Barden Lake

Slow ramble around Barden Lake looking for birds, especially yearlings birds, and dragonflies.

The pair of Swans still had their seven cygnets, safe so far from pike and other predators.

Interesting link to a Guardian article on the species expansion. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/25/specieswatch-egyptian-goose-breeding-population

I think this is the closest I have ever actually been to a Red-eyed Damselfly, come to the shore in order to find a place to mate or lay eggs perhaps. I hadn't realised how fuzzy their thoraxes are! There is no sign of any ante-humeral stripes on the males of the Red-Eyed Damselfly, a useful separation feature. 

The male is in reasonable focus here.

This picture brings the female into focus a little better, noting the broken lines of the ante-humeral stripes, forming "exclamation marks", another useful separation feature, parallel to that for the male above.

I found one pair of White Legged Damselfly on the edge of the shallows.