RECENTLY my duties as Countryside and Conservation Officer for Wyre Forest District Council took me for a walk along the River Stour near Puxton Marshes.

Walking along the banks near Puxton Marsh nature reserve is a commonly enjoyed pastime for many of the regular visitors.

The banks have mown paths but as soon as you leave the confines of the reserve, especially at this time of year, progress is near impossible. (Note there is no public Assess beyond the limits of the Council nature reserve)

You are greeted by a dense two-metre high-plus inter-tangled swathe of marshy vegetation, and some of the district's most persistently painful stinging nettles, not to mention an over abundance of eager bloodthirsty mosquitos.

However this particular journey took a very different route. Instead of journeying along the riverbanks this job involved travelling upstream actually in the river.

I would not recommend this to anyone, as there are some quite large risks. The water could easily be infected with the bacterium that causes Weil's Disease so all cuts and scrapes have to be kept dry.

The banks are too steep to climb and the water deep and in places quick flowing so I needed to be roped to the bank with colleagues on stand-by at all times.

I was lowered into the water wearing strong boots and an old pair of overalls as we did not know what might be lurking under the water.

Once in, it was like entering a different world. The tall stands of pink-flowered Himalayan Balsam, stinging nettles and occasional willow and alder trees leaned out over the banks making it feel like you where almost in an enclosed tunnel.

However, the real beauty for me was the numbers and diversity of the damselflies which twisted and skimmed above the surface of the river.

Some people confuse damselflies with dragonflies, as the two are both members of the same insect family. Damselflies, however, differ from dragonflies by having a more delicate look and usually fold their wings closed when resting.

Damselflies also tend to be slower fliers giving me a fantastic opportunity to observe their sheer beauty.

Among others I saw dozens of aptly named Beautiful Demoiselle. The male of this species has darkened wings and a body of the most wonderful shade of highly shiny metallic-looking deep blue/ green.

The females have transparent wings and a more greeny metallic shade to their bodies. It was a fascinating and beautiful spectacle to watch these creatures perform their aerial mating dance over the sparkling waters of the Stour.