UK dragonfly & damselfly sightings 2020 (1 Viewer)

[Swindon Addick]

This is likely to be a difficult year for dragonfly recording, but hopefully those of us who have access to ponds can keep some information flowing. Please feel free to contribute your own sightings, or news that you've seen elsewhere, and we can at least track the emergence of the different species even if we can't travel to go and see them ourselves.

First off, we have our first Large Red damsel of the year, on 25 March. No exact location is given, but the recorder works at Fishlake Meadows in Hampshire and has been tweeting urging people to stay away due to narrow paths so we can probably guess.

 

[Farnboro John]

This is likely to be a difficult year for dragonfly recording, but hopefully those of us who have access to ponds can keep some information flowing. Please feel free to contribute your own sightings, or news that you've seen elsewhere, and we can at least track the emergence of the different species even if we can't travel to go and see them ourselves.

First off, we have our first Large Red damsel of the year, on 25 March. No exact location is given, but the recorder works at Fishlake Meadows in Hampshire and has been tweeting urging people to stay away due to narrow paths so we can probably guess.

You're saying he was desperate to ensure he got the first Odonate of the year? 3

John

 

[PYRTLE]

You're saying he was desperate to ensure he got the first Odonate of the year? 3
John

She John, if we're still allowed to say so.

 

[Farnboro John]

She John, if we're still allowed to say so.

Oops... "they were desperate to ensure they", then :t:

John

 

[Fieldfare600]

My first Broad-bodied Chaser of the year earlier today, at Portals Lagoons, Overton, Hampshire with a teneral Large Red Damselfly there on 5th.

 

[dantheman]

Oops... "they were desperate to ensure they", then

Should have known because it was a damsel?

 

[Farnboro John]

Should have known because it was a damsel?

:-O

John

 

[aeshna5]

None personally for me yet but I've received photos/report of good numbers of Large Reds from a garden pond in London over the last couple of days.

 

[Swindon Addick]

My first Broad-bodied Chaser of the year earlier today, at Portals Lagoons, Overton, Hampshire

There are no reports of Broad-bodied Chaser on the BDS website yet, just the one unverified one on iRecord and I haven't seen any so far on social media, so well worth putting in a record of that sighting. (Not that it's ever not worth putting in records, of course, but you know what I mean.)

Edit: Exploring iRecord in more detail, it wasn't an unverified report of BBC, it was a reliable record of a larva. So it looks like this may actually be the first BBC of the year.

 

[pdwinter]

There's a 11.04 record with pic of a teneral male Beautiful Demoiselle on iRecord

 

[Fieldfare600]

Further 1st's for the year earlier today, a single Blue-tailed Damselfly and two Common Blue Damselfly, all males and all at Portals Lagoons, Overton.

 

[Swindon Addick]

Another new species out yesterday - Marc Heath photographed a Hairy Dragonfly in the act of emerging early morning on the 15th. He's in north Kent. (Also I see from the BDS website that an exuvia was found at Stover CP in Devon on the 12th, by Jon Avon.)

 

[dantheman]

On the basis that it was large-ish (for a damselfly), red and a damselfly, with a darker section near the end of the abdomen I'm guessing I saw a Large Red Damselfly in someone's garden on a hedge today ...

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Had 3 Large Red Damselflies in my West Suffolk Garden this afternoon, my first here, though the first Spring I’ve actually had a chance to look for them. Represents my 14th species seen at home. Hopefully a few more realistic potentials to come later in the year.

 

[Swindon Addick]

On the basis that it was large-ish (for a damselfly), red and a damselfly, with a darker section near the end of the abdomen I'm guessing I saw a Large Red Damselfly in someone's garden on a hedge today ...

In the UK a red damselfly in a garden is safely identifiable as Large Red. Small Red is a creature of boggy heaths, one in a garden would be a truly remarkable record.

 

[pdwinter]

3 Four-spotted Chasers seen 19.04.20 at Town Common Christchurch

 

[pdwinter]

In the UK a red damselfly in a garden is safely identifiable as Large Red. Small Red is a creature of boggy heaths, one in a garden would be a truly remarkable record.

The earliest date for VC11 for Small Red is 21st May - in 2005 - which was an 'early' year.

Small Reds do wander and there are some garden records from South Hampshire although never too far from the New Forest.

 

[aeshna5]

After a frustrating experience last week when a teneral damselfly drifted in front of me & went higher & higher. 99% chance it was Large Red but one that got away on its probable maiden flight.

Today in my local country park (Northolt, Middx) I went down a sheltered path out of the blustery wind with brambles + small trees. A large insect flew & as it landed on a bramble I could see it was an immature Broad-bodied Chaser. Easily my earliest ever!!

 

[aeshna5]

Normally I'm lucky to get even a Large Red before the end of April but the combination of glorious summery weather & not being at work managed 4 species today on my local walk this afternoon- 6 Large Reds (all mature), a female Azure Damselfly, a teneral Broad-bodied Chaser + to my amazement a mature male Hairy Dragonfly patrolling back & forth on one of the ponds on the golf course.

Never seen one locally before though I haven't been here (apart from a couple of days ago) for several years since it opened up as a golf club. Certainly a highlight as well as seeing 10 Red Kites with 3 Buzzards in the air together. Most Red Kites I've seen in the London area at one time, though have seen 5 a few times.

 

[pdwinter]

I ssee on the BDS latest sighings (and iRecord) that Banded Demoiselles (from 22nd onwards) have been seen and today (25.04) I had two teneral female Downy Emeralds in Nursling which equals my earilest date