Nature Notes 12 June 2026

 

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Sunshine, Showers and Dragonflies

Published June 2026

This week I spent a day exploring the Somerset wetlands.  The weather couldn't quite decide what season it wanted to be. It was sunny when I set out from the car, but within twenty minutes dark rain clouds drifted overhead and, before I could even pull my coat from my bag, I was absolutely soaked!

There are still hundreds of dragonflies around the reedbeds. They sit on the reeds when it rains, their wings covered in water droplets that shine like jewels when the sun comes out.


I saw a male marsh harrier hunting over the reedbeds, and there were also a couple of hobbies flying low over the water, catching dragonflies on the wing. Several bitterns are booming at the moment. If you listen carefully, you can hear the bird drawing in air before making the booming sound.

As I walked, I was reminded how much there is to notice when we slow down and take our time.Sometimes it isn't a rare bird or a perfect photograph that makes a day special. It can simply be the feeling of being there. The warmth of the sun after a shower of rain, dragonflies skimming across the water, and the sound of birds carrying across the reeds.

It was a lovely reminder that even on a wet and windy day, nature always has something to offer if we're prepared to stop and look.
 
Days like this are exactly why I keep returning to the wetlands.

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From My Sketchbook

This visit later inspired Dragonfly, the newest hare in the Hares of Peppermint Art collection.

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