Yellow Flag

Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus, which is also known as Flag or more prosaically as Yellow Iris, decorates the borders of ponds, rivers and lakes from May to August throughout the UK, and is only absent from the Scottish Highlands. The name Flag may have originally come about when the iris was used as a symbol on the battle flag of Clovis, a 5th century King of the Franks, although this may be apocryphal. Yellow Flag seems to have had an amazing number uses to man over the centuries. Dye can be obtained from the the flowers and leaves and the roots produce a black dye used in ink called rather ominously Sabbath Black and roasted seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. The rhizomes were used to treat a variety of ailments including coughs, bruising, toothaches and ulcers and the powdered roots were used to be clear head colds. Irises were also hung over doors to ward of evil spirits in the Middle Ages.

The leaves of Yellow Flag provide food for some moth caterpillars including Water Ermine and Belted Beauty, as well as dragonfly larvae and large stands in Western Scotland form an important habitat for Corncrakes.

This photo taken in June last year at College Lake looks slightly like a studio shot, but the dark background which sets off the flower so well is actually shadowy water and vegetation.

Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta is now a familiar sight at ponds, gravel pits and reservoirs in the southern half of England but up until the 1940's was only seen as a scarce migrant, hence the name. A small population established in the south east and spread rapidly north and west and now the large resident population is regularly boosted by big influxes from the Continent. This attractive medium sized Hawker is on the wing from late August until well into October and can often be seen in large numbers flying at tree top height in woodlands and parks and often visits garden ponds along with the larger Southern Hawker. Migrant Hawkers are slightly smaller than the other Hawkers and to me appear neater, flying with the abdomen conspicuously tilted upwards. They seem very inquisitive often flying quite close to investigate, hovering motionless for a few seconds before darting away.

I spent over two hours in the hot late afternoon sunshine at College Lake Nature Reserve last Friday photographing these colourful dragonflies with some success as they were frequently perching up on reeds, the leaves of Yellow Flag Iris pseudscorus and Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria which grow profusely at the waters edge. The picture below shows the diagnostic 'golf tee' marking on abdominal segment two, and the blue band at it's base.

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. (03/09/2010)

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. (03/09/2010)

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. (03/09/2010)

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta on Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria (03/09/2010)

Its always a challenge photographing Dragonflies, but because Migrant Hawkers frequently hover, one of my aims was to try and take some flight shots, but frustratingly all my efforts came to nothing with the results either slightly out of focus or much too distant. So I have had a rummage in the archives for some slightly more successful pictures, taken at the same small pool at College Lake back in September 2008.

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. (20/09/2008)

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta. (20/09/2008)

Dragons Teeth

Dragons Teeth Tetragonolobus maritimus is a perennial native to central and southern Europe found as far east as the Ukraine and north to Sweden, but is only found as an alien in Britain where it is naturalised in only a few locations in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Gloucestershire. Dragons Teeth is a member of the Pea (fabaceae) family which creates a dense mat which can carpet large areas of dry calcareous ground. The large yellow pea-flowers are marked by delicate brown veins and the little pods can be eaten when young. These photos were taken at College Lake Nature Reserve near Tring where Dragon's Teeth makes a spectacular sight growing profusely on the dry chalky banks.

Dragons Teeth Tetragonolobus maritimus (04/09/2010)

Dragons Teeth Tetragonolobus maritimus (04/09/2010)

Dragons Teeth Tetragonolobus maritimus (04/09/2010)

Dragons Teeth Tetragonolobus maritimus (04/09/2010)