The Bashful Demoiselle

Our Cornish hideaway has acres of immaculate grounds, including some fast flowing streams left mostly to nature. I'd hoped to photograph a Silver Washed Fritillary but a kerfuffle high in the trees distracted me. A squirrel, ever hopeful, flushed a pair of tawny owls from hiding - or perhaps it was the other way around. I followed them into the trees, looked up and saw a beautiful demoiselle perched in the sun on a chestnut leaf. It was an immature male, its wings still coppery but its body was the same metallic blue.

The Night Planted Orchard is home to a few Banded Demoiselles, which I consider to be our most beautiful native creature. They prefer the slow, sluggish waters of The Fens. The Beautiful Demoiselle, on the other hand, prefers faster flowing waters, preferably with few nutrients. It's always nice to set eyes on a new creature, especially one as beautiful as this.