Black-tailed Skimmers can be found mainly in June and July. Dragonflies often bask in sun on warm paths. The photograph below was taken on one of the ornate bridges to the island in the lake - you need to look where you are treading, although dragonflies are pretty good at avoiding being stepped on. Superficially, Black-tailed Skimmers look like Broad-bodied Chasers, but the skimmers have deep green eyes, and of course the black tip on the tail. They also look similar to the much less common Scarce Chaser but these have pale blue eyes.
Like most dragonflies, the male and female are very different colours. The female black-tailed skimmer is bright yellow and black, with a distinctive 'ladder' pattern down the abdomen. Confusingly, the immature male is pretty much the same colour as the mature female. The image below (taken near the river) is probably an immature one, as its wings are not fully formed.
