Friday 28 August 2020

Lake north of the Drayton to Sutton Courtenay Road - 26 August

SU489943

1 Lesser Emperor Dragonfly

12 Common Blue Damselfly
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
1 Common Darter
2 Ruddy Darter

Brian Walker

Female Lesser Emperor eating a wasp (c) Brian Walker

Common Blue Damselfly without an abdomen but alive and moving (c) Brian Walker

Wednesday 26 August 2020

Otmoor - 26 August

 Roman Road and Pill area:

Emerald Damselfly (1 Roman Rd, 2+ Pill)
Migrant Hawker
Brown Hawker
Ruddy Darter

No sign of Willow Emerald or SMH.

Stephen Burch

Click here for a larger image

Emerald Damselfly [focus stacked] (c) Stephen Burch

Tuesday 25 August 2020

Otmoor - 24th August

 Along the Roman Road 16:00 - 17:30:

1 common Emerald Damselfly (male)
2 Migrant Hawker
1 Ruddy Darter
Several Common Darter

But I was shown where to look for the Willow Emerald next time

Monday 24 August 2020

Otmoor - 22 August

Some photos from Otmoor on Saturday, all courtesy of Stephen Kill. Note the female Common Emerald Damselfly was on the Roman Road at the same location at the Willow Emerald but lower down near the ground - a potential source of confusion for the unwary! 

Female Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Stephen Kill

Female Emerald Damselfly (c) Stephen Kill

Mating pair of Small Red-eyed Damselflies (c) Stephen Kill

Male Migrant Hawker (c) Stephen Kill

Sunday 23 August 2020

Radley Lakes, 22nd August

 Looked for Willow Emeralds around Orchard Lake, but no sign of any.

Common Blue Damselfly 10+
Red-eyed Damselfly 8+
Southern Hawker 4
Migrant Hawker 1
Ruddy Darter 11
Common Darter 10

Migrant Hawker © David Hastings

Southern Hawker © David Hastings


Trap Grounds - 23 August

 2 Migrant Hawkers
1 Southern Hawker
1 Brown Hawker 
2 Common Darters

Nicola Devine

Common Darter (c) Nicola Devine


Saturday 22 August 2020

Otmoor - 22 August

 1f Willow Emerald Damselfly - Roman Road, c. 15:00 SP5714012898

Note Peter Philp's record on the 18th was of a male, so there must be at least two around! 

Click here for a larger image

Willow Emerald [focus stacked] (c) Stephen Burch

Click here for a larger image

Willow Emerald (c) Stephen Burch [first Oxon DSLR photo of this species!]

Pill area:

2m, 1f Migrant Hawker 
1m Southern Hawker
5+ Emerald Damselfly
Ruddy Darters
No SMH!! 

Stephen Burch

Thursday 20 August 2020

Otmoor - 20 August

1m Southern Migrant Hawker

Pill area.  Regularly patrolling a ditch and settling frequently.

Mick Higgs


Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Mick Higgs


Wednesday 19 August 2020

Otmoor - 18th August

1m Willow Emerald Damselfly

Good description provided by an observer experienced with this species, but no photo available.

About 17:30, along the Roman Road.  SP57121284

Peter Philp per email & iRecord.

Radley Lakes, 18th August

At Orchard Lake and environs this morning:

Red-eyed Damselfly 30+
Blue-tailed Damselfly 5
Common Blue Damselfly 10+
Common Spreadwing 1 (female)
Southern Hawker 1
Migrant Hawker 2
Brown Hawker 2
Ruddy Darter 3
Common Darter 7

Red-eyed Damselfly © David Hastings

Common Spreadwing © David Hastings


Wednesday 12 August 2020

Iron Bridge, East Hanney - 11 August

SU 414929

1 Brown Hawker 
2 Common Darter
30 Banded Demoiselle 

within the next 50 metres downstream.

Mark Bradfield

Tuesday 11 August 2020

Radley Lakes - 11 August

 1 WILLOW EMERALD DAMSELFLY - Orchard Lake - see map below

Second Oxon record after one at Wytham Woods in 2019.

Ian Lewington

Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Ian Lewington [first Oxon photo of this species]

Orchard Lake - showing Willow Emerald location


Otmoor - 11 August

 Possible Willow Emerald - in hedge about 3/4 way along path to first screen from bridleway. Appeared to be an Emerald species hanging from edge of hedge but flew moments before a photo could be taken! Surely the wrong habitat for Common Emerald Damselfly. Late morning. 

per Mick Higgs

Elsewhere:

Migrant Hawker - several 
Brown Hawker - many 
Ruddy/Common Darters 
Blue-tailed Damselfly

No sign of SMH along Roman Road!

Stephen Burch


Monday 10 August 2020

Otmoor - Roman Road - 10 August

1 male Southern Migrant Hawker for 5 mins at 09:15

 Jessica Turner


Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Jessica Turner
 

Otmoor - 8 August

Click here for a larger image 

Ruddy Darter [focus-stacked] (c) Stephen Burch

Farmoor - 10th August

Migrant Hawker 3
Brown Hawker 8 
Black-tailed Skimmer 1 
Emperor 1 
Ruddy Darter 1 
Red-eyed Damselfly 1 
Common Blue Damselfly 1

Brian Walker

Migrant Hawker (c) Brian Walker

Sunday 9 August 2020

Letcombe Valley BBOWT reserve - 9 August

2 Emperor
2 Southern Hawker
1 Common Darter

Mark Bradfield

Emergent Southern Hawker (c) Mark Bradfield - taken in a Wantage garden pm


Otmoor: Oddington to Noke track Sunday 9th August

Female Southern Migrant Hawker still present at 1pm hawking a relatively narrow area at SP5514013792 before settling rather high up in the Hawthorn hedge.

Also,
Lots of Brown Hawkers,
Southern Hawkers
Migrant Hawkers
"red" Darters.
Lots of Small Red-eyed Damselflies on the pond just south of the weir still.

Adam Hartley

Female Southern Migrant Hawker © Adam Hartley

Female Southern Hawker © Adam Hartley


Small Red-eyed Damselfly © Adam Hartley


Small Red-eyed Damselflies

A few records from Ian Lewington confirming the dramatic surge in new sites for this species this year in the County.  

1+ at Recreation ground pool, Sutton Courtenay on 17th July SU505934

3+ at Hill Farm, Appleford on 24th July and 2nd August SU523929

6+ at Bridge Farm, Appleford on 29th July SU524942.

Important note: The Appleford sites are private.


Saturday 8 August 2020

Otmoor - between Oddington & Noke - 8 August pm

 1f Southern Migrant Hawker SP55111370, 2pm

Also Brown, Southern and Migrant Hawkers

Small Red eyed Damselflies 

Blue-tailed Damselflies

many Ruddy Darters

Toby Holmes

Female Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Toby Holmes

Radley Lakes - 7 August

1 possible male Lesser Emperor - along the isthmus between Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes

 Wayne Bull per Oxon Birding Forum & Facebook

Also from Wayne's Blog:

Emerald Damselfly 1
Common Blue Damsel 100's
Blue Tailed Damsel 5
Red-Eyed Damsel 10+
Small Red-Eyed Damsel 5+ - Orchard Lake
Southern Hawker 1
Migrant Hawker 4
(Lesser Emperor possible)
Brown hawker 5
Black Tailed Skimmer 3
Common Darter 30+
Ruddy Darter 4

Friday 7 August 2020

Otmoor - between Oddington & Noke, 7th August

10:00 - 14:00 (approx)

 1-2 Southern Migrant Hawker: SP5519913949. c. 13:00. Probables only (again) - hunting in the shade of the first 2 oak trees south from the double gates in the heat. Only settled in view once, but flew while I was moving closer for a photo!

Brown Hawker - numerous

Ruddy & Common Darters

Pool to E of track, just S of weir:

10+ Small-red Eyed Damselfly 

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Stephen Burch


Sunday 2 August 2020

Otmoor - between Oddington & Noke, 2nd August

Two mature male Southern Migrant Hawkers this morning. One at about SP5517913946 and the second at about SP5516213388.

Also seen:

Banded Demoiselle 1
Common Blue Damselfly 2
Blue-tailed Damselfly 3
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 8
Brown Hawker 7
Southern Hawker 2
Migrant Hawker 1
Common Darter 1
Ruddy Darter 16

Southern Migrant Hawker © David Hastings

Southern Hawker © David Hastings

Otmoor - 2 August

1m & 1f Southern Migrant Hawker - seen and photographed on visitor trail between the first and second screens, so a different area to the previous sightings.

Peter Barker

Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Peter Barker
Female Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Peter Barker


Saturday 1 August 2020

Parsonage Moor - 31 July

6 Southern Damselfly
3 Keeled Skimmer
1  Black-tailed Skimmer
1f  Broad-bodied Chaser ovipositing
1 Common Darter

Brian Walker

Old female Broad-bodied Chaser (c) Brian Walker