Dragonfly debut
May sees the first dragonflies patrolling weedy ditches and pools. They’re usually hairy dragonflies, which fly early in the year. To tell them apart from other species, you’ll need a clear view of a perched dragonfly to make out the hirsute thorax (it’s hard to see when it’s flying). Hairy dragonflies are found mostly in the south – the Somerset Levels and Norfolk Broads are hotspots.