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UK dragonflies and damselflies, 2014 (1 Viewer)

Lightthiscandle said:
Anyone know some reliable sites around Sidmouth, Devon for Common Hawker & Golden-ringed Dragonfly? (And any other species I can't see in Norfolk!)
I'll happily reciprocate gen for anyone visiting Norfolk!
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I don't tend to go as far east as Sidmouth when I'm in Devon, and my preferred site for those two specific species would be Prewley Moor, which is the wrong side of Okehampton from your point of view so not much help.

You're close to Bystock Pools, a Devon Wildlife Trust site, which is good for dragons and is reported to have golden-ringed although I didn't find them when I visited. It's reliable for small red damsel which will probably be of interest. Look for the path across the valley, which includes a boardwalk across the "long ponds".

Also worth trying Aylesbeare Common, which is good for various dragonfly species and should give you a decent chance of common hawker.

NB not claiming that these are the best sites, or even the nearest - just the ones I happen to know.
 
4 Willow Emerald Damsels at the Marshside site on Sat morning. Failed to find any Southern Emerald Damsels at Cliffe on Fri or Sun, after a total of more than 5 hours at the site, a dozen or so Scarce Emerald Damsels there.

Great stop at Thursley on way home today. 1 Common Hawker, swarms of Black Darters, loads of Keeled Skimmers, a few Small Red Damsels etc.
 
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Good numbers (20+) of Ruddy darter at Boldermere yesterday, a species I've only ever seen in ones and twos here before. Also Emperor and Brown Hawker both perched, although the latter kept choosing unphotographable positions in which to do so. Loads of Black-tailed Skimmers still, good numbers of Red-eyed and Common Blue Damselfly, a few Black Darters and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies. No Migrant Hawkers though which was disappointing, there were several at this site last year.
 
Quite a few Migrant Hawkers around Chichester gravel pits today, along with good numbers of Small Red-eyes, Red-eyes and 100s of Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damsels, 2 Common Darters and 4 Black-tailed Skimmers. Managed an ok flight shot of the hawker, which ain't easy with a bridge camera (SX40)!!

hawker migrant (Medium).JPGdarter common (11) (Medium).JPGdarter common (12) (Medium).JPGskimmer blacktailed (31) (Medium).JPGskimmer blacktailed (37) (Medium).JPG

Also over the weekend I was walking through Clapham Woods (nr Worthing, W Sussex) and in the open sheep pasture in the middle there were well over 100 Migrant Hawkers winging about! Amazing, never seen so many!
 
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Swindon Addick said:
You're close to Bystock Pools, a Devon Wildlife Trust site, which is good for dragons and is reported to have golden-ringed although I didn't find them when I visited. It's reliable for small red damsel which will probably be of interest. Look for the path across the valley, which includes a boardwalk across the "long ponds".
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As it happens I was at Bystock Pools on Sunday. Not much about, with only occasional breaks in the cloud, but I did pick up beautiful demoiselle in the stream (by the lower of the two paths along the north side of the valley). Also mating small red damsels, an emerging southern hawker and more keeled skimmers than you could shake a stick at.
 
I was at Bystock Pool on Wednesday evening: lots of Small Red Damsels and Keeled Skimmers. Also plenty of Black Darters and Emperors. Today I spent a couple of hours at Aylesbeare: great photos of Golden-ringed! (On my blog!)
 
At Boldermere on 3rd August I photographed this, assuming it to be a Red-eyed Damselfly, but the blue on S2 and 8, as well as the eye colour, surely makes it a Small Red-eyed? Is Boldermere a known site for this species?
 

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Clive Watson said:
At Boldermere on 3rd August I photographed this, assuming it to be a Red-eyed Damselfly, but the blue on S2 and 8, as well as the eye colour, surely makes it a Small Red-eyed? Is Boldermere a known site for this species?
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There are many hundreds of Small Red-eyed Damsels at Boldermere. I first found them there 5 or 6 years ago. Numbers were down a bit after they removed a lot of the floating weeds two years ago, but they soon bounced back. It's a good idea to take a scope so you can see settled damsels that are out of bino range. I must say I was a bit surprised that you did not mention them on your last visit.
 
Thanks for this. I had no idea they were there. Last year I went to Tundry Pond for them and I thought that was the closest site to me. I was concentrating far more on trying to photograph Emperor (succeeding) and Brown Hawker (failing). If there are hawkers available I always prioritise them as they are so infinitely more difficult to photograph than damselflies.
 
I too went all the way to Tundry Pond for my first SRE's, but shortly afterwards found them at Boldermere. They are now even closer to home at Chiddingfold. I saw one at Strumpshaw a few days ago while observing the Willow Emeralds.
 
Dragonfly ID please

I'm not too good on dragonflies......is this a Southern Hawker? Taken at RSPB Rye Meads today.
 

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I thought Common or Migrant when I first saw it but the green/yellow markings threw me........thanks for your help with the ID.
 
ianrose82 said:
I thought Common or Migrant when I first saw it but the green/yellow markings threw me........thanks for your help with the ID.
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Common Hawker would be an amazing record for Rye Meads as they don't occur in this part of the world other than a possible rare vagrant (mainly a northern/western species in UK though can be found on some of the Surrey heaths).

Also would show a yellow costa (leading wing vein) + doesn't have the continuous coloured band on the last 2 segments of the abdomen shown here. Last feature also excludes Migrant Hawker which also lacks the large yellow blobs (ante-humeral marks) seen on the thorax here.
 
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