Surprise migrant

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

A mid-afternoon walk around the property last Wednesday turned up an unexpected visitor – a Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), which is a migrant to the UK. There have been a fair number reported in the county over the past few weeks, but ours is the first one in our corner of Norfolk. When I entered our record in the national database, it told me it was "outside the known range" of the species! That's a bit hyperbolic if we're honest, considering there are records in both directions from us along the coast. This is a young male, which hasn't completely coloured up yet; as a full adult, he'll be bright scarlet. But he's already showing his distinctive red wing veins and black-outlined red pterostigma (those bright patches of colour near the tips of his wings), and the blue lower half of his huge eye is distinctive. Normally, this species is found in southern Europe and northern Africa. In the UK, it most often shows up in southwestern England, but has been recorded as far north as Scotland. Though it breeds in Britain nearly annually, no permanent population has yet been established. It's a strong migrant, and has been found well out to sea. The Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe says that in invasion years, Red-veined Darters can be quite common in northern Europe, and that such invasion years are becoming more frequent. We certainly seem to be in the throes of one this year.