Exploring Pigeon Valley: Dragonflies and damselflies
The riches of Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve explained by Glenwood resident and chair of the Friends of Pigeon Valley.
This is the 51st in an ongoing series that highlights the riches of Pigeon Valley, the urban nature reserve in the heart of Glenwood. The focus of this article will be on dragonflies and damselflies.
We tend to go for the size in nature – the Big Five, the Blue Whale, even the Crowned Eagle. Indeed, I was delighted to see a juvenile Crowned Eagle visiting Pigeon Valley this past week. The staff were very concerned as they witnessed it eating one of our Red Duikers, but the role of Crowned Eagles as predators is to keep balance in the system – without them we get population explosions of Hadeda Ibises, Vervet Monkeys and Duikers.
At the other end of the spectrum, though, we have small insects, and seeing them clearly can reveal their beauty. My brother Jonathan has been exploring these, in particular at the pond in Pigeon Valley near the entrance. Here we have both dragonflies and damselflies, which are part of the Odonata order. The two easiest ways of distinguishing dragonflies from damselflies in that dragonflies hold their wings out when they perch and their big eyes are very close together.
ALSO READ: Exploring Pigeon Valley: Clearing of alien vegetation
Looking at them closely reveals a world of colour – sometimes brilliant, ‘dayglo’ colours such as brilliant blues and piercing reds. The pond may be the gathering place each morning for staff, but here you can readily see such beauties as the Southern Painted Sprite (in the photo), Julia Skimmer, Lucia Widow and the uncommon and hard to find Eastern Forestwatcher. At present we are compiling a listing of all the Odonata observed at Pigeon Valley. For some reason the Odonata at the reservoir next to the reserve itself are often different, such as Wandering Glider, the miniscule Portia Widow and Ferruginous Glider.
What few people know is that dragonflies and damselflies eat other living things, in particular a lot of mosquitoes and small flies. They breed in water, and we have watched them laying eggs at the Pigeon Valley pond. Entering into their world is a revelation.
Crispin Hemson chairs the Friends of Pigeon Valley, a group that undertakes clearing of alien plants, keeps records of bird and mammal sightings and alerts management to any problems.
The Friends have a monthly walk at 7.30am on the second Saturday of each month. Email: friendsofpigeonvalley1@gmail.com.
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