Insect World – 6 June

Eventually I sit down at the edge of the pond, and let the damselflies drift along the bank towards me. They settle on the grasses or glide over the water, just there. It seems in part magical as these little slivers of jewellery waft around. Mostly Common Blues …. but some red ones too. At one time, they were called the ‘Devil’s darning needles’ – and the myth was that if perchance you were to lie and sleep beside the water, they would come and sew your eyelids up – a story to scare the kids.

Like many other flying insects, they detect any movement so easily with their compound eyes. So by moving only slowly and gently, I’m able to get them in the viewfinder – and click!

Dragonflies possess an entirely different temperament, characterised by a much more aggressive flight pattern…… darting here, stopping abruptly in mid-flight, hovering as if locked to a point in space, then tearing off in another direction – feeding on the wing. Just a few seconds when they rest and let you try to get the shot.

And here’s an immigrant all the way from North Africa. Painted Lady butterflies travel thousands of miles north – some years in vast numbers – but I don’t think so many get as far as central Ayrshire.

This one has certainly had its struggles. It should have a white edge running along the back of its wings – but that’s all been worn off in the journey and its colour has faded too.

What drives them to come all this way? Their journey may seem futile; their caterpillars will not survive the winter in the UK – but at least they get to travel.