Improving your Lot
Improving your Lot
by
Rob Read
Above: A Common Darter in flight over a garden pond which didn’t exist nine months ago. ©Rob Read
There has been lots in the news over the past week regarding the increase in the numbers of dragonflies in the UK. Good news you might think, particularly when most other species of invertebrate are declining sharply. According to The State of Dragonflies 2021 study conducted by the British Dragonfly Society, which collated data from 1.4 million records, more than 40% of resident and common migrant dragonflies and damselflies have increased since 1970, in contrast to 11% in decline. You can read the report here.
When one looks at the data, it points to a warming climate as the primary driving force as some species extend their ranges further north and exploit the changing conditions. Other species are arriving from across the channel as they too extend their ranges northwards. But as well as these climatic changes, improvements in water quality and the restoration of wetland habitats may also have a part to play.
And it is the availability of suitable habitat which ultimately plays the biggest role. The well-used phrase ‘build it and they will come’ springs to mind and we can all do our bit to improve the situation for not only the dragonfly and damselfly populations, but for a whole host of other invertebrates too.
Over the winter, we had a very modest pond dug in a corner of the garden we put aside as a wildlife area. In March it was no more than a hole in the ground, lined with a rubber pond liner, and filled with crystal clear tap water. Looking at it then it was hard to imagine that it would support any life at all. After a couple of weeks, making sure most of the hard frosts were behind us, we purchased a range of native pond plants and placed them in the clear water. It didn’t take long for them to become established, and in the space of a few short months, our hole in the ground became a thriving haven for all forms of wildlife.
As spring progressed, damselflies started to appear, and by June, I had witnessed at least three species egg-laying. As summer arrived, the first of the dragonflies appeared and both Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonflies also decided it looked suitable for their offspring. The Common Darter is one of the later species in the year to appear and since late August, they too have been laying their eggs in our small pond. As I write this, I have just witnessed three mating pairs all dancing around the surface, the females dipping the ends of their abdomens into the water, flicking eggs into the water.
Constructing a pond, no mater how small, is one of the best things we can do to improve the biodiversity in our gardens. Just think how many damselflies and dragonflies my own little pond may be able to produce? If we all set aside a part of the garden to encourage wildlife in this way, what a difference we could make collectively. It doesn’t take a lot of effort and the rewards are immeasurable. Go on, get the spade out over the winter and create your own little wildlife oasis.
Rob Read. September 2021.
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