Hello Steve,
It'n nice to know someone sympathises. I trust you removed the shieldbug to a safer place. I'd feel rather sorry, if it ended up on the local refuse tip.
I know how you feel about your report being value for money, I try and do the same. One thing to avoid is 'waffle', it's far better to stick to the facts.
I always have a map of the site(s) examined, alongside the site information. I always try and obtain photo's of the pond, lake, stream etc which can be better than a written description, these can be placed in an appendix. Photo's of the species recorded can also add to your report, not everyone who reads it will know all about dragonflies or what they look like.
I always include pond or lake area, altitude, weather conditions on the day(s) each site was visited or examined. Even air temperature, if you have recorded it. A detailed description of the aquatic, emergent and bankside vegetation for each site adds more 'facts' and these are important, it shows you are doing the work on site.
Establish a standard method for reporting on each site and keep everything in the same order for all the other site reports.
A page or two on possible/suggested conservation measures on any site you think may be in need of it, is always helpful to the WLTrusts.
Always have a species summary and a note about the known modern and historical distribution of the Dragonflies seen (check with your local BDFS County recorder).
Don't forget to have a 'references' section and an acknowledgements page at the end.
Try and create a personal 'style' and stick to it in subsequent reports, changing styles can be confusing to the readers. People like continuity, so don't make waves. lol.
Always Email a copy to a friend to check it for errors, the human brain is a funny thing, reading over a report you have written yourself and trying to spot errors is difficult, as you tend to read what you
think you wrote, and that may differ somewhat from what you
actually wrote. (if that makes sense). It pays to print out a rough working copy on 'El Cheapo' paper and go over it with a highlighter pen, it is easier to spot errors in print form, than on a computer screen.
Good gramma and spellin is helpful. lol. Italicise all Latin names. Vary font sizes in a standard way and don't be afraid to use Bold text.
I hope this is helpful, if not, bin it.
Harry
