What dragonflies/damselflies have you seen in 2005? (5 Viewers)

[Surreybirder]

I cannot compete with scarce chaser but there was a lovely 4-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata f. praenubila) in our garden today. We also had a beautiful demoiselle a couple of days ago.
Ken

 

[robski]

I don't what these are but they are some candid shots I took at the weekend to test new camera and lens. The middle one I was trying get an in flight shot but it flew into a spider's web. I managed a shot before I released it. a small spider was making a bee-line towards it and I thought that would last you a month of sundays to eat that.

Robert

 

[harry eales]

I don't what these are but they are some candid shots I took at the weekend to test new camera and lens. The middle one I was trying get an in flight shot but it flew into a spider's web. I managed a shot before I released it. a small spider was making a bee-line towards it and I thought that would last you a month of sundays to eat that.

Robert

Hello Robert,
Pics 1 & 3 are the Blue-tailed Damselfly. Ischnura elegans.
Pic 2 is a male Banded Demoiselle. Calopteryx splendens.

Harry.

 

[Brian Stone]

Had my first large hawker today belting past my office window near the centre of Peterborough. Only got a glimpse but I think it must be Emperor (Anax imperator).

 

[harry eales]

Whilst surveying for Dingy Skipper sites on the edge of the Derwent Reservoir on the Northumberland/Durham border yesterday, I was very surprised to see a Common Hawker A.juncea this beats by two days the previous 'earliest' known record for either county.

It would appear that emergence out of season is not just happening to butterflies and moths this year.

Harry

 

[Adey Baker]

First Broad-bodied Chaser today - very late this year

 

[robski]

Another shot today - I was hoping to get warblers but came home with one of these. Again have no idea what it is. I just could not get in position to avoid the leaf obscuring.

Robert

 

[Nic Lindsell]

Went out on Wednesday 8th June on local patch:

Hairy Dragonfly
Black-tailed Skimmer
Scarce Chaser

Banded Demoiselle
Emerald Damselfy
Large Red Damselfly
Red-eyed Damselfly
White-legged Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly

Comma butterfly

Plus good shoals of Bream, Roach, Chub in river with a couple of Jack Pike (about a foot long)checking out the Minnow shoals

Plus Bullfinch & Hobby

 

[Angus T]

3 new species today and nine seen in all.

Started off by seeing Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo near my farmyard. There is a healthy breeding population in the river Vartry about a mile south.

I flushed 3 Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum into their maiden flights. 2 were netted, one of each sex. This was out of my bog. I expect 100s if not thousands more to emerge. Note that "bog" is a historic field name and is now a pond that usually dries in late summer.

Also seen down at the bog was a mature female Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio. This species has bred at this location in the past when the bog was less overgrown. There was some ovipositing last year before the bog dried up, so I don't expect any to have survived. With it drying in late Summer, the only species to breed are Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum and Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa.

Also seen today were about 4 Four-spot Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata, a single Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense and couple Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma numphula in the Bog along with the usual blues. The 3 usual blues were at my lake as well.

11 species seen during past couple days, the other 2 being Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum and Emperor Anax imperator just inside10k sq T39, which is a first record for that square, although it's only about one km east of my home.

 

[Surreybirder]

3 new species today and nine seen in all.

Started off by seeing Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo near my farmyard. There is a healthy breeding population in the river Vartry about a mile south.

I flushed 3 Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum into their maiden flights. 2 were netted, one of each sex. This was out of my bog. I expect 100s if not thousands more to emerge. Note that "bog" is a historic field name and is now a pond that usually dries in late summer.

Also seen down at the bog was a mature female Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio. This species has bred at this location in the past when the bog was less overgrown. There was some ovipositing last year before the bog dried up, so I don't expect any to have survived. With it drying in late Summer, the only species to breed are Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum and Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa.

Also seen today were about 4 Four-spot Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata, a single Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense and couple Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma numphula in the Bog along with the usual blues. The 3 usual blues were at my lake as well.

11 species seen during past couple days, the other 2 being Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum and Emperor Anax imperator just inside10k sq T39, which is a first record for that square, although it's only about one km east of my home.

Your farm seems to be as good for Odos as for Leps, Angus!
Ken

 

[Angus T]

Your farm seems to be as good for Odos as for Leps, Angus!
Ken

More specifically my garden, which includes the Lake and Bog. It's a bit infamous as regards Odos in Ireland, with the most species recorded at a single site with 18. Still awaiting a Brown Hawker which I have seen locally.

Other records of note for the site, is first proved breeding site in Ireland for Emperor in 2002, and first recorded female Lesser Emperor in Ireland as well also in 2002. The site is also noted for some relatively early emergences for some species.

So yes you could say that it's good for Odos.

 

[harry eales]

Another shot today - I was hoping to get warblers but came home with one of these. Again have no idea what it is. I just could not get in position to avoid the leaf obscuring.

Robert

Hello Robski,

Your photograph is of a Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa.

Nice one, it's very scarce in my area.

Harry

 

[harry eales]

More specifically my garden, which includes the Lake and Bog. It's a bit infamous as regards Odos in Ireland, with the most species recorded at a single site with 18. Still awaiting a Brown Hawker which I have seen locally.

Other records of note for the site, is first proved breeding site in Ireland for Emperor in 2002, and first recorded female Lesser Emperor in Ireland as well also in 2002. The site is also noted for some relatively early emergences for some species.

So yes you could say that it's good for Odos.

I wish you luck in getting Brown Hawker to breed in your pond Angus, in my local ponds it was driven out when Southern Hawkers came into the area. The two of them can't seem to co-exist.

If I may be so bold to ask. How do you manage to do it all?

I mean the 3 moth traps to empty with fantastic catches, butterflies, Bugs and Dragonflies AND manage to run a farm as well. I'd be knackered after a couple of weeks. lol.

Harry

 

[raggetty]

numerous species hatched this year from our three year old pond:-

Red Damselfly, Common, Blue Tailed.
Broad Bodied Chaser, Southern Hawker and Emperor.
Migrant Hawkers should be hatching soon, found the larvae in there last year.
Attached piccie of Anax Imperator hatching:-

 

[Angus T]

I wish you luck in getting Brown Hawker to breed in your pond Angus, in my local ponds it was driven out when Southern Hawkers came into the area. The two of them can't seem to co-exist.

If I may be so bold to ask. How do you manage to do it all?

I mean the 3 moth traps to empty with fantastic catches, butterflies, Bugs and Dragonflies AND manage to run a farm as well. I'd be knackered after a couple of weeks. lol.

Harry

Only one record of Southern Hawker from Ireland. Oct 17th 1988, coinciding with Sahara dust fall. But perhaps the Emperor will do the same job in keeping Brown Hawker away.

Oh and I am Knackered!!!

 

[Adey Baker]

Common Darter, female at Ryton Wood, Warwickshire on Saturday.

 

[jackied]

Male Broad-bodied Chaser in the Wyre Forest on saturday.
Jackie

 

[OdonataMan]

BDS Meeting Stover Lakes - Devon

Hi All,

We spend a very interesting day out at Stover Country Park and Little Bradley Pond, Bovey Tracey, Devon with a couple other members of the British Dragonfly Society on Saturday, long day as we drove 275 miles from Lancashire to Devon!!

Thanks to Dave Smallshire (county recorder for Devon & BDS member) for a great day out and sharing his vast knowledge with us all - Very much appreciated.

In one day we found:

Common Blue Damselfly
Large Red Damselfly
Blue Azure Damselfly
Red-Eyed Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Beautiful Demoiselle

Four-spotted Chaser
Broad-bodied Chaser
Black-tailed Skimmer

Emperor Dragonfly
Golden-ringed Dragonfly
Downy Emerald Dragonfly

We found some Southern Hawker exuvia, but didn't manage to find any flying around.

All in all a great day out, we burnt to a crisp in sunny conditions and temperatures in the higher 20's C!!

If anyone's interested, I posted some pictures in the gallery this evening.

Regards

Mark & Heather

 

[Tero]

I have just started with this stuff. This I think is a Skimmer. Can someone verify? Widow Skimmer seems to match.
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/55697/sort/1/cat/500/page/1

 

[David Nicholson]

Just like to give this thread a little bump.

I've said it before somewhere, things happen up here a lot later than down south. Common Darter JUST emerged yesterday. Plenty of common blue and blue tailed damselfles.

Oh and Harry, I was in Durham today, on that new(ish) footbridge. Saw what I thought could have been about ten male Agrion virgo on the water. What do you think?

The photo is from my garden, of a blue tailed, not the river Wear btw