Just off Ferry Lane:
3+ White-legged Damselfly
Alan Dawson
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| White-legged Damselfly (c) Alan Dawson |
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
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Sunday, 29 May 2022
Shillingford to Little Wittenham - 27th & 28th May
Three transects near the R. Thames on Fri 27th May: 58 Banded Demoiselle, 21 Blue-tailed Damselflies, 3 Red-eyed Damselflies, 26 Azure Damselflies, 5 White-legged Damselflies.
On Sat 28th May in Little Wittenham Wood 35 Azure Damselflies and 2 Black-tailed Skimmers, and along the Thames 3 Four-spotted Chasers, 1 Broad-bodied Chaser, and 3 Hairy Dragonflies (including a female ovipositing).
All observations entered in iRecord.
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| Black-tailed Skimmer (c) John Bloomfield |
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| White-legged Damselfly (c) John Bloomfield |
Trap Grounds, Oxford - 29 May
1 Red-eyed Damselfly (prob. teneral male). Scarce at this site.
Nicola Devine
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| Red-eyed Damselfly (c) Nicola Devine |
River Thames at Farmoor - 27 May
Banded Demoiselle: abundant
Red-eyed Damselfly: tens
James Wainscoat
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| Banded Demoiselle (c) James Wainscoat |
Saturday, 28 May 2022
Banbury area - 27 & 28 May
27/05/22 - Longford Park, stormwater pond:
5-6 Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly - 3 males, 1 teneral male and 2 females (both auratiaca phase)
5+ Blue-tailed Damselfly - including tenerals
12+ Large Red Damselfly - including pairs in tandem and ovipositing
20+ Azure Damselfly - including pairs in tandem and ovipositing
1 Common Blue Damselfly - teneral male
Warning: Water Rail may be breeding in the pond
28/05/22 - Upper Cherwell Valley, Borrow Pit pool (SP 46453 43152)
1 Emperor Dragonfly - teneral (first of the year)
28/05/22 - Grimsbury Reservoir, River Cherwell
1 Red-eyed Damselfly - male (first of the year)
2+ Azure Damselfly
Numerous Demoiselles!
Gareth Blockley
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (auratiaca form female) (c) Gareth Blockley |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (male) (c) Gareth Blockley |
Friday, 27 May 2022
Radley Lakes - 27 May
Downy Emerald: 6+ (4+ at Thrupp Lake and 2 at Orchard Lake)
Hairy Dragonfly: 11+ mostly around Orchard Lake
Clubtail: 1 female next to Orchard Lake
Broad-bodied Chaser: 3-4
Four-spotted Chaser: 6+
Black-tailed Skimmer: 2+
Ian Lewington
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| Clubtail (c) Ian Lewington |
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| Downy Emerald (c) Ian Lewington |
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| Hairy Dragonfly (c) Ian Lewington |
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| Hairy Dragonfly (c) Ian Lewington |
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| Four-spotted Chaser (c) Ian Lewington |
Trap Ground, Oxford - 27 May
Hairy Dragonflies 3+ males, 2 females
Downy Emeralds 2 possibly 3
Broad Bodied Chaser 1 male
Banded Demoiselle 4m, 2f
Beautiful Demoiselle 1f
Large Red Damselflies 4
Azure Damselflies abundant
Blue-tailed Damselflies 10+
Common Blue Damselfly 3+
Nicola Devine
%20TGs%2027th%20May%202022_640.JPG) |
| Broad Bodied Chaser (c) Nicola Devine |
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| Downy Emerald (c) Nicola Devine |
Thursday, 26 May 2022
West Lockinge - 26 May
Where footpath crosses stream. SU426878
2 Banded Demoiselle
3 Blue-tailed Damselfly
Stephen Burch
Tuesday, 24 May 2022
Wroxton College - 24 May
Hairy Dragonfly 2m
Beautiful demoiselle 4
Azure damselfly
Common blue damselfly
Steve Holliday [in iRecord]
Longford Park, Banbury - 24 May
Stormwater pond: SP469390
2 Scarce Blue-tailed Damsels (1 Adult male and an "Aurantiaca" female)
3 Blue-Tailed Damsels
2 Large Red Damsels
6 Azure Damsels
Wayne Bull
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly ("Aurantiaca" form female) © Wayne Bull |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (male) © Wayne Bull |
Henwood - 23 May
1 Beautiful Demoiselle
SP468023
First garden record.
Margaret Abel
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| Beautiful Demoiselle © Margaret Abel |
Cholsey - Bow Bridge area - 24 May
1 Clubtail
1 Broad-bodied Chaser
Alan Dawson
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| Broad-bodied Chaser © Alan Dawson |
Monday, 23 May 2022
Didcot - 22 May
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly: 12+ males, 2 adult females and 3 aurantiaca females
10+ Blue-tailed Damselfly
4 Large Red Damselfly
Several Azure Damselfly
a few Common Blue Damselfly
Ian Lewington.
Same private work site as last year. Worth someone checking the Longford Park site in Banbury, given these are now on the wing.
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (female) © Ian Lewington |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (female of aurantiaca form) © Ian Lewington |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (female of aurantiaca form) © Ian Lewington |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (male) © Ian Lewington |
Farmoor - Shrike/Buckthorn Meadow area - 23 May
All expected damselflies
Four-spotted Chaser 5-6
Emperor 1f
Hairy Dragonflies
No sign of any Scarce Chasers in 4+ hours of searching but weather not ideal.
Geoff Wyatt
Rousham Lakes - 23 May
Downy Emerald : Up to 10 including 3 males chasing one another and 1 female ovipositing!
1 Azure Damsel
7 Common Blue Damsels
6 Red- Eyed Damsels
4 Four Spotted Chaser
Wayne Bull
Note: this private site produced a number of Downy Emerald records in 2003/2004 but none since. It is one of a few sites in the north of the county for which there are several historical records of Downy Emerald between the mid 1990s and the mid 2000s.
There is no public access to most of these sites and so the lack of recent records could well be due to lack of observer coverage.
It is great to know that Downy Emerald is still present at one of these sites, and in such large numbers. Given this, it seems likely that the other sites could well also still hold this rare species. We will not know for sure unless access can be arranged to them!
Stephen Burch
Trap Grounds, Oxford - 23 May
Downy Emerald 1
Azure Damselfly abundant
Blue-tailed Damselflies 10+
Banded Demoiselle 1f 2m
Hairy Dragonfly 1m & 1f ovipositing
Nicola Devine
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| Hairy Dragonfly ovipositing © Nicola Devine |
Sunday, 22 May 2022
Banbury area - 21/22 May
Yesterday, 21/05/22 - Grismbury Res, River Cherwell, SP 46152 42379
1 Hairy Hawker
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
2+ Azure Damselfly
Today, 22/05/22 - Grismbury Res, River Cherwell
3 Hairy Hawkers (2 same location as yesterday and 1 same location as last week)
1 Common Blue Damselfly
Today, 22/05/22 - Spital Farm Lake, SP 47035 40403
2 Azure Damselfly
1 Common Damselfly
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
5+ Red-eyed Damselfly
Gareth Blockley
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly © Gareth Blockley |
Trap Grounds, Oxford - 22 May
Downy Emerald: 2 (poss 3)
Hairy Dragonfly 1
Banded Demoiselle 4m, 1f
Large Red Damselfly 4
Azures Damselfly abundant, many in cop and ovipositing
Blue-tailed Damselflies 20+
Nicola Devine
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| Downy Emerald © Nicola Devine |
%20TGs%2022-05-2022_640.jpg) |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly © Nicola Devine |
Balscote Quarry (BOS reserve) - 21 May
Azure Damselfly 2
Blue-tailed Damselfly 1
Four-spotted Chaser 2
Steve Holliday [in iRecord]
River Thames: Shillingford to Little Wittenham - 21 May
Two White-legged Damselflies and distant views of two Red-eyed Damselflies on emergent Yellow Water-lilies.
Records entered on iRecord
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| White-legged Damselfly © John Bloomfield |
Saturday, 21 May 2022
Faringdon Folly Park Pond - 21 May
50+ Azure Damselfly
5+ Large Red Damselfly
5+ Red-eyed Damselfly
10+ Blue-tailed Damselfly
Stephen Burch
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly © Stephen Burch |
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| Large Red Damselfly © Stephen Burch |
Clifton Hampden - 21 May
River Thames downstream from Clifton Hampden at River of Life 2:
4 Clubtails (2 just emerged)!
SU55295
Mark Bradfield
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| Clubtail © Mark Bradfield |
Friday, 20 May 2022
Otmoor - 19 May
Roman Road:
Azure Damselflies - teneral
James Wainscoat
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| Azure Damselfly © James Wainscoat |
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| Although this looks like an Emerald Damselfly, it is instead most probably a teneral fermale Azure Damselfly (thanks to Adrian Parr for this) © James Wainscoat |
Thursday, 19 May 2022
Abbey Grounds, Abingdon - 19 May
5+ Red-eyed Damselflies
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
No sign of Downy Emerald 😞
Stephen Burch
Aston (Great Brook) 19th May
Seen at the bridge over Great Brook at SP351016:
Banded Demoiselle 18
Large Red Damselfly 3
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| Banded Demoiselle (♀) © David Hastings |
Crowmarsh Gifford - 18 May
8 Large Red Damselflies and 6 Azure Damselflies seen at an ornamental pond in Crowmarsh Gifford.
Data entered in iRecord.
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| Azure Damselfly (male) © John Bloomfield |
Shillingford - 19 May
Transect along west bank of R Thames to the northwest of Shillingford.
47 Banded Demoiselle
5 Azure Damselflies
2 Blue-tailed Damselflies
1 Large Red Damselfly
1 White-legged Damselfly (ternal female)
Data entered in iRecord
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| White-legged Damselfly (ternal female) © John Bloomfield |
Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Farmoor - 18 May
Farmoor: Buckthorn Meadow pond and nearby:
2f Banded Demoiselle,
10s Azure Damselflies,
1 Four Spotted Chaser.
James Wainscoat
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| Azure Damselfly & Banded Demoiselle © James Wainscoat |
Otmoor - 17 May
10s Azure Damselflies.
1 Hairy Dragonfly.
James Wainscoat
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| Azure Damselfly © James Wainscoat |
Radley Lakes - 18 May
1 Variable Damselfly - near Orchard Lake.
1 Hairy Dragonfly
1 Club-tailed Dragonfly SU525973
Brian Walker [iRecord]
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| Variable Damselfly © Brian Walker |
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| Hairy Dragonfly © Brian Walker |
Trap Grounds, Oxford - 18 May
4 Large Red Damselflies (one pair in cop & ovipositing)
1 Banded Demoiselle (male)
Azure Damselflies (abundant)
1+ Common Blue Damselfly
1+ Blue tailed Damselfly
2+ Hairy Dragonflies
1-2 Downy Emeralds
Nicola Devine
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| Mating pair of Large Red Damselflies © Nicola Devine |
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| Downy Emerald © Nicola Devine |
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Dry Sandford Pit & Parsonage Moor - 17 May
Dry Sandford Pit:
Large Red Damselfly 37
Azure Damselfly 1
Parsonage Moor
Large Red Damselfly 20+
Azure Damselfly 16+
Hairy Dragonflies 4
Broad-bodied Chasers 3
Four spotted Chasers 8
Peter Philp
Standlake - 16 May
1 Downy Emerald - found by Mick Cunningham dead in his house! SP403031
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| Downy Emerald (deceased) © Stephen Burch |
The Trap Grounds 17th May
Swan Pond:
1-2 Downy Emeralds
2 Hairy Hawkers
Lots of "blue" Damselflies
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| Male Azure Damselfly |
Standlake Common - 17 May
20+ Common Blue Damselfly - by stream at end of Langley Lane
1 Hairy Dragonfly - along Langley Lane
Stephen Burch
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| Teneral female Common Blue Damselfly © Stephen Burch |
Monday, 16 May 2022
Otmoor - 13 May
Hairy Dragonfly one mature adult male, four female/newly emerged
Azure Damselfly one mature male
Common Blue Damselfly several mature males (probably five) (
Blue-tailed Damselfly one mature male
Large Red Damselfly pair in wheel formation
Roger Pritchard
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| Azure Damselfly © Roger Pritchard |
Wroxton Abbey - 16 May
Large red Damselfly: 7 pairs in wheel plus 8
Blue-tailed Damselfly: 4
Azure Damselfly: 1 possibly 2 more
Hairy Dragonfly 1m
Four-spotted Chaser 1
Black-tailed Skimmer 4 teneral
Steve Holliday [iRecord]
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| Teneral Black-tailed Skimmer © Steve Holliday |
Saturday, 14 May 2022
Lambs Pool BBOWT - 14 May
Large Red Damselfly 10
Azure Damselfly 3m
Blue-tailed Damselfly 2
Steve Holliday [iRecord]
Goring (Gatehampton) Railway Bridge - 14 May
1 Clubtail emerging between 15:20 and 15:55.
Tim Robson
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| Clubtail © Tim Robson |
Trap Grounds, Oxford - 14 May
Azure Damselfly: 50+ (also 3 pairs ovipositing)
Common Blue Damselfly: 2
Large Red Damselfly: 4
Banded Demoiselle: 2 (males)
Hairy Dragonfly: 2
Nicola Devine
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| Male Azure Damsel (right) and probable female Azure (left) © Nicola Devine |
NB In the photo above, Adrian Parr has helpfully commented that the female on the left shows some characteristics of a female Variable Damselfly, but all in all is considered to be most likely an Azure. Note that female Azure and Variable Damselflies are notoriously difficult to separate with 100% confidence.
Dry Sandford Pit, 14th May
Saw my first Broad-bodied Chaser of the year at Dry Sandford Pit today. Also four Large Red Damselflies (including a pair in tandem).
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| Broad-bodied Chaser (teneral) © David Hastings |
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| Large Red Damselfly (teneral ♀) © David Hastings |