Monday 22 November 2021

Cholsey - 22 November

2 Common Darter: SU 571854

Paul Chandler

2 Common Darter: Cholsey Meadows

Alan Dawson

Sunday 21 November 2021

Thursday 18 November 2021

Otmoor - 18 November

Common Darter 

Peter Milligan, per Oxon Wildlife on Facebook 

Common Darter © Peter Milligan


Friday 12 November 2021

Cholsey - 11 November

Common Darter:  At least 3 pairs ovipositing and a few individuals

SU575857

Paul Chandler

Wednesday 10 November 2021

University Parks, Oxford - 11 September

1m Willow Emerald Damselfly SP51740762

Belated report from Jake Dudderidge, per iRecord


Thursday 4 November 2021

Otmoor, 2nd November

 At least 18 Common Darters at Otmoor this morning.

Common Darter © David Hastings


Saturday 30 October 2021

Standlake Common - 30 October

 1 Common Darter - sunning itself on a post at midday. SP391018.

Common Darter © Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge

Little Wittenham Wood - 30 October

Little Wittenham Wood - 1 Willow Emerald Damselfly (male) and 42+ Common Darter (20+ individuals and 11 pairs in tandem ovipositing). 

This record is close to an earlier sighting in the same wood (11 Sept, Debbie and Ian Lewington) and to the recent sightings on the Thames near Shillingford (12 Sept, Geoff Wyatt and subsequent posts).

Willow Emerald Damselfly (male) (c) John Bloomfield

Willow Emerald Damselfly (male) (c) John Bloomfield

Willow Emerald Damselfly (male) (c) John Bloomfield

Common Darter (male) (c) John Bloomfield

Common Darter (over mature female) (c) John Bloomfield


Friday 22 October 2021

Farmoor, 21st October

 One Common Darter in the hedgerow at Shrike Meadow this morning. 

Common Darter © David Hastings


Tuesday 19 October 2021

Otmoor - 15 October

 1 Common Darter - over mature

Steve Deeley

Common Darter - over mature.  © Steve Deeley


Saturday 9 October 2021

Oddington to Otmoor - 9 October

A warm sunny day (for early October) brought out plenty of Odonata on a walk from Oddington to Otmoor. 4 Southern Hawker, 8 Migrant Hawker, and more than 30 Common Darter (including 5 pairs in cop).

Southern Hawker (c) John Bloomfield

Migrant Hawker (c) John Bloomfield

Common Darter (c) John Bloomfield


Sunday 3 October 2021

Earth Trust, Little Wittenham - 3 October

 19 Common Darters (including two pairs in cop), 3 Migrant Hawkers

Common Darter (c) John Bloomfield


Friday 1 October 2021

Trap Grounds - 1 October

Willow Emerald Damselfly: 1m
Southern Hawker: 1f ovipositing 

Nicola Devine

Willow Emerald Damselfly © Nicola Devine
Southern Hawker - ovipositing upside down! © Nicola Devine

Southern Hawker - ovipositing © Nicola Devine




Wednesday 29 September 2021

Otmoor, 29th September

Migrant Hawker 10 (all but one were males)

Common Darter 20+ (2 pairs seen in cop)

Ruddy Darter 1

Migrant Hawker © David Hastings


Ardington - 29 September

 Footpath south of Ardington Brook and House:

1 Migrant Hawker. SU432881
Darter sp. - tandem pair in flight. Presumed Common. SU434881

Stephen Burch

Saturday 25 September 2021

Boundary Brook NR, Oxford - 24 September

Garden Pond:

Common Darter: 2 tandem pairs and at least 6 others on pond and in surrounding vegetation

Large Pond:

Southern Hawker: 2m + 1f 
Common Darter: c. 15

Stephen Burch

Southern Hawker © Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge

Crop of image above  © Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge


Wednesday 22 September 2021

Faringdon Folly Park Pond - 22 September

Migrant Hawker: c. 10 inc 1f ovipositing and 1 tandem pair 
Southern Hawker: 1m
Ruddy and Common Darters

Stephen Burch

Migrant Hawker © Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge

Migrant Hawker © Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge


Trap Grounds & Oxford Canal - 22 September

Trap Grounds (Swan Pond):

Willow Emerald Damselfly 2m, 1f
Darters

Oxford Canal between Aristole Lane and Frenchay Road:

Willow Emerald Damselfly 1f

Nicola Devine

Female Willow Emerald Damselfly © Nicola Devine

Monday 20 September 2021

Cholsey Meadows - 8 July

Belated record from the new hot spot of Cholsey Meadows which has also had Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Willow Emerald Damselfly this year! 

1m Small Red Damselfly

Roger Wyatt, per Paul Chandler's excellent Cholsey Wildlife Blog

Radley Lakes - 20 September

 2 Common Blue Damsels
6 Red Eyed Damsels
1 Small Red- Eyed Damsel (Male)
1 Brown Hawker
1 Southern Hawker
5 Migrant Hawker
9 Common Darter
4 Ruddy Darter

Wayne Bull

Small Red eyed Damselfly © Wayne Bull


Saturday 18 September 2021

Cholsey Meadows, 18th September

Three pairs of Western Willow Spreadwing (aka Willow Emerald) with the females ovipositing, and two or three solitary males this afternoon between 2 and 3pm. 

Western Willow Spreadwing © David Hastings


Friday 17 September 2021

Shillingford 16 September pm

One male Willow Emerald Damselfly (at same location as previously reported this week), five Migrant Hawkers and one female Southern Hawker (ovipositing).

Male Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) John Bloomfield

Female Southern Hawker (ovipositing) (c) John Bloomfield

Thursday 16 September 2021

Trap Grounds - 16 September

Main pool:

Willow Emerald Damselfly 6+ including at least 2 tandem pairs ovipositing
Migrant Hawker 1

Between pond and School Meadow: 

Common Darter 10

Footbridge over Waterways to Stone Meadow:

Willow Emerald Damselfly 1m

Nicola Devine

Male Willow Emerald Damselfly © Nicola Devine


Cholsey Meadows - 16 September

4-5 Willow Emerald Damselfly 

Pools are best accessed from Ferry Lane, then walk N along the riverbank and take the first path left, back towards houses. Go to where it opens out and the pools are over to the right near to some new houses.

Probably about SU601858

Alan Dawson

Male Willow Emerald Damselfly © Alan Dawson


Wednesday 15 September 2021

Shillingford - 15 September pm

Willow Emerald Damselfly: at least 4 including 1-2 tandem pairs
Blue-tailed Damselfly 1
Southern Hawker 1
Migrant Hawker 2+
Common Darter 4+
Ruddy Darter reported

River Thames backwater at SU 5898 9280. 

Note: the car park opposite the Shillingford Bridge Hotel is pay and display. Pay at hotel reception if machine out of order, or risk a £60 fine! 

Stephen Burch

Male Willow Emerald Damselfly © Stephen Burch. Click here for a larger image

Crop of photo above © Stephen Burch
Male Willow Emerald Damselfly © Stephen Burch. Click here for a larger image

Southern Hawker © Stephen Burch. Click here for a larger image



Farmoor, 15 September

Migrant Hawker - 11+ males
Brown Hawker - female ovipositing on the supports of the bridge over the pond on Buckthorn Meadow
Southern Hawker - 1 male
Common Darter - 9

Brown Hawker © David Hastings

Migrant Hawker © David Hastings

Southern Hawker © David Hastings


Otmoor, Roman Road - 15 September

Willow Emerald Damselfly: 1m turning bronze and 2f.

 On the Roman Road just before the arched bridge at the northern end on the west side (car park side)

Jeremy Dexter

Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Jeremy Dexter

Lye Valley, Oxford - Keeled Skimmer sightings

Photos of Keeled Skimmer at the Lye Valley, Oxford have been located on the Friends of the Lye Valley Twitter page, indicating its presence in both 2020 and 2021, with probable breeding given the immature seen this year. They are reproduced here by kind permission of Tony Gillie. 

These photos were taken at the north fen ponds SP5469 0574, per Judy Webb. 

The Lye Valley contains alkaline fen, as found at the Cothill reserves which are the stronghold for this species in Oxon.

Stephen Burch

Immature Keeled Skimmer June 2021 (c) Tony Gillie

Mature male Keeled Skimmer June 2020 (c) Tony Gillie


Monday 13 September 2021

River Thames near Shillingford - 13 September

Same site as yesterday.

 1 m Willow Emerald Damselfly 

Geoff Wyatt


Willow Emerald (male) (c) Geoff Wyatt


Sunday 12 September 2021

Trap Grounds - 12 September

 1 Willow Emerald Damselfly

Nicola Devine

River Thames near Shillingford - 12 September

Willow Emerald Damselfly - 6 including a tandem pair ovipositing on a Willow stem. 

Along the Thames, at the Earth Trust - River of Life backwaters, north west of the Shillingford Bridge Hotel 

SU 5898 9280

From Shillingford bridge hotel, follow the footpath on the south side of the Thames (not the Thames path) north west for about 1km where you reach the Keen Edge Ferry, permissive footpath extension.

The Willow Emeralds were in the backwater near the gate marked by the red dot.

Geoff Wyatt




Wittenham Wood - 11 September

1f Willow Emerald Damselfly

SU573927

 Debbie and Ian Lewington



Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Ian Lewington


Saturday 11 September 2021

Shillingford & Little Wittenham - 11 September

Three transects, one along the R. Thames Shillingford and two at the Earth Trust, Little Wittenham: Southern Hawker 2, Brown Hawker 1, Migrant Hawker 1, Common Darter 5 (two of which in cop), and Ruddy Darter 5.


Common Darter female (c) John Bloomfield


Wednesday 8 September 2021

Grove Meadows Stormwater Pond - 8 September

c. 10 Small Red-eyed Damselflies
1m Migrant Hawker
1m Emperor 
50+ Common Darter, inc many ovipositing tandem pairs

Real end of season feel to the place! Note: the access gate is now secured by a padlocked chain.

Stephen Burch

Migrant Hawker (c) Stephen Burch


Tuesday 7 September 2021

Boundary Brook NR. Oxford - 7 September

Southern Hawker 3+
Common Darter 15-20

Stephen Burch

Southern Hawker in flight (my first!) (c) Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge


Trap Grounds - 7th September

Swan Pond (main viewpoint):

Willow Emerald Damselfly - 1m (brief view in edge of tree to left, flew before I could get a photo)
Southern Hawker 5+
Ruddy/Common Darters

Stephen Burch


The Swan at Streatley - 7 September

Report of a Willow Emerald Damselfly by Elizabeth Lawrance.

SU59538089

Unfortunately just in Berkshire!

Monday 6 September 2021

Radley Lakes - 6 September

 1 Willow Emerald (Male) - Orchard Lake (SU 52046 96984)
10+ Common Blue Damsels
3 Blue Tailed Damsels 
15+ Red Eyed Damsels
1 Small Red-Eyed Damsel ( Female)
5 Southern Hawker
6 Migrant Hawker
2 Brown Hawker
60+ Common Darter mostly in tandem
10+ Ruddy Darter

Wayne Bull

Sunday 5 September 2021

South Stoke - 5th September

South Stoke, near R Thames SU59488379

Willow Emerald Damselfly 1m

Remarkable record from a new site by John Lindley, per iRecord. 

Private site with no public access.

Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) John Lindley


Otmoor 5th September

Southern Hawker 2
Migrant Hawker 12+
Brown Hawker 2
Ruddy Darter 4
Common Darter 20+
Common Spreadwing 1

Southern Hawker © David Hastings

Migrant Hawker © David Hastings