[kingfisher]

FIELD GUIDE TO THE DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

Steve Brooks ISBN 0-953-13990-5

Price: £18.95


There is a new revised edition of the book above, it is published by British Wildlife Publishing who produce a by monthly Journal called British Wildlife (www.britishwildlife.com). I purchased my copy while birding in Dorset last Saturday, it is the best book on this subject, it is superbly illustraded with more than 235 artworks on each species and numerous colour photographs, it also gives you an idea as to were to find them, in the short time i have had this book i have found it hard to put it down, i am no expert on Dragonflies and Damselflies, but this is a book to take on those days out, because you just never know what you wil find. It is to Dragonflies what the Collins guide is to Birds.

Kingfisher

[digi-birder]

I bought this book a couple of weeks ago and I agree that it is a very good book to have.

[Richard Ford]

Yep I agree i have had it for ages, can't say i have any other Dragonfly books, but i don't anticipate needing any after purchasing this.
Rich

[cjay]

I still prefer the Hammond book.

[Andrew]

That is odd, I have just placed an order for this book this afternoon. They said it would take two weeks as the wholesalers do not do it. I was advised on this book by Darrell Clegg who has a good knowledge of these critters so it must be a good un.

[kingfisher]

Andrew,

You will not go far wrong with this book, there are 2 new ones about to hit the shelves if they have not already, on Butterflies and Moths, worth a look on their stand at the Bird Fair.

[IanF]

Is there a decent pocket sized guidebook to damselflies and dragonflies that anyone can recommend ?

[digi-birder]

This one is probably a little bigger than pocket-sized, but still light enough to carry in a rucksack or whatever. Maybe a big pocket, even. It's paperback and not very thick.

[Steve Lister]

Colin -

What do you mean by the 'Hammond book'? the only hammond book I have is quite old (out-of-date as regards recent colonists) and not very useful for field use anyway. I much prefer Brooks.

[Surreybirder]

Originally posted by IanF
Is there a decent pocket sized guidebook to damselflies and dragonflies that anyone can recommend ?

I don't know of any that are literally pocket-sized, but Brooks and Lewington is not very big. You could try the Field Studies Council web site. They do a series of excellent laminated A5 sized folding posters... i.e. they are A5 sized once folded . I have the one on mammals which is first-rate. They have bats, butterflies and several others inc. odos. About £4 from memory.
Ken

PS FSC Tel: 01743 852140

[cjay]

Ok Hammond is out of date but the Dragonflies have been here since prehistoric times. & the species have not changed much.

It has the best colour plates with simple text. I much prefer it but the new generation of books are good but not to my taste.

Colin.

[IanF]

Thanks for the tips on the books. I'll have to see if I can check them out int he local bookstores before deciding, though the Brooks looks pretty promising.