Norfolk Dragon/Damselflies reports/news (3 Viewers)

[Bittern2010]

Willow Emeralds - Cow Tower Pond

Thanks for confirming the sighting James. It is always good to have a knowledgeable second pair of eyes out there. And thanks for the nice comment Jim.

I also returned myself today (with binoculars). The conditions were quite windy but I did manage to see a pair of Willow Emeralds mating in tandem on the adjacent hawthorn bush (surprisingly). I didn't see the female ovipositing into the wood though. So let's hope they establish themselves in the area.

Also at/around the pond were Common Darter, Brown Hawker and Migrant Hawker. I had also seen a few Banded Demoiselles on the river yesterday.

The 2 terrapins/sliders were also at the pond today. Suprisingly difficult to spot in open water although they showed themselves better near the lily pads. They had stripy legs, stripy heads and necks, It was very difficult to make out the red patch (ears), the colouring appeared to be more of a rusty brown than red which may mean they are mature animals??? Would be grateful for anyone else's view.

Cheers

Steve

 

[JCL]

City Emeralds nice work fellas!

Cracking find. Inspired by the habo, last week, I was looking along the same stretch of river (but on the other side), near my new office. Should have crossed over and checked out the pond...

Here's one from the established site at Cringleford this week.

James

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Damsels and Mutant Ninjas!

Some very photogenic Willow Emeralds at Strumpshaw yesterday (Friday)

On the subject of terrapins: I was down in Devon during the summer and they are causing real problems at Bystock Pools by eating dragon/damselfly nymphs

Incidentally: my annual request for data! Does anyone know any other sites for Common Hawker in Norfolk / Suffolk? I've trudged out to the Kidney Pool at Winterton nearly twenty times in the past couple of years, with no definite sightings! I saw a few in Devon this Summer, but I'm keen to add the species to my Norfolk Odonata list! It's becoming a bit of a bête noire!

 

[Tideliner]

Common Hawkers very scarce in their N Norfolk Site this year. Only one picked up on the survey transacts. Never a common dragonfly , but usually 8-12 recorded most years. The site is not open to the plubic.

 

[ChrisBish]

I'm yet to see Common Hawker in Norfolk and have similar bad luck at Winterton. Earlier in the week I saw a fair few Hawkers there but only 2 perched, both of which were Southern. I watched the Red-backed Shrike scoff a large hawker but was unable to i.d. it, though I haven't properly examined the photos yet. Upton Fen is listed as the only other place where they are "frequent" on the the Norfolk Dragonflies website but I've never been there to look for them.

On a much more cheerful note, a Willow Emerald was a very nice surprise on vegetation overhanging the stream/ditch at the bottom of my garden early afternoon but had disappeared by the time I returned with my camera (though I'm most thankful that I took my binoculars out with me the first time!). Not a species I'd anticipated in my garden but perhaps not a total surprise given their ever increasing range expansion and the river Wensum being within quarter of a mile. That brings the total to 17 species of dragons and damsels, though further additions must be unlikely (though Small Red-eye must be a possibility).

 

[James Emerson]

The latest Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists Society arrived yesterday. It features the 2012 Dragonfly summary, which states that other than Winterton there was just one record from Burgh Common. The 2011 reports were from Winterton and one from Upton Fen.

Incidentally: my annual request for data! Does anyone know any other sites for Common Hawker in Norfolk / Suffolk? I've trudged out to the Kidney Pool at Winterton nearly twenty times in the past couple of years, with no definite sightings! I saw a few in Devon this Summer, but I'm keen to add the species to my Norfolk Odonata list! It's becoming a bit of a bête noire!

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Cheers Chris & James....
The Norfolk Dragonfly website is a tad confusing: it shows Commons being 'frequent' at Upton & Winterton!
Oh well: since I know three people who've definitely seen the species at Winterton, I'll persevere: long trudge, though!

 

[HarassedDad]

Ahh, there's a reason for that (assuming you're talking about norfolkdragons.co.uk). I no longer have the password for the site or the domain, and haven't for many years. It's essentially a little bit of old internet frozen in amber.

 

[StewB]

There appeared to be a couple of Emerald Damselfly species at Cow Tower Pond today with very pale and prominent pterostigma today. They looked very much like Willow Emeralds (1 male and 1 female) to the naked eye but I wasn't able to get close enough to confirm the identification.

Thanks for posting this Steve. I took the opportunity to visit the site around lunchtime today and saw at least six willow emeralds. These were by far the most showy willow emeralds I've seen, and six is a conservative estimate.

Sadly, one of the terrapins was also on view. Despite the apparent lack of red ears, I think it's a red-eared terrapin. As someone else has said, it's not good news for dragonfly larvae..

 

[Bittern2010]

Thanks for posting this Steve. I took the opportunity to visit the site around lunchtime today and saw at least six willow emeralds. These were by far the most showy willow emeralds I've seen, and six is a conservative estimate.

Sadly, one of the terrapins was also on view. Despite the apparent lack of red ears, I think it's a red-eared terrapin. As someone else has said, it's not good news for dragonfly larvae..

Great photos and thanks for your views on the identity of the terrapins.

It is interesting to note that there are no willows or alders in the immediate vicinity of the pond for egg laying, although there are overhanging willows further along the river (which isn't typical habitat with the river being tidal and navigable in that area).

 

[sopete]

David, We met at Thompson Common back in June.
I photographed an immature Common Hawker on a pollarded alder just before the tower at Upton Fen on 27th of july last year.

 

[ben_lewis]

Nice one pete, they do exist there after all! Good photo too!

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Fantastic, Pete! I'll persevere at Upton then! I finally connected with one at Winterton, but couldn't get a photo: it was about a mile from the 'Kidney Pool'!

 

[JCL]

Glorious conditions today and thus 21 Willow Emerald Damsels (inc 6 cop pairs) along the R Yare at Cringleford. Also a grass snake sinewing through the water.

 

[HarassedDad]

So yesterday dinnertime I was sneaking a quick ciggy in front of the pond that's beside the terrace cafe in st andrew's business park when I saw what was unmistakably an emerald damselfly. Given the lateness of the season, I looked at the last segment and it did look pale. I nipped back to the car for binoculars but by the time I got back it had vanished. If it was a willow emerald (and eyeballing at 10ft makes that a big if) it suggests it was dispersing from nwt's thorpe reserve or the river by whitlingham marshes.

 

[James Emerson]

I know Willow Emerald has been seen at Thorpe Marsh this week - have they also been seen at Whitlingham Marsh or was that just a nearby possible location?

So yesterday dinnertime I was sneaking a quick ciggy in front of the pond that's beside the terrace cafe in st andrew's business park when I saw what was unmistakably an emerald damselfly. Given the lateness of the season, I looked at the last segment and it did look pale. I nipped back to the car for binoculars but by the time I got back it had vanished. If it was a willow emerald (and eyeballing at 10ft makes that a big if) it suggests it was dispersing from nwt's thorpe reserve or the river by whitlingham marshes.

 

[HarassedDad]

I was speculating that they were good spots to look for the source population, rather than knowing they were there.

 

[StewB]

So yesterday dinnertime I was sneaking a quick ciggy in front of the pond that's beside the terrace cafe in st andrew's business park when I saw what was unmistakably an emerald damselfly. Given the lateness of the season, I looked at the last segment and it did look pale. I nipped back to the car for binoculars but by the time I got back it had vanished. If it was a willow emerald (and eyeballing at 10ft makes that a big if) it suggests it was dispersing from nwt's thorpe reserve or the river by whitlingham marshes.

I had lunch at the Terrace with my daughter on Friday (19th) sitting at a table by the pond. An emerald damsel came into the vegetation right by us. Even without optics, it was easy to see it had a blue abdomen tip. It didn't seem particularly robust, so no reason to suspect that it was anything other than lestes sponsa. It was the only emerald damsel fly there at the time.

Stew

 

[HarassedDad]

Ah, false alarm then. Thanks Stew.

 

[StewB]

Ah, false alarm then. Thanks Stew.

Not necessarily - The blue abdomen tip was pretty obvious on this one, so if your insect's wasn't we're talking different individuals (and there's lots of vegetation for hiding in). I reckon that either the Terrace pond or the lake by the Waterside cafe is going to turn up something good sooner or later (I lived in hope of a lesser emperor during the summer!). Stew