I first visited Foxearth Meadows a few years ago, having heard it mentioned on television as the only dedicated dragonfly reserve in the UK. It was a pretty long day trip back then, taking a couple of hours each way to the border between Essex and Suffolk and done, more to the point, on one of the hottest days of the year.
This year, I was more careful with the weather forecast and set off on a lovely morning, with the expected high around 21C. The drive took around two hours again, but within minutes of arriving, I was entering the reserve, which had changed quite considerably. The river walk was now the only area where I could “free-range” and the pond and large lake no longer had unrestricted access. In fact, I discovered that I was limited to a boardwalk between the reeds. Once I was on the other side, the lake could only be viewed from one corner, with no way of reaching the dragonflies. I could see many flitting around in the bright sunshine, but photographing them was impossible. This may have been done to ensure the dragonflies weren’t disturbed by locals walking their dogs. I have no problem with this, but sadly it’s a reserve I won’t be visiting again.
Nevertheless, I had a lovely day until it was time to set off for home. The local roads were clogged with traffic, but on joining the M25, I found myself stuck in a 17-mile queue. It took nearly five hours until I pulled into our driveway, making a mental note to avoid distant reserves for the remainder of the year.
The two images at the top show above and below the wings of a peacock butterfly. In the middle is a male banded demoiselle. Below is a lovely thistle flower and a pair of amorous flesh flies.
Steve Cullum
25 Sep 2021Some of the reserves that we visit haven’t been looked after very well at all – uncut reeds etc. It’s a shame and I appreciate that nature comes first, however, these jobs could have been carried out without the public being around. Anyway, your drive and photos were worth it and the Banded Demoiselle is a cracker.
Steve
Zooey
25 Sep 2021I get your point and one reserve I’ve been to a lot this year has about 95% of a large lake buried under reeds and green sludge. Foxearth is different though. It was started by a man who sadly died before he could complete his dream. His widow passed it on to a Christian charity who care for the natural world. They have a full time reserve manager who has put in an awful lot of work since I was last there. It’s not a reserve in the normal sense though and the new layout seems to be deliberate.
Sid
27 Sep 2021Stuck in great adventures, stuck out great photos 😜❤️
Have a wonderful Monday!
Sid
Zooey
2 Oct 2021Hi Sid! Apologies for the delayed reply. I’ve been off on another adventure. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂