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

UK dragonflies and damselflies, 2015 (1 Viewer)

neil78 said:
Don't know much about that site, though there are other places where those species occur. The nearest one that I know that has all three is near Great Wakering in the SE of the county if that's any good to you.

There's also a good site for Scarce Emerald over that way if you're over that way and interested.

In other news, no sign of Essex's second Southern Emerald this morning at Gunners Park, Shoeburyness. It had been frequenting an area of gorse covered in spiders webs, so hoping it hasn't ended up in the belly of a Wasp Spider..:eek!:

Over at Wat Tyler 2 or 3 male Southern Migrant Hawkers were still over the pond just NW of the car park at the south end, and showing very well.
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If you can PM me details that would be great, we will be looking for those species after the Southern Migrant Hawkers
 
I made my second visit in a week to Wat Tyler Country Park in Essex today in lovely warm sunshine and manged to see 2, probably 3 male Southern Migrant Hawkers in the small pool with the concrete ramp. Thankfully they stayed around for a while allowing me to get some pleasing images of them in flight and perched. A couple are attached but more can be seen on my Blog @ www.marcheath.blogspot.com
 

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At least 3 Southern Migrant Hawkers seen at Wat Tyler yesterday, 2 males and a female (photo attached). Also 4 Scarce Emeralds in Shoebury, 3 males and a female.

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A fair few odos at the Stanwell Barred Warbler yesterday. Emperor, Brown Hawker and Banded Demoiselle - getting late for all of those I would have thought - as well as the more expected Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker and Common Darter.
 
Hawker ID North East

I'm pretty sure this is either a common or migrant hawker, but I'm hopeless with these things in flight. Could anyone confirm the ID and explain why? Many thanks.

Malcolm
 

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MalR said:
I'm pretty sure this is either a common or migrant hawker, but I'm hopeless with these things in flight. Could anyone confirm the ID and explain why? Many thanks.

Malcolm
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I'd say Migrant, based on relatively broad stripes on the side of the thorax and almost non-existent ones on the front.

Meanwhile, for the benefit of those who don't follow the BDS Twitter feed, there were apparently freshly-emerged Red-veined Darters at Felbrigg, Norfolk yesterday. If you want to see RVDs, you'll need to be quick as they fly south pretty soon after emerging.
 
Many thanks. After 33 views of the photo and no replies, I was beginning to think it mustn't have been possible to give a definite ID. Your help is much appreciated.

Malcolm
 
Sandy73 said:
Is it too soon to put RVD down as colonist's?

Also any news on the Dainty Damsel?

Regards
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R-vD have interesting breeding strategies. At a very limited number of sites, they do seem to maintain a colony for a few years, but these then tend to slowly fizzle out. At most sites, immigrants arrive in spring and produce another generation that autumn, which then disperses (?migrates back south). For a strong migrant, "stable breeding sites" is probably not a useful idea.

As for the Dainty Damselflies, these are still around in N Kent - but it's been a few years now since they were on readily-accessible land.
 
Adrian_P said:
R-vD have interesting breeding strategies. At a very limited number of sites, they do seem to maintain a colony for a few years, but these then tend to slowly fizzle out. At most sites, immigrants arrive in spring and produce another generation that autumn, which then disperses (?migrates back south). For a strong migrant, "stable breeding sites" is probably not a useful idea.

As for the Dainty Damselflies, these are still around in N Kent - but it's been a few years now since they were on readily-accessible land.
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Thank you for the reply.

I will be interesting to see how the distribution develops.

Good news that the Dainty Damselflies are still around. Does this species have any protection? There has been a lot of construction on South Western part of Sheppey. Most of the eastern side is either under conservation control or farmland. The Norfolk Hawker has protection.

Regards
 
Don't think Dainty has any legal protection under the WCA but maybe wrong, just southern damsel and brown hawker from memory. Good to hear that the species is still there though speaking as someone who missed them a few years back having small kids and left the SE!!

It seems to have been a quiet year, at least in terms of news. Southern emeralds are I assume still there though not readily accessible but good to hear of the Wat Tyler SMHs, maybe next year I might even make it over East and sees them... Willow emerald seem to be doing ok but I don't get the impression they have spread much yet.

Please correct me if wrong!
Paul
 
Swindon Addick said:
Meanwhile, for the benefit of those who don't follow the BDS Twitter feed, there were apparently freshly-emerged Red-veined Darters at Felbrigg, Norfolk yesterday. If you want to see RVDs, you'll need to be quick as they fly south pretty soon after emerging.
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A few pics of them from Thursday & Friday. There was probably as many as 10 in a fairly small area, with both males and females noted.

There was 30+ at the site in late June with numerous pairs ovipositing so maybe more to emerge in the coming days if the weather improves.

Simon
 

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Tractorboy69 said:
A few pics of them from Thursday & Friday. There was probably as many as 10 in a fairly small area, with both males and females noted.

There was 30+ at the site in late June with numerous pairs ovipositing so maybe more to emerge in the coming days if the weather improves.

Simon
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At least three (including one freshly emerged) on Sunday.

Red-veins, blue eyes: darters and moths and no sprites at all. New blogpost: http://www.jameslowen.com/blog-29-sep-15-red-veins--blue-eyes.html
 

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A couple of Willow Emeralds today by the goldfish pond in Kensington Gardens in Lowestoft. The only migrants I've seen there all week!
 

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Found this Southern Hawker at Edern on the Lleyn Peninsula at the week-end, I was surprised to see one at this time of the year but it was in a sunny spot.
 

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