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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk Dragon/Damselflies reports/news (1 Viewer)

grahamarchy said:
looks like a variable to me. dainty i have seen in france dont have the same pattern on the tail end as your damsel. Variable does extend to this type of pattern as well- although this does look very dark.


where did you see them?
Click to expand...

It was just the one I saw, amongst large reds and blue tailed etc at Upton Fen. I thought it might just be a variable but the 'Pi' type marking in the tail is similar to that shown on female dainty in Richard Lewingtons illustrations in Dragons of Britain and Europe.
 
Gotta say the tail pattern does look like the picture in Dijkstra for scitulum, but variable is much more likely.

I got Emperor today but I see I was pipped at the post for a first!
Searching Holt Lowes produced a single Keeled - last year there were loads - but then there was a lot more water about last year as well. Several areas dries up today, suggesting that we might get keeled wandering around the holt area in search of better conditions. Otherwise a fairly good day. East Ruston common had 4 spot, bbc, emperor, common blue, azure, blue-tailed, large red and red-eyed; holt lowes had 4 spot, bbc, large red, azure and keeled, and the canal just down from east ruston had a couple of hairies to add to the list.

Popped into Catfield yesterday evening and between 6 and 6.30 we got norfolk, Hairy, 4 Spot, Azure, Variable, red-eyed and blue-tailed. So I've done a lot better with dragons than butterflies this week.
 
guernsey_dave said:
It was just the one I saw, amongst large reds and blue tailed etc at Upton Fen. I thought it might just be a variable but the 'Pi' type marking in the tail is similar to that shown on female dainty in Richard Lewingtons illustrations in Dragons of Britain and Europe.
Click to expand...

i agree having looked at the pictures-it is similar but still not a match.

have a look at these pictures of variable:
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/variable-damselfly.html#cr
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9Yo5BYRO...able+Damselfly%281%29+Crymlyn+Bog+28Apr11.jpg

they show the same pattern as your female.


it does seem on the more unusual-end of the variable spectrum


Daintys also behave differently: they tend to hold their wings at rest not quite as neatly as variables. This is subjective- as i am basing this on your pictures, but your damsel is holding the wings neatly and in-order.

anyway interesting individual. but for my money it is a variable.
 
but for my money it is a variable.[/QUOTE]

I've come to this a bit late, but definitely agree it's a Variable. They're quite plentiful at Upton Fen usually and the species definitely lives up to its common name.

Pam
 
Someone from Kent posted a picture of a migrant hawker emerging from their garden pond on the 3rd! That's ridiculously early. Meanwhile I've heard of what sounds like a Southern seen in norwich yesterday. Anyone had Brown Hawker yet?
 
At Hickling Broad on Saturday we had Norfolk Hawker, 2 Four-spot Chasers, 1 Hairy Dragonfly, Azure Damselfly and loads of Black-tailed Skimmers. My favourite dragon of the day was this pictured one, presumably just beginning to aquire male colouring.
 

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Female Broad-bodied Chaser, Four-spot Chaser, several Banded Dems, many Azures, and a few Blue-tailed along the Tas Valley Walk west of Tharston yesterday (TM 174946).
Today - Norfolk Hawker and Black-tailed Skimmer along the river at Thurne.
 
Healthy numbers of male and female Banded Demoiselles at Honing Lock (River Ant - TG 331 270) this morning plus single male Black-tailed Skimmer...

James
 
seems to be a good year for norfolk hawkers, seen them all over the place.
 

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At Strumpshaw on sunday I found a female Hairy dragonfly that had been damaged by the rain while emerging - that's incredibly late for it to be climbing out of the water.
 
Keel haul

A very hot afternoon at Holt Lowes saw Keeled Skimmers much in evidence.

A lovely, violet-coloured, immature male did not allow itself to be ‘shot’.

The male and female below did.

There was, unfortunately, no sign of the Red-veined Darter, reported earlier in the morning.
 

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A possible yellow-winged darter at breydon south bank by the bridge at midday this morning - but it was a flypast and shot off before I could manage to positively ID it.
 
Where are all the dragonflies in mid north Norfolk this summer ? The common blues in the Wensum valley are to be counted in 100s rather than the usuall 1000s , Azure and banded well down in numbers , not seen any blue tailed and only a handful of red eyed. The only hawkers so far have been Emperors. BB chasers few and far between and even the 4 spots are well down. Not seen any darters yet and a couple of BT skimmers..

The only one that seems in average numbers are the large red damsels. I suspect last winter has hit them hard . It seemed more severe in this area than in Broadland with many ponds frozen to the muds and almost all small streams iced over. I was in Broadland at the peak of the cold around christmas and was struck on how much open water there was in the dykes and some ponds with a tree shelter.
 
I was tapping away at my keyboard yesterday afternoon when I heard a loud "buzzing" sound coming from the conservatory. I went to investigate and could see a large dragonfly trapped where the wall meets the roof (forming a shelf), the noise coming as it batted it's wings against the glass. After procariously climbing on a window sill to catch the culprit in a glass I was surprised to find a male Black-tailed Skimmer, not a species I noticed in the garden before! Upon release it flew straight up to about house height and then off over the trees!

Chris
 
A friend of mine, David, who lives in semi-rural Sprowston made a huge effort to dig out a large pond in his front garden this winter which measures about four metres across and he is really reaping the benefits of his extremely hard work. So far this spring/summer he has had several pairs of Large Red Dam, Azure, Blue-tailed, female Broad Bodied, Four -spot, and a handsome male Emperor which was prospecting yesterday and which I was lucky enough to see myself. Well done mate! Enjoy the rewards!
 
At Sculthorpe Moore Nature Reserve - saw a massive (looked bigger than Emperor!) striking black and yellow ringed dragonfly in woodland ride for a minute only before vanishing - no picture! Too big for southern hawker. Looking at chart in the reception centre it looked like a golden ringed!!!!!! Only one record in Norfolk in the broads when a lady and I looked on the web (correct me if I am wrong). Had lunch and now looking for it again. Was only visiting for a while to photograph kingfisher at 8am!! Tons of other dragonflies here and got pic of Emperor.

Best Wishes Penny
 
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Wow Penny, that would be good.
They are pretty unmistakable so if you think you saw one you most probably did!
Good luck in relocating the beastie

As you say, as far as i can see there is 1 record in the broads, the next closest records are three separate sites near Bedford!
 
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