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| Four-spotted Chaser © Mark Chivers |
A blog for sightings of Dragonflies and Damselflies in Oxfordshire. To submit records and photos, email stephen_burchemail at yahoo.co.uk.
Photos with maximum resolutions up to 2400 pixels may be provided.
Recorders are encouraged to upload their own sightings to iRecord, but any remaining records will be uploaded at the end of the season.
Saturday, 27 May 2023
Friday, 26 May 2023
River Thames upstream from Shillingford
Clubtail 3
Hairy Dragonfly 4
White-legged Damselfly 14
Four-spot Chaser 3
Black-tailed Skimmer 1f
Blue-tailed Damselfly 6
Ian Lewington
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| Clubtail © Ian Lewington |
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| Hairy Dragonfly © Ian Lewington |
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| White-legged Damselfly © Ian Lewington |
Banbury Area - 19 May - 26 May
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 |
Cholsey - 26 May 23
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 |
Gatehampton Railway Bridge (Goring) - 26 May
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 and Steeple Barton Lake - 26 May
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 |
Parsonage Moor - 26 May
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 |
Thursday, 25 May 2023
R. Thames near Shillingford - 25 May
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 area - 25 May pm
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
Peter Philp
Radley Lakes & Barton Field - 25 May 2023
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
River Thames at Cholsey - 24 May 2023
1 Red-eyed Damselfly
Alan Dawson
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| Red-eyed Damselfly © Alan Dawson |
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Chimney Meadows, 24th May
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 |
David Hastings
Cholsey - River Thames near Four Arches Bridge: 24 May 2023
1 Clubtail
Alan Dawson
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| Clubtail © Alan Dawson |
Scantlebury Road Pond, Wantage - 24 May 2023
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
Grove Meadows - 24 May 2023
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 |
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Springs Golf Club at North Stoke - 23 May
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 |
University Parks - 18 May
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 |
Monday, 22 May 2023
Cholsey - 22 May
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 |
Sunday, 21 May 2023
Shillingford to Little Wittenham - 20 May
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 |
Dry Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor - 18 May
Parsonage Moor:
Large Red Damselfly - 1
Common Blue Damselfly - 1
Broad Bodied Chaser - 1
Black-tailed Skimmer 1
Dry Sandford Pit:
Large Red Damselfly -18
Southern Damselfly - 1F
Keeled Skimmer -1 (very fresh!)
Peter Philp
Saturday, 20 May 2023
Trap Grounds 20th May
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 |
Friday, 19 May 2023
Thames at Shillingford - 19 May
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 |
Otmoor, 18th May
Azure Damselfly : 100+
Hairy Hawker : 3
David Hastings
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| Azure Damselfly © David Hastings |
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Appleford Gravel Pit - 16 May
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 |
Cholsey Marsh - 17th May
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| Clubtail (record shot) |
Clubtail (imm fem) drying off @ 10:50, then flew high
+ lots of Banded Demoiselle
River Thames at Cholsey - 16 May
1 Four spotted Chaser
Alan Dawson
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| Four spotted Chaser (c) Alan Dawson |
Monday, 15 May 2023
Sunday, 14 May 2023
River of Life downstream from Clifton Hampden - 14 May
Incredible total of 27 Clubtails and 11 exuviae!!
Between SU 55204 95736 to 55261 95766
Very freshly emerged with some not in full colour yet and one emergent
Total records for day were:
Clubtail - 27
Common Blue damsel -30
Red Eye - 5
Large red - 2
Blue tailed - 12
Banded demoiselle - 54
Southern Hawker - 4
Broad bodied chaser - 1
Mark Bradfield
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| One of 27 Clubtails! (c) Mark Bradfield |
Trap Grounds, Oxford 14th May
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 |
Goring on Thames - 12 May
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 |
Thursday, 11 May 2023
Sunday, 7 May 2023
Day's Lock - 7 May
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 |
Friday, 5 May 2023
Oxford - Iffley 5 May
1 Large Red Damselfly
1 Broad bodied Chaser
Steve Roby
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| Broad-bodied Chaser (c) Steve Roby |
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| Large Red Damselfly (c) Steve Roby |
Letcombe Brook south of Wantage - 5 May
1 Large Red Damselfly
Mark Bradfield
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| Large Red Damselfly (c) Mark Bradfield |
Thursday, 4 May 2023
Wednesday, 3 May 2023
Monday, 1 May 2023
Sunday, 30 April 2023
Otmoor - 29th April
1 Hairy Dragonfly
1 Large Red Damselfly
Mrs Frances Buckel, via iRecord/BTO BirdTrack
Saturday, 29 April 2023
River Thames, Shillingford - 29 April
1 male Large Red Damselfly.
Entered onto iRecord
John Bloomfield
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| Large Red Damselfly (c) John Bloomfield |
Friday, 28 April 2023
Cholsey 20 & 28 April
1 Large Red Damselfly:
Green Lane 20th April SU594876
Lollingdon 28th April SU574858
Paul Chandler
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Wantage - 20 April 2023
First record of the season!
1f Demoiselle sp. along the Letcombe Brook just upstream of the town.
Mark Bradfield
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