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

UK dragonfly & damselfly sightings 2020 (2 Viewers)

On Twitter I've seen a photo from Heysham Moss of a recently emerged four-potted chaser. The first on the BDS site was on 19th, on the Llyn Peninsula. Not only very early records, but surprisingly far north too.
 
27 April saw a first record of Variable Damsel on Twitter (Kent) and a "fairly sure" report of Black-tailed Skimmer on the BDS site (Sussex).
 
A female Scarce Chaser at Nursling Old GPs (Hants) today (2nd May). My earliest ever. Not seen a BB Chaser yet!
 

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An Emperor Dragonfly made its first flight today (03.05.20) at Testwood Lakes (Hants)
 

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This doesn't count as a record, but at the end of last week there was another of the occasional reports of Ischnura senegalensis emerging from someone's tropical fish tank. It was reported on Twitter by someone from the Reading area and identified by Dave Smallshire.
 
This doesn't count as a record, but at the end of last week there was another of the occasional reports of Ischnura senegalensis emerging from someone's tropical fish tank. It was reported on Twitter by someone from the Reading area and identified by Dave Smallshire.

I'm amazed at how many of these seem to turn up & presumably many more than go unreported. I'm pleased Dave covered this in the most recent update to his UK photo guide.

Look forward to his European version due later in the year.
 
Thanks chaps, so a breathing apparatus, when, how is it used?

When the larva is still in the water it breathes through its arse. I think the tracheal tubes are used (to connect to the thoracic spiracles) in the first stage of the emergence when the larva has come out of the water but the cuticle hasn't split - once the insect has got its head and thorax out then it can just breathe through the thoracic spiracles (and the abdominal ones once the abdomen is out)

Attached a picture of an emerging Large Pincertail Onychogomphus uncatus showing the tubes attached to the spiracles
 

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Broad-bodied Chaser (f) down near Falmouth today. Had another Large Red Damselfly at a different location a week or so ago.
 
Had a fairly productive day this afternoon over 2 nearby sites- the country park down the road & a golf course with 4 ponds a bit further along. Between them had c50 Large Red, 30+ Azure & 10 Blue-tailed Damsels, 2 teneral Broad-bodied Chasers & my first 5 recently emerged 4-spot Chasers.

Bumped into another local naturalist & he told me he'd seen a female Hairy Dragonfly & a Downy Emerald. Didn't see these but did briefly see 2 male Hairy Dragonflies.
 
From the fb group "Dragonflies and Damselflies - Worldwide Odonata" a Scarce Blue-tailed damselfly in Norfolk today (8th May).

I've seen 13 species so far and the only one I might have seen on date if I had been close enough is Southern Damselfly. Fortunate to live very close to some productive sites.

Paul
 
First dragons today as I took my exercise along the canal (along with a lot of other courteous people all making space for each other, smiling and being friendly.)

From zero for the year to six: Large Red, Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies, a female Broad-bodied Chaser and plenty of Downy Emeralds and Hairy Dragonflies, one of the last of which stopped for me.

A very enjoyable walk with lots of Roach, a few Common Carp and two small Pike in the canal as well.

John

Large Red Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Hairy Dragonfly
 

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Black-tailed Skimmer

There was a young male Black-tailed Skimmer in Nursling (Hants) yesterday (9th May)
 

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I didn't expect to be in range for Hairy Dragonfly at this time of year, but it turns out there's a couple of little dots on the map a few miles west of Durham that I'm thinking of exploring next week when I get a chance to get out and the weather warms up again. I've never seen Hairy Dragonfly before. Can any of the experts give me any tips as to what sort of habitat and what elevation I should be looking, please. I say 'elevation' because one of my plans is to be on some raised fells a 100m or so above sea level to look for other bits and bobs (mainly Emperor Moth). Should I be looking at ditches and streams at sea level and forget about acidic, moorland boggy types of environments? Thanks.
 
I didn't expect to be in range for Hairy Dragonfly at this time of year, but it turns out there's a couple of little dots on the map a few miles west of Durham that I'm thinking of exploring next week when I get a chance to get out and the weather warms up again. I've never seen Hairy Dragonfly before. Can any of the experts give me any tips as to what sort of habitat and what elevation I should be looking, please. I say 'elevation' because one of my plans is to be on some raised fells a 100m or so above sea level to look for other bits and bobs (mainly Emperor Moth). Should I be looking at ditches and streams at sea level and forget about acidic, moorland boggy types of environments? Thanks.


Think you're unlikely to find any in the latter habitat. Seems to be a lowland species which in the south-east is found around lakes/large ponds with good amounts of reeds or similar emergent vegetation; even wide channels between reeds. I've found them locally in the last couple of weeks where I wasn't aware they occurred- one of the upsides to the lockdown!
 
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