One of my favourite sites is
Napton Reservoir. A feed reservoir for the Oxford Canal which has a small
SSSI along two sides of it. The reservoir is raised above the meadows by about 15 feet, giving a large slopping bank problem around three sides.
Each year British Waterways mow the banks in early June and late August.
Last year after complaints they left a strip uncut all around the site but not this year as you can see. Slowly the site has recovered over the weeks, but there has been depressingly little activity since the June scalping, both Common Blue and Blue-tail Damselflies are well down, precious few Red-eyed, and Large Red, a handful of Black-tailed Skimmers, no Emperor, no Four Spotted Chasers, and yes I know its been a horrid year but even so.
Then two weeks ago I photographed this on the site:
this evening I returned to see if there were any more about, only to find the banks have been scalped again. I didn't bother to get out of the car.