dainty damselfly in kent, 2011 (1 Viewer)

Bazzer66 said:

two pairs were seen yesterday at the pools by the bridge
cheers

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Barry - nice one - in tandem?

a

It's a bananas long shot, but anyone driving over for the Dainties on a day trip from the west country on Tuesday and wants to split fuel costs? My van's too thirsty, and I'm contemplating public transport otherwise. Maybe a day trip could also take in something else, eg Brilliant Emeralds on way there or back? Tuesday weather forecast looks not too bad so far (compared to up until then!). Just a thought...

Any updates positive or negative would be great too.

Cheers,

Larry

Had an search of the site this morning on my way home from the Dover ferry in less than ideal conditions. Eventually found a single male hiding in sedges over near the road (old bridge) at about 10 am. The S2 marking on this individual seems to be very like the one described by Alan, and illustrated by James photos (perhaps even the same individual in a more mature state - I'll compare photos later!).
Also quite a few Scarce Emerald Damselflies and Ruddy Darters.

RoyW said:

The S2 marking on this individual seems to be very like the one described by Alan, and illustrated by James photos (perhaps even the same individual in a more mature state - I'll compare photos later!).

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Not the same individual - the S2 markings are similar but clearly not identical.

Wonderful and (if like me you haven't been able to get there yet) seriously gripping video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irm5St96JdI&feature=youtu.be

copied from the BDS website latest sightings page, which interestingly has it down for the 17th, though the link says it was on the 19th. Then again the BDS website also mentions an Azure Hawker sighting for Cornwall on 17th too! (But from a site with the same name as one in Scotland, funnily enough).

Larry Wheatland said:

Wonderful and (if like me you haven't been able to get there yet) seriously gripping video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irm5St96JdI&feature=youtu.be

copied from the BDS website latest sightings page, which interestingly has it down for the 17th, though the link says it was on the 19th. Then again the BDS website also mentions an Azure Hawker sighting for Cornwall on 17th too! (But from a site with the same name as one in Scotland, funnily enough).

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Hi Larry

Paul Hopkins video is from Sunday 19th June (not the 17th). There were eight of us searching and after 4 hours I found this female Dainty Damselfly sheltering in the vegetation north east of the northern end of the second pool. As you can see from the video the weather was somewhat windy!

Cheers

Grahame

Thanks Grahame,

As it turns out I'm not going to Glastonbury after all , so I've just booked public transport to Swale for Friday. Would you or anyone mind giving us an idea of how far from the edge of the pool you found your damsel, or any other hints on how or where to find them? Seems like a toughie, and it would be an expensive dip! Looking at Dave Bradnum's handy map, it looks like they've been located a fair distance from the pool.

No-one's mentioned any other Coenagrion confusion species being seen at the site (ie Azure or Variable?), are they present too?

Cheers,

Larry

I may go on Sunday, presuming they're seen on Saturday, anyone in the Ipswich area want to team up and save a bit of petrol costs?

Larry Wheatland said:

Thanks Grahame,

As it turns out I'm not going to Glastonbury after all , so I've just booked public transport to Swale for Friday. Would you or anyone mind giving us an idea of how far from the edge of the pool you found your damsel, or any other hints on how or where to find them? Seems like a toughie, and it would be an expensive dip! Looking at Dave Bradnum's handy map, it looks like they've been located a fair distance from the pool.

No-one's mentioned any other Coenagrion confusion species being seen at the site (ie Azure or Variable?), are they present too?

Cheers,

Larry

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Azure are present - although I only saw them on the pond nearest the road. The (first) female was 2-4 m from the water's edge. Don't know about the rest. Would suspect that you would be fine assuming weather conducive (tho' it was gusty when i went and still succeeded) and you're prepared to search hard.

Thanks for that James. I'm also a bit worried about being 'part of the problem' of too many searchers potentially trampling the site, so hoping it's possible to search without causing damage there.

Hi Larry

I think JCL sums it up nicely; prepare to search hard. After over 3 hours of searching the grassland up to 4m around the second pool, I widened my search to at least 20m particularly on the east side and quickly connected with the female which features in Pauls video. Dave Bradnam's map is excellant (many thanks for taking the time to share this with us:t In fact the female we saw was just to the north of where DB saw his according to the pin in his map.

Personally I didn't see any other spp of Coenagrion although as JCL states others have seen Azure, although it appears to be very scarce at the site. As far as I know Variable does not occur? Perhaps someone else could confirm this. Bottom line is if you see a Coenagrion spp start to get (a little) excited!

Although there were a few well worn paths through the grassland, particularly around the second pool, personally I don't think that the site is being overly trampled. So long as folk exercise care and attention and act responsibly, I believe its possible to search without causing any damage either to the habitat or to any Odonata.

Good luck to those going at the weekend.

Cheers

Grahame

Please forgive the verbosity.

One female Dainty Damselfly present at 'the public site' today, in the long grass c10-15m from the 'inland' edge of the second pool, about half way along the pools length.

Public transport delays meant that although I left Bristol at 6.45am and got home after 10pm, I could spend only 2 and 1/2 hours at the site, and could easily have dipped!

When I arrived at 12.30, there were three people present who had been searching unsuccessfully for about 2 hours. Conditions weren't that good, being mostly overcast and windy, but with occasional sunny spells. I found a problem was, that whenever damselflies were being disturbed, the wind would catch them and carry them away quicker than my eye-sight could follow them, and I'd lose them. I felt like an idiot for gambling more than 50 quid on what was surely going to be a lousy frustrating stupidly brief fruitless search. But...

Unfortunately one of the searchers had left the site before I finally struck lucky at 1.15 and called the remaining two back from their lunch break in the layby. The spotting of the damselfly coincided exactly with my girlfriend phoning me from Glastonbury festival with the bad news that her uncle had died. This was a very strange space to be suddenly looking at and trying to identify my first Dainty Damselfly in. With a phone to my ear.

At one point the damselfly flew into a spider's web, so we were able to inspect her closely while we freed her. Hopefully we'll get to see some pics, as one of the 2 guys from Suffolk had a good camera.

The three of us continued to search the general area, but no further individuals had been found by the time I had to leave at 3pm. Twice we refound the female (or just possibly another?) when ending up back in the area of our original sighting. Someone else arrived as I was leaving, and the others remained too, so I don't know what happened after 3pm, but the weather appeared to be worsening.

I felt very lucky that we saw one, and it's largely thanks to the detailed advice from others posting on this thread of where to look. Thanks :t:

There were quite a lot of Blue-tailed Damselflies, very few Common Blue Damsels, a fair few Black-tailed Skimmers and several Ruddy Darters. A Scarce Emerald Damselfly was also seen before I got there.

Butterflies included a Brown Argus, Essex and Large Skippers and Small Heaths. Birds included a Peregrine and Common Terns.

Maybe Monday looks better weatherwise. Good luck.

Hoping to call in tomorrow, so any updates from today would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

craigaholden said:

Hoping to call in tomorrow, so any updates from today would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

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Didn't visit today but despite the forecast the weather was not great ( I live in Dartford)

Tomorrow looks great and I wish you the best of luck ( I'm in France looking for herps ) The site gen on this thread is spot on.

cheers

James

I hear that three were seen today, inc an ovipositing pair

JCL said:

I hear that three were seen today, inc an ovipositing pair

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At least 3 different males seen (plus one found dead in the water) and two females (1 trapped & released, 1 in tandem). Microhabitat seems to be floating scum, egg-laying on fennel pondweed (Pot. pectinatus) and generally not perching on surrounding sea club-rush (preferred by C puella).

S2 of the males incredibly variable, one of the males with the "classic" pattern, 1 with a puella shape (but thicker), 1 with E. cyathigeum type mark and the dead male with a strange T shape.

cheers, alan

Anyone tried in last few days? Last weeks attempt to do some Odonata watching in Kent rather buggered by a change of plan and trip to Scotland, hopefully I'll get chance this weekend.

After 3 hours of searching from 10.30 today we eventually located a pair in tandem and ovipositing on the FIRST pool west of the old road, i.e. the one below and immediately east of the new road bridge.

Southern & Scarce Emeralds were also showing at Cliffe mid pm too.

These are bloody hard work. I tried for about three hours and failed today. They had been seen about two hours before I got their - while I was looking at southern emerald. Plenty of people looking when we got their, they'd all given up before we left.

Steve Babbs said:

I tired for about three hours and failed today... They had been seen about two hours before I got their .

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What do you teach? I spent seven hours there last weekend before we sussed them out. They are not an easy one.

cheers, a