I know we're now into August, but the following damselflies aren't ususally flying around this late in the year. I heard of a local site for Banded Demoiselles (
Calopteryx splendens) which I did not think occurred this far north in the UK, but a quick trip (15 minutes from home) there this afternoon revealed the reports to be true, and I've enclosed a couple of photos of males of the species (no females seen today).
Incidentally, they were taken whilst knee-deep in the stream - remarkably refreshing on a hot day like today, and with the added bonus of small fish nibbling my feet - people were paying good money for this until recently, it was deemed to be beneficial to get rid of dead skin!
