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Norfolk Dragon/Damselflies reports/news (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Birding Bob
- Start date
don't know about Norfolk but I saw my first in Suffolk this year last weekend and had a handful of tenerals/females around Minsmere and Dunwich heath yesterday. I don't know what your impressions are but I think it's turning into a bad year after a promising early start for things like hairy, norfolks and b-bodied. I've seen very few emporers and browns around and only a few southern hawkers. Likewise with large red, emerald and red-eyed damsels. Haven't found a small red-eyed yet! Lazybird
Dragonflies comming on thick and fast now. First brown hawkers today at Swanton Novers were picked up on the butterfly survey along with more common darters , southern hawkers , azure and blue damselflies. Common hawkers out mid week and a new record for the reserve on Thursday - red eyed damselflies ( 6 ) .
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HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Not seen a definate Southern yet, nor small red-eyed or any darters. All my regular emperors are where they should be and browns seem ok. It's odd. Perhaps they're just late?
Paul Woolnough
Well-known member
Strumpshaw 12 July 2009 afternoon
With so many butterflies out early it is strange that some dragonflies have emerged late.
Strumpshaw 12 July sightings
Three black tailed skimmers, two flyby and one settled; but no scarce chasers
southern hawker, female
common darter male
and some small red eyed damselflies by Meadow Trail dyke
A few brown hawkers
and a good number of Norfolk hawkers
Cropped version of my Norfolk Hawker x3 photo from gallery attached
With so many butterflies out early it is strange that some dragonflies have emerged late.
Strumpshaw 12 July sightings
Three black tailed skimmers, two flyby and one settled; but no scarce chasers
southern hawker, female
common darter male
and some small red eyed damselflies by Meadow Trail dyke
A few brown hawkers
and a good number of Norfolk hawkers
Cropped version of my Norfolk Hawker x3 photo from gallery attached
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HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Common hawkers out mid week
That's a type for common darter yes? only I thought Common hawker were only known from Winterton Dunes.
That's a type for common darter yes? only I thought Common hawker were only known from Winterton Dunes.
Tractorboy69
Well-known member
Darter Sp (Ruddy?) - Burnham Overy Dunes
On the subject of Darters, I took this pic the week before last of what I'm presuming is a Ruddy Darter due to the all dark legs, (plus the 'waisted' abdomen and the black mark in front of the eyes)? I'm still trying to learn Dragonfly id's so confirmation of species would be appreciated.
Thanks
Simon
On the subject of Darters, I took this pic the week before last of what I'm presuming is a Ruddy Darter due to the all dark legs, (plus the 'waisted' abdomen and the black mark in front of the eyes)? I'm still trying to learn Dragonfly id's so confirmation of species would be appreciated.
Thanks
Simon
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No Harrassedad i meant Common Hawker. For at least the past 20 years we have had a small population breeding in the acidic woodland pools at Swanton Novers. For the past 13 years we have had a policy of opening up the woodland pools and the dragonfly population has risen sharply with 21 species recorded over the past decade and 14 species breeding. All the reserve and some of the nearby ponds are surveyed 3 times a month and about 2 miles of woodland rides surveyed once a week weather allowing.
Banded Demoiselle anunal visitor in small numbers and occasional suspected breeder
Common Emerald breeds
Large Red Damselfly breeds
Common Blue Damselfly breeds
Azure Damselfly breeds
Variable Damselfly single record
Red eyed Damselfly recorded for the first time this year
Small Red eyed Damselfly breeding species for the past 4 years
Four Spot Chaser breeds
Broad bodied Chaser breeds
Black Tailed Skimmer ocasional visitor
Hairy Hawker Three records
Southern Hawker breeds
Common Hawker breeds
Brown Hawker frequent visitor
Emperor Dragonfly breeds
Migrant Hawker migrant and breeding species
Common Darter breeds
Ruddy Darter breeds
Red Veined Darter single record
Black Darter single record
However this summer has been the worst since recording started with many species in low numbers ( 12 species so far this year ) and flight periods late starting. I sauspect we are seeing the result of the past two very poor summers weather.
Banded Demoiselle anunal visitor in small numbers and occasional suspected breeder
Common Emerald breeds
Large Red Damselfly breeds
Common Blue Damselfly breeds
Azure Damselfly breeds
Variable Damselfly single record
Red eyed Damselfly recorded for the first time this year
Small Red eyed Damselfly breeding species for the past 4 years
Four Spot Chaser breeds
Broad bodied Chaser breeds
Black Tailed Skimmer ocasional visitor
Hairy Hawker Three records
Southern Hawker breeds
Common Hawker breeds
Brown Hawker frequent visitor
Emperor Dragonfly breeds
Migrant Hawker migrant and breeding species
Common Darter breeds
Ruddy Darter breeds
Red Veined Darter single record
Black Darter single record
However this summer has been the worst since recording started with many species in low numbers ( 12 species so far this year ) and flight periods late starting. I sauspect we are seeing the result of the past two very poor summers weather.
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HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Well I learn sonething new everyday! Didn't know common was there. Interesting to speculate if they occur in the intervening areas between swanton and winterton (Holt Lowes perhaps?) - I'll have to start actively checking my "southern"'s
And yes, looks good to me as a ruddy darter.
And yes, looks good to me as a ruddy darter.
Tractorboy69
Well-known member
Thanks for that. Thought it was a Ruddy until a pic of an identical looking Darter was posted on Surfbirds and labelled as a Common which threw me a bit, but I now see that it has been subsequently renamed as a Ruddy so confusion over!
Simon
Irene Boston
Well-known member
I wonder if someone can help with some information, if it's not sensitive of course.
Which areas of Holt Lowes are recommended for Keeled Skimmers? Hope to be out that way next week.
Many thanks,
Irene
Which areas of Holt Lowes are recommended for Keeled Skimmers? Hope to be out that way next week.
Many thanks,
Irene
Tractorboy69
Well-known member
Irene
They can be encountered anywhere along the south-eastern edge of the country park i.e on the heathy/marshy areas outside of the wooded area, but the best place to see them is to walk south-east from the Country Park car park (£1 for all day) down to the main lake/observation tower area and then there is an obviousish valley that carries on south east down from the tower to a small pond.
There is a small stream that runs down the valley, although as it is very well vegetated you wouldn't actually know it was there apart from the reeds/rushes etc, and the Keeled Skimmers are to be found along the full length of the stream down to the pond and were pretty abundant when I was there yesterday.
Would be interested in knowing if you see anything else there as it has been pretty unproductive for other dragonfly species on my visits this year.
Butterfly highlights y'day included a few Graylings, Common Blue and Small Copper, and birdwise a small flock of Crossbills flew over and a Turtle Dove was purring away, and on a visit last week a couple of Nightjars were churring (at 14.25 & 16.15!)
Simon
Irene Boston
Well-known member
Many thanks Simon, that's very helpful. When you don't know a site that well, it's difficult to always pick the right or best areas for a species.
Now all we need is for the wind to stop howling and the rain to stop...
Regards,
Irene
Now all we need is for the wind to stop howling and the rain to stop...
Regards,
Irene
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
My first Migrant Hawker of the year at Strumpshaw Fen yesterday. Also red-eyed and lesser red-eyed damsels both flying. (Lesser in the pond by the reception hide, red-eyed on the pond on the way to the meadow.) No Norfolks seen - are they still flying?
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
I was at Mousehold today looking for butterflies, and found a damselfly that looked "odd"! The colouration seemed a much deeper blue than I'm used to seeing on Azure or Common Blue, and as I looked closer there was a mark on one of the bottom segments in the shape of an arrowhead. The amount of black makes it difficult to see any marks on the 2nd abdominal segment. I presumed at the time it must be a Variable Damselfly, but I'm still not happy with it. Any suggestions?
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Tractorboy69
Well-known member
James
From my very limited knowledge of damselflies, if I'd seen this myself I'd have put it down as a Common Blue (either a blue female type or an immature male?)
My reasons would be that it has very broad antehumeral stripes (the blue lines on top of the thorax) which would be much thinner in either Azure or Variable, and no sign of any spurs on the side of the thorax under the thin black stripe which again should be present on Azure or Variable.
Also I guess if you really stare at segment two you can just make out (imagine!) the mushroom cloud marking.
Anyway I'm probably totally wrong but just thought I'd have a stab at its id.
Regards
Simon
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
Cheers for that. I was unaware that there were different colour forms of the females, but having looked at a few pictures it does fit blue-form female Common Blue nicely (albeit maybe newly emerged as a few segments haven't got the blue colouring yet). Also handy to know about the antehumeral stripes, probably easier to see at distance than the segement two marks in the field.
Thanks again,
James
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Two big bits of news: Willow Emerald Damselfly (Lestes viridis) reported from two sites in Suffolk. One was seen at Trimley Marshes, close to where an individual was found in 2007, while several others were seen 15 miles away at Staverton (further details of this site are on the BDS hotnews website). And now Southern Emerald Damselfly (Lestes barbarus) is back in Norfolk, with a male photographed at Winterton Dunes on 5 August
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