Friday 29 September 2023

Radley Lakes, 29 September

3 Willow Emerald (Males Orchard Lake)
1 Common Blue Damsel
8 Migrant Hawker
2 Ruddy Darter
10+ Common Darter

Wayne Bull

Willow Emerald Damselfly (c) Wayne Bull

Friday 22 September 2023

University Parks, Oxford - 22 September

1 Common Darter

James Wainscoat 

Common Darter (c) James Wainscoat 


Farmoor, 22nd September

Migrant Hawker 2
Common Darter 9 

Migrant Hawker ♂© David Hastings


Thursday 21 September 2023

Lockinge - 21 September

Pool on Ardington Brook by weir SU425877:

Blue Damselflies 6+
Migrant Hawker 1
Common Darter 5-10 inc ovipositing tandem pairs

Stephen Burch 

Otmoor - 21 September

1 Willow Emerald - by the bridleway

Steve Roby

Friday 15 September 2023

Radley Lakes, 15th September

Common Blue Damselfly 7
Migrant Hawker 4
Common Darter 10
Ruddy Darter 13

Ruddy Darter ♂© David Hastings


Boundary Brook NR, Oxford - 15 September

Garden Pond

3 Southern Hawker (2m & 1f ovipositing)
1m Ruddy Darter
3+ Common Darter

Large Pond

2m Southern Hawker - probably the same as at the Garden Pond
Common Darter 5-10

Stephen Burch

Southern Hawker head on © Stephen Burch

Southern Hawker sideways on © Stephen Burch

Crop of photo above © Stephen Burch

Southern Hawker close up © Stephen Burch

Bodicote Reservoir, 15 September

 SP453376:

3 Willow Emeralds ( 1 pair in tandem & 1 male)
15+ Common Blue Damsels
2 Blue Tailed Damsels
25+ Migrant Hawker
15+ Common Darter

Wayne Bull

Pinkhill, Farmoor, 14 September

2 Southern Hawker, 
2 Migrant Hawker, 
8 Common Darter

James Wainscoat

Migrant Hawker © James Wainscoat

Thursday 14 September 2023

Aston, 14th September

Southern Hawker - female ovipositing amongst the roots of a Yellow Flag Iris in my garden pond.

Southern Hawker ♀© David Hastings


Wednesday 13 September 2023

Farmoor, 13th September

Western Willow Spreadwing - 1 female near Pinkhill
Southern Hawker - 2 (pair in cop at Pinkhill)  
Migrant Hawker - 7
Common Darter - 20+ (at least four pairs in tandem with the female ovipositing at Pinkhill)

I  observed Little Egrets actively hunting dragonflies on the Pinkhill lagoon.

Western Willow Spreadwing ♀© David Hastings

Migrant Hawker ♂© David Hastings


Sideleigh (Fishing) Lake, Bodicote - 13th Sept

11 Willow Emeralds (4 pairs in tandem and 3 males)
8 Common Blue Damsels
6 Blue Tailed Damsels
6 Red Eyed Damsels
10+ Migrant Hawker
4 Brown Hawker
10+ Common Darter
3 Ruddy Darter

Wayne Bull

Willow Emerald Damselfly (m) © Wayne Bull

Willow Emerald Damselfly tandem pair © Wayne Bull

Monday 11 September 2023

Sideleigh (Fishing) Lake, Bodicote - 11th Sept

SP46344 37023

2 Willow Emerald Damsels (m&f)

2 Common Blue Damsels
7 Red Eyed Damsels
2 Migrant Hawker
6 Common Darter 

Wayne Bull


Willow Emerald Damselfly (f) © Wayne Bull

Sunday 10 September 2023

Aston, 10th September

A male Common Darter was in my garden in Aston, west Oxfordshire today.

Common Darter ♂© David Hastings


Farmoor - 8 September

2 Brown  Hawker
10s Darter sp (mostly Common Darters in ovipositing tandem pairs)

James Wainscoat

 Common Darters (ovipositing tandem pairs) © James Wainscoat

Friday 8 September 2023

Wroxton College Lakes: 1230-1430 8 September

Hot, sunny intervals, light winds.

Willow Emerald Damselfly 36+ incl 9 pairs but probably missed some high in lakeside trees. At least 3 pair with female ovipositing on small ash saplings. 23+ around small pool, 13+ around large pool.
Blue-tailed Damselfly 1m
Common Blue Damselfly 10 - 2 pair and 6m
Blue Damselfly sp 50 + over main lake probably Common Blues.
Migrant Hawker 15, mostly males, 1 fem ovipositing
Brown Hawker 2
Southern Hawker 1m 
Ruddy Darter 10 incl 3 pairs, 1 with female ovipositing.
Darter sp 4

Steve Holliday and Gareth Blockley

Willow Emerald Damselfly © Steve Holliday

Thursday 7 September 2023

Faringdon Folly Park pond, 7th September

Blue-tailed Damselfly 4
Red-eyed Damselfly 1
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 7
Southern Hawker 3
Emperor Dragonfly 1
Migrant Hawker 2
Common Darter 10

Probably more SRED, but they were mostly sitting on lilypads out in the lake so not easy to spot.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly♂© David Hastings

Southern Hawker ♂© David Hastings

Ardington - 7 September

 Pool south of village SU430882

1 Willow Emerald Damselfly (first of season at this site, and only a very brief sighting)

On 8 September:

1 Common Darter but no sign of any WE

Stephen Burch

Note: Common Darter in my Wantage garden - first site record!


Trap Grounds - 6 September

3 Willow Emerald Damselflies
6 Ruddy Daters
2 Common Darters

James Wainscoat

Willow Emerald Damselfly © James Waincoat

Otmoor - 5 September

1 Brown Hawker
6 Migrant Hawkers
100s Darters 

James Wainscoat

Migrant Hawker © James Wainscoat

Letcombe Brook in Wantage - 5 September

2 Banded Demoiselle 
1 Blue-tailed damselfly at Ham Mill 
Migrant Hawker 
Common Darter

Mark Bradfield

Wednesday 6 September 2023

Grimsbury Reservoir - 6 September

20+ Willow Emerald, along River Cherwell. In one area 9 pairs and a lone female egg laying on Ash, also individual male(s) in the same area. In another area 2 males.

2 Southern Hawker

12+ Migrant Hawker

5+ Brown Hawker (all egg laying)

Common and Ruddy Darters

2 Common Damselfly

2 Blue-tailed Damselfly 

Radley Lakes - 6 September

8 Common Blue Damsels
30+ Red Eyed Damsels
10+ Migrant Hawker
4 Brown Hawker
2 Southern Hawker
Common and Ruddy Darters

Wayne Bull

Migrant Hawker © Wayne Bull

Migrant Hawker © Wayne Bull

Faringdon Folly Park Pond - 6 September

Small Red-eyed Damselfly: c. 50+ rough estimate
Blue-tailed Damselfly: 1
Emperor: 1 still
Migrant Hawker: 2+
Southern Hawker: 1
Common Darter: c. 50+ rough estimate

Stephen Burch

Migrant Hawker © Stephen Burch

Standlake Pit 60 - 6 September

3+ Common Blue Damselflies
 1 Migrant Hawker

Stephen Burch

Tuesday 5 September 2023

Otmoor, 5th September

Common Blue Damselfly: 4
Western Willow Spreadwing: 1m, 3f
Southern Hawker: 1
Migrant Hawker: 8
Brown Hawker: 2
Common Darter: 30+ 
Ruddy Darter: 25+

Western Willow Spreadwing ♂© David Hastings

Western Willow Spreadwing ♀© David Hastings


Grove Meadows Storm Water Pond - 5 September

1m Willow Emerald Damselfly (first site record)
2+ Blue-tailed Damselfly (1 pair in cop.)
10+ Small Red-eyed Damselfly - reduced numbers compared with last visit and last year
1-2 Migrant Hawkers
Common Darter 50+, most in cop. ovipositing

Stephen Burch

Willow Emerald Damselfly [focus stacked] © Stephen Burch
Migrant Hawker © Stephen Burch


The Trap Grounds 3rd September

Willow Emerald 2
"Red" Darters 10+

As predicted, Willow Emeralds finally appeared at the Trap Grounds in September on the main pond.

Adam

Ruddy Darter

Willow Emerald


Monday 4 September 2023

Cholsey Meadows - 4 September

3 Willow Emerald 
Emperor 
Migrant Hawkers
Common Darter

Alan Dawson

Migrant Hawkers © Alan Dawson

Willow Emerald Damselfly (m) © Alan Dawson

Willow Emerald Damselfly (m) © Alan Dawson

Radley Lakes - 30 August and 4 September

30 August

 1 Emerald Damsel (Female)
10+ Common Blue Damsels
10+ Red Eyed Damsels
1 Small Red Eyed Damsel (Male)
2 Migrant Hawker
1 Southern Hawker
Common & Ruddy Darters

4 September

5 Common Blue Damsels
20+ Red Eyed Damsels
6+ Migrant Hawker
1 Brown Hawker
1 Southern Hawker
4 Ruddy Darter
3 Common Darter

Wayne Bull

Migrant Hawker settled © Wayne Bull

Migrant Hawker in flight © Wayne Bull

Small Red Eyed Damsel (m) © Wayne Bull

Wroxton College Lakes - 3 September

Smaller lake:

10 Willow Emeralds inc. 2 mating pairs with probable egg laying taking pace in some very small ash trees on the bridge
1 Brown Hawker
Several Migrant Hawkers

Michael Higgs


Willow Emerald © Michael Higgs

Aspen Way Ponds, Didcot - 3 September

5 (4m, 1f ovipositing) Willow Emeralds
5 Migrant Hawker
2 Emperor

Ian Lewington

Male Willow Emerald © Ian Lewington
Willow Emerald ovipositing © Ian Lewington

Stadhampton Meadows - 4th Sep pm

 

Male Willow Emerald (record shot into sun)

Willow Emerald Damselfly (male) - first site record
2 Migrant Hawker
Emperor
Banded Demoiselles (several male and 2 over-mature fem)

Banded Demoiselle (over-mature female)

Banded Demoiselle (over-mature female)