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Southern Hawker © Stephen Burch |
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
Friday 30 August 2024
Grove Meadows Stormwater pond, 30 August late pm
Tuesday 27 August 2024
Grove Meadows Stormwater pond, 27 August
10+ Small Red-eyed Damselfly, including a pair in cop.
4+ Willow Emerald Damselfly
1 Migrant Hawker
20+ Common Darter (estimate)
Note: This site has now been mown, making access much easier then before. But that has a downside of more litter etc.
Stephen Burch
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Willow Emerald Damselfly [focus stacked] © Stephen Burch |
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Small Red-eyed Damselfly [focus stacked] © Stephen Burch |
Whitecross Green Wood, 26 August
Rides
Possibly a Southern Migrant Hawker Dragonfly f?
Migrant Hawker Dragonflies, several
Brown Hawker Dragonflies, several
Southern Hawker Dragonflies, several
Common & Ruddy Darter Dragonflies, many
Main Pond
Brown Hawker Dragonflies, 1 m, 1 f ovipositing
Southern Hawker Dragonflies, 1m, poss. 1 f
Ruddy Darter Dragonflies, several, at least 4 pairs ovipositing
Several Common Darter Dragonflies
Emerald Damselflies, 1 f
Willow Emerald Damselflies, 1
Blue-tailed Damselflies, 2
Phil Cruse
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Willow Emerald Damselfly © Phil Cruse |
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Emerald Damsely © Phil Cruse |
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Brown Hawker ovipositing © Phil Cruse |
Ardington, 26 July
Pool to south of village (SU430881):
1 Common Darter
First Odonata sighting of the season at this site!
Stephen Burch
Oxford Botanic Gardens, 26 August
Sunday 25 August 2024
Thursday 22 August 2024
Tar Lakes, 18 Aug
Common Blue Damselfly (common)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (a few)
Red-eyed Damselfly (several)
Small Red-eyed Damselfly (2/3)
Ruddy Darter (several)
Common Darter (common)
Brown Hawker (several)
Emperor (several)
Lesser Emperor (4 males)
Migrant Hawker (several)
Black tailed Skimmer (1)
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Small Red-eyed Damselflies ©️ JP Brouard |
Monday 19 August 2024
Otmoor RSPB, 17 Aug
Spent the day at Otmoor.
Ruddy Darter (very common)
Common Darter (very common)
Southern Migrant Hawker (5 males seen)
Migrant Hawker (20+)
Southern Hawker (several about)
Brown Hawker (several about)
Emerald Damselfly (2 males, one in tandem with Willow Emerald)
Willow Emerald Damselfly (11 total - 6 males/5 females/ on a quick evening visit 13 Aug, saw 1 female on the Roman Road)
Common Blue Damselfly (Common)
Azure Damselfly (a few seen)
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Southern Migrant Hawker male ©️ JP Brouard |
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Southern Migrant Hawker male in flight ©️ JP Brouard |
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Male Emerald Damselfly in tandem with female Willow Emerald Damselfly ©️ JP Brouard |
Otmoor, 17 August
Saturday 17 August 2024
Radley Lakes, 16th August
Common Blue Damselfly 30+
Blue-tailed Damselfly 2
Red-eyed Damselfly 10
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 4
Brown Hawker 3
Migrant Hawker 5
Ruddy Darter 12
David Hastings
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Small Red-eyed Damselflies © David Hastings |
Tar Lakes, 16th August
Common Blue Damselfly 15
Red-eyed Damselfly 1
Emperor Dragonfly 2
Lesser Emperor 2
Brown Hawker 1
Migrant Hawker 8
Ruddy Darter 4
Common Darter 30+ (several pairs in cop, and in tandem with the female ovipositing)
David Hastings
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Migrant Hawker © David Hastings |
Friday 16 August 2024
Otmoor, 16 August
Dix Pit, 16 August pm
Lesser Emperor: Upto 5 at 3 locations along W side (a tandem pair ovipositing, a single male and 2 males tussling)
Banded Demoiselle 2+
Red-eyed Damselfly: 5+
Blue damsels: numerous
Emperor: probably outnumbered by Lessers!
Brown Hawker: 10+
Migrant Hawker: 5+
Common Darter
Stephen Burch
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Distant Lesser Emperor tandem pair ovipositing © Stephen Burch |
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Migrant Hawker (with damselfly exuviae) © Stephen Burch |
Tuesday 13 August 2024
Tar Lakes - 13th Aug
Faringdon Folly Park Pond, 13 August
1 Lesser Emperor (?). Very brief view of a probable that quickly vanished and did not reappear,
Small Red-eyed Damselfly: Only 1 on floating vegetation. It seems that much of the floating material is cleared for the benefit of the fisherman but not this species. Formerly this pond was one of the best in the county for this species. Not anymore it seems.
Red-eyed Damselfly: There were only a few well out on the floating vegetation.
Common-blue Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Emperor 2-3m
Brown Hawker 1-2m
Southern Hawker 1-2m
Common Darter: many
Stephen Burch
Otmoor, 12 August
Tar Lakes, 12 August
Monday 12 August 2024
Cholsey Marsh, 12 August am
Sunday 11 August 2024
Trap Grounds 11th August
First Willow Emeralds of the season for this site with one by the "Dragonfly Pond" and one along the canal.
Also
2 Brown Hawkers
1f Emperor ovipositing
Lots of Common & Ruddy Darters
A few Blue-tailed Damselflies
One Common Blue Damselfly
2 Banded Demoiselles
Tar Lakes, 11th August
Common Blue Damselfly 40+
Red-eyed Damselfly 2
Banded Demoiselle 2
Emperor Dragonfly 4
Lesser Emperor 2
Brown Hawker 3
Ruddy Darter 3
Common Darter 35+ (at least ten pairs in tandem with the female ovipositing)
David Hastings
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Common Darter © David Hastings |
Pinkhill, Farmoor Reservoir - 11 August
1m Southern Migrant Hawker: Just to left of Pinkhill hide
Peter Philp
Possible range extension, or an isolated record?
Saturday 10 August 2024
Otmoor RSPB, 9 August
Late afternoon/evening visit.
Ruddy Darter (very common)
Common Darter (very common)
Southern Migrant Hawker (5 males)
Brown Hawker (3)
Southern Hawker (4+)
Emerald Damselfly (2 females)
Azure Damselfly (several)
Common Blue Damselfly (several)
Blue tailed Damselfly (1male)
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Southern Migrant Hawker male ©️ JP Brouard |
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Southern Migrant Hawker male ©️ JP Brouard |
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Southern Hawker male ©️ JP Brouard |
Otmoor, 9 August
More on Otmoor Southern Migrant Hawkers - August
Jeremy Dexter has kindly provided more information on his recent Southern Migrant Hawker sightings from Otmoor:
9/8/24 Car Park to Pill: 11 - including 3 females (one of which was egg laying in tandem) - it was windy so numbers probably an underestimate
7/8/24 1st screen to 2nd screen: 4 including 1 female
5/8/24 Oddington track to 100 acre: 7 including 1 female
[Note also 2 males at Bernwood Forest which were just outside the county but presumably have spread from Otmoor/Whitecross Green Wood at SP61227 11466 and SP61758 11110 on 18 July].
He has also provided photos of an unusual blue-phase female (SP57209 13328 on 9 August):
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Southern Migrant Hawker (blue form female) © Jeremy Dexter |
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Southern Migrant Hawker (blue form female) © Jeremy Dexter |
Friday 9 August 2024
Radley Lakes, 9th August
Common Blue Damselfly 50+
Red-eyed Damselfly 6
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 2
Blue-tailed Damselfly 2
Western Willow Spreadwing 1
Southern Hawker 3
Brown Hawker 3
Black-tailed Skimmer 3
Ruddy Darter 7
Common Darter 3
David Hastings
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Western Willow Spreadwing © David Hastings |
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Small Red-eyed Damselfly © David Hastings |