Summer is a great time to visit lakes to watch our dragonflies and damselflies.  They have been emerging in good numbers with clouds of damselflies being seen on the lakes. 

Damselflies to look out for include:

• Common blue damselfly
• Azure damselfly
• red-eyed damselfly

Dragonflies around include:

• Emperor Dragonfly
• broad-bodied chaser
• black-tailed skimmer
• hairy dragonfly 
• Brown hawker

BIrd wise, many are still raising families around the reserve.  Look out for our 3 young swifts in the box with the camera in the centre.  The male red-crested pochard has made itself at home on the slough using the islands.  Kingfishers have been seen recently on the eastern lakes along with common tern, little grebe and great-crested grebe.  Mute swan numbers have been increasing on the sailing lake as they gather to moult their feathers.

Butterfly wise - we are now starting to see the first meadow browns of the year about and small heaths are active on Sayer's Breck trail.