On Thursday 27th July, Martin Kincaid spotted a dragonfly at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve which turned out to be a Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva. This species, once restricted to East Anglia, has undergone a period of range expansion in recent years and has been found across Northants. This however is the first record for this species in Milton Keynes. Similar to the more common Black Tailed Skimmer, this species can be told apart by the blue tinted eyes and slightly thicker abdomen.
Picture and text by Martin Kincaid