20+ Libellula quadrimaculata (males, females ovipositing, mid-air copulas, etc.) and 20+ Orthetrum cancellatum. Also noticed that Crocothemis erythraea are back; saw 20+, mostly immatures but one fully-coloured male was already out over the water. And then the usual suspects: 10+ Sympetrum fonscolombii, 100+ Enallagma cyathigerum, 500+ each of Ischnura elegans, Coenagrion puella and Platycnemis pennipes, as well as 50+ Erythromma lindenii. In a way, it becomes more difficult to make the photos you want when there's so much happening; will have to define a strict 'plan for the day' with a specific species and then go after it, leaving the rest for another day.
Sat 13 
Sun 14 
Mon 15 The weather forecast for the next three days was looking terrific and today was indeed a scorcher. Visited the LdR, the river along the lake, and the small stream near Filetta, and saw a total of 20 species. But rather than listing them all, we'll only highlight the more salient ones. At the lake there were at least 50 Libellula quadrimaculata (males, females, copulas, ovipositing females) and about 20 or so Libellula fulva. Saw a female feeding quietly away from the water's edge and finally managed to get some decent photos of a female Libellula fulva. Crocothemis erythraea are becoming very numerous now, with loads of young animals feeding along the eastern shore of the lake. Also saw, surprisingly, a young female Oxygastra curtisii (the first this season) with wings still glassy-looking. She was flying on the same side of the lake, so she either crossed it, or she emerged from the lake. Probably the first option is the more likely; they are supposed to be strictly a riverine species. Anyway, at the river saw the usual Calopteryx splendens and three male Gomphus vulgatissimus, but didn't manage to get any good close-up photos. The water in the river's still too high to move about with ease. At the stream near Filetta saw and photographed a Pyrrhosoma nymphula copula, and then the female ovipositing (with the male contact-guarding her). Also saw another 3 male Pyrrhosoma nymphula and another female (who was clearly in love with the camera lens!). And finally, two more firsts for this season: a male Orthetrum brunneum and a female Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis. This little stream really supports a good diversity of species, including a beautiful ring-neck snake (Coluber natrix).
Tue 16 A day with a difference: rather than the abundance of species and individuals, the river Gonna only showed a few individuals of a Calopteryx species, and they were too young (and stayed too far away) to determine with certainty. They might have been Calopteryx virgo (a species which we haven't managed to find and photograph yet) or Calopteryx splendens (which we've seen and photographed hundreds of times). We'll have to go back some day soon and try again. After the Gonna (and having failed to get to the Farma), stopped briefly at the rice fields (recently flooded?) at Frontignano, where there was plenty of activity from Anax imperator, Libellula depressa, Libellula fulva, Sympetrum fonscolombii and Crocothemis erythraea. Then stopped at the Rosia near Orgia for a beautiful demonstration by a female Calopteryx splendens of how she submerges herself completely during ovipositing (while the male stays in close attendance). Also saw a Coenagrion species ovipositing nearby but couldn't ID her with 100% certainty. It might, just might be Coenagrion mercuriale. Sent a photo to Carlo to ask for his opinion. Will have to go back tomorrow to try and find (and photograph) the males.
Wed 17 After yesterday's surprise, went back to the Rosia at Orgia to look to make more photos of that mystery Coenagrion species. In the morning didn't find any at the water but saw and photographed a few (teneral) males and females in the wheat field beside the river. At around 11.30 continued to the Merse and made some of our best photos of Libellula fulva; simply stunning. Then went to the LdR, but things seemed a bit quiet today; only photographed some Libellula quadrimaculata males; the Anax parthenope or Aeshna isoceles we had hoped to see weren't at home. Went back to the Rosia at about 2 and there saw at least 8 copulas ovipositing in and near a plant which was growing partly above, partly under water (round, thick, hairy, toothed leaves, and smells of mint; discovered online it's called Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) - what an apt name!). Anyway, it was like a village meeting, all these couples gathered around that one plant. Made loads of beautiful photos. Whatever this species is (hope Carlo will get back to us soon with his insights), it is a very pretty species indeed. Striking too how strong its association is with that Water Mint; looked a good bit further upstream and downstream for more specimens but couldn't see any (that is, of neither those plants nor the Coenagrions).
Thu 18 Surprising to see virtually nothing flying yet at the Tressa - just a few specimens of Calopteryx splendens, Platycnemis pennipes, Ischnura elegans and Erythromma lindenii. At the lake there wasn't much new, exciting stuff happening either. All in all not a very productive day, other than that we've now confirmed the ID of yesterday's Coenagrion species: Coenagrion mercuriale (the Italian subspecies C. m. castellani). This brings our total number of species to 43.
Fri 19 Went back to the Rosia this afternoon to see and photograph some more Coenagrion mercuriale, and even though it was a bit late in the day, there were still 3-4 around at the water. But there were more up in the wheat field, so I managed to take some nice photos of males and females (adults as well as juveniles). Then went briefly on to the Merse where I came across a colony of sunbathing Libellula fulva and saw two male Gomphus vulgatissimus (neither of which I managed to photograph very well). All in all not a bad day, but it's time now to start thinking about identifying the next new target species; must study the literature a bit more precisely and pick a target.
Sat 20 Started off again at the Rosia but the strong winds today prevented any decent photos of small damselflies flying in an unsheltered wheat field. After an hour decided to visit a new site: a drainage channel near the Bagnaia turnoff. At the stream saw lots of Orthetrum brunneum and photographed a beautiful male Ischnura pumilio. Also, up on the banks there were lots of males and copulas of another Coenagrion species, which I'd hoped could be Coenagrion caerulescens but instead turned out to be Coenagrion scitulum. Will go back there soon to make more and better photos of that species. At around noon went on to the nearby stream at Filetta to look for Pyrrhosoma nymphula and maybe Gomphus vulgatissimus. Didn't see the latter but with a great deal of patience managed to make some superb photos of male Pyrrhosoma nymphula.
Sun 21 
Mon 22 Went back to the drainage stream at Bagnaia to try and make some more photos of Coenagrion scitulum. There were plenty of them around, especially copulas and solitary males. But somehow those males will never sit down; all they do is fly, low to the ground, trying to barge in on the copulas. So photographing either is not at all easy. Did stumble across a communal egg-laying session - four tandems with the males standing upright and the females laying their eggs in a tiny piece of submerged grass. Also at this stream there were loads of SYMPBRUN (the males at the water, the females in the vegetation up on the bank), as well as plenty of Ischnura pumilio. In fact it's surprising that here, if you see an Ischnura, chances are it's an Ischnura pumilio, whereas at any other sites we've visited, it's very much the opposite: Ischnura almost always means Ischnura elegans and only rarely Ischnura pumilio. At around noon went to the nearby stream at Filetta; saw a handful of Pyrrhosoma nymphula (including a copula), a female Libellula depressa, a couple of Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and, later in the afternoon, a few female Libellula fulva basking in the sun. Made a very nice close-up of one of them - maybe not to everyone's liking (they really are quite hairy!) - which shows the eye and face in wonderful detail. Followed the stream all the way down to the main river, where a male Gomphus vulgatissimus had just sat down for a nice close-up portrait photo session when a sudden gust of wind disturbed him and off he went. Didn't see him again. Blasted wind...
Tue 23 Hadn't been at the LdR for a while and was looking forward to seeing that male Aeshna isoceles again or to having another crack at Anax parthenope. Walking towards the lake from the gate, the first insect we saw and photographed was a female Oxygastra curtisii, and even though she didn't allow us to get close enough for a decent photograph, we thought we were going to be in for a treat. In the end the day turned into a bit of a disappointment: we saw - but still didn't manage to make any decent photos of - two more Oxygastra curtisii and the first Onychogomphus forcipatus of the year (a male). The number of Crocothemis erythraea is already shockingly high: every other dragon on the wing is one (and every other damsel is a Platycnemis pennipes). The difficulty is to keep looking; with so much movement and activity going on, it's easy to switch off mentally and assume that whatever moves must be one of them.
Wed 24 
Thu 25 Yesterday was an awful day, so we didn't go anywhere. But today was perfect; sunny and with only a light breeze. So we decided to go back to the river Gonna and look for Calopteryx virgo again. After our last trip there, we'd sent a few photos off to Carlo to ask for his opinion, and he'd agreed that maybe the female in one of them could be Calopteryx virgo. He also said that in our part of Tuscany, any fast-flowing stream or river should really support all three species of Calopteryx: Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, Calopteryx splendens and Calopteryx virgo. So this morning we read up again about Calopteryx virgo and our guide said it's typically most active between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. on warm, sunny days. I remember chuckling to myself that most dragons and damsels I've talked to cannot tell the time for toffee. So I got to the river at 10 and an hour later hadn't got anything yet except two bootfuls of very, very cold water. I'd already waded a kilometre upstream and then 2 km downstream, and all I had to show for it (apart from wet feet) was a poor picture of a Gomphus vulgatissimus. But then at 11 o'clock I could see some Calopteryx starting to move down from the tall trees on the banks to the waterside. (With my earlier chuckle I'd missed the point that the person who wrote the guide can tell the time!) And lo and behold, some of them were indeed Calopteryx virgo (the subspecies C.v. meridionalis, to be precise). It was the first time I'd knowingly seen that species, and what a thing of beauty they are. Also saw Calopteryx splendens (in about equal numbers) and a male Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis. Witnessed a dazzling fluttering display of a male Calopteryx virgo as he tried to lure a nearby female into his territory. In the event, she wasn't interested and so I couldn't observe or photograph any copulation or ovipositing; maybe next time. Just for the record, here's the list of species we saw today: Platycnemis pennipes (tons), Calopteryx virgo (20), Calopteryx splendens (20), Anax imperator (male, copula), Libellula depressa (male, ovipositing female), Gomphus vulgatissimus (2 males) and, another big surprise, Onychogomphus forcipatus (2 males). That last species was being a bit skittish, so we'll go back to the same site tomorrow to try our luck again. In any case, today was a thoroughly enjoyable day (the family of six wild boars crossing the river just ahead of me helped as well!), and now we're officially up to 44 species.
Fri 26 Went back to the river Gonna today (but a bit later than yesterday...) to see if I could take more and even better photographs of Calopteryx virgo and Onychogomphus uncatus. Having looked at the results now, I'm quite happy that the quality is excellent. Calopteryx virgo is really a spectacularly beautiful insect with incredibly densely-veined wings ('Calopteryx' presumably means 'beautiful wings'). But to do it justice you really need a very fast shutter speed - the slightest movement (subject, camera, wind, whatever) will blur those wing veins into a fuzzy mass. The fact that today was much less windy than yesterday helped, but so did bumping up the ISO setting. With the new Canon 30D, anything up to ISO 400 is really incredibly clean, and so I worked a fair bit with F8 and ISO 400 today (something I never used to do with the 10D, whose ISO 400's were quite noisy). I also noticed again that Onychogomphus uncatus is fairly plentiful at the Gonna, even though approaching them and getting close-up close-ups is quite tricky. As for the species observed today, they were exactly the same as yesterday's except for Gomphus vulgatissimus.
Sat 27 
Sun 28 
Mon 29 
Tue 30 After yesterday's washout (an excellent opportunity to update one's website), today was sunny but very, very windy. And those winds did bring more showers at around 1 o'clock. Went to the Tressa in the morning to see what was flying and the answer was: 'very little'. The riverbed, with its steep banks, acts like a wind tunnel, and whatever was flying (Platycnemis pennipes, Erythromma lindenii, Calopteryx splendens) wasn't at all easy to photograph. Only in a few places, typically after a sharp bend in the river and therefore sheltered a bit from the wind, did we manage to make some decent photos, especially of Calopteryx splendens. Later we walked along the thick row of trees and bushes that provided shelter from the wind and there we saw two male Gomphus vulgatissimus. Truly stunning they are, and one of them is soon going to be admired on computer screens throughout the world!
Wed 31 Still very windy today and a bit fresh as well. Went to the lake at Modanella but just couldn't manage to get any killer shots of Libellula depressa or Libellula quadrimaculata (although there were at least 20 of each flying) or of Orthetrum cancellatum or Anax imperator. Also saw and photographed a mating pair of Pyrrhosoma nymphula; strange in that there is no running water near the lake and here in Italy this species has reportedly a strong preference for running water. There were also lots of immature female Sympetrum sanguineum on the wing, and some male Sympetrum fonscolombii and Crocothemis erythraea. Hope the weather picks up for the long weekend; the Lago dell'Accesa in on the schedule and we might see Aeshna isoceles there.

Thu 1 If anything the wind was even stronger today than it had been for a good while. Sunny, and not too cold, but it was clear that we'd need to find a wind-sheltered spot. The drainage stream near Bagnaia wasn't sheltered at all; the wind came tunnelling through and even though there were some dragons on the wing (mostly ovipositing Orthetrum brunneum), it was going to be too difficult to work here. So instead we went to the nearby forest pond. It's a tiny pond in the middle of thick forest and here the wind wasn't too bad. What's more, because the path is rocky, it attracts species that like to sit on rocks. Not of course Libellula depressa (out in numbers over the pond and the nearby fallow field), nor the male Anax imperator who was majestically doing his rounds, nor Coenagrion puella (still numerous at this stage). But there was a fourth species we saw, and at first 'dismissed' as Onychogomphus forcipatus; not because we don't like that species (they're very pretty and easy to photograph), but because we already have 20 fine photos up on the website and hundreds more in reserve. But at the second time of looking we noticed that this wasn't at all Onychogomphus forcipatus but the closely-related Onychogomphus uncatus. The latter seems to be much the rarer of the two and we'd only recently seen and photographed it for the second time, at the river Gonna near Monticiano. So what they were doing here at the forest pond wasn't clear (they're supposed to be strictly a riverine species), but there was never any doubt about their identity. They are such a nice species to photograph: very, very pretty and quite trusting too; if you get too close or make any sudden movement whatsoever, they will fly away, of course. But approach them slowly and carefully and win their trust and you can almost stick the lens up their nostrils, so to speak. Also, when they do fly away (after a sudden gust of wind, for instance), they often return to the exact same spot. So at last our number of photos of Onychogomphus uncatus is starting to grow, and the quality of those photos is excellent too!
Fri 2 
Sat 3 "Global warming, my arse!", as Jim Royle would put it. Yesterday the temperature maxxed out at 16.1 degrees and today was much the same, except there was no wind. Went down briefly to the lake at Petriccio with V, and when we first got there at 11 there was literally nothing flying. Then at around 11.30 (the temperature must have shot up by all of half a degree), we started seeing a few damsels. Apart from a female Sympecma fusca and Platycnemis pennipes (1 each), we saw a male Ischnura pumilio, a male Coenagrion puella and half a dozen or so Coenagrion scitulum. Because it was so still, the photos have come out really beautifully, but still, you'd expect to be spoilt for choice at the beginning of June (and to not having to wear jeans and a woollen jumper!). Hopefully the weather will pick up a good bit for our major field trip later this month and into July.
Sun 4 Went back to the Rosia today to try and take more and better photos of Coenagrion mercuriale and to see if anything new and surprising would be about. Well, the answer to that question was negative; we saw all and only the species we'd expected to see. But there were loads of Coenagrion mercuriale around (coming down to the river at about noon), and we did manage in the end to make some really nice, traditional, close-up photos.
Mon 5 We hadn't been to the Rancia Lake in a good while and were wondering if Lindenia tetraphylla had started flying yet. We also wanted to try, again, to make more and better photos of Aeshna isoceles and Anax parthenope. Well, we failed on all three counts - Lindenia hasn't emerged yet, we only saw one male Aeshna isoceles (hovering in and out of his private 'cove' in the reed beds and not settling down even though, according to the literature, this species is supposed to rest frequently and extensively) and one male Anax parthenope (our nemesis). What we did see and manage to photograph included Oxygastra curtisii (a teneral female and a few mature males), a male Orthetrum coerulescens, a few male Libellula quadrimaculata and Libellula fulva, and a female Sympetrum sanguineum. The numbers of Crocothemis erythraea and Platycnemis pennipes must have reached their peak now; they're literally everywhere, and wherever you walk, up comes this cloud of blue-and-white mixed with red arrows. They're very pretty species, both of them, but their numbers take away a bit from the beauty of the individual. Also, Crocothemis erythraea have the habit of always sitting down low to the ground, so as you are about to step on one (unwittingly and unwillingly, of course), they shoot up at the very last moment and cause a panic among the other dragons and damsels in the area. Oh well...
Tue 6 
Wed 7 Went back to the river Gonna today to try and make more and better photos of female Calopteryx virgo, but they weren't at home. In fact the number of Calopteryx splendens today was far greater than that of Calopteryx virgo. And even the usual species must have been having a sicky - didn't see much on the wing at all, never mind the much hoped-for Cordulegaster boltonii or Boyeria irene. It's probably still a little early in the year for them. So we left the river at around 1 o'clock and on the way back stopped off at the rice fields near Frontignano. The one species that was remarkably well-represented over the rice fields was Sympetrum fonscolombii; must have seen 100+. In one of the drainage streams we saw, for the first time, a mating pair of Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis. The male's red underside is really very, very striking! At 2.30 we went on to our usual drainage stream at nearby Filetta. At first we didn't see anything of interest, but then we did manage to make some splendid photos of Platycnemis pennipes (how very pretty they are, and trusting, and numerous) and also of Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Other than that it was a bit of an uneventful day today. Hopefully we'll see more action at the lake tomorrow; it's a fair drive out there...
Thu 8 Left early this morning to reach the Lago dell'Accesa at 10 o'clock. As promised it was a sunny day but the weatherman's idea of a 'light breeze' doesn't match that of a macrophotographer! We had to look for wind-sheltered spots all day, but fortunately so did many of the damsels we wanted to photograph. Our target species for the day were Aeshna isoceles (there were loads of males about, each protecting their own opening in the reed beds), Ceriagrion tenellum (they were out in very large numbers, and they're so pretty), Coenagrion caerulescens (not seen today) and Somatochlora meridionalis (ditto). What we did see and photograph, by way of a bonus, was Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Coenagrion scitulum and another Coenagrion species - it's not yet 100% certain what species it is but our money's on Coenagrion pulchellum. For the record, we also saw a few male Oxygastra curtisii and Anax parthenope, massive numbers of Libellula fulva, swarms of Coenagrion puella, Platycnemis pennipes and Ischnura elegans, tons of Orthetrum coerulescens. This lake really is a jewel.
Fri 9 Couldn't go on a field trip today; too much to do in and around the house. Did find the time, though, to study yesterday's photos closely. And it's now definite: we're at 45 species. Yesterday's Coenagrion was indeed Coenagrion pulchellum (form: mediterraneum). We'll go back to the lake at La Pesta next week to try our luck again at finding the much rarer Coenagrion caerulescens. Of course we're pretty certain to see loads more Coenagrion pulchellum during our field trip to Northern Europe at the end of the month, but in any case it's great to see the number grow: 45, so only 80 to go!
Sat 10 
Sun 11 
Mon 12 Went to the Rancia Lake today and also visited the nearby river Merse. At the Merse saw and photographed a very trusting female Gomphus vulgatissimus, including some really close-up close-ups. They're very pretty and surprisingly small for a dragonfly. At the lake saw loads of species including Aeshna isoceles, Anax parthenope, Anax imperator and all the other, usual suspects. But also saw a handful of Oxygastra curtisii and Ceriagrion tenellum (which are never very numerous at this lake). The other thing we noticed is that Onychogomphus forcipatus have come out in numbers now; they're very numerous both at the lake and at the river nearby. So their emergence seems to kick off about 2-3 weeks after Onychogomphus uncatus. And finally, the highlight of the day was to see a newly-emerged Lindenia tetraphylla. He was sitting (i.e. hanging) about 20 cms above the water line, and spent a few hours there to allow his wings to harden. Then we saw him make his maiden flight (about 5 metres) and settle down again. There was never much doubt about their reproduction at this lake, but to see it confirmed was great. It also gives us more information about their flight period: 12 June to 27 August, with numbers peaking in early July, as per our own observations.
Tue 13 Surprising to see so little flying at the Tressa or the lake at Colle M (literally just two dragons: a male Orthetrum cancellatum and a male Crocothemis erythraea). Did see quite a few Coenagrion scitulum and managed a fine photo of a copulating pair. But the massive numbers of Lestes barbarus that we saw in this area at the end of May last year just aren't there - not a single Lestes yet this year, which puts us three weeks behind last year's schedule. Anyway, it just didn't happen today; the animals weren't there and, to be fair, we lost interest a bit. Similar story at the lake at Radi and at the Sorra. So not a very productive day. We'll try again tomorrow.
Wed 14 Quite an eventful day today (in fact a bit more than I'd bargained for...). Instead of going to the Lago dell'Accesa I decided to stay closer to home; the weather forecast was again for a 'light breeze'. As it happened, there really was only a light breeze; fair play to the weatherman. Got to the Lago della Rancia at 9.30 and spent an hour admiring (but of course not photographing) Anax parthenope. And then I saw the first male Selysiothemis nigra of the year emerge and make his maiden flight. They look very dainty and delicate, but he was doing just fine. Hopefully the number of adults ready to pose for DragonflyPix.com close-up will be a bit higher this year than last! At around 11 drove on to the river Gonna, hoping to see Cordulegaster boltonii, which reportedly lives in this river. In the end didn't see any, so they remain on our hitlist. What I did see was an unbelievable number of Onychogomphus uncatus. Unbelievable. There must have been at least 100. Of course they're not easy to tell apart from Onychogomphus forcipatus and I didn't photograph them all, but the ones I did (in other words: loads) were all Onychogomphus uncatus. They're such a nice, trusting species. To illustrate: I'd just taken an embarrassing, bad fall (slipped on a loose, slippery rock and ended up on my backside in the water, in the process spraining my left ankle, hurting my left shoulder and getting my left side and back completely soaked. Fortunately I don't carry my wallet, mobile or car alarm in my left pockets. In any case, I took off my socks and shirt, wrung them and put them on a rock to dry. And then, after checking my cam and lens weren't any worse for wear, I made some photos of an Onychogomphus uncatus who was facing me from a rock about two feet away. As I crouched down in the middle of river, getting closer and focussing the lens, I felt something land on my back but managed to shrug it off. I thought the flies and mozzies were going have me for lunch and hoped the shirt would dry quickly. Then, still on my haunches, I felt something landing on my left thigh. I looked down and saw another male Onychogomphus uncatus looking up at me looking down at him. He stayed there for a good five minutes while I continued to photograph his mate on the rock. In the end I had to disturb him and stand up to avoid getting cramps. Silly story, maybe, but it made me appreciate again the beauty of these animals, and strengthens my belief that catching them, for any reason whatsoever, is just not on.
Thu 15 Only managed to stay out for a couple of hours at the lake at Petriccio. It was a hot, slightly breezy day. There were loads of Coenagrion scitulum on the wing, but all the solitary males were looking frantically for females and whatever females we saw were already in tandem. In any event it wasn't easy to make any decent photographs. At the small, muddy lagoon at the back we saw a beautiful snake basking on top of some branches. And quite nearby we saw at least half a dozen Pyrrhosoma nymphula. It's amazing how a site which we thought we knew inside-out can sometimes throw up such pleasant surprises. This is the same species which last year we couldn't find for love nor money. One immature male Pyrrhosoma nymphula in particular was very easily approachable. He was staying away a bit from the water and whenever he did venture out that way, he was chased away by one of the more mature males at the water. And so he returned to the same spot where we were still waiting with the camera ready to click. At some point - he was sitting only a few inches away from the lens - I held out my hand and invited him to step on board, which he did. He sat on my index finger for a couple of minutes, giving his face and eyes a good clean. Lifting him up to my eyes I could really appreciate how wonderful those red eyes are - almost translucent. Photographically it wasn't a great day, but being able to admire a damsel from that close was wonderful.
Fri 16 
Sat 17 We're getting caught up a bit between better photographs of species we've already got and photos of new species. And of course there's a risk then that new sites don't throw up anything at all because they're new sites and you don't know yet exactly where to look while known sites don't throw up anything at all because there are no new species to photograph. And that's what happened today. Tried to get access to the river Serpenna near Orgia but couldn't find a way down to it - the banks are too steep and overgrown with nettles and brambles. On the one occasion when we did manage, the riverbed was very muddy and the water too deep to work in. It does look like a nice enough stream (even if it is a bit smelly and polluted) but on this occasion there wasn't anything thrilling to be seen (if you don't count the absolutely enormous catfish we saw basking in very shallow water). Went on to the river Merse nearby and there was plenty flying, but only the handful of Oxygastra curtisii we saw managed to tickle our curiosity. In fact we were walking along one of the narrow tree-lined paths in the area when a male Oxygastra curtisii approached us very closely. We thought he just wanted to check us out. But then we suddenly spotted a female hanging off a small branch right beside us and of course that's why the male was there. Anyway, a few seconds later when the female flew off, he grabbed her in mid-air (and not very subtly either) and already in the mating position they headed straight for the tree tops. Pity - we don't have any photos yet of a copulating pair. One striking first for this year: a young female Lestes viridis. Earlier than last year, and earlier than either Lestes barbarus or Lestes virens. Last year it was exactly the other way around. On the way back stopped off briefly at Bagnaia (usually a very good site for Lestes barbarus) but didn't see anything remarkable there either.
Sun 18 Went back briefly to Petriccio today to look for a really close-up close-up of Pyrrhosoma nymphula. As it happened saw only one male and he wasn't in a posing mood. So instead tried again to photograph Coenagrion scitulum and they were very generous today. There were more solitary males about than the other day and they seemed less agitated (not all that surprising at 2 in the afternoon rather than 11 in the morning when activity is still building up). At the end managed to make three beautiful photos which can now be enjoyed in our album on Coenagrion scitulum.
Mon 19 Visited Lake Rancia today and also stopped off briefly at the nearby river Merse. Today was an almost Singapore-type of day: hot, sticky, overcast and not a breath of wind. Ideal for photographing dragons and damsels, even if the light was a bit subdued. At the lake some species caught our attention by their presence and others by their absence. For instance we saw and photographed half a dozen immature Selysiothemis nigra - mostly females - which we'd expected to see, given that last week we saw them emerge for the first time this year. But by the same token we'd hoped and expected to see some Lindenia tetraphylla on the wing, but there weren't any. Maybe their maturation period is spent further away from the water. Hopefully they'll return as adults soon. Also saw and photographed Ceriagrion tenellum, Oxygastra curtisii, Libellula quadrimaculata and some other, commoner species.
Tue 20 Left early this morning and arrived at the Lago dell'Accesa at 9.30. Again it turned out to be a very windy day - unfortunately the lake isn't well-protected by hills or ridges - so I had to look for wind-sheltered spots pretty much all day. Despite the wind it felt very, very hot (35 degrees). Before setting out I'd promised myself not to even look at any red damsels and instead concentrate on Coenagrions (if it's black-and-blue, shoot it; if it isn't, don't) and only to make an exception for any Somatochlora meridionalis and Brachytron pratense that might settle down right in front of me. So much for planning. In the end I did see and photograph about 20 Coenagrion pulchellum, but no Coenagrion caerulescens, which was my primary target species for the day. Somatochlora meridionalis and Brachytron pratense weren't around either, but Oxygastra curtisii and Aeshna isoceles were. And of course there were plenty of Orthetrum cancellatum and Orthetrum coerulescens and some of the photos I made of them have now been added to the album pages. And finally, those little reds are just too pretty to walk past for a whole day, so in the afternoon I caved in and managed to make some superb photos of a male and female (on display on the Ceriagrion tenellum species page). On the way back stopped briefly at a 'new' lake, signposted along the main road, called Rumacchio, at about 3 kilometres from the Roccastrada junction. It's a fishing lake which has been around for yonks. Still it didn't seem to attract much odonate life. The only insect of interest was an immature female Ceriagrion tenellum, whose green colours hadn't ripened into reds yet. The other interesting thing was that - in order to get to the lake - I had to cross a small stream called the Rigo, and it certainly looked promising. Will revisit later this summer.
Wed 21 
Thu 22 The weather yesterday and this morning was awful with thick cloud cover, cool at best, and a healthy downpour this morning. But in the early afternoon it cleared up, and so we went out for a few hours to nearby Petriccio. The plan was to look for and photograph some female Coenagrion scitulum (we already had loads of beautiful photos of males but few of females), and to try again to get a super close-up of a Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Well, the numbers at least were looking great today - after the inevitable Platycnemis pennipes, Coenagrion scitulum is easily the commonest species at the lake at the moment. We must have seen at least 200. What's more they weren't as frantic as last time; at 2 in the afternoon they've probably done what they need to do for the day. Remarkably, nearly all the females we saw today had quite muddy-looking abdomens. Not sure what their ovipositing technique is but it must involve inserting their abdomen into muddy substances or substrates for prolonged periods. As for that close-up of Pyrrhosoma nymphula, it's on the species page; we watched a male chomping and chewing its way through a mozzie almost its own size, in under two minutes. Remarkable!
Fri 23 A remarkable day today - very hot and dry (both at 33) and with a handful of firsts. Went to Rosia this morning to buy a new pair of boots for our field trip starting next week. I asked the owner (a friendly chap who knows the area very well) if there were any small lakes, ponds, etc. nearby for me to explore and he suggested I try a couple of irrigation lakes along the dirt road from Rosia to San Rocco. With his detailed directions I found the lakes easily enough, but unfortunately neither of them were much good - there was hardly any emergent vegetation and therefore hardly any damsels or dragons (with the exception of a beautiful female Onychogomphus forcipatus). So I headed back towards the main road and when crossing the bridge over the river Rosia decided to check if it was accessible, which it was. So I went down into the river, with its low, slow-flowing, warm water, plentiful vegetation (including lots of water mint) and rocky bed. The place was absolutely buzzing with odonate life: large numbers of Orthetrum brunneum, Orthetrum coerulescens, Onychogomphus forcipatus, Platycnemis pennipes (of course), Calopteryx splendens and Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis. And there was also a Coenagrion species which I couldn't ID off the bat. But I did realise straight away I'd never seen this species before. The very wide antehumeral stripes and the females' oversized post-ocular spots did suggest Coenagrion caerulescens. Now, having gone through all the photos I made, it's certain: this is indeed Coenagrion caerulescens (subsp. caesarum) and we're now officially at 46 species. Another first was the freshly emerged female Onychogomphus forcipatus, with her wings still glassy-looking, her eyes and body a pale yellow. Then later an adult male Onychogomphus forcipatus sat down on a rock right at my feet and did a perfect obelisk for me. Why they should fly right up to you and then do their acrobatics is a mystery to me, but I obviously didn't mind. He's famous now and on the species page. And finally this: I'd been standing still for a while trying to photograph an Orthetrum coerulescens when I heard something coming towards me high up on the bank on the left. My first reaction was that it could be one of those large beaver rats (I like almost all animal species but will make an exception for these guys). But then I noticed he or she was moving swiftly and quietly, while those beaver rats are slow, sluggish and not at all elegant. Anyway, whatever it was, it stopped a few yards to my left but I still couldn't make it out on the high, densely overgrown bank. A few minutes later, it started moving away again and I followed its sound, levelled the camera, focussed the lens at what sounded like the right distance (about 20 yards away) and waited just in case it decided to cross the river. And then it did: a female otter, crossing quickly and jumping swiftly onto and up the right-hand side bank. I waited for ten minutes to see if she'd come back and had just decided she wasn't, when I heard and saw her again, this time crossing the river with a cub in her mouth (are young otters called cubs?), and again moving along the high bank towards me and stopping just a few yards away. Not sure what type of den otters use, but I suspect one of them was right there and the mother was moving her young into it. What a wonderful scene to witness.
Sat 24 Went back to the Rosia today, getting there at 9 o'clock and hoping I'd beat the males to their daily schedule of flying around incessantly looking for females to copulate with. No such luck - they were already hyperactive and I couldn't for the life of me find one to sit still for more than five seconds. Will have to go back before Wednesday, either even earlier, or after four in the afternoon, or maybe if the weather turns a bit cloudier. We'll see. One thing I noticed today (apart from the half a dozen or so teneral Onychogomphus forcipatus) was that there are in fact two similar Coenagrion species at this stretch of the river: Coenagrion caerulescens but also Coenagrion mercuriale. It took me a while to realise this, so I've had to go through all of yesterday's and today's photos again to make sure I'd determined correctly. Apart from the shape and colour of the pterostigma or the shape of the pronotum (which aren't easy to determine on in the field), the quickest way of telling them apart really is the width of their antehumeral stripes: wide in Coenagrion caerulescens, narrow in Coenagrion mercuriale. The former also seem to have very large post-ocular spots (especially the females), while the males have an all-blue S9 with at the most two small black dots (unlike Coenagrion mercuriale, whose S9 is extensively black marked). And finally, made two pretty good photos of a male Orthetrum brunneum. There are so many of them around (and they're so easy to photograph) that I'd nearly forgotten how pretty they are.
Sun 25 I'd read in on of my field guides that Coenagrion caerulescens tend to fly around without settling down if the sun is out but as soon as there's a bit of cloud cover, they will rest and feed. So today I went back to the Rosia in the late afternoon, hoping to catch them after the close of business (i.e. monkey business). Success! It was in fact a bit cloudy when I got to the river, and sure enough - there were plenty of single males and females feeding, resting and minding their own business. Their hunting technique essentially consist in 'gleaning' - picking little mozzies, midges and other small insects off the grasses and bushes and even stealing them out of spiders' webs. The biggest difference in their behaviour (to a photographer) is that they didn't react to each other. Yesterday and the day before, whenever I'd lined everything up for a great photograph, some other male or female would fly by and disturb my subject-to-be. Today they were very calm and patient. The results are on the Coenagrion caerulescens species page.
Mon 26 Wanted to go back to Lake Rancia to see how many adult Lindenia tetraphylla and Selysiothemis nigra were around. The answer: about a dozen adult male Lindenia tetraphylla and two dozen male, female and immature Selysiothemis nigra. This lake is the first site in Tuscany where the latter species has been observed (according to Carlo, who - as one of the most authoritative entomologists in Italy - knows these things). They're a peculiar species: the immature animals with their glassy wings are reluctant and slow flyers, resting in the low grass and therefore very easy to photograph. By contrast the adult males spend nearly all their time over the open water, with their fast, low, bobbing, erratic flight and behaving very aggressively towards other species, including Anax imperator (a species easily four times their size). So we're still waiting for a killer shot of an adult male, even though we did manage to make two nice photos of a perched male (as displayed on the species page). As for Lindenia tetraphylla, I remember them from last year as being easily approachable, but today they were skittish and I didn't manage any great shots. We'll have to wait till we're back, in July, to try again. Also had a brief look at the nearby river Merse (just to wade a bit in the cool water if for no other reason) and saw large numbers of Onychogomphus forcipatus. In fact in the middle of the river, on one of the few rocks sticking out above the water level, there was an adult male Onychogomphus forcipatus with below him, just above the water line, a teneral male sitting beside his exuvia (i.e. his larval skin). He'd obviously crept out of the water earlier in the morning, somehow managed to get onto the slippery rock, and was now waiting for his wings to harden. Made some very beautiful photographs of him and then waited to witness his maiden flight: a good 30 yards across the river and into the tree tops on the far side.
Tue 27 
Wed 28 After a long and tiring drive we reached M at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Called in at the tourist office and found a really nice guest house to stay. The owner are really friendly, their house is super, and we're right on the edge of our target area. Went for a stroll in the late afternoon and saw a few insects flying over one of the many streams. Nothing out of the ordinary, though. Not yet. In the evening enjoyed our first introduction to German dinner: schnitzel and potato salad. Ah well, at least the beer's good, and there are some Italian restaurants in town...
Thu 29 Got up nice and early today to try to find and photograph Nehalennia speciosa. The information we'd received from our very friendly and helpful contact person was excellent, detailed and quite specific (even though the map wasn't always easy to interpret). So we spent the whole morning ploughing our way through the terrain (incredibly hard going; must admit I'd hugely underestimated just how tough the terrain really is), but didn't see any Nehalennia speciosa. We did see quite a lot of Somatochlora flavomaculata and some other species, but the little fellows weren't at home. We'll try again tomorrow. In the afternoon it rained quite heavily and so we had to take a break - we went into town to investigate.
Fri 30 Tried a few new sites today hoping to photograph any of the 12 species on our hit list. Was horrified to discover that my cam wouldn't allow me to focus properly: the viewfinder looked fogged up and no amount of cleaning or wiping could fix it. Shot a lot of photos 'blindly', as it were. It now looks as if the photos of the mating pair of Somatochlora flavomaculata have actually come out quite well, so that's a nice piece of luck. I was lucky to be in the right place anyway; I just happened to stand by a little tree (in an otherwise treeless part of the area), when this whizzing and whirring combo comes flying towards me and settles down right in front of me. Sometimes you do need a lucky break!

Sat 1 Our last today in M and finally I managed to see Nehalennia speciosa. One Nehalennia speciosa, to be precise. One Nehalennia speciosa for just under 10 seconds, to be even more precise. That was easily long enough to be absolutely thrilled by its smallness and prettiness, but way too short for any photographs. After four hours of fighting my way through the heavy terrain I had to give up. Met up with V at an altogether more easily accessible site and saw some fine insects there too: my first ever Sympetrum danae, a teneral female Lestes sponsa (another first) and a male Onychogomphus forcipatus, which wasn't even on the official list for this area, so that too was a bit of a novelty. This male was of the subspecies forcipatus rather than unguiculatus, which we get in Tuscany (the difference is mainly in the colour of the hook-tail). At the end of a long day we packed our stuff, watched some more footie in town and prepared for the trip up North. In hindsight now, these past four days haven't been very fruitful and we didn't manage to shoot Nehalennia speciosa at all. The owners of our guesthouse told us they'd had snow for much, much longer than usual this year (well into April), so maybe Nehalennia speciosa's flying period has been messed up a bit and they'll be out and about in numbers in a week or two. Unfortunately we won't be here to witness it.
Sun 2 Driving day.
Mon 3 Together with V and C visited a fishing lake near Dieteren. It's a fairly large lake (3 ha, I'd guess) with wide waterside reed beds and trees, and ringed by a broad border of trees and bushes. It was a hot day but the stiff breeze made it quite bearable if a bit difficult to shoot. The main species we saw and photographed here included Coenagrion puella, Ischnura elegans, Platycnemis pennipes, Enallagma cyathigerum, Anax imperator, Orthetrum coerulescens, Orthetrum cancellatum and Crocothemis erythraea (there were tons of the latter, which surprised me). And then there was a beautiful and patient female Anax parthenope, which we managed to photograph from pretty close up. Funny how we've chased after this southern European species in Italy for the better part of two years, and then on our first field trip in Holland - Bingo! At 11.30 we drove on to the nearby Doort, a group of six small lakes in a wooded area, with two small streams running alongside. Here we saw pretty much the same species except Anax parthenope and in addition Calopteryx splendens and also a new species for us at DragonflyPix: Gomphus pulchellus. We saw two males competing for a small territory right at the waterside but they got pestered incessantly by the much larger Orthetrum cancellatum in the area. Photographing them therefore wasn't easy, but we did manage some good shots which we'll publish at the first opportunity. After lunch we visited another area (Haeselaarsbroek), which is a heath dotted with small ponds, reed beds, bushes and tall grasses. Here we didn't manage to photograph anything new (but the ovipositing Anax imperator were beautiful to watch anyway). And what's more, we did see a large dragonfly which we're pretty certain must have been a Cordulegaster boltonii. We'll have to go back to this area soon and find a small stream nearby where the Cordulegasters are bound to hang out.
Tue 4 
Wed 5 Visited Turfkoelen in Herkenbosch this morning; a fenland area with supposedly two large fens. But somehow we managed not to find those fens. What we did find, marvel at and photograph were two male Cordulegaster boltonii, hovering over a tiny little stream. Whenever they met (the area where we saw them must have been right on the border of their territories), one tried to get underneath the other, and spinning low to the ground they'd force each other up skywards. They're a majestic species which impress with their size, lazy flight and trusting nature. Not only do they rest very frequently, they do so within easy reach of one's lens and seem to enjoy the attention and company. The other species of note in this area was Somatochlora flavomaculata - we saw at least 20 males, each occupying a territory of about 20 yards and hovering fairly low in that area. Hovering and never sitting down. So we didn't manage to make any good photos of them. In the afternoon we briefly visited the ponds at Hoos near Echt, but they weren't at all accessible, so we continued to the Doort area to try and make more photos of Gomphus pulchellus. One of yesterday's males was still there in exactly the same spot as on Monday, so we managed to get some good shots of him. We rounded off the day at the fishing lake at Dieteren but didn't see any noteworthy species flying there - no sign of the female Anax parthenope which had surprised us so pleasantly on Monday.
Thu 6 Started off today at the river Roer near Paarlo. There's a bridge over the river there and we'd hoped to get to see Ophiogompus cecilia. It's a rare and stunning species which has been seen in this area in the past 5-6 years but today we didn't see any. In fact the river only offered massive numbers of Calopteryx splendens (whose wing bands are much clearer than it is in their Italian cousins; the subspecies Calopteryx splendens splendens as opposed to our Calopteryx splendens caprai) and Platycnemis pennipes. After an hour went on to nearby Vlodrop and at the local fishing pond saw and photographed Erythromma najas. They tend to stay out on the water, sitting on water lily leaves, and so getting close is not very easy. They remain on our to-do list; we'll have to find a water where they're more numerous and where one can place the tripod and camera in among the water lilies. At around one o'clock we went back to Turfkoelen for more photographs of Cordulegaster boltonii and to try again to find a resting Somatochlora flavomaculata. On the first count we succeeded but not on the second; those Somatochlora flavomaculata never seem to run out of juice! After waiting for an hour and still empty-handed, we decided to go to the nearby Meinweg National Park. At the little pond at the back of the visitors' centre there were huge numbers of Erythromma viridulum - single males, copulas, tandems and ovipositing pairs. They're very pretty but unfortunately we already have a large number of photographs, unlike Erythromma najas, which remains more elusive. Then, with a fairly heavy load of tripod camera & rucksack, we walked the 5 km to the Rolvennen - three fens in fairly rough heathland inside the same National Park. There was still lots and lots of activity at these fens and we managed to add one new species to out list: Lestes sponsa; we saw mostly immature males and females but also a fully coloured male who sat and posed patiently. Other than that we also saw lots of Ceriagrion tenellum. Libellula quadrimaculata, Lestes virens and a Somatochlora species which we'll try to ID with certainty at our next visit to this site.
Fri 7 Tried a new site today: Hornerheide, a heath near the town of Horn. It has half a dozen or so small lakes, the smaller of which have been drying out quickly while the larger are still full of dark, peaty water and covered in large-leafed white, yellow and pink lilies. The species we observed and photographed here included Anax imperator, Libellula quadrimaculata, Ceriagrion tenellum, Enallagma cyathigerum, Ischnura elegans, Orthetrum cancellatum, Lestes virens, Cordulia aenea (whose ID we still need to confirm with certainty) and also some species of which we wanted (and managed to obtain) more photographs: Sympetrum danae and Lestes sponsa. Of the former we saw mainly immature males and females, while the latter were out in large numbers and proved to be a very calm, trusting and easy species to work with. One final note: the Lestes virens we saw and photographed here (the subspecies vestalis) are distinctly different from the subspecies we get in Italy (L. v. virens). They seem a much larger, much more robust species, which can be most readily distinguished from the similarly-sized Lestes sponsa through the lack of pruinosity on S2.
Sat 8 Went back today to Dieteren but didn't really see anything of interest, so continued to the Doort, where I saw one, single male Erythromma najas. And because that species was still high on our list, I drove on to the fishing lake at Vlodrop, where there were quite a lot more Erythromma najas (20 males). Also had a quick look at the river Roer but apart from a very pretty kingfisher there wasn't anything worth mentioning (loads of Calopteryx splendens and little else). Our next stop was Turfkoelen where we saw Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Sympetrum sanguineum, Cordulegaster boltonii and Somatochlora flavomaculata (but those last two species we didn't manage to photograph). And finally we rounded off a long day at the Meinweg NP, where we saw massive numbers of Erythromma viridulum but no Erythromma najas.
Sun 9 Our first site today was Beegderheide, where there wasn't much flying and only few species were about: Orthetrum cancellatum, Anax imperator, Lestes virens, Enallagma cyathigerum, Ceriagrion tenellum and Sympetrum danae. Then on to Hornerheide, where there was much more activity (saw some mature male Sympetrum danae) but rain soon interrupted our work.
Mon 10 C and I went back to the Rolvennen (in the Meinweg NP) today but it didn't deliver much at all. There were some Corduliidae flying (presumably Somatochlora metallica or Cordulia aenea) but we didn't manage a decent photograph of them between us. So after a couple of hours we moved on to Hornerheide, where we hit the jackpot: some mature males Sympetrum danae and a new species: Leucorrhinia dubia (males & copulas). They seem to be a very trusting and easily approachable species. In fact one pair ended up mating on my trouser legs and on my shirt! They inhabit a nearly dried-up shallow fen; at the deeper, flower-covered and fish-inhabited (?) fens on the same heath there weren't any.
Tue 11 Went to Brunssummerheide this morning, but there wasn't much flying on the heath, maybe because it was still a bit early in the day. Stopped off at several of the small lakes and ponds on the nearby public golf course. Again, there wasn't much of interest flying, except for one species I saw later in the morning. There were two males hovering, bickering (both with each other and with the male Libellula quadrimaculata and Orthetrum coerulescens present at the same small pond) and presumably feeding on the wing. I waited for a full hour, hoping either of the two would settle down briefly and allow themselves to be photographed. Unfortunately that didn't happen and so in the end I had to give up. What was clear, though, is that they were male Aeshna juncea, a species which does indeed have a reputation for being strong flyers and difficult to approach. Still, if their flying season has now started for good and if they're as common as the literature suggests, we might still get lucky one of these days.
Wed 12 We didn't see anything new at the lake near Dieteren but did photograph some common species: Coenagrion puella, Lestes viridis and Sympetrum striolatum (still only tenerals and juveniles). In the afternoon went to Haeselaarsbroek, where there was lots flying over the little fens; we photographed Libellula quadrimaculata, Anax imperator and a few Sympetrum species (Sympetrum striolatum and Sympetrum danae). Unfortunately no sign (yet) of Sympetrum vulgatum, Sympetrum pedemontanum or Sympetrum flaveolum. With only a good week left, time's starting to become critical.
Thu 13 At Hornerheide today we photographed Sympetrum danae and Leucorrhinia dubia (males, females and copulas). It was hot but quite windy. On the plus side, after I'd shot all I wanted to at the near side of the heath I walked a bit further on, where a large area of reed beds and tall grasses produced a new species: Sympetrum flaveolum. As its English common name suggests it has a very large yellow/amber patch in its hind wings (which isn't easy to spot in flight). It also seems to have a different colour than some of the other Sympetrums (i.e. orange rather than red) and its size is quite small (similar to that of Sympetrum danae, with which it flies at this heath). All in all I saw half a dozen males (but no females) and managed to photograph two or three of them. They are quite skittish - much more so than Sympetrum danae. Hopefully their numbers will increase before the end of next week so that on a nice warm and still day we'll be able to add some more photos of this pretty species before we go back to Italy.
Fri 14 A day's worth of faffing, today, seeing and photographing lots of animals but none of them new or particularly underrepresented on our website. Visited a total of seven sites (most of them new), not really managing to get anything solid going. The very strong wind didn't help. In the morning visited three streams and brooks in the area and saw little of interest, with the exception of a male Calopteryx virgo at the Rode Beek stream. At the main river in the area (Maas) there was literally nothing on the wing and only a herd of wild horses made up, somewhat, for the feeling of wasting time. At the fishing ponds at Doort tried to spot Gomphus pulchellus again but didn't manage; it's already a week ago now since we last saw them there and maybe they've already packed it in for the year. We did manage to make some pretty good photos of Sympetrum sanguineum, a species we've photographed hundreds of times before but which remains as pretty as ever. Later in the afternoon stopped at the fishing lake near Dieteren and were again amazed to see the total domination (numbers-wise) by two species: Orthetrum cancellatum and Crocothemis erythraea. It's remarkable how quickly and thoroughly the latter species has been colonizing the North of Europe over the past decade, so much so that it's now as common here as it is at the Lago della Rancia back home. The interesting question is which species (if any) are being pushed into the background because of this sudden prominence.
Sat 15 Tried three new sites today and unfortunately came back home at the end of the day with very little to show for our trouble. Spent two hours at the Groote Peel National Park (a large heathland and fenland area) cursing the strong wind, trying to fight off the horseflies (not 100% successfully, and those bastards do have a nasty bite!) and generally getting frustrated. Packed it in after only two hours to try the nearby Deurnsche Peel fenland area with much the same result. So in the end, at around 2 o'clock, decided to give the long canal between the towns of Helenaveen and Griendtsveen a shot, and at least there was something interesting to be seen here: firstly we saw a Somatochlora species (possibly Somatochlora metallica) but didn't get a good enough look at it to ID it with certainty. Then we saw and photographed - badly - some male Coenagrion pulchellum (a supposedly very common species in the Netherlands but which has miraculously escaped us so far), some male Erythromma najas, a female Sympetrum flaveolum (a photographic first for us, and one which fortunately worked out pretty well) and, finally, two male Aeshna grandis. It was the first time we saw this species, ever, and they are an impressive sight, with their elegant flight, alternating wing-beats with glides, and long loops with quick twists and turns. They must feed (and rest!) on the wing - we watched one of the two males for over an hour, never letting him out of our sight, and he never even threatened to run out of steam and need a break. The only time when he didn't look regal was during his encounters with the neighbouring male 50 yards upstream. They'd spin around in circles, each male trying to get underneath the other and then push him up skywards. Then after ten seconds or so they'd both return to their beats to do their regal-gliding-thing again.
Sun 16 Returned to Beegderheide this morning to see if there were any Sympetrum flaveolum around and that was indeed the first species we saw and photographed. They're not very numerous (and are clearly outnumbered by Sympetrum sanguineum) but at least we're getting the hang of telling them apart more quickly and reliably. Also, and quite unexpectedly, saw a male Aeshna affinis hovering over an almost entirely dried-up patch of fenland. While trying to photograph him in flight, we noticed another male, in tandem with a female who was ovipositing! Not sure if there are many previous records of Aeshna affinis reproducing in Holland, but here's one in any case. The couple were flying around and ovipositing at the bottom of some trees (whose roots were surrounded by wettish mosses). Unfortunately we couldn't make any decent photos of the couple. But at least now we know in which areas around the lake at Modanella we might see their Italian cousins lay their eggs. In the afternoon went to nearby Hornerheide and there again we spotted some male Sympetrum flaveolum (about half a dozen in all). Other than that we didn't see any extraordinary or new species but we tried our hand again at some Sympetrum danae, Sympetrum sanguineum, Lestes virens and Lestes sponsa - quite enjoyable.
Mon 17 Went back to Turfkoelen one more time to see if Cordulegaster boltonii were still around, but they weren't. The little brook where we'd seen the two males two weeks ago has now all but dried up, and so with no current left in the water they may have left to look for greener pastures elsewhere. What we did still see were Somatochlora flavomaculata - loads of them. We spent a full two hours this morning watching them closely, camera on the ready, and hoping they'd finally sit down and take a breather. Well, they never did; we could oversee a tree-lined canal with a number of males hovering over their patches (of about 30 odd yards) and so looking along the canal we could check up on half a dozen males at a time. Not one of them ever sat down in two hours, zip, zilch, nada. Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to throw some of our principles overboard, get a net, catch one of those buggers, spray some cold water on him or give him a sniff of ether or suchlike, sit him on a pretty twig and shoot-shoot-shoot. Damned principles. The other thing I noticed today was a very large Aeshnid which at first I couldn't ID - it was the size of an Anax imperator and wasn't a Cordulegaster boltonii, that much was clear. As I walked along a forest path, I saw the species again, resting, and so I managed to make some pretty good photographs of it. I still wasn't sure about her ID and was hoping it might be Aeshna juncea. As it now turns out, it was a juvenile female Aeshna cyanea, hence the unexpected colour of the abdominal spots (pale blue rather than green). What still amazes me, though, is the huge difference in size between this Aeshna cyanea and the ones we get back in Italy. It's a species I've photographed many, many times, including close-up close-ups. But the Italian Aeshna cyanea I've seen were significantly smaller than, say, an Anax imperator. This young lass was at least as big as Anax imperator. They also seem to start flying much sooner here than they do down south. Anyway, what made up for a slightly disappointing day - photographically speaking - was that I bumped into a holidaying Dutch couple of birders and dragonphiles. Nice, enthusiastic people who knew their stuff and who were quite happy to exchange some useful tips, tricks and site info. Later in the afternoon went briefly on to the fishing pond in nearby Vlodrop where I tried in vain to photograph Erythromma najas. Also saw a male Aeshna grandis patrolling the pond, briefly, but of course he wasn't in a photo shoot mood. From what I've read in the literature they very, very seldom are.
Tue 18 Returned to the canal near Helenaveen to try our luck again at photographing Aeshna grandis. We saw three males hovering over the canal and spent a few bit of time admiring their flying and gliding skills. Unfortunately flying and gliding was all they did and so after two hours our patience had run out and we decided instead to have a look around the area. We saw and photographed another immature female Aeshna cyanea and again it struck us how much bigger they are than the same species in Italy. Other than that the site didn't throw up anything remarkable so we headed off to the river Maas near the town of Maasbracht. On this hot day (34 degrees) people were at the river sunbathing and even swimming in the river and lakes (gravel pits). They say the Maas water quality has improved a lot over the past few years, which makes me wonder just how dirty it must once have been. The other remarkable thing that struck me was the enormous amount of rubbish, plastic bottles and plates and all sorts of other signs of civilization had been dumped in the place. Surely if a bottle is small enough to fit in your bag and car when it's full, it's still small enough after it's been emptied. But then I remembered what I'd heard about that new rule now in force in Holland: your rubbish bin gets weighed when it's collected and you get charged by the kilo; the heavier the bin, the heavier the bill. What an absolutely brilliant way of ensuring a cleaner environment! Anyway, my last site for the day was Hornerheide but again I couldn't get anything to sit up, smile and say 'cheese', so at the end I went home empty-handed. Pity, time is running out and we're getting stuck.
Wed 19 Read on an internet site last night that three interesting species had been observed at the weekend at a few pools near a large gravel pit at Stevensweert, which is right on the river Maas. So C and I went there this morning to investigate. The site had mentioned Ischnura pumilio, Erythromma najas, Coenagrion pulchellum and even Ophiogomphus cecilia. Wow, what a list! In the event we saw Ischnura elegans, Erythromma viridulum, Enallagma cyathigerum and nothing at all that even remotely resembled Ophiogomphus cecilia. Some people do write rubbish, and some sites would be much better off demanding verifiable photographic proof. Anyway, we left after about two hours and headed for the fishing lake at Dieteren. But again there wasn't anything really to tickle our curiosity; maybe we're getting a bit blasé, or tired, or maybe it's just too hard to work in 36 degrees heat.
Thu 20 B and I went to the Hageven National Park in Belgium today hoping to see and photograph a new species: Sympetrum pedemontanum. After the disappointment of the past two days we were keen to have a good one, and even though the weather wasn't all that favourable (read: very windy), Sympetrum pedemontanum were indeed out in numbers; we saw at least 50 of them in and around the small reed-bordered fens. They are a remarkable species, not only because they are very pretty but also because they're so easy to recognise: their wing bands are clearly visible even in flight. When we got to the site at around 10, the females were still resting and feeding (and therefore fairly easy to approach), but the males were already getting quite nervy and 'broody' and proved quite camera-shy. Later on, in the afternoon, they finally calmed down a bit and were more inclined to sit still for a few seconds. One thing that struck us, technique-wise, is that it's fairly pointless in a strong wind putting time and energy into trying to photograph an animal perched on tall grasses or wind-swept blades of reed. By contrast, an animal perched on a thicker, woodier and therefore more stable perch appeared less bothered by the wind and much happier to stay put and to return to its favourite perch after a brief sortie (e.g. to grab a snack or to do battle with other conspecific males or with males of the ubiquitous Sympetrum sanguineum). Other species we saw today included, amongst others, Ceriagrion tenellum, Lestes sponsa, Sympetrum flaveolum, Sympetrum danae, Orthetrum coerulescens and Aeshna affinis (just the one solitary male). A great day, and a badly needed one too, at a great site.
Fri 21 Visited the golf course and heathland at Brunssum in the afternoon hoping to see and photograph Aeshna juncea again at the same spot as ten days ago, but they weren't around. A walk along the many ponds and ditches on the golf course (many of which had completely dried up) didn't yield anything interesting, and even a walk on the heath didn't produce much: only a female Aeshna cyanea in the wooded area on the far side.
Sat 22 Stayed at home today to prepare for the long trip back to Italy and while chilling out (not really an appropriate verb, given the hot and steamy weather) I noticed an immature male Ischnura elegans sitting down on a potted plant and inviting me to take some nice photos of him. Obviously I obliged...
Sun 23 
Mon 24 
Tue 25 C and I went to the Lago della Rancia and the nearby river Merse this morning. At the lake we saw about 20 Lindenia tetraphylla and a similar number of Selysiothemis nigra. I believe I also saw two Trithemis annulata but couldn't really get a close enough view to be 100% certain. Other than that we didn't see any remarkable species (there were mostly Crocothemis erythraea flying, but fortunately also a few Sympetrum fonscolombii). At the river Merse there were loads and loads of Calopteryxes and Onychogomphus forcipatus on the wing.
Wed 26 Went to the lake at Modanella today to try and photograph Lestes dryas and Aeshna affinis. Success! I almost immediately saw a male