January 1^st 2013   An interesting observation by Jon Bowley and Summaries of the records for 2012 and the New BDS Dragonfly Atlas

Table of Latest Dates for 2012

Table of Earliest Dates for 2012

November 4^th 2012    Autumn records & Black Darter

August 29^th 2012       Small Red-eyed Damselflies and Migrant Hawkers

August 12^th 2012        Ryton Pools Country Park, Warckickshire - field meeting report

August 7^th 2012          Red-veined Darter (again!) and latest sightings

July 28^th 2012             Defence Munitions, Kineton, Warwickshire - field meeting report

July 1^st 2012               Parsonage Moor & Dry Sandford Pit, Oxfordshire  - field meeting report

June 26^th  2012           Warwickshire Scarce Chasers and latest sightings

June 12^th  2012           Red-veined Darter and latest sightings

May 13^th  2012          Update of adult sightings

April 23^th 2012           First Adults of 2012 out & Larvae Workshop report.

February 8^th 2012      The "Final" tally of 2011 records

January 1^st 2013 - An interesting observation by Jon Bowley and Summaries of the records for 2012 and the New BDS Dragonfly Atlas

The cold finished adult dragonfly recording for 2012 fairly early as the late flights table shows. It is time to review how the county recorders have done in 2012 and in the 2001 to 2012 recording period for the New BDS Dragonfly Atlas. Before presenting the review there is a very interesting observation to share.

Jon Bowley's last tranche of 2012 records have a remarkable observation for 7^th September. On his record sheet he baldly stated:

"September 8^th – Lighthorne Quarry – 250 Common Darters, 50 Common Blue Damsels, 40 Migrant Hawkers, 10 Southern Hawkers, 3 Brown Hawkers, 30 Emerald Damselflies, 30 Ruddy Darters. Lighthorne Pools (Fish Farm) – thousands of dragonflies out of all the above spp including Emerald Damsels and Ruddy Darters. Also single late Blue-tailed Damselfly and Banded Demoiselle (male)."

Taken aback by the by the sheer numbers of individuals for so many species reported at one site, Ligthorne Pools, a request for further information from Jon elicited the following:

"The records for Lighthorne Pools refer to huge numbers – definitely several thousand but possibly a lot more. The Hobbies certainly enjoyed them! There was no way of estimating individual totals but all those ... mention[ed] were involved. This seems to be a major centre for dragonfly breeding with a range of pools present in different stages of flooding, and only a few at any one time containing fish (mainly golden orfe and the like). A public footpath follows the chain of ponds if you ever want to visit."

What a wonderful experience it must have been and it shows that even in a year with poor weather remarkable sights are still to be seen.

Back to page top.

Table of Late Flying Dragonflies

Below are the latest recorded dates for each species flying in the county this year.

Table of Earliest Dates Recorded

The table shows the earliest dates adults have been observed this year in Warwickshire.

A full complement of ten gathered in the car park and were met by Debbie Lewis of the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. In her introduction to Parsonage Moor, she explained it is a limestone spring fed fen - a unique habitat in the area - that holds a rich assemblage of rare and unusual fen plants and dragonflies. As part of the management practice it is grazed by horses and Debbie warned us we could expect some interest from them!

John Oates saw and photographed a male Red-veined Darter at Marsh Lane Reserve, Hampton-in-Arden on 10th June. By coincidence, on the same day five years earlier John recorded the same species at the same site. John's very nice picture shows the specimen. Two Red-veined Darters have also been seen in Worcestershire, on 4th June, see: BDS Latest Sightings. No other sightings have been reported for the species so far this year. It appears to be a fairly limited influx. This early in the year it is always worth looking closely at any red Darter, it is quite likely to be an immigrant species. Since the last news update there have been more reports coming in and as the flight table shows the species count has now reached 17 - a reasonable tally. However, the number of records that have been sent in so far, 82, is well down on the average received by this date in the year and much less than the 370 records received by this date last year. This is no doubt due to the very poor weather which inhibits both dragonflies and dragonfly recorders from their activities! Even so, some of the reports have been very pleasing. Following no reports last year, the Club-tailed Dragonfly has been reported twice. The first was by Mandy Lively on 8th May who reported: "Bidford on Avon. Gomphus vulgatissimus Club-tailed Dragonfly spotted on my dads driveway as we turned up for his birthday :-)"! Jon Bowley saw a male Club-tail at Salford Priors on 10th June and he speculates it may have wandered from the Arrow. However, Club-tails are known to move well away from the natal river when not breeding and so it may have come from further afield. What would be really satisfying would be to find an exuvia somewhere in the county to confirm the species is still breeding here. Also Jon Bowley reports that Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly is still doing well at its only site in the county with about twenty individuals seen on June 10th. However, the population is quite vulnerable and particularly sensitive to changes in its habitat. Our other rarer breeding species, the Hairy Dragonfly, is also flying. Val and John Roberts reported a male Hairy Dragonfly on the small pool at Napton Reservoir on 30th May. Brian Shewin and a friend saw this female at the Stockton Cutting Nature Reserve on 4th June and the friend was able to photograph it. Note it is consuming its prey. This year the recorded emergence dates for most species are, not surprisingly, considerably later the last year ("the early year"). Some are a month or more later. In spite of the very inclement weather, with few warm days, recorders are making reasonable counts of some species. Counts or estimates in the hundred plus have been made for Azure Damselfly, fifty plus for Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly and, pleasingly, a count of about twenty was made for Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly. 2012 is the last year of recording for the new BDS "Distribution Atlas of Dragonflies and Damselflies in the British Isles" (my unofficial title). To try and maximise the contribution from the county to it we will need to make the best use of any days to come with reasonable weather. You never know what might turn up. Last year, for example, there were Lesser and Vagrant Emperors and we already have Red-veined Darter this year. Don't just send records of rarer dragonflies, records of all species are valuable. They contribute to data that can be used for monitoring changes in populations over the years. Estimates of numbers and indications of behavior are also very worthwhile additions to the data. For details of how data should be submitted see the recording information page.

April 23^th 2012 - First Adults of 2012 out & Larvae Workshop report.

The first adult Large Red Damselfly was seen by Jon Bowley at Salford Priors on 15^th April: "a male flying weakly in the sunshine along the sheltered edge of a plantation".

Today, 23^rd April, a female Large Red Damselfly was found emerging from Kay&Peter Reeve's pond - a female. The rain came on before it flew, lets hope it manages to make it.

The Larvae Workshop at Brandon Marsh was only attended by three people. Perhaps we need to give it a rest. However, it was enjoyed and we found a few larvae in the pools - though not many. The larvae found were Azure Damselfly, Common Blue-tailed Damselfly and a couple of Southern Hawkers, the latter in the same small dipping pond. There was a striking colour difference between Southern Hawker larvae, one dark, almost black and the other a beautiful green with very dark eyes. Neither were final instars. The reason for the colour difference became clear later in the afternoon. Peter Reeve brought along a Southern Hawker larva in an aquarium taken from his pond in the morning. It was not a final instar and it was dark in colour. When we returned to the meeting room we were surprised to see not one but two larvae in the aquarium! The larva had cast its skin and moved on one instar. It was now a beautiful green with dark eyes like the second specimen caught in the field. This must be why the two in the pond were differently coloured. We hypothesized that the green colour may be to help camouflage the larva in vegetation when soft and vulnerable and it will regain its normal brown colouration as it hardens off. Colour change at ecdysis is briefly mentioned in "Dragonflies - Behavior and Ecology of Odanata" by Philip Corbet.

Back to page top.

February 8^th 2012 - the "Final" tally of 2011 records

Quite a number of additional records for 2011 have been received since the tally was last reported on 23^rd December 2011. The total is now 1269 which compares very well with 1287 total for 2010. It is particularly good given the relatively poor showing of many species in 2011. The 2011 data has now been sent to the BDS Dragonfly Recording Network for incorporation into the national database.

Very many thanks to all who have sent in records 2011 and in previous years. Some interesting records for earlier years were received last year (not included in the 2011 tally above). Historical records are always welcome. If you have any, do send them in.

Back to page top

Please send any item for inclusion on the news page to:

Peter Reeve, Co-ordinator WDG
The  Outspan
Leamington Hastings
Near Rugby CV23 8DZ
01926-632400
Email: peteratreeve60dotorgdotuk

Banner artwork by Joan Sharrett