A blog for sightings of Dragonflies and Damselflies in Oxfordshire. To submit records and photos for posting, just email stephen_burchemail at yahoo.co.uk. Photos with resolutions up to 1280 pixels may be provided. These will be displayed at a resolution of 640 pixels horizontally but viewers can then click to see them at full resolution
Lesser Emperor
Morning 09:30 to 12:30: one male showing distantly and occasionally. One probable tandem seen once.
Afternoon 14:00-15:30: showing extremely well. Needs sunshine and warmth! (per Jeremy Dexter)
Also:
Brown Hawker
Emperor
Black-tailed Skimmer, several
Common Darter
Ian Lewington, Peter Law, Steve Burch
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 20-50+: including mating and tandem pairs, and presumably both a teneral individual and an emerging individual. Many exuviae seen, assumed from this species.
Emperor Dragonfly 1 ovipositing female, 1 other seen
Azure Blue Damselfly 1 ovipositing female with male attached, a tandem pair and at least 1 lone male
Possible Brown Hawker x1 sighted flying over the Merton Beds at the Botanic Garden
Jake Dudderidge
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| Emperor ovipositing © Jake Dudderidge |
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| Azure Damselflies © Jake Dudderidge |
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| Small Red-eyed Damselfly emerging © Jake Dudderidge |
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| Small Red-eyed Damselflies © Jake Dudderidge |
Red-eyed Damselflies (at least 10, m and f)
Four-spotted Chasers (at least 6, m and f)
Black-tailed Skimmers (2 x m, 2 x f)
Emperor Dragonflies (m and f)
Paul Wyeth
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| Black-tailed Skimmer © Paul Wyeth |
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| Four-spotted Chasers © Paul Wyeth |
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| Emperor © Paul Wyeth |
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| Four-spotted Chaser © Paul Wyeth |
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| Red-eyed Damselflies © Paul Wyeth |
Sunday 21-7-24 - Lyford (River Ock bridge)
10 Beautiful Demoiselle M/F
12 Banded Demoiselle M/F
Tuesday 23-7-24 – West Hanney garden
1 Migrant Hawker
Tim & Ali Baker
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| Banded Demoiselle (m) © Tim & Ali Baker |
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| Banded Demoiselle (f) © Tim & Ali Baker |
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| Banded Demoiselle (f) © Tim & Ali Baker |
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| Migrant Hawker © Tim & Ali Baker |
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| Migrant Hawker © Tim & Ali Baker |
Quick visit after work.
Common Darter (10+)
Emperor (1)
Common Emerald Damselfly (7 males)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (4 males)
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| Male Common Emerald Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Male Blue-tailed Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
Lesser Emperor: reported from southern/eastern shores of Thrupp Lake but only seen occasionally from the "viewpoint" on the east side.
Peter Law, Wayne Bull et al
Wayne Bull also reports:
1 Banded Demoiselle
6 Emerald Damselflies (3 males 3 females Orchard Lake)
1 Willow Emerald Damselfly (Female Orchard Lake)
1 White Legged Damselfly (Female)
Common Blue Damselflies
Azure Damselflies
10+ Blue Tailed Damselflies
15+ Red Eyed Damselflies
1 LESSER EMPEROR (Male Thrupp Lake)
4 Emperor Dragonflies
5 Brown Hawker
10+ Black Tailed Skimmers
8 Common Darter
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| Emerald Damselfly (f) © Wayne Bull |
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| Willow Emerald Damselfly (f) © Wayne Bull |
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| White-legged Damselfly (f) © Wayne Bull |
Lesser Emperor - at least two tandem pairs reported from the hide
David Hammant per Facebook
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| Tandem pair of Lesser Emperors! © David Hammant |
Common Blue Damselfly (plentiful)
Azure Damselfly (common)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (fairly common)
Red-eyed Damselfly (fairly common)
Small Red-eyed Damselfly (1 male Orchard Lake)
Common Emerald Damselfly (4 males Orchard lake)
Willow Emerald Damselfly (3 males Orchard lake)
Ruddy Darter (10+)
Common Darter (1)
Emperor (fairly common)
Lesser Emperor (2 males + tandem pair late afternoon east side of Thrupp Lake)
Brown Hawker (a few)
Black-tailed Skimmer (common)
Four-spotted Chaser (2)
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| Male Lesser Emperor ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Male Willow Emerald Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Male Small Red eyed Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
Beautiful Demoiselle (1 male)
Common Blue Damselfly (few)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (several)
Common Emerald Damselfly (10 males)
Ruddy Darter (2)
Brown Hawker (few)
Emperor (several)
Southern Migrant Hawker (2 males car park)
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| Male Southern Migrant Hawker ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Male Emerald Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Female Black-tailed Skimmer ©️ JP Brouard |
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| Male Southern Hawker ©️ JP Brouard |
A female Emperor Dragonfly and a Brown Hawker were in my garden this afternoon.
David Hastings
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| Emperor Dragonfly © David Hastings |
2 Azure Damselflies,
1 Emerald Damselfly,
3 Emperors,
2 White-legged Damselflies,
4 Common Darters,
1 Ruddy Darter
James Wainscoat
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| Emerald Damselfly © James Wainscoat |
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| Emperor ovipositing & Azure Damselfly © James Wainscoat |
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| White-legged Damselfly © James Wainscoat |
4 Brown Hawker,
2 Black tailed Skimmer
6 Emperors
4 Azure damselflies
James Wainscoat
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| Brown Hawker & Black-tailed Skimmer © James Wainscoat |
Lesser Emperor - still on east side of Thrupp Lake. intermittently at 4 pm
Note: report of a tandem pair seen by others at 5 pm
Ian Lewington
Records from a garden pond SP423383:
Emperor Dragonfly ovipositing 18th July
Blue-tailed Damselfly 18th July
Common Darter (m) 19th July
Paul Wyeth
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| Emperor © Paul Wyeth |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly (ovipositing) © Paul Wyeth |
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| Common Darter © Paul Wyeth |
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| Common Darter in flight © Paul Wyeth |
1-2 mature male Southern Migrant Hawker
Emerald Damselfly
Brown Hawker
Emperor
Stephen Burch
Phil Cruse also reports the following from the main pond and the rides:
Brown Hawker Dragonflies, 12+
Emperor Dragonflies 4m, at least 6f (mostly ovipositing)
Ruddy & Common Darter
Blue-tailed Damsels
Blue Damsels, many
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| Emperor ovipositing © Phil Cruse |
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| Emperor (m) with deformed abdomen © Phil Cruse |
Lesser Emperor: 2, possibly 3 males. Again visible from the layby along the east side of Thrupp Lake and from the southern Shore.
Showing from 09:30 to mid afternoon, at least.
Also
Red-eyed Damselfly
Blue damsels
Emperor
Common Darter
Wayne Bull, John Edwards, Steve Burch et al.
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| Lesser Emperor © Stephen Burch |
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| Lesser Emperor © Stephen Burch |
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| Lesser Emperor © Stephen Burch |
1m Lesser Emperor: again on the E side of Thrupp Lake, viewed from the layby with the metal handrails (SU5213097531). Seen from about 11:15 - 12:15 and not thereafter
Also on Thrupp Lake:
Blue Damsels
Red-eyed Damselfly
Emperor (3+f ovipositing)
1 Brown Hawker
2 Four-spotted Chaser
Black-tailed Skimmer
Orchard Lake:
Azure Damselfly
Brown Hawker
Emperor
Black-tailed Skimmer
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| Lesser Emperor © Stephen Burch |
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| Lesser Emperor © Stephen Burch |
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| Emperor (f) © Stephen Burch |
4 Emerald Damselflies (Males)
2 Willow Emerald Damselflies ( Males Orchard Lake)
Common Blue Damselflies
Azure Damselflies
12 Blue Tailed Damselflies
10+ Red Eyed Damselflies
6+ Emperor Dragonflies
1 Lesser Emperor (Male at southern and east end of Thrupp Lake)
10+ Brown Hawker
2 Four Spotted Chaser
15+ Black Tailed Skimmer
3 Common Darter
8+ Ruddy Darter
Wayne Bull
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| Lesser Emperor (m) © Wayne Bull |
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| Emerald Damselfly (m) © Wayne Bull |
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| Willow Emerald Damselfly (m) © Wayne Bull |
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| Southern Migrant Hawker (m) © Brian Walker |
Azure Damselfly 5
Blue-tailed damselfly 1
Emperor Dragonfly 3
Common/Ruddy Darter 4
Black-tailed Skimmer 3
James Wainscoat
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| Black-tailed Skimmer © James Wainscoat |
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| Common Darter © James Wainscoat |
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| Emperor © James Wainscoat |
