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
SU489943
1 Lesser Emperor Dragonfly
12 Common Blue Damselfly
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
1 Common Darter
2 Ruddy Darter
Brian Walker
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| Female Lesser Emperor eating a wasp (c) Brian Walker |
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| Common Blue Damselfly without an abdomen but alive and moving (c) Brian Walker |
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
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| Emerald Damselfly [focus stacked] (c) Stephen Burch |
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
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| Female Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Stephen Kill |
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| Female Emerald Damselfly (c) Stephen Kill |
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| Mating pair of Small Red-eyed Damselflies (c) Stephen Kill |
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| Male Migrant Hawker (c) Stephen Kill |
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
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| Migrant Hawker © David Hastings |
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| Southern Hawker © David Hastings |
2 Migrant Hawkers
1 Southern Hawker
1 Brown Hawker
2 Common Darters
Nicola Devine
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| Common Darter (c) Nicola Devine |
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
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| Willow Emerald [focus stacked] (c) Stephen Burch |
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| 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
1m Southern Migrant Hawker
Pill area. Regularly patrolling a ditch and settling frequently.
Mick Higgs
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| Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Mick Higgs |
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.
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
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| Red-eyed Damselfly © David Hastings |
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| Common Spreadwing © David Hastings |
SU 414929
1 Brown Hawker
2 Common Darter
30 Banded Demoiselle
within the next 50 metres downstream.
Mark Bradfield
1 WILLOW EMERALD DAMSELFLY - Orchard Lake - see map below
Second Oxon record after one at Wytham Woods in 2019.
Ian Lewington
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| Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Ian Lewington [first Oxon photo of this species] |
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| Orchard Lake - showing Willow Emerald location |
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
1 male Southern Migrant Hawker for 5 mins at 09:15
Jessica Turner
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| Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Jessica Turner |
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| Migrant Hawker (c) Brian Walker |
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
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| Female Southern Migrant Hawker © Adam Hartley |
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| Female Southern Hawker © Adam Hartley |
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| Small Red-eyed Damselfly © Adam Hartley |
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.
1f Southern Migrant Hawker SP55111370, 2pm
Also Brown, Southern and Migrant Hawkers
Small Red eyed Damselflies
Blue-tailed Damselflies
many Ruddy Darters
Toby Holmes
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| Female Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Toby Holmes |
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
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| Southern Migrant Hawker © David Hastings |
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| Southern Hawker © David Hastings |
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| Male Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Peter Barker |
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| Female Southern Migrant Hawker (c) Peter Barker |
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| Old female Broad-bodied Chaser (c) Brian Walker |
