Arroyo Vilano, Granada Province, Spain.

Getting my feet wet in the Arroyo.

 

Mediterranean Skippers (Gegenes nostrodamus) a mating pair.

I walked the down stream stretch of the Arroyo during the heat of the afternoon looking for Dragonflies but the first thing I found were a pair of mating Mediterranean Skippers (Gegenes nostrodamus) which sat very nicely for me.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male.

A little further down stream I saw males of both Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) and these were followed by the first of a dozen plus male Small Pincertails (Onychogomphus forcipatus).

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) male.

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) male.

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) male.

I checked the next larger pool finding Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and newly emerged male Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) male.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) male.

I pushed on further down stream through the Tamarisks trees finding another couple of pools and the first Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) of the year including several males and a female that was egg laying into a branch whilst underwater.

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) egg laying female.

In the same area I had another male Epaulet, male Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and a couple of  White Featherlegs (Platycnemis latipes) amongst the Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris) plants.

Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris).