Country diary: A close-up view of a shimmering beauty | Sara Hudston

Bridport, Dorset: The female in my garden has been a glittering presence of late, but soon she will return to the river to breedThe beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) is aptly named. This loveliest of damselflies is on the wing now across south-west England and Wales, fluttering like a falling scrap of metallic paper among the vegetation.One of only two species of damselfly with coloured wings, the males have blue bodies and dark-sheened wings while females are green with contrasting tan wings. But such a plain description doesn't begin to capture their true appearance. Continue reading...