willow emerald Trimley Marshes (2 Viewers)

username · Aug 12, 2009

StuartReeves said:
Thanks, I had seen that thread and I've found Common Emerald pretty close to here, it's just that I wasn't sure whether Willow Emerald was actually in my fieldguide!

My Lewington guide is ten years out of date...no willow or southern emeralds in there....so i sympathize! With the way new species are 'seemingly' turning up from Europe it is now very important that i get an up-to-date European version....[to my shame i only have the british one]! My excuse for that is that i wanted to learn how 'to walk before i ran'....if you know what i mean...

ps...RoyW is a minefield of info isn't he?!....am learning all the time..i hope

pdwinter · Aug 12, 2009

Hi Username

Willow and Southern are both in the later edition of Brooks and Lewington - lighter in the pocket although probably not much lighter on the pocket!

If someone would let me know when they've got to Hampshire |=)|

Cheers, Paul

GiG · Aug 13, 2009

Malcolm Farrow said:
By a huge coincidence, I found what I think is a new colony of Willow Emerald at another site in East Suffolk today, some distance from the coast. I saw around 20+ individuals. When I got back, I googled the species and came across this thread. I've passed on the information to Adrian Parr and suggest the species is well worth searching for - it may well be resident in Suffolk now.

Well done on a good find Malcolm. After going to Staverton to see them at the weekend, I was back at work today and decided to have a look at a site on my patch at Bromeswell. On walking along the first part of the path there are normally several blue sp about but all I found was a single Migrant Hawker and Common Darter so I wasn't that hopeful. Further up at a pond there were Ruddy Darter, Azure Damselfly and an Emerald Damselfly. Scanning with my bins I eventually found a male Willow Emerald and then a female. In all there were more about including some resting on the far side on some conifers.

I managed to get a few photos digiscoping with my camera phone and then picked out a pair in tandem within the overhanging branches of a willow.

Gi

Suffolk naturalist · Aug 13, 2009

I've contacted BDS's Conservation Officer about whether I should make the site I've been visiting public. Clearly a resident, breeding population (if it is) would be a matter of conservation importance, and as part of the site is on private land, it's vital that the land owner isn't suddenly faced with lots of folk turning up. However, I suspect there could already be many more around in suitable habitat in this part of east Suffolk, so it may well be that the population will quickly expand and colonise the UK.

I saw more than 30 this morning - probably an equal number of males and females and as they're pretty unobtrusive, I suspect my guess is well short of the true figure. I didn't see any breeding behaviour, but it's hard to believe these are all recent migrants.

RoyW · Aug 13, 2009

username said:
RoyW...thanx for posting that link to pic of newly emerged sponsa....very educational! Is the rich colouration on lower/under-sides of thorax and first segments 'typical' of a newly emerged individual? I have not seen 'this' illustrated before...[it should be tho]!....as you say...a definite 'pitfall' to the unwary!

Recently emerged Common Emerald D's, both males and females, are often richly coloured like this - sometimes with an either deeper orange colouration (see attachment). They are not always this rich colour though, as the female in this link shows;
http://diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=6&thread_id=13759&pid=106918#post_106918
If it showed a spur on the side of the thorax an idividual with this sort of colouration would be the most likely to be mistaken for viridis.

username said:
ps...RoyW is a minefield of info isn't he?!....am learning all the time..i hope

Thanks - I think! Too much time spent chasing dragons when I perhaps should have been birding! Of course, as with anything you find said on the internet (or elsewhere) you should try and check it with other sources - I'm not too bad at making things up!

Malcolm -
Another great shot even better than the previous ones!

Roy.

username · Aug 13, 2009

RoyW....they are flippin distracting aren't they..?..[dragonflies that is]...wonderfully so tho....and they 'fill in the gaps' when birding is slow! My comment on you being a 'minefield' was not ambiguous in any way...by the way!

ps...i also 'make things up'!...but never when it comes to observations of wildlife...that is a punishable crime in my book!
pps....amazing the whole 'willow emerald' thing isn't it?....goodness knows how many sites will be discovered if enthusiasts cover some ground. I wonder where they will turn up next...inland away from East coast?...and how long will any expansion take? Time will tell....

Stuart Read · Aug 17, 2009

gi2012 said:
Well done on a good find Malcolm. After going to Staverton to see them at the weekend, I was back at work today and decided to have a look at a site on my patch at Bromeswell. On walking along the first part of the path there are normally several blue sp about but all I found was a single Migrant Hawker and Common Darter so I wasn't that hopeful. Further up at a pond there were Ruddy Darter, Azure Damselfly and an Emerald Damselfly. Scanning with my bins I eventually found a male Willow Emerald and then a female. In all there were more about including some resting on the far side on some conifers.

I managed to get a few photos digiscoping with my camera phone and then picked out a pair in tandem within the overhanging branches of a willow.

Gi

View attachment 212550

Well done Gi, I went along to Bromeswell yesterday & mangaed to see at least 9 mostly males, however a single female was showing extremely well along the footpath allowing some decent photos. The males were all showing in the sallows & alders overhanging the water, I managed to get some digiscoped shots.

Stuart

username · Aug 17, 2009

This species seems to be pretty much? established by all accounts....i wonder if there was some sort of influx this year or has the population just slowly grown over past few years..undiscovered till now..?

ps...i wonder too..[i do a lot of 'wondering]!....if southern emerald has perhaps established to some extent too...and areas remain undiscovered....

Adrian_P · Aug 17, 2009

username said:
This species seems to be pretty much? established by all accounts....i wonder if there was some sort of influx this year or has the population just slowly grown over past few years..undiscovered till now..?

ps...i wonder too..[i do a lot of 'wondering]!....if southern emerald has perhaps established to some extent too...and areas remain undiscovered....

Hi username,

Willow Emerald Damselfly was first seen near Trimley back in 2007. Conditions at the time were spot on for an influx from the near Continent (this was also the time when the Bluetongue virus appeared in East Anglia), and my guess is that this is when the damselflies may have started to colonise.

Southern Emerald Damselfly was seen at Winterton for several years in the early 2000's, but was never proven to be breeding. There did seem to be a short-lived colony at Sandwich Bay in Kent at around the same time, but sea-water flooding saw that off. Hopefully the species will however recolonise - it seems to prefer coastal dune slacks in our region, but can also occur inland.

There are also yet other potential colonists - e.g. Winter Damselfly, so it's worth keeping an eye open for the unexpected these days!

Cheers,

Adrian

BDS Migrant Dragonfly Project

username · Aug 17, 2009

Adrian_P said:
Hi username,

Willow Emerald Damselfly was first seen near Trimley back in 2007. Conditions at the time were spot on for an influx from the near Continent (this was also the time when the Bluetongue virus appeared in East Anglia), and my guess is that this is when the damselflies may have started to colonise.

Southern Emerald Damselfly was seen at Winterton for several years in the early 2000's, but was never proven to be breeding. There did seem to be a short-lived colony at Sandwich Bay in Kent at around the same time, but sea-water flooding saw that off. Hopefully the species will however recolonise - it seems to prefer coastal dune slacks in our region, but can also occur inland.

There are also yet other potential colonists - e.g. Winter Damselfly, so it's worth keeping an eye open for the unexpected these days!

Cheers,

Adrian

BDS Migrant Dragonfly Project

Thanx for that info Adrian..very informative. If more birders, like myself, 'turn' into dragonfly enthusiasts then who knows what other species may be discovered. Interesting you mentioned winter damsel...didn't someone find one in Wales?...was that recently? An easy to overlook creature eh?!

Bismarck Honeyeater · Aug 17, 2009

QUOTE:

Willow Emerald Damselfly was first seen near Trimley back in 2007. Conditions at the time were spot on for an influx from the near Continent (this was also the time when the Bluetongue virus appeared in East Anglia), and my guess is that this is when the damselflies may have started to colonise.

I am guessing there was an influx then and these creatures are the descendants of that event. By my count they have been found at seven sites in Suffolk, spanning about 40 square miles, near the Butley, Deben and Orwell Rivers.....there surely must be many more potential sites within that area let alone how much further they may have spread! Time will surely tell.

Southern Emerald Damselfly was seen at Winterton for several years in the early 2000's, but was never proven to be breeding. There did seem to be a short-lived colony at Sandwich Bay in Kent at around the same time, but sea-water flooding saw that off. Hopefully the species will however recolonise - it seems to prefer coastal dune slacks in our region, but can also occur inland.

Southern Emerald was seen at Winterton the week before last and at Trimley today, probably more of these to be found as well.

There are also yet other potential colonists - e.g. Winter Damselfly, so it's worth keeping an eye open for the unexpected these days!

Winter Damsel surely should occur (or get found) sooner or later but what might the surge of warm weather in the next couple of days bring?

GH :eek!:

username · Aug 17, 2009

I'd be happy if some yellow winged darters turned up 'GH'....as..being a 'relative' newcomer to chasing the dragons...i missed previous influx's.....

ps..speaking of darters...i wonder how many vagrant darters go unidentified each year?!!

GiG · Aug 17, 2009

Stuart Read said:
Well done Gi, I went along to Bromeswell yesterday & mangaed to see at least 9 mostly males, however a single female was showing extremely well along the footpath allowing some decent photos. The males were all showing in the sallows & alders overhanging the water, I managed to get some digiscoped shots.

Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Excellent photos, I've been using my camera phone through my scope which isn't easy! Was there again today and saw 5 males and one female. Twice I saw the pair in tandem and was able to watch as the male landed on a branch and the female lay eggs. At one point I was scanning with my bins and was watching one when I noticed a funny leaf, on focussing it turned out to be an Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar.

Gi

Adrian_P · Aug 18, 2009

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
QUOTE:

Southern Emerald was seen at Winterton the week before last and at Trimley today, probably more of these to be found as well.

Winter Damsel surely should occur (or get found) sooner or later but what might the surge of warm weather in the next couple of days bring?

GH :eek!:

Interesting news about the Southern Emerald at Trimley - are there any more details?

Winter Damselfly was found hibernating at a site near Neath in South Wales last December, but there's no news (as yet!) of any others having been seen this year.

As for the coming warm weather, it will be interesting to see. One tip is Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis); there have been quite a few seen in The Netherlands this year.

Adrian

username · Aug 18, 2009

I see that according to BDS website a southern emerald was 'caught' in a back garden in Felixtowe yesterday......'tip of the iceberg'...perhaps?

ps...Adrian.....your 'tip'...southern migrant hawker...are you taking bets? Will keep my eyes particularly peeled over next few weeks.....you never know....!

Bismarck Honeyeater · Aug 18, 2009

Quote
Winter Damselfly was found hibernating at a site near Neath in South Wales last December, but there's no news (as yet!) of any others having been seen this year.

Any idea on numbers for the Winter Damsels? Were they twitchable? I never got to hear about them!

As for the coming warm weather, it will be interesting to see. One tip is Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis); there have been quite a few seen in The Netherlands this year.

I am sure there was a (photographed) Southern Migrant on the South Coast last year. I would imagine they get here regularly nowadays but just need to be found.

GH

Phil Bishop · Aug 18, 2009

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
Quote
Winter Damselfly was found hibernating at a site near Neath in South Wales last December, but there's no news (as yet!) of any others having been seen this year.

Any idea on numbers for the Winter Damsels? Were they twitchable? I never got to hear about them!

GH

Nope, it was a single found in a house just before christmas, and photos forwarded to the BDS website for confirmation.
Full write up in Atropos no 39 (well worth subscribing to).

Xenospiza · Aug 18, 2009

Dainty Damselfly may return as well: it’s spreading northward and has reached the Netherlands a couple of years back.

Adrian_P · Aug 18, 2009

Xenospiza said:
Dainty Damselfly may return as well: it’s spreading northward and has reached the Netherlands a couple of years back.

It was also seen on Jersey this spring, after an absence of 60 years.

Adrian

pdwinter · Aug 18, 2009

Gilliard's Honeyeater said:
I am sure there was a (photographed) Southern Migrant on the South Coast last year. I would imagine they get here regularly nowadays but just need to be found.

There were 4 in 2006 including 2 in Hampshire - a photo of the coastal one is on the dragonflies-uk yahoo group. I didn't read of any since but Adrian Parr would know - if people have let him know!

I agree entirely that more must get here regularly (+ the commoner stuff like RVD and Lesser Emperor) but there are so few people out looking that they get missed.

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