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
28 May:
2 Clubtails: One upstream of Rushey Lock (about SP 318004); other the Tadpole Bridge stretch at SP 33790 00354.
Chimney Meadows:
Banded Demoiselle
Common Blue Damselfly
Four-spotted Chaser
Southern Hawker
Also many Banded Demoiselle along most of the Thames.
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| Mature Clubtail © Mark Bradfield |
1 teneral Black-tailed Skimmer
Alan Dawson
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| Black-tailed Skimmer (teneral male) © Alan Dawson |
Hairy Dragonfly - 9 min (all males)
Red-eyed Damselfly - 5
Blue-tailed Damselfly - 7
Demoiselles - both numerous
Common and Azure Blue damselflies - both numerous
Dida Gardens Pond:
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly 4 male 1 female (aurantiaca)
Blue-tailed Damselfly 1 male
Large Red Damselfly 10
Hairy Dragonfly 1f ovipositing
Broad-bodied Chaser 3 teneral
Great Western Pond (100m west of Dida Gardens)
Emperor 1
Four-spotted Chaser 3
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (female, aurantiaca) © Ian Lewington |
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| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (male) © Ian Lewington |
Clubtail 3
Hairy Dragonfly 4
White-legged Damselfly 14
Four-spot Chaser 3
Black-tailed Skimmer 1f
Blue-tailed Damselfly 6
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| Clubtail © Ian Lewington |
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| Hairy Dragonfly © Ian Lewington |
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| White-legged Damselfly © Ian Lewington |
19/05/23 - River Cherwell, Grimsbury Reservoir
SP 45901 41728 to SP 46537 42684 but mostly near the railway bridge
Hairy Dragonfly - 1 (teneral male? - picture attached)
Large Red Damselfly - 1 (picture)
Blue-tailed Damselfly -1
Azure Blue Damselfly - 7 (picture)
Common Blue Damselfly - 3
Beautiful Demoiselle - c.50!
Banded Demoiselle - c.10
20/05/23 - River Cherwell, Grimsbury Reservoir
Location as above
Very similar species with differences being
Hairy Dragonfly - 5 - 4 mature males and a pair in cop
Broad-bodied Chaser - 1 teneral
Large Red Damselfly - 4 (inc. pair in cop)
Numerous teneral Blue Damselflies
Banded Demoiselle - c.20
20/05/23 - Clattercote Reservoir - Mike Pollard
Hairy Dragonfly - 3-4
21/05/23 - River Cherwell, Grimsbury Reservoir - Clive Payne
Hairy Dragonfly - 1
26/05/23 - Clattercote Reservoir
Hairy Dragonfly - min 7 - 6 mature males and a female egg laying and then grabbed by a male and taken up to a tree (picture)
Four-spotted Chaser - 1
Red-eyed Damselfly - min 33 (inc. 6 pairs in cop)
Common Blue Damselfly - 11 (inc. 3 pairs in cop)
Blue-tailed Damselfly - 8
Azure Damselfly - 4 (inc. 1 pair in cop)
Gareth Blockley
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| Large Red Damselfly © Gareth Blockley |
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| Hairy Dragonfly © Gareth Blockley |
Bow Bridge:
1 Clubtail
White-legged Damselfly
Ferry Lane to Four Arches Bridge:
Beautiful Demoiselle
Banded Demoiselle
Large Red Damselfly
Four-spotted Chaser
Red-eyed Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Hairy Dragonfly
Alan Dawson
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| White-legged Damselfly © Alan Dawson |
Clubtails:
2 Exuviae (excluding the emergent)
1 Emergent
2 recently emerged
Also many Banded Demoiselle
NB more vegetation than previously above the bridge abutment (which is also being eroded from behind the wall - care needed!), so difficult to see exuviae and emergents.
Stephen Burch
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| Emerged Clubtail with exuvia © Stephen Burch |
Rousham Lakes (Private Site) :-
10+ Beautiful Demoiselle
6 Large Red Damsels
Common & Azure Damsels
15+ Red Eyed Damsels
12+ Downy Emerald inc 2 Females 1 ovipositing
20+ Four Spotted Chaser
Steeple Barton Lake (Public access to southern end of lake through church yard then footpath) :-
6+ Beautiful Demoiselle
Common & Azure Damsels
1 Blue Tailed Damsel
10+ Red Eyed Damsels
4+ Downy Emerald
10+ Four Spotted Chaser
Wayne Bull
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| Downy Emeralds © Wayne Bull |
Southern Damselfly: 32 including 6 pairs in tandem.
Common Blue Damselfly: 13
Large Red Damselfly: 4
Keeled Skimmer: 2 imm males and a female
Hairy Dragonfly: 2
Broad-bodies Chaser: 1m
Four-spotted Chaser: 5
Black-tailed Skimmer: 2m & 1f
Peter Philp
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| Teneral Keeled Skimmer © Peter Philp |
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| Southern Damselfly © Peter Philp |
First records of White-legged Damselflies this year for me at this site. 66 Banded Demoiselles, 43 Azure Damselflies, 4 White-legged Damselflies (all ternal), 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies.
Entered on iRecord
John Bloomfield
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| White-legged Damselfly (c) John Bloomfield |
Abingdon Lock:
Common Clubtail: 1m perched briefly on the handrail of the weir.
Also one on the Thames about halfway between Barton Fields and the cut through to Orchard Lake.
Barton Fields area including fishing pool and ditch towards lock:
Common Blue Damselfly: 60+
Azure Damselfly: 30+
Blue-tailed Damselfly: 20+
Large Red Damselfly: 12
Banded Demoiselle: 60+
Red-eyed Damselfly: 12
Orchard Lake:
Downy Emerald: 2
Hairy Dragonfly: 2
Four-spotted Chaser: 5
Broad-bodied Chaser: 1
Red-eyed Damselfly: 30+
Common Blue Damselfly: 6
Azure Damselfly 3
Thrupp Lake:
Common Blue Damselfly: 20+
Red-eyed Damselfly: 1-2
Blue-tailed Damselfly: 1
No sign of any Downy Emeralds
Barton Field - fishing pool:
Hairy Dragonfly 2+
Four-spotted Chaser 1
Common Blue Damselfly: 2+
NB: access to the northern shore blocked by a large fallen tree.
Stephen Burch
1 Red-eyed Damselfly
Alan Dawson
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| Red-eyed Damselfly © Alan Dawson |
Sightings were near the bridge over the lock cut. (SP366007)
Banded Demoiselle : 60+
Red-eyed Damselfly : 1
Blue-tailed Damselfly : 2
Common Blue Damselfly : 5+
Common Clubtail : 1
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| Banded Demoiselle ♂© David Hastings |
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| Common Clubtail (immature ♂) © David Hastings |
1 Clubtail
Alan Dawson
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| Clubtail © Alan Dawson |
Covered by almost 100% duck weed. Only Odonata were at west end where a little clear water for now.
Large Red Damselfly: 1
Azure Damselfly: 3
Stephen Burch
Azure Damselfly: 50-100 at least. Many in cop
Common Blue Damselfly: a few on E side
Red-eyed Damselfly: 1 pair in cop + 1
Blue-tailed Damselfly: 1
No dragonflies yet.
Stephen Burch
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| Azure Damselfly (f) © Stephen Burch |
1 Clubtail.
"Flew into my golf bag on the 14th hole at the Springs Golf Club at North Stoke just south of Wallingford"!!
Jeremy Dexter
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| Mobile phone photo of a Clubtail in a golf bag © Jeremy Dexter |
Around SP51740755
2 Large Red Damselflies in cop
1 Blue-tailed Damselfly
1+ m Broad-bodied Chaser
Jake Dudderidge
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| Large Red Damselflies © Jake Dudderidge |
Cholsey Meadows:
c.5 Four-spotted Chaser
Azure Damselfly
Large Red Damselfly
River Thames at Cholsey:
Clubtail 2
Banded Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle
Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Large Red Damselfly
Alan Dawson
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| Common Blue Damselfly © Alan Dawson |
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| Azure Damselflies © Alan Dawson |
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| Four-spotted Chaser © Alan Dawson |
13 Banded Demoiselle, 24 Azure Damselflies, 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 100+ Common Blue Damselfly, 8 Large Red Damselflies, 3 Hairy Dragonflies, 2 Four-spotted Chasers, and 1 Clubtail (F).
Entered in iRecord
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| Hairy Dragonfly (male) (c) John Blomfield |
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| Four-spotted Chaser (c) John Bloomfield |
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| Clubtail (female) (c) John Bloomfield |
Parsonage Moor:
Large Red Damselfly - 1
Common Blue Damselfly - 1
Broad Bodied Chaser - 1
Black-tailed Skimmer 1
2 Downy Emeralds (m & f) on the main pond
Also
30+Azure Damselflies including several pairs in tandem
2 Large Red Damselflies in tandem
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| Pair of Azure Damselflies in tandem |
13 Banded Demoiselle, 6 Azure Damselflies and 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies including a female rufescens form.
Records entered in iRecord
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| Banded Demoiselle male (c) John Bloomfield |
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| Azure Damselfly male (c) John Bloomfield |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly female (rufescens form) (c) John Bloomfield |
Azure Damselfly : 100+
Hairy Hawker : 3
David Hastings
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| Azure Damselfly © David Hastings |
1 Banded Demoiselle
2 Common Blue Damselfly
SU519947
Steve Curnock
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| Banded Demoiselle (c) Steve Curnock |
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| Common Blue Damselfly (f) (c) Steve Curnock |
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| Clubtail (record shot) |
+ lots of Banded Demoiselle
1 Four spotted Chaser
Alan Dawson
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| Four spotted Chaser (c) Alan Dawson |
Incredible total of 27 Clubtails and 11 exuviae!!
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| One of 27 Clubtails! (c) Mark Bradfield |
In the absence of Nicola Devine, this site is sadly not getting the coverage it deserves.
1 Large Red Damselfly (FoY for site)
1 Azure Damselfly (FoY for site on the 11th)
Adam Hartley
Large Red Damselfly
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| Azure Damselfly |
1 Clubtail
In a herbaceous border about 1km east of the river near Gatehampton Road! Perched for 4 hours until dusk.
Peter Singer per iRecord
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| Clubtail (c) Peter Singer |
Up river from Day's Lock, Little Wittenham today:
Club-tailed Dragonfly 1f immature
Banded Demoiselle 1m
Common Blue Damselfly 1m, 1f
Geoff Wyatt
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| Clubtail (imm. f) (c) Geoff Wyatt |
