Monthly Archives: July 2026

Natural History

A Hot Dragonfly Afternoon at Kew Gardens

The heat dome over Europe has made water bodies like Kew’s lake all the more special. In the 30 C heat of the afternoon, the dragonflies sparkle, shimmer, and flash across the water, hardly perching, diving at each other in lightning-rapid defences of territory. This male Ruddy Darter perched long enough between aerial sallies to be pictured.

Common Blue Damselflies skittered about, perching for a few seconds at a time.

Higher over the water, Emperor Dragonflies patrolled ceaselessly. Smaller species like Black-tailed Skimmers and Broad-bodied Chasers flashed low over the water.

Pairs of Small Red-eyed Damselflies settled on the Duckweed near the margin of the lake, the females repeatedly laying eggs while the males clasped their necks.

An extremely tame fox panted in the heat, hoping for dainty morsels of food from nearby picnickers.

Environment, Natural History, Nature Reserves

Wild Delights of Thursley Common

Thursley Common is special, from the moment of arriving at Moat Pond with its sparkling white Water-lilies.

The flat boggy area is full of rare and exotic-seeming plants, like the beautiful Bog Asphodel that demands a wet acidic soil, growing lotus-like from the black mud.

The common is a wide area of forest, bog, and little hills covered in heathland with boardwalks across the bog and dry sandy paths across the heath.

Among the delights of Thursley is the glorious Marsh Orchid.

Molinia, the bog cotton, is a plant totally characteristic of wild (Northern) moorland. It’s marvellous to see it down here in the South of England.

The bog pools are the home of dragonflies like the Black Darter, which can be seen only in this sort of habitat.

Other species like this Keeled Skimmer can be found in lowland streams as well as around bog pools.

In the forested areas, handsome lichens like these long branching strands of Ramalina indicate the purity of the air. Leafy Parmelia-type lichens are growing in the background.

A large and handsome parasitic wasp takes nectar from a bramble flower.