SpringBritish Dragonfly 2010 SocietyIssue 27 1 Darter Magazine Welcome Claire Install

Hi and welcome to this new-look, full colour edition of Darter. The main focuses will be recording, the monitoring scheme and the new atlas as well as reporting what has happened around the UK in the past year. I hope you like the new format and find it an interesting read too. Thank you to everyone who has submitted articles, photos and maps and also to Mark Tyrrell for helping me to compile this issue. e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 0300 060 2338

Overall National Atlas progress up to the start of 2010.

The blue squares show 10km squares which exceed the regional diversity threshold, green squares are below the threshold. No records have been submitted for uncoloured areas.

Read more on page 3. 2 Darter Spring 2010

New Atlas Steve Cham

Progress on the new atlas is continuing apace with many new records coming into the DRN from the fi eld. In parallel with the recording activities we have also started to write the text and format the pages and sections for the publication. This is being co-ordinated by a small atlas working group. It is intended that the atlas should refl ect regional differences, especially in the habitat requirements of each species. For this we need help from anyone with local knowledge including good digital photographs of habitat types. These will not be restricted to rare species or sites with large assemblages of species. All species are to be included. Sometimes a site can support a few species yet in exceptionally high numbers. For example there are fl ooded quarry sites that have huge populations of Common Blue Damselfl y and Black-tailed Skimmers. Why are sites so good for these species? We want to know. If you know of sites with large populations of common species share your thoughts with the atlas team. Better still take a photograph of the site with a short summary of why it is such a good site. If you have a garden pond with high numbers of emerging dragonfl ies let us know.

For those accomplished or budding landscape photographers amongst the membership we are looking for a photograph for the front cover that captures all the ingredients of a great dragonfl y site. If you have such a photograph or know of a site that might qualify we would love to see your photographs.

Lastly, it is important that we capture all the relevant information relating to species distribution. If you have local knowledge of any species with exceptional populations, isolated colonies, unusual colour forms, unusual habitat, sites that have benefi ted from management etc please put pen to paper and let us have a contribution. All contributions to the atlas will be acknowledged.

BDS Launch Online Recording Dragonfl y Monitoring Scheme Steve Prentice Steve Prentice

At last online recording is available Those of you who read Darter last year or attended the Recorders Day on the BDS website! It makes at Brandon Marsh will know about the Dragonfl y Monitoring Scheme. it easy for anyone to submit Monitoring reports have been received from over twenty recorders who dragonfl y records. The new conducted 51 transects during the 2009 season. Most of the transects system features photos of all the were conducted by individuals although some were carried out by groups UK Odonata species. The records e.g. Wildlife Trust or National Nature Reserve volunteers. The number of entry screens have a step by step visits ranged from a minimum of 2 to the maximum of 19. If you have not guide with a traffi c light system at sent in your results, please send each stage that turns green when them to me now. As with any pilot all of the required information has scheme, the methodology will need been correctly entered. If users tweaking. are unsure of a dragonfl y species, digital images can be attached Any comments from those who to records to ensure the correct took part are particularly valuable identifi cation by the BDS. The and will be used to shape the advanced record entry can be methodology for the second year. used to submit multiple records The aim is to have an easy to use and will be ideal for recorders out but scientifi cally rigorous method of their normal areas to submit which can be used in every records without having to track Odonata habitat throughout the down the local Vice County UK, from the waterways of fenland Recorder. All online records to peat bogs in Scotland. For the will be fed back to the VCRs for 2010 season we are looking to verifi cation. expand the project and are aiming for 200 transects across the whole The system will make dragonfl y of the country so please contact recording more accessible and me if you would like to take part. user-friendly and will help us fi ll If you visit a site regularly why not in the unrecorded atlas 10km complete a transect? It will make a squares. Give it a try on valuable contribution to producing www.dragonfl ysoc.org.uk. an annual dragonfl y index which will show the changing population trends of dragonfl ies in the UK. British Dragonfl y Society 3 Atlas Recording Progress Steve Prentice Migrant and Dispersive Dragonfl ies in Britain during Despite the uncertain weather for the second season of recording for the 2009 National Atlas, recorders have been out and about and records are still Adrian Parr fl owing in from the Vice Counties. This year we wanted to show overall progress of recording for the atlas in Darter but can only show progress for Last year was quite an eventful Vice Counties from which I have received records. To help identify areas one for many migrant species. which have not yet been covered all these new records will be shown on the Full news will appear elsewhere, NBN Gateway data.nbn.org.uk/ from mid April. The 46,550 records since the but a number of points are worth start of the 2008 season received to date are broken down as follows: reiterating here as they impinge on what activities recorders might want to plan for the coming Percentage Recorded Number season. of 10km 10km of 10km squares squares squares Southern Emerald Damselfl y: recorded Three singletons were reported England 643 1,499 43% from coastal East Anglia during Scotland 193 1,119 17% August 2009. Were these just Wales 186 288 65% “the tip of the iceberg”, and could local breeding sites have been Total 1,022 2,906 35% established?

Willow Emerald Damselfl y: The The map on the front cover shows the 1,022 10km squares for which atlas dramatic events concerning this records have been submitted. The green squares represent a number of species are described in detail species less than the target diversity for the Vice County and the blue squares elsewhere in this issue. exceed the target. Our aim is to have the whole map coloured blue by the end of the 2012 recording season. This will be quite a challenge but one that I am Dainty Damselfl y: The species sure we will overcome! The target diversity is based on 60% of the number was recorded again from Jersey of breeding species occurring within each vice-county. These numbers were during 2009, after an absence of then modifi ed according to local expert knowledge and the species diversities 68 years. Did any make it further of adjacent vice-counties and then simplifi ed into three diversity groups. north, to reach the UK mainland? The highest group, requiring 14 species to fulfi l the species diversity criteria, occurs predominately in southern England, the intermediate group of 11 Small Red-eyed Damselfl y: species occurs predominately in mid and east England and Wales and the After range expansion stalled lowest diversity group requiring 8 species occurs in northern England and somewhat during 2007 and 2008, Scotland. a new northerly record for Britain was set last year at Seamer Tip Pools, North Yorkshire. Will yet further expansion occur this season?

Black Darter: Quite extensive dispersal within Britain took place during 2009, perhaps as a result of the very dry weather seen in some areas during early autumn. Will any new breeding sites have become established?

Red-veined Darter: 2009 saw a very major infl ux, with records from nearly 100 sites as far north as East Lothian, Scotland. An autumn generation was noted at several sites in England and Wales, and it is possible that further emergences may occur almost anywhere this coming spring (assuming, of course, that BDS volunteers recording at Alvecote, Warwickshire 2009. the cold winter has not had an adverse effect). 4 Darter Spring 2010 Willow Emerald Damselflies in the UK Adrian Parr Steve Cham British Dragonfl y Society 5 The Willow Emerald Damselfl y (Lestes viridis) was Clearly one of the priorities for the 2010 season is to until recently an extreme rarity in Britain. A specimen follow the fate of the putative Suffolk colony, and to see apparently taken in Hertfordshire in 1899 may constitute whether the species has started to spread in the way that the fi rst fi rm record, but is now considered by some to the Small Red-eyed Damselfl y did after it fi rst arrived in have been mislabelled – the fi nder having also collected Britain. Recorders in East Anglia, in particular, are thus on the Continent that summer. More recently, adults were encouraged to be on the lookout for Willow Emerald seen near Hastings, Sussex, sometime around 1980 and Damselfl ies. Identifi cation features were described in an exuvia was found at Cliffe Marshes, Kent, in 1992. Dragonfl y News vol. 55, but one of the key features is A single adult female then seen near Trimley, Suffolk, the damselfl y’s pale pterostigmas – though some care is during 2007 was until last year the most recent record. needed since tenerals of the other emerald damselfl ies also share this feature. If seen well, another good feature is the pattern on the side of the thorax, where a spur of metallic green extends diagonally down into the pale yellow below. Another good clue to identifi cation is the damselfl y’s characteristic habit of spending much time up in the trees – typically willows or alders close to still or slow-fl owing water, though they can wander some way. Frequently damselfl ies can be found hanging off the tips of branches, holding their bodies at roughly a 45o angle. Indeed this habit of living up in the trees is one that needs to be fully appreciated if the species is not to be overlooked.

Steve Cham

During summer 2009 the situation with regard to Willow Emerald Damselfl ies in Britain was to change dramatically. On 1 August another individual was discovered near Trimley by Will Brame, who had also found the 2007 individual in that area. On 2 August, Steve Goddard then discovered several individuals some 20 kilometres away at Staverton Lakes. With the site being publically accessible, and with the damselfl ies clearly being settled, the Staverton individuals were to attract much attention over the coming weeks – even the BBC did some fi lming there. With interest in Willow Emerald Damselfl ies being on a high, and with observers now clued up on the characteristic features of the species, people then set off to look for new sites in the area. Remarkably these were soon found, at places such as the River Deben and at Alton Water. Indeed new sites were to be discovered on a regular basis for several months to come! Most of the records continued to come from southeast Suffolk, but three sites in northern Essex were also to be found. In addition, there was one record from Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, a little distance away from the main centre of distribution.

The origin of last summer’s damselfl ies is of great interest. In total over 400 individuals were seen (with 100 at one site alone!), and records continued for three full months. Although a certain amount of immigration cannot be discounted, the sheer scale of these events seems to suggest that a resident breeding population may have been discovered – a conclusion reinforced by the discovery of at least two tenerals. That the main centre of distribution is very close to where the species was seen in 2007 is probably no coincidence, and it is tempting to speculate that arrivals in that year may have led to the Figure 1 Map showing where Willow Emerald establishment of a breeding colony. Damselfl ies were recorded in East Anglia during 2009. 6 Darter Spring 2010 for beginners and dragonfly exuviae identification. The first will be on the 25th June at Great Wheal Seton, 108 109 along the Red River Valley near Camborne, a classic Ischnura pumilio 110 107 site, and the second will be on the 112 10th July at Windmill Farm Nature 105 106 94 Reserve on the Lizard peninsula. 95 93 This will be the second year that we 104 96 92 have run these courses following 97 91 111 successful pilot events last year. 89 90 To book for either of these events 88 contact Sue Scott of the Cornwall 103 98 Wildlife Trust wildlife information 87 85 service, on (01872) 240777 ext 250, 99 86 102 84 82 or visit the ERCCIS website for more 76 83 81 information (note, the events must 77 78 be booked in advance) at: http:// 75 79 80 68 101 103 www.erccis.co.uk/events/individual_ 72 67 events/. 74 73 70 66 You may also be interested to know that I now have my own website at: 69 71 65 62 www.cornishnature.co.uk launched at the end of October 2008. The site 64 60 61 is not exclusively about dragonflies, however they do feature heavily 59 63 51 54 and there are sections on Cornish 52 Dragonflies, Cornish Damselflies, 58 49 50 57 56 Iberian Dragonflies & Iberian 53 48 39 Damselflies. One such item is an 47 40 55 28 27 account of the larva of a Green Tiger Beetle - Cicindela campestris 38 31 46 43 37 32 29 26 25 attempting to prey on a Four-spotted 36 30 Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata 44 42 45 33 23 24 20 19 at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve 35 18 in 2008. Quite a struggle! I will 41 34 22 21 7 also include information regarding 16 6 17 8 12 15 dragonfly related field trips within the 5 county and up to date information 4 11 13 14 9 on any sightings of interest, which hopefully may act as a catalyst for 2 10 3 local recording and /or the local 1 group.

One very interesting record from Vice county map. Vice Counties for which 2009 accounts have been written 2009 was the rediscovery of the are coloured in green. Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio on Goss Moor along the new A30 dual carriageway. Peter well in excess of 20 years! I would Maker found around 30 individuals, Cornwall - VC1 & 2 of course still welcome the arrival including copulating pairs, in some Steve Jones of a successor and would be very relatively bare scrapes immediately happy to help anyone who is willing adjacent to the new road, the first It is perhaps stating the obvious that to take on the role for as long as my records for the moor in well over a in a year when Cornwall lingered assistance is needed. So if anyone decade. for far too long under the power is interested in becoming the next shower, that the dragonfly season County Recorder for Cornwall do let Devon - VC 3 & 4 disappeared all too quickly down the me know. Don’t be shy! Dave Smallshire plug hole of time! During 2010, in association with With some decent weather in the Sadly no one has come forward to ERCCIS & Duchy College I will spring of 2009, at least the early take on the county recorder’s role be leading 2 one day courses on dragonflies seem to have fared which I have now carried out for dragonfly identification & recording well in 2009. Emergence began as British Dragonfl y Society 7 on the same day was only the third record there. Two Scarce Chasers were on the River Axe on 7 June and at least 4 later in the month at Lower Bruckland Ponds, together with up to 8 Red-eyed Damselfl ies and 4 Red- veined Darters.

Red-veined Darters were also seen in June at Berry Head (2 on 4th), Smallhanger (up to 4 during 6 June-1 July), Plymouth (one on 13th) and South Huish Marsh, a former breeding site (2 on 22 July), and at Exminster Marshes in mid/late June. A Ruddy Darter at Smallhanger on 2 August was the fi rst record for the location. The only other records of this species involved small numbers at Offwell and Seaton Marshes, both believed to be breeding sites. Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata being dragged into the burrow by a Green Tiger beetle larva. Steve Jones. Southern Damselfl ies had another good year, helped along by the fi ne weather in June, with peak usual with Large Red Damselfl y and wandering Beautiful Demoiselle transect counts of over 200 at each (Exminster Marshes, 11 April) and Golden-ringed Dragonfl y, of the three main Dartmoor sites. then Broad-bodied Chaser from the last species still present on 23 At Colaton Raleigh Common, the 22 April (in my garden pond) and September. peak count was 75 (with 16 Small Hairy Dragonfl y from 23 April Red Damselfl ies) on 23 June, while (Exminster Marshes). An early In the Bovey Basin, Stover had 2 Venn Ottery saw the fi rst year of Southern Hawker emerged at Hairy Dragonfl y exuviae on 25 April, concerted introductions of Southern Stover on 23 May and a Golden- with up to 6 adults subsequently; Damselfl ies translocated under ringed Dragonfl y was at Finlake a peak of only 20 Red-eyed licence from the New Forest. on 29 May. Two immature Scarce Damselfl ies on 1 June (the water Blue-tailed Damselfl ies appeared lilies again suffered complete die Searches along the Lower Tamar at Finlake during hot weather on 30 back during the summer for reasons Valley above Gunnislake in early May, presumably wanderers from the unknown); and a Downy Emerald on July failed to produce the hoped-for Bovey Basin. A male of this species 1 June. On the last date, a territorial Orange-spotted Emerald! Although also appeared at a Heddon Valley Hairy Dragonfl y at Chudleigh the only record from here was in (Exmoor) pond on 24 May, followed Knighton Heath was unusual. At Little 1946, there is an unconfi rmed record by an aurantiaca female on 31st; Bradley Ponds, Hairy Dragonfl y was of one photographed in the 1960s. these are some 24 miles NE of the seen on 23 May and a maximum nearest known site. of 6 Downy Emeralds on 3 June, Two Blue-tailed Damselfl ies at the when 2 Red-eyed Damselfl ies were River Otter on 10 October were very Around the Exe marshes, Hairy present. late. Four Common Darters and a Dragonfl ies were seen at Countess Southern Hawker at Stover on 20 Wear and Exminster Marshes on In east Devon, 3 Downy Emeralds November were the last dragonfl ies 31 May; Scarce Chaser couldn’t be emerged at Bystock on 9 May, of the year. found at the latter, but a Golden- with up to 5 here and at nearby ringed Dragonfl y exuvia at Alphin Squabmoor during the following Many thanks to everyone who has Brook was a new breeding record for couple of months. Small Red submitted records and especially the area. Small Red-eyed Damselfl y Damselfl y peaked at 31 at Bystock to those of you who carried out was discovered on Exeter Canal at and Hairy Dragonfl y at 2, while monitoring scheme transect counts. Countess Wear Sewage Works on 7 Red-eyed Damselfl ies peaked at 14 August, extending its range a further at Squabmoor. A Hairy Dragonfl y 20 miles to the west from the existing patrolled a garden pond in West Hill Wiltshire - VC 7 &8 site at Lower Bruckland Ponds; about on 29 May – this species clearly Steve Covey 15 were present on the canal among wanders! over 100 Red-eyed on 11th, with Please see my blog for all the latest 25 of the latter still present on 10 Over 40 territorial Scarce Chasers news on dragonfl y sightings in September. At Dawlish Warren, two were along the Grand Western Canal Wiltshire Red-veined Darters on 7 June and on 2 June, more extensively than in http://wiltshire-dragonfl y-news. several sightings of Hairy Dragonfl y previous years; a Hairy Dragonfl y blogspot.com 8 Darter Spring 2010 Emerald Damselfl y have been found; one near the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey by ourselves, the second by John Westwood and Derek Tutt at Chetney Marsh where J.Westwood photographed this species in 2007, and the third by Steve Kirk near Harty Ferry north of Oare.

The Lesser Emperor was seen again for the second year at the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory by Ian Hodgson.

We have also fi lled in two new 10K squares with records for the Emerald Dragonfl y. One reported by Terry Laws at Leybourne Lakes and one by ourselves on 20th May from a site north of Ashford where we saw a total of ten species on that day. Red-veined Darters have been seen at a reservoir on the top of the North Downs above Folkstone, reported by the White Cliffs Project wardens. A second new site for this species was near Hope Point. The Sandwich Bay and the Dungeness wardens still report this species annually but as yet we have not had a report from the warden at Samphire Hoe where the Red-veined Darter is also known to occur and has bred in the past. Finally, may we request records be sent as soon as possible to us by anyone who has been recording in Kent so that we can update our records to send to the National Co- Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea emerging. Nick Donnithorne ordinator.

Surrey - VC 17 Nicholas Donnithorne Kent - VC 15 & 16 county ourselves. We have knocked John & Gill Brook on doors, made phone calls and sent The new Kent dragonfl y atlas letters to farmers, angling societies, mentioned in the last report, should companies and private homeowners be published in the next few months, After the two mostly cool, overcast seeking permission to visit ponds on as the printers draft is expected any and damp seasons of 2007/2008 their land or in their gardens. They day. Details of this and the recently the weather for 2009 was a vast have always been happy to grant published Bees of Kent can be found improvement. The summer was very permission and often take a great on the web site of the Kent Field Club dry with some very warm spells. interest in our visits. (www.kentfi eldclub.org.uk). However, the number of dragonfl ies seen was rather disappointing. The Some of the most notable records The Kent and Medway BRC (www. fi rst species seen was a single Large for the season are as follows. A kmbrc.org.uk) has moved to a new Red Damselfl y at our garden pond third Kent location for the Scarce home at the National Fruit Collection, on 14th April. From then onwards we Chaser came from two independent Brogdale, nr Faversham. have been dashing all around Kent observers who saw this species at The Surrey BRC trying to secure records for the new two different sites near the River (www.surreywildlifetrust.co.uk) held a National Atlas. We have very few Eden in West Kent. The other two recorders meeting this autumn, giving Odonata recorders in Kent to assist established populations are at all County recorders an opportunity us, but as we are both retired we Sandwich Bay and at Westbere, both to meet and listen to talks on Surrey can make up for this by having more a great distance away in East Kent. recording initiatives. The London time to spend travelling around the Three new sites for the Scarce Biological Record Centre called British Dragonfly Society 9 Greenspace Information for Greater Berkshire - VC22 recorded away from the Thames. London or GIGL (www.gigl.org.uk) Mike Turton On the down side, there were continues to input data and develop no records of Common Hawker recording initiatives with the broader Having completed my second season Aeshna juncea this year, continuing recording community. as the VC22 County recorder I the marked decline since 2005 (10 thought it was time that I submitted records in 2005, 5 in 2006, 3 in 2007 Records for Surrey trickle in via a report, so here are some of the and 2 in 2008). e-mail and letter, but for a County highlights for 2009. the size of Surrey they continue to It is encouraging to see the number be scarce. Most of the records now Two records of Hairy Dragonfly of records submitted increasing come from amateurs who find us via Brachytron pratense – one on the R. steadily, albeit from a small, but the website and the use of digital Loddon near Arborfield and one near dedicated, band of observers. photos certainly make identification Crowthorne – are the first known Records from new observers are of their “blue dragonfly” a lot easier. records of this species in Berkshire always welcome! The only large number of records since 1999. has once again come from A B Petrie Norfolk VC 27 & 28 recording in the Morden and Ewell A single Red-veined Darter Pam Taylor area. Records from anywhere in Sympetrum fonscolombii was Surrey are welcomed, even for the recorded at Greenham Common at Norfolk has reached a significant common species. the end of May. There were several milestone in recording for the 2013 records from this site in 2007, but National Atlas. There are now post- The spring weather in 2009 was none in 2008. 2000 dragonfly records for all of the once again unpredictable. My three seventy 10km squares covered by “constant effort sites “in North Sussex Southern Damselfly Coenagrion the county. I am particularly grateful are now in their 14th recording mercuriale: a maximum of 18 adults to three recorders who ventured year and 12th full season (April to were recorded this year at Dry into the far west on a number of November) of recording weekly. The Sandford Pit. occasions and brought the last four first records for dragonflies were squares there into the atlas. In fact a week earlier, when eight fresh Variable Damselfly Coenagrion two of the previously unrecorded Large red damselfly Pyrrhosoma pulchellum: records were received squares, TF52 and TF51, now have nymphula were seen on 26th April. from 3 sites at Parsonage Moor, at least ten species, whilst TF50 has Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea Burghfield and Cookham, the last of risen from five to fourteen species. emergence was effectively over in these being a previously unrecorded Only nine squares in the whole four weeks and once again only site. county remain under the official Vice- about 100 exuviae were collected, County Diversity Threshold of eleven with first emergence one week earlier Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion species and all but one of these are on 4th May. Following on from last tenellum was recorded at 11 sites in just part squares on the extreme years good showing of Brilliant the Bracknell area (with evidence of western or south-eastern borders of Emerald Somatochlora metallica, breeding at 7 of these) as well as at the county. only one male was seen, in early Decoy Heath and Parsonage Moor in August. The last activity was a the west and northwest of the county A target for 2010 must surely be female Migrant Hawker Aeshna respectively. TF80 between Swaffham to the mixta ovipositing on 18th October. north-west and Watton to the south- Records of Small Red-eyed east, with only ten species currently I have started a new site some Damselfly Erythromma viridulum recorded. The River Wissey runs miles away on the River Medway, show that it now occurs right across through this square and there are as part of the Society’s Dragonfly the southern part of the county as far several ponds shown on the map, Monitoring Scheme. The mostly as Newbury. so why not see what you can find? overcast weather made recording Other targets are TF72 and TF73 within the guidelines very difficult, Brilliant Emerald Somatochlora with just eleven species each and but a good population of White- metallica had a particularly good TF94 and TM28 with twelve species. legged Damselfly Platycnemis year, being recorded at 9 sites in the pennipes, Beautiful Calopteryx Bracknell area. Moving on to individual reports, virgo and Banded Demoiselle C. Small Red Damselfly apparently splendens were followed throughout Common Clubtail Gomphus had a good year at its only Norfolk the recording period. Numbers were vulgatissimus was recorded at a site, with over fifty recorded found to vary dependant on wind number of locations on the River on 28th June, many of which direction and when this aligned with Thames between Farmoor and were paired, with some females the river, numbers were inclined to Reading with exuviae being found at ovipositing. Norfolk Hawker also drop off. Pangbourne and Reading. A single had a reasonably good season at its exuvia was also found on the Kennet breeding strongholds, but numbers & Avon Canal near Burghfield, the seemed down on recent years. first record of breeding in this area for By contrast Downy Emerald may a number of years. 1 adult was also be starting to spread from its only 10 Darter Spring 2010 species, but there are bound to be more in the future, so please keep your eyes open!

My fi nal words are to thank the fi fty- plus recorders who sent in records for Norfolk during 2009. Although some were no more than the odd dragonfl y mention in an email about bird sightings, some dedicated recorders made up to 150 separate site visits during the season. No matter how large or small your contribution, every record is valuable, so please keep them coming.

Cambridgeshire - VC29 Val Perrin.

As well as the familiar and well-watched dragonfl y sites in Cambridgeshire, such as Wicken and Woodwalton Fens NNRs, we have tried to cover some new ground last season by visiting some relatively little-known and hitherto unrecorded water bodies mainly in the south of the county.

I found the season locally to get off to a slow start in 2009, with a cold and cloudy early May - seeing the fi rst weak teneral Azure and Blue-tailed Damselfl ies clinging rather forlornly to vegetation besides the Old West River at Earith. By mid-June, Four- Male Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens at territory, Cambridgeshire. spotted Chaser and Red-eyed Val Perrin Damselfl y were on the wing at Broad Lane pond, Cottenham and Banded Demoiselles with their fl uttering, known breeding site in the county. the species spread to a second fl oaty fl ight were recorded over the Wandering individuals were once site at Buxton Heath in 2004. In tranquil River Snail in Fordham again seen at two ponds within the last few years there have also Woods CWT and also at Alder striking distance of its breeding lake been regular sightings from Beeston Carr, Hildersham. While conducting and also at another site further to the Common, Dersingham Bog and butterfl y transects for the Countryside east in the broads. the Grimston/Roydon complex, but Restoration Trust at Westfi eld Farm, numbers have so far remained low at Comberton, Brown Hawker, both Between 2000 and 2008 Scarce these additional sites. Common and Ruddy Darters and Chaser was recorded from nine Banded Demoiselles were all 10km squares, but thanks to the Migrants in the county were few present along the steep-sided Bourn extra recording that took place in and far between in 2009, with just Brook. the far west of the county during one Red-veined Darter seen at 2009, and a couple of wandering North Tuddenham Common and two Despite the dull and gloomy weather Scarce Chasers in the broads, this Southern Emerald Damselfl ies conditions a rare and famous visitor has now increased to seventeen reported. There was a male of the was drawing crowds at Wicken Fen squares. This increase in Scarce latter at Winterton (5th August) and a on the Sunday afternoon of 26th Chaser records is almost entirely female at Trimingham (28th August), July in the form of Chris Packham, due to recorder effort, whereas so I doubt they met! One couple who gave a really magnifi cent open the increase in Keeled Skimmer that did meet were a pair of Willow air presentation on dragonfl ies and sightings seems due to a genuine Emerald Damselfl ies photographed their whole ecology in the space of range expansion. Scrub clearance at Strumpshaw Fen on 4th October, a couple of hours. Chris had come work at Holt Lowes over a number following a mass dispersal from to open the new BDS / Dragonfl y of years has continued to open up earlier sites in Suffolk. These were Project centre cottage at the Fen. habitat for Keeled Skimmers and the fi rst Norfolk records for this Unfortunately the only odonates British Dragonfl y Society 11 weather deteriorated with cold nights and stormy wet days, so putting an end to the season. The fi rst and last dates in 2008 were 24th April and 1st December but in 2008 the last Southern Hawker was as early as the 20th October and in the previous seven years the latest Southern Hawker was only the 4th November! Up until mid November 2009, the weather had been unusually mild and warm, allowing a third species; Migrant Hawker to also be recorded. In addition to the regular 21 breeding species the vagrant Red-veined Darter was reported on the 25th May at one site and then on the 14th June again at the same site but also at another site, both in very low numbers. At one of these sites, just one pair were seen in Cop. and Ovipositing. The interesting detail is that Red-veined Darters were seen at both these sites in 2007 and Male Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii at territory, recorded as Ovipositing at one of Northamptonshire, June 2009. Mark Tyrrell. these sites in 2006, so it is probable that these dragonfl ies were locally bred. present included one Brown Hawker year, the returns were poor. I also (handled and shown by Chris to received no news of any rarer Our least recorded species was the crowd !), one Migrant Hawker migrant species such as Red-veined Downy Emerald with just six briefl y in fl ight and one Blue-tailed Darter or Lesser Emperor, which records, but seen in Cop. and with Damselfl y found by the dipping were present at Maxey Pits, near a maximum number of only 10 ponds. Peterborough in 2006. together. This species has a very restricted distribution in Bedfordshire Wimpole Park lake (National Trust) Tim Gossling, one of my county and a short fl ight period of only 20 in August found several Brown recorders, was also busy visiting a days. The next rarest species was Hawkers ovipositing into dead, partly number of sites mainly to the south Scarce Chaser with 10 records, then submerged logs and small numbers and west of Cambridge city in TL45, Emerald Damselfl y with 22 records of Small Red-eyed Damselfl ies on but also elsewhere. Tim also reported and Small Red-eyed Damselfl y with fl oating lily pads, as well as a small a late and slow start to the 2009 26 records. range of common species. On an season and no spectacular odonate idyllic late summer afternoon in late occurrences. Both he and I have For the year we received records August, Azure, Common Blue and not been able to fi nd White-legged from 88 people and so far a total of Small Red-eyed Damselfl ies were Damselfl y, which used to occur in 1986 records. One lucky observer all to be seen at the Wetlands NR, small numbers at some sites along found 30 Common Darters sunning Genome Campus, Hinxton, south of the Cambridgeshire River Ouse, themselves on one fence post on the Cambridge. I also observed Migrant in recent years, but we will keep 11th September, which must be some Hawkers whilst watching migrant searching. sort of record! Pied and Spotted Flycatchers and a small scattered fl ock of Yellow Bedfordshire - VC 30 Northamptonshire - VC32 Wagtails on farmland at Hilton in David Anderson. Mark Tyrrell. September. By the end of this month Common Darter and Migrant For Bedfordshire, 2009 was pretty This last year rates as probably Hawkers were the only dragonfl ies much a standard year, with all the best for recording in seen along the River Ouse at the usual species, but with the Northamptonshire. In the early Aldreth Causeway, near Ely and this excitement of one vagrant species season, we held a very successful appeared to bring an unremarkable being seen in small numbers. The fi eld trip to Yardley Chase, where season much to a close, although season started on the 20th April, as we recorded over 50 of our target Common Darters continued fl ying always with a Large Red Damselfl y species Downy Emerald. This into October. and the last sighting was on the 15th species has a very strong population November, again as always with a here, estimated at between 400 to So, although a number of new Common Darter, but also with a 500 adults. county sites were visited last Southern Hawker. After this time the 12 Darter Spring 2010 Slimbridge, with a fi rst appearance earlier than usual, on 23rd April, and an additional sighting at nearby Saul.

The Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea was found at 3 new locations in the Forest of Dean and a new location in the Cotswold Water Park occurred in 2008, but was not reported until 2009. This dragonfl y occurred earlier than usual too, on 29th April 2009, at Whelford in the CWP.

The Common Clubtail Gomphus vulgatissimus was sighted for the second year running at an area just outside Gloucester. It was present at its usual haunt at The Mythe, near Tewkesbury, being spotted earlier than other years, on 9th May, and along the R. Wye in two locations. The Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva was present at The Mythe, Twyning and WWT Slimbridge – all in small Immature female Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii, numbers. Northamptonshire, September 2009. Mark Tyrrell. The Small Red-eyed Damselfl y Erythromma viridulum also had The Beautiful Demoiselle continued Gloucestershire - VC 33 & 34 a successful year at The Mythe its march upstream on the Nene and Ingrid Twissell. where there was a good breeding fi nally hit Northampton, at the Swan population – approx 50, the largest Valley area near the M1. At the same Although the Summer of 2009 number ever recorded here. It was time, the Scarce Chaser progressed was not great, it did produce also present in small numbers at downstream and was recorded in the some wonderful moments. The Wallsworth Hall, the only other known same area as the Demoiselle. It looks highlight of the year was fi nding a site in the county. like my wager for the fi rst person to new location for the Black Darter see the Chaser and Demoiselle in Sympetrum danae in the Forest of The Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfl y the same area has been claimed! Dean. This dragonfl y has declined in Ischnura pumilio was photographed Gloucestershire greatly since its peak at a new location in the county in the On 27 June, six male Red-veined in 1989, with only very few records CWP in 2009. I thought that this was Darter were spotted at territory latterly and none in 2008. In fact I also extinct in Gloucestershire, as the around a small “insignifi cant” thought it was becoming extinct, so to species had not been recorded for scrape balancing pond just west fi nd a large breeding population at a many years, but a record from 2008 of Northampton. This prompted pond only dug out about three years of a small population from another great excitement in the County and before was wonderful. The site, at location in the CWP was sent to me over the next few days, oviposting Edgehills, was conifer plantation, in 2009. was noted by at least one pair. The but after the felling of the trees, has next generation started emerging become acid heathland with lots of It was interesting to see that there on 19 September and over the boggy runnels, and scattered heather were some early dates for early next 3 weeks up to 20 exuviae and and gorse. We had an Invertebrate species in 2009, and then some late emerging adults were recorded. It is Meeting in mid-July, when the Black dates too – notably the Large Red still possible that some larvae remain Darter was discovered, and since Damselfl y Pyrrhosoma nymphula to emerge in Spring 2010. If this then a total of 14 species of Odonata on 8th August, and the Common wasn’t exciting enough, one week have been recorded. Other local Darter Sympetrum striolatum on previous to this, the County’s fi rst species, the Common Hawker 15th November when mating and sighting of a Black Darter was made Aeshna juncea was also found to be ovipositing was seen. at another site and another (the breeding at the site, and sightings same one??) was then also seen at of Golden-ringed Dragonfl y Worcestershire - VC37 the same pond as the Red-veined Cordulegaster boltonii and Keeled Mike Averill. Darters. I wasn’t sure which was Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens the most exciting – emerging Red- occurred on one occasion. Expectations were high at the start of veined Darter or the male Black the year with hope that the summer Darter!! The Hairy Dragonfl y Brachytron couldn’t be as wet as those of 2007 pratense had a good year at WWT and 2008. The later part of March British Dragonfl y Society 13 leading into April started quite warm the visitors with an early showing were two new locations, a pair at and there were early emergences of of Red-veined Darter Sympetrum Hartlebury on the 7th of September Large-red Damselfl y Pyrrhosoma fonscolombii on the 30th May and Ist and one male at the Wildlife Trust nymphula, Azure Damselfl y June. Small numbers of these were headquarters on 8th August. The Coenagrion puella and Beautiful seen repeatedly through the summer Worcestershire Wildlife trust has Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo. The and eventually exuviae were found added a wetland area to its farmland Summer wasn’t too bad in the end on the 1st September. This mirrored site giving very much more variety as May was warm and dry at the a national pattern of early migration to the existing handful of ponds. end of the month and June was dry across many counties and was all This site has been trialling a new mainly because 50% of the rain all part of a large infl ux of insects most dragonfl y recording walk rather fell on the 5th and 6th. July was a bit noticeably led by the Painted Lady like the butterfl y Pollard walk. This disappointing having rain on all but 6 butterfl y Vanessa cardui which swept counting method is soon to be days. Dragonfl y spotting perked up in across the country in their thousands. extended to all counties and will August with long dry spells and there show trends in numbers from year was a run of 30 consecutive days The spread of the Small Red-eyed to year. Another site attempting a without rain from the 4th September damselfl y Erythromma viridulum is census has been the River Avon into October. Plenty of opportunity well documented and since the fi rst at Eckington and this location has for dragonfl y activity then and if ones were seen in Worcestershire proven to be more diffi cult because you managed to get to places like in 2006, sites have been searched the high nettle beds mean access Kemerton, there would be a feast with varying success. It seems that to the river bank is diffi cult except of species to see and given a fi ne they are not spreading rapidly into at the fi shing platforms. In this case day it would appear to be a veritable Worcestershire and the pattern is although the true method is to keep dragonfl y and damselfl y factory. This more of a gradual sortie to different walking at an even pace, the site is site often has migrant species but sites from Warwickshire and being treated as separate bays. this year it was Pirton which attracted Gloucestershire. This year there The long running Common Clubtail Gomphus vulgatissimus survey at Bewdley once again showed a small increase on the previous year and sites on the River Teme also had good numbers emerging.

Dragonfl y activity trailed off in October as temperatures struggled to get above the mid teens and it was up to the Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum to make a showing well in to November on the odd bright day which occurred.

Breconshire - VC42 Keith Noble.

I have recently taken over as Recorder from Gareth Ellis, Biodiversity Offi cer for the Brecon Beacons National Park which takes in roughly the southern half of our county. I am retired, and have had two seasons to explore some local areas since moving to Brecon from Sussex. We think that this might be Darter’s fi rst news from this county. As an introduction, each of us has written about the site he knows best, Gareth on Mynydd Illtyd and I on Llangorse Lake.

Mynydd Illtyd Common is one of the best odonata sites in Breconshire. A wedge-shaped block of common land Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfl ies Ischnura pumilio in-cop, Breconshire 2009. three miles south-west of Brecon, Keith Noble. the western end is Illtyd Pools SSSI, notifi ed for its water plants and the 14 Darter Spring 2010 the shallows and feeder stream. Black-tailed Skimmers, and other previously unrecorded species were also present at two other places I visited, Brechfa Pool and Llandefalle Hill. This may indicate that species are spreading, but the basic information about dragonfl ies from most parts of Breconshire is sparse.

Brechfa Pool, a small shallow Brecknock Wildlife Trust reserve and SSSI with a grand view of the Black Mountains behind Hay and Talgarth, produced the biggest surprise last summer. On 3 June a glimpse of a bright red dragonfl y dashing across the water took me straight back two years and a day to a family picnic in Sussex when we came across Llandefalle Hill, Breconshire August 2009. Keith Noble a dozen Red-veined Darters Sympetrum fonscolombii at Seven Sisters Country Park. Seeing this one and gradually fi nding nine more Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfl y SSSI for recording purposes, contact around a pool 900 feet up a hill in Ischnura pumilio. The SSSI has two [email protected]. mid-Wales was totally unexpected. areas of raised bog and fen, forming All my records and photographs, vegetated areas of shallow standing Roughly fi ve miles east of Brecon, fi nishing with seven on 1 July, water that drain into two streams Llangorse Lake is the largest natural were of males. I recorded ten other running north into the river Usk. The freshwater area in south Wales. species at the site. surrounding common has a network The shallow open water with an of more than a dozen scattered important range of aquatic plants is Among the bracken, heather and shallow ponds and numerous bordered by extensive reedbeds, moorland grasses on Llandefalle Hill, temporary pools in hollows and meadow and marsh, willow and with a wonderful view of the Beacons vehicle tracks. This range of habitats alder. It looks especially beautiful summits ten miles to the south, supports 15 odonata species, with on calm days when the surface are two small shallow pools and a the Scarce Blue-tailed found so refl ects the backdrop of hills. A tiny fl ooded quarry. It is rather like frequently that the public is surprised Management Committee has the Mynydd Illtyd in miniature and here that it is not considered a common task of maintaining the Lake’s too there are Scarce Blue-tailed species. Azure and Common Blue highest conservation status while Damselfl ies and Black Darters. Damselfl ies Coenagrion puella and accommodating sailing, fi shing and Larger species cruise and clash - Enallagma cyathigerum, Common other recreational and agricultural Emperors, Common and Southern Darters Sympetrum striolatum and interests. Public access is limited to Hawkers Aeshna cyanea, Broad- Four-spotted Chasers Libellula the southern and western margins bodied and Four-spotted Chasers. quadrimaculata are also found in high from the large waterside base at I have seen 14 species here and numbers, with Common Hawkers Llangorse and the small carpark wonder how many more similar Aeshna juncea, Broad-bodied below Llangasty church. The footpath places wait to be recorded in the vast Chasers Libellula depressa and between them is in parts some way uplands of the county. Emperors Anax imperator also seen from the water’s edge. regularly. Along the streams draining Other dragonfl y habitats in the fens, Banded Demoiselles I have found 13 dragonfl y species so Breconshire include the rivers Calopteryx splendens are irregular far. Variable Damselfl y Coenagrion Usk cutting across the middle and visitors, while Black Darters pulchellum, Nationally Near Wye along the north-east border, Sympetrum danae are occasionally Threatened, is present in hundreds and their tributaries. There are found at wet fl ushes and shallow among other blue damsels around several reservoirs, with some good pools. The ease of access, range the southern margins. A few sightings wildlife recording from those in the of wetland habitats, parking and the at Llangasty of single Black-tailed Elan valley which we share with opportunity to fi nish the day with a Skimmers Orthetrum cancellatum, Radnorshire. However, when we fi ne cuppa and cake at the National Locally Important, included one look at the dragonfl y lists for our 10 Park Visitors Centre, make Mynydd ovipositing. Apparently this species kilometre squares, and the maps Illtyd Common the easiest place to had not been recorded here before, supplied by the very capable Powys enjoy watching dragons and damsels but neither had the Emperors, and Brecon Beacons Biodiversity on a warm summer afternoon. For Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Information Service, it is clear that more information or to access the Chasers which I watched patrolling even the commonest species are British Dragonfly Society 15 generally under-recorded, and only a very few people are sending in their sightings. We hope to change this by looking more widely ourselves, and persuading others that dragonflies are not only good to look at but more easily identified and photographed than they fear.

I first visited these sites in winter to look for birds. The Helm Guide, Where to Watch Birds In Wales, has good accounts and maps of Mynydd Illtyd, Llangorse and Brechfa. The websites of the National Park and Wildlife Trust have useful information and programmes of wildlife events.

Radnorshire - VC43 Bob Dennison.

From a Radnorshire VCR’s Distribution map for Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio in North perspective, the 2009 season was Wales. Allan Brandon. Open circles = pre-2000; blue circles = adults only; exceptional in terms of recorder green circles = evidence of breeding; red circles = proof of breeding. involvement. Having averaged 215 records per season for the previous three years (provided by up to 9 Healthy numbers of Golden-ringed Darters that was picked up along recorders in any given year), the Dragonfly records were submitted, our coasts in early June at Bardsey leap to well over 400 records from 25 with additional ‘proof of breeding’ (Richard Brown, Richard Else) and contributors was very encouraging. sites. Only one teneral female Llanfairfechan (Paul Derbyshire) Common Club-tail was recorded and in early July at Great Orme (Les We recorded 23 species altogether – again on the edge of the Vice Colley) and Gronant (Colin Davies). - 14 species of dragonfly and 9 County - near Hay-on-Wye. There must have been huge numbers species of damselfly. This tally of individuals involved. However, represented all of Radnorshire’s Records of Banded and Beautiful there were no reports of second ‘usual suspects’ apart from the Demoiselle were surprisingly few generation emergence in North Ruddy Darter for which there were even though numbers of both are Wales similar to the abundance of no sightings. Typically we only see generally healthy and the weather emerging individuals in South Wales. one or two at most in a season was fairly benign for most of the Perhaps the less well developed - in contrast to healthy numbers of early summer. The season for nymphs up here have already been Common Darter and Black Darter. Coenagrionidae was unremarkable killed off by the recent heavy frosts. for Large Red Damselfly, Azure, Excitingly, we added one new Common Blue, and Blue-tailed In the species plot open circles species for Radnorshire, bringing Damselfly with reasonable numbers are tetrads with pre-2000 records the historic total up to 25 species - a and geographical spread. only; filled in circles are tetrads with single male Red veined Darter seen 2000 onwards records. Blue refers in the south of the Vice County at the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly on to records of adults only; green time of the Painted Lady mass influx. the other hand was only recorded indicates breeding activity (copulating Other Libellulidae were recorded at two sites in the south of the Vice adults, ovipositing & larvae); red in typical numbers, except for a County. Finally, only four records denotes successful breeding noticeable resurgence in records were submitted for White-legged (emerging adults & exuviae). of Keeled Skimmer and a drop in Damselfly. Oddly, two of these came Black-tailed Skimmer sightings. from an upland site more associated The 2009 flight season was also with Keeled Skimmer! remarkable for the number of new Aeshnidae numbers were normal localities for the Scarce Blue-tailed with the usual sightings of Emperor North Wales - VC 48-52 Damselfly in North Wales. Most Dragonfly, Common, Southern and Allan Brandon. came from Anglesey (Les Colley, Brown Hawkers. The single Migrant Rob Strachan, Allan Brandon, Hawker record from the Radnorshire- The 2009 flying season didn’t pass James Robertson, Ian Hawkins) but Herefordshire border was typical by without some notable recording also the first ever records from the but, in view of its resemblance to the achievements. Snowdonia NP (Andrew & Janet Common Hawker, I have a feeling Graham) and Fenn’s Moss NNR that the species may be somewhat The highlight of the season has to (Estelle Hughes). The map above under-recorded in VC43. be the great influx of Red-veined right shows our current knowledge of 16 Darter Spring 2010 its distribution. It will be noted that, despite the increase of new localities, the species has not been relocated at several sites in Anglesey and along the Lleyn since the start of the millennium.

Most of these new localities are shallow, cattle-trodden, spring- or seepage-fed waterholes in rough pasture, a habitat that may well have been overlooked in the past. Though the species is on the Odonata Red List (Near Threatened category) it is clearly more common in North Wales than current records indicate. A programme targeting this habitat would no doubt pick up many new sites for the species throughout Snowdonia, Merionethshire, Caernarvonshire, Anglesey and possibly Denbighshire.

Neil Frisewell picked up the White- legged Damselfl y Platycnemis pennipes on the River Dee at Holt for the third year running. This year these were mainly tenerals indicating breeding in the vicinity of the sightings.

Data inputting for North Wales is Common Hawker Aeshna juncea, Wymeswold, Leicestershire. Lorraine up to date and it is now possible to Ellison. produce species plots with Recorder 6 using all available digital data sets. ‘North Wales Dragonfl ies’ is by far the The Southern Hawker appears to The levels of active recording, or largest set. have extended its range signifi cantly at least record submission, have into Anglesey and Caernarvonshire in declined markedly in VC55 in recent Creating plots showing distribution recent years. years (reluctant recorders please indicates the increase in coverage in take note!). This said, a small group the past three years and especially The Golden-ringed Dragonfl y has of stalwarts continue to submit their the number of tetrads which are now been recorded as far east as the observations and in so doing produce now fi lled in indicating more recent River Dee (the fi rst Cheshire record some very interesting records. records. Nevertheless there are still was in 2009) and as far west as signifi cant areas waiting to be visited, Bardsey Island. This year Matthew Billings was the like south Merionethshire, south fi rst to prove that persistence at one’s and central Denbighshire, north and Please contact me if you would local site really pays off, when he east Flintshire and north central like distribution maps of any of the found what was only the fourth record Anglesey. These will be the focus of species mentioned in this review or of Lesser Emperor for VC55. The future recording but all records from any other North Wales species. male he discovered graced Frisby anywhere across North Wales are Gravel Pits in the Wreake Valley for very welcome. Just because a tetrad Leicestershire - VC55 just one day on 28th June. is fi lled in doesn’t mean that all the Ian Merrill. species present there have been Regular readers of Darter may recall recorded, far from it in fact. From a technological perspective last year’s article which described 2009 was rather disappointing, as the how Lorraine Ellison had transformed Emperor, Migrant Hawker, Black- popular ‘Recent Reports’ section of her Wymeswold garden from tailed Skimmer and Southern Leicestershire and Rutland Dragonfl y ‘Odonata desert’ to local hotspot Hawker have have moved into North Group website (www.lrdg.org.uk) had with the creation of a pond. Well the Wales since around 2000. There are to be deleted due to the persistent pond is clearly going from strength a few records from the late 1990s. infi ltration of very unsavoury of to strength and in fact produced a There is also a lack of breeding ‘spam’! Hopefully we can resolve the couple of the most exciting records of records in our data. problems before the 2010 recording 2009. season commences. British Dragonfl y Society 17 at Crewe-by-Farndon on the Dee. This species has been seen on the Dee in this area for several years and is almost certainly breeding on a suitable stream or river somewhere nearby.

Perhaps the most encouraging news of the year was the discovery by Martin Pennell of a new location for Variable Damselfl y Coenagrion pulchellum at Marbury Mere in the far south-west of the county. This is a signifi cant distance from the other known sites for the species.

As the summer progressed there were plenty of sightings of the larger hawkers and a few interesting Common Club-tail Gomphus vulgatissimus, Aldford, Cheshire, David records of Common Hawkers Kitching. Aeshna juncea away from their usual more acid habitat on the moors and mosses. This included a female in A male Variable Damselfl y, a have kept this species from fl ying and a Macclesfi eld garden, and Trisha species known to breed at only two it is hoped that this newly established Thompson photographed a female sites in Leicestershire, was seen and population can survive and fl ourish. ovipositing in a fi eld pond at Styal. photographed at Lorraine’s pond on 11th and 12th July. As if this were not Back in the 1980s sightings of The latest records for the year were enough, a male Common Hawker Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula a Common Darter Sympetrum was present on 8th and 9th July 2009 depressa in Cheshire were a notable striolatum spotted at Vale Royal (See photograph on page 16). This occasion, but in 2009 the species Locks on November 1st by Peter species remains a rare vagrant in was common right across from Shaw, and Neil Friswell saw a VC55 and this record was only the Meols and Gayton in the west to Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta at the third to be reliably documented. Macclesfi eld in the east. They were Inner Marsh Farm RSPB reserve on particularly common on the newish the Dee estuary on November 3rd. This amazing duo took Lorraine’s ponds around Manchester airport. garden list to an incredible 17 Overall 2009 was a much better species and I would challenge Another species that is doing well year for Odonata in Cheshire and anyone in the UK to better this tally is the Hairy Dragonfl y Brachytron there was an increase of 35% in the for what can only be described as a pratense which is well established on number of species records submitted ‘standard’, albeit rather large, garden ponds and lakes close to the Dee at from recorders. pond. Churton and Aldford and similarly in a band around the Weaver upstream Details by month with photographs of Northwich. New locations for the can be found on the Cheshire Cheshire - VC58 species this year were a series of Odonata website at http://www. David Kitching. ponds close to Church Minshull brocross.com/dfl y/dfl y.htm between Winsford and Crewe. The season began on 18th April South-east Yorkshire - VC61 when Large-red Damselfl y Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea Paul Ashton. Pyrrhosoma nymphula was recorded continued to be seen in good at sites right across the county numbers at Gull Pool and Shemmy With the National Atlas now well almost entirely on the mosses and Moss in the Delamere area. The underway, I would like to appeal to bogs. No other species were seen Red-eyed Damselfl y Erythromma members to send in their records until the beginning of May. Once najas had an excellent year, being away from the well watched areas of again the Common Club-tail recorded in good numbers across the vice-county. The Yorkshire Wolds Gomphus vulgatissimus was seen Cheshire. It was fi rst seen at by their nature are dragonfl y poor, in good numbers along the Dee Woolston Eyes at the beginning of so records from garden ponds in this throughout May and June. Less May and was still fl ying there in the area are most likely the main source. prominent on the Dee was the White- second half of August. A good idea is to watch out for village legged Damselfl y Platycnemis open garden weekends, this giving pennipes which was only spotted Once again there was a record the opportunity to record at garden in ones and twos at Farndon and and photograph of Golden-ringed ponds usually out of bounds. I would Crewe-by-Farndon in June and early Dragonfl y Cordulegaster boltonii, also like to appeal for records from July. Cool weather conditions may this time by Paul and Carys Brewster the Holderness area. The Tophill 18 Darter Spring 2010 Low, Brandesburton Ponds and Leven Canal complex here is well recorded, however there are few records for Holderness away from these sites.

Highlights of the year included a new site for Small Red-eyed Damselfl y Erythromma viridulum at Saltmarshe Delph. Despite fi rst making an appearance four years ago, it has still only been recorded from four sites, perhaps the summers have not been ideal for onward dispersal. Variable Damselfl y Coenagrion pulchellum still remains restricted to fi ve 1km squares in the Broomfl eet Ponds complex, one of these being new for 2009. Hairy Dragonfl y Brachytron pratense continues its range expansion. Double fi gure counts were achieved in the Broomfl eet area, with new sites further north Male Broad-bodied Chaser photographed a garden pond in the Eden valley including Tophill Low Nature Reserve Cumbria. T. Kendal. and Leven Canal. Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata deserves a mention for its late date, when an adult was found in excellent condition at Skipwith Common on 26th September, this being around fi ve weeks later than ever recorded. Migrants in the form of Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii put in an appearance at Hornsea Mere and Spurn Point. A BDS Yorkshire Branch fi eld trip managing to connect with this species at Spurn on 28th June. Another migrant that put in an appearance, and appeared to be scarce nationally this year, was Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum fl aveolum, a male was photographed at Filey North Cliffe Country Park on 6th September.

Many thanks to all of those who submitted their records for 2009, two many to mention in this short summary. Still the haunt of Demoiselles? River Eden near Carlisle, winter 09/10. David Clarke. Up to date information can be found at www.erdragonfl ies.co.uk and www.yorkshiredragonfl ies.org.uk. Generally a quiet year, although the levels seen in previous years. early species like Four-spotted Counts of Brown Hawker Aeshna The North East Yorkshire Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata and grandis at sites remained relatively - VC62 Large Red Damselfl y Pyrrhosoma low also. Keith Gittens nymphula where counted in good numbers at some sites. A local BDS group meeting to Strensall Common did however Firstly thanks go out to the increasing Of the later species Common produce a count of over 1000 number of members who send in Darter Sympetrum striolatum individuals of Black Darter records from the far fl ung corners of seemed to have a poor year, some Sympetrum danae while investigating this vice-county. early individuals were recorded but the pools of the MOD fi ring ranges. numbers never seemed to reach British Dragonfly Society 19 The highlight of the year was a Steve Worwood in particular for his As an early-season species, White- record of two individuals of Small assistance for collating these. The faced Darter emerged in record Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma HDNS records tend to concentrate numbers at the Scaleby Moss site, viridulum from a relatively new pond on sites in the south east of the with almost 4000 exuviae collected near Scarborough, both sexes were vice-county, along the R.Ure, so - indicating an emergence well in seen. The big question is were they if anyone has records from other excess of that figure. This augurs the northward expansion from the areas of VC65, particularly along well for the hoped-for start of the recently established site at Hull or the northern border in the Teesdale Cumbria re-introduction project migrants from further a field? It will and Richmond areas, please pass during 2010. be interesting to see what happens at them onto me (see Recorders details this new site in 2010. elsewhere in this issue). 2010 will Scotland - VC72-112 see at least one field trip organised Pat Batty. South-west, Mid-west and by the Yorkshire Branch of the BDS North-west Yorkshire - to VC65, concentrating on under- Scotland had exceptionally warm recorded areas around Bainbridge in dry conditions in mid April and again VC63-65 Wensleydale. in May /June 2009 with some of the Tom Hubball. best weather of the summer. The Cumbria - VC70 Hairy Dragonfly’s emergence on the 2009 in VC63 proved to be a David Clarke. 10th May was slightly earlier than in disappointing year in terms of 2008. A new site was found for this sightings, with numbers down As I write, the River Eden, shrouded species on Loch Seil. The Beautiful across all species, no doubt due to in freezing mist, flows through a vast Demoiselle had another good year the two preceding wet summers. white landscape. Weed-like rafts with over a hundred seen flying The highlights were records of of incipient ‘pack-ice’ drift silently and displaying along several small Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope past: right now it looks more suitable burns in Argyll. It was also at several at three sites where they had for Fur Seals than for Banded sites on Mull and Ardnamurchan. been recorded three years before, Demoiselles! Will the harsh winter The Common Darter and Keeled suggesting successful breeding have brought about a retrenchment Skimmer were flying in early rather than immigrants. However, following their recent expansion as June. The Keeled Skimmer was without proof of exuviae this cannot outlined in the previous issue of particularly evident on Taynish NNR be discounted. There was also a Darter?. 2010 will reveal all. which it colonised only a few years rather interesting record of Beautiful ago. Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo from The winter provided a ‘crescendo the River Dearne, far to the south of finale’ to an otherwise Larvae of the Azure Hawker the known populations in Yorkshire. undistinguished season, which only continue to be illusive. Adults were Unfortunately the weather and work ever showed early promise. seen at new sites, near the Otter commitments prevented any serious Haven at Kylerea on Skye, on Loch study of the site to back this up but, Despite the distinctly poor summer, Arkaig and at the Silver Flowe this hopefully, targeted visits in 2010 will 2009 yielded more records than ever year. prove whether these were genuine of ovipositing Emperor, and also sightings. Other 2010 field trips to the largest number of records of The Brilliant Emerald was seen in VC63 and neighbouring vice-counties Broad-bodied Chasers in any one cop at 600m on Ben Donachan, it will be posted on the Yorkshire year. The latter species is not (yet) is thriving in the sites above Loch Branch of the BDS website www. established in the county. A maximum Awe, a female was witnessed egg yorkshiredragonflies.org.uk. of three were present at any one site. laying into moss on the edge of a They generally did not linger – often windswept upland loch. The only record of note received less than a day and seemed clearly so far for VC64 was of a lone male ‘on the move’. The first was in late There were a number of sightings Lesser Emperor seen on 30th June May, but all others were in late June/ of the Northern Damselfly this and 2nd July at Farnham Gravel Pit, early July. Records came from both year. The BDS meet at Dinnet found north of Knaresborough. Please note the south and the north of the county. larvae at all the known sites visited that there is no access to this private but many have less open water as site to members of the public. Another apparent ‘movement’, they are infilling with vegetation. It though much more local, two male was also seen again at a site near Records received so far from Keeled Skimmers appeared at Braemar. The Azure Damselfly has VC65 are minimal. This is due to a Glasson Moss on the Solway Firth now been seen as far north as Castle combination of unsuitable habitat in late July – some 30 km from their Fraser in Aberdeenshire. for dragonflies and lack of recorders nearest known site. This was the in the area. The bulk of sightings first record of the species in Cumbria New sites continue to be discovered will no doubt once again come from outwith its Lake District range, and for the Northern Emerald. It was Harrogate and District Naturalists the most northerly in the county to seen near Fort William by the (HDNS) who provide me with their date. It remains to be seen whether Caledonian Canal, on the hills above records, for which I am eternally this has any longer term implications. Loch Awe, on treeless Rannoch Moor grateful, and would like to thank at 350m and on Muck! 20 Darter Spring 2010 The range of the Southern Hawker July. The Broad-bodied Chaser Sutherland and in central Scotland. continues to expand in Scotland. It also spread north this year, it was is now in sixty-two 10km squares seen at Newmains, and in the SW at I would like to thank all the people compared with nine in the previous Ecclefeccan and Rig of Crow’s Nest who have sent in records and are atlas. This expansion may be in early July. surveying their own area. If you are affecting the Common Hawker. An on holiday in Scotland please send annual transect at Taynish NNR has The Emperor Dragonfl y continues in records of any species seen, we shown the decline of the Common to be seen at Newmains and Whinny need your help. Please don’t send Hawker as the Southern Hawker ponds, it’s the 6th year. Similarly the large pictures by e-mail as I can’t get numbers have increased over Migrant Hawker was fl ying in this broadband. the past 10 years. There were no area and near St Abbs. Common Hawkers seen this year on this transect. Jonathan Willet continued his survey of the Small Isles, covering all The Common Hawker continues to 10km squares. He found 9 breeding be widespread in acid upland areas species on Rum and 7 on Muck. and can breed in high level mountain Jonathan and Stephen Corcoran pools, Jonathan Willet witnessed again ran training courses and egg laying near the summit of Tom produced two informative leafl ets of ‘Chonnich at 820m, where larvae and Dragonfl ies of the Highlands and the exuvia were also present. Larvae Cairngorms. were also found in pools on Ben Cruachan ridge just over this height. Work continues for the atlas and many squares have been updated 2009 saw the reappearance of the and new records added. However Red-veined Darter in Scotland, Scotland is a big country and there not seen since 2006, it was fl ying are many squares that have not been at Newmains Farm and Blindwells visited, particularly in the far North, in in the Borders on the 9th and 15th Ross and Cromarty, Caithness and

Scotland’s Beavers and Dragonfl ies Pat Batty.

The beaver is back in Scotland after an absence of 400 years. Three families from Telemark, in Norway were released in Knapdale on 28th May 2009, after spending six months in quarantine. This is the fi rst formal reintroduction of a mammal into the UK. It is a fi ve year “Trial” to determine their effects.

The project is run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Monitoring, co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage, on behalf of the Scottish Government will assess the impacts of the beavers.

Knapdale is an important area for dragonfl ies and part of it is an SSSI. The eleven key lochs, burns and surrounding wetlands have an “outstanding assemblage of species”, 13 species breed here, which is a large number for Scotland. The most important of these are; the Hairy Dragonfl y known from only ten 10km squares in Scotland and the Beautiful Demoiselle which has its stronghold on the west coast.

Dragonfl ies are one of the interests being monitored and this is through the BDS. Baseline surveys were carried out in 2008 and 2009 prior to release. Transects were established on sections of the lochs and burns for both adults and larvae. The sites have been known since the Tree gnawed by beavers. Pat Batty. early 1990s and a small long term emergence study was British Dragonfl y Society 21 also set up to record emergence dates and numbers of Will this beaver activity have an impact on the the Hairy Dragonfl y. The Beautiful Demoiselle is present dragonfl ies? The edge of one loch has certainly changed, on key burns. the fringing vegetation of Saw Sedge and Bulrush is now growing in water about a metre deeper, this was the The beavers settled down well and were soon very area frequented by Hairy Dragonfl y larvae. Some of the active in the lochs. Their feeding signs could easily be surrounding willow and birch scrub has been inundated spotted; Willow, Birch and Rowan saplings were cut down and the new margins of the loch are very shady at leaving sharp stumps. Larger trees have also been felled. present. Other lochs have lots more fl oating detritus as In summer they fed on emergent water plants, Water a result of beaver feeding activity which the larvae of the Horsetail and the roots of Bulrush. Hairy Dragonfl y use. Will this be benefi cial or not, time will tell. Beavers are effective water engineers, by July they had built a small dam which has nearly doubled the size of It is an exciting project, especially when you can come one loch. Later they built lodges and cached food for and see beavers happily gliding through the water as the winter. They must have known it was going to be the the evening light fades. You can fi nd out more about the coldest winter here for 30 years. There was an unusually beavers by visiting www.scottishbeavers.org.uk. thick layer of ice on the lochs, which must have reminded them of Norway.

A Damsel – or should it be Dragon? – in Distress. Ingrid Twissell

On a glorious early October morning, after a cold night, we decided to take a trip to the Forest of Dean, arriving at Edgehills at 11am, with the temperature registering 9C on the car thermometer. At this low temperature we didn’t expect to see many dragonfl ies on the wing, around and over the pond, but the warmth from the sun brought them out, and we were rewarded with the sight of several species, most notably Black Darter and Common Hawker which are both heathland specialists.

As we walked slowly around the pond watching the Black Darters – which are our smallest (but very aggressive) dragonfl ies – fl ying, mating and egg-laying close to the edges of the pond, the much larger Common Hawkers were chasing each other and mating in fl ight over the pond as well as disappearing into the surrounding heathland.

The male of one pair of mating Common Hawkers fl ying low over the pond released the female which promptly fell upside-down into the water. She struggled to right herself over several minutes, which she eventually did, but as her wings were so obviously laden with water she was unable to break the adhesion with the pond’s surface, but spent her time just fl apping her wings and moving further from the pond margin. It looked as though she was doing press-ups! Every so often she lay still on the water and we thought that she had died, but then she started struggling again, so it was just exhaustion that caused the stillness. This went on for about half an hour and was heartbreaking to see. We then decided to go off in search of a suitable long thin branch (the shorter stick already tried had failed) to see whether she could be reached, as by this time, she was in the middle of this deep pond. Eventually she was coaxed onto the branch, and we set her upon an upright stem at the water’s edge.

We watched her hanging up while her wings and body gradually dried in the sun, and occasionally she wiped and cleaned her eyes with her front legs, and after a while her wings started to vibrate as a forerunner to fl ight. Her slightly bent abdomen didn’t prevent her from a short fl ight after 40 minutes drying in the sun, and then after another 20 minutes she took off and fl ew into the distance.

The whole episode had lasted about an hour and a half, and hopefully had a happy ending for, after her tenacity in holding onto life, she deserved to live. The female Common Hawker drying off. Coiln Twissell 22 Darter Spring 2010

Field work in Ireland has made me more aware of them, this year I recorded Nicholas Donnithorne them on at least four species of dragonfl y and across the whole of Ireland. In some cases I was fi nding up to four In early July I returned to Ireland for the seventh year fl ies attached to each wing. This must represent quite a to continue my studies of Scarce Emerald Damselfl y weight for the smaller species to fl y with. Lestes dryas and Emerald Damselfl y L.sponsa. I only managed to visit around 116 potential sites in 12 On one particular day near Cashel in County Tipperary, days. The weather this year was the worst I have ever the wind was warm and from the South East, but with had, with exceedingly active weather fronts and a few bands of heavy rain in active weather fronts. I had just days of sunny weather. I thought I had experienced lost a female dryas on the wind so did not take much torrential rain, but nothing had prepared me for notice when an Anax was blown in to the very small pool. roads disappearing before my eyes and becoming It was wary and moving too fast to keep in the binoculars, undriveable! It had also been a wet winter and spring, so I continued to hunt for the dryas. That found, I turned so many of the sites were very wet and some so full I to watch a female Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope, just would be surprised if they emptied during the summer. before it was blown away across the fi elds. In fact, Brian Nelson’s site in County Galway was like an inland sea. Where I would normally walk over damp pasture, I could not walk even in waders. But despite the weather I managed to record dryas at 32 sites, of which 6 were new. But rather than a negative, seeing sites in such different weather reinforces why the species remains so diffi cult to fi nd, with everything dependant on weather, water levels and grazing. On less optimum sites, it once again proved that you will mostly be looking for between one and thirty adults and that these might only be found in an area the size of a goal mouth. It just takes a long time to gain the knowledge to identify where the “goal mouth” is on a large site. I also noticed that the side of the thorax on the male sponsa has prunescence whereas dryas does not.

Parasitic fl ies have become increasingly common over the last three years. Although the article in the Journal Parasitic fl ies on Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum. Nick Donnithorne

OPAL - Get Involved Dragonfl ies and the OPAL Water Survey. OPAL needs your help! From May onwards, OPAL staff all over England will be running OPAL Water Survey Lucy Carter public events. They would love to have BDS members OPAL is an exciting project that aims to get people to come along to their events, to share your enthusiasm back in touch with nature by exploring and discovering for dragonfl ies and to encourage more people to get their local environment. OPAL is running a series of fi ve involved in recording them. You don’t need to be an national surveys that anyone can take part in. Each expert to take part looks at a different aspect of our environment – soil, air, and OPAL will cover water, biodiversity and climate. The OPAL Water Survey, your food and travel led by University College London, launches in May expenses. Please 2010. It involves pond dipping for aquatic invertebrates contact Lucy Carter as well as testing the physical properties of the water, on lucy.carter@nhm. and identifying other life around the pond including ac.uk or 020 7942 amphibians, duckweeds and dragonfl ies. Surveying all 5188 for a Water these different groups allows participants to build up a Survey pack or to fi nd picture of the biodiversity of their pond, and they can also out more about how calculate a ‘pond health score’. you could get involved at OPAL events. www. An important part of OPAL is to enthuse people about OPALexplorenature. nature and then signpost them towards sources of further org. information and activities, including groups like the British Dragonfl y Society. OPAL has developed the dragonfl y section of the guide in partnership with the Dragonfl ies in Focus Offi cer and hopes that the survey will generate more members and dragonfl y recorders for the BDS. British Dragonfly Society 23 DRAGONFLY RECORDING NETWORK Please send your records to the correct Vice-County Recorder, who will send data to the DRN National Database. Vice-County Vice-County Recorder Contact details ENGLAND AND WALES 1. West Cornwall Steve Jones Herland Bungalow, Godolphin Cross, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 9RL. (with Scilly) 2. East Cornwall Steve Jones E-mail: [email protected] 3. South Devon Dave Smallshire 8 Twindle Beer, Chudleigh, Newton Abbot, TQ13 0JP. Tel: 01626 853393, 4. North Devon Dave Smallshire E-mail: [email protected] 5. South Somerset Position vacant Send records to Steve Prentice, Dragonflies in Focus Officer 6. North Somerset Ted Waring 7 Amberlands Close, Backwell, Bristol, BS48 3LW. Tel: 01275 462 847 7. North Wiltshire Steve Covey 130, White Edge Moor, Liden, Swindon, Wilts, SN3 6LY. Tel: 01793 349040, 8. South Wiltshire Steve Covey E-mail: [email protected] Flat H, 1 Alington Road, Charminster, Bournemouth, BH3 7JX 9. Dorset Andrew Brown Tel: 07891 573267 Email: [email protected] 25 Bannock Road, Whitwell, Isle of Wight, PO38 2RD. Tel: 01983 730187 10. Isle of Wight Elaine Rice E-mail: [email protected]

11. South Hampshire Peter Allen Hackers, Martin, Fordingbridge, Hants, SP6 3LA. Tel: 01725 519 269, 12. North Hampshire Peter Allen E-mail: [email protected] 13. West Sussex Graeme Lyons Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Shoreham Rd, Henfield, Sussex 14. East Sussex Graeme Lyons BN5 9SD, Tel: 01273 497506 Email:[email protected] 15. East Kent John & Gill Brook 1 Barrack Cottages, Lower Street, Broomfield, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 16. West Kent John & Gill Brook 1PU. Tel: 01622 862227 Little Homestead, Hackenden Lane, East Grinstead, W. Sussex, RH19 3DT. 17. Surrey Nick Donnithorne E-mail: [email protected] 18. South Essex Ted Benton 13 Priory Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2PY. Tel: 01206 86732, 19. North Essex Ted Benton E-mail: [email protected] 20. Hertfordshire Position vacant Send records to Steve Prentice, Dragonflies in Focus Officer 21. Middlesex Position vacant 7 Fawcett Crescent, Woodley, Reading, Berks RG5 3HX. 22. Berkshire Mike Turton E-mail: berksdragonfl[email protected] 28 Colesbourne Road, Brookside, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxon, OX15 4TB. 23. Oxfordshire Anthony Brownett E-mail: [email protected]

74 Holland Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK16 0LW. 24. Buckinghamshire Alan Nelson E-mail: bucksgragonfl[email protected] 25. East Suffolk Adrian Parr 10 Orchard Way, Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5BX. Tel: 01284 26. West Suffolk Adrian Parr 810 465. E-mail: [email protected] 27. East Norfolk Pam Taylor Decoy Farm, Decoy Rd, Potter Heigham, Norfolk, NR29 5LX. Tel: 01692 28. West Norfolk Pam Taylor 670 311. E-mail: bdspamtaylor@dragonflysoc.org.uk 13, Pettitts Lane, Dry Drayton, Cambs, CB3 8BT. Tel/Fax: 01954 780467, 29. Cambridgeshire Val Perrin E-mail: [email protected] 88 Eastmoor Park, Harpenden. AL5 1BP. Tel. 01582 712604. 30. Bedfordshire David Anderson E-mail: dragonfl[email protected] 31. Huntingdonshire Val Perrin See VC 29 above 8 Warwick Close, Raunds, Wellingborough, Northants, NN9 6JH. Tel: 01933 32. Northamptonshire Mark Tyrrell 389 748, E-mail: [email protected]

33. E. Gloucestershire Ingrid Twissell Arfonia, The Green, Churchdown, Glos., GL3 2LE. Tel: 01452 714413, 34. W. Gloucestershire Ingrid Twissell E-mail: [email protected] Larus, 1 Hook Close, Osbaston, Monmouth, Gwent, NP25 3BD. 35. Monmouthshire Ian Smith E-mail: welshdragonfl[email protected] 233 West Malvern Road, West Malvern, WR14 4BE. Tel: 01684 564 957, 36. Herefordshire Peter Garner E-mail: 49 James Road, Kidderminster, Worcs, DY10 2TR. Tel: 01562 638571, 37. Worcestershire Mike Averill E-mail: [email protected]

The Outspan, Leamington Hastings, nr. Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 8DZ. 38. Warwickshire Peter Reeve Tel: 01926 632 400, E-mail: [email protected] 39. Staffordshire Position vacant Send records to Mike Averill - See VC 37 above 40. Shropshire Ian Cheeseborough [email protected] 87 Coed Glas Road, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5EL. Tel: 029 2076 2182 41. Glamorgan1 Mike Powell E-mail: [email protected] 24 Darter Spring 2010

25 Belle Vue Gardens, Brecon, LD3 7NY, Tel: 01874 620133, 42. Breconshire1 Keith Noble E-mail: [email protected]

Maes y Geidfa, Crossgates, LLandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 6RP. Tel: 43. Radnorshire1 Bob Dennison 01597 851 702. E-mail: [email protected]

1 44. Carmarthenshire Stephen Coker Mountain Grove, Clarbeston Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA63 45. Pembrokeshire1 Stephen Coker 4SG Tel: 01437 563 566 E-mail: [email protected] Penwalk Llechryd, Cardigan Ceredigian, SA43 2PS. Tel: 01239 682405 46. Cardiganshire1 Lin Gander E-mail: [email protected] 3 Sunnymeade, Canal Road, Four Crosses, Llanymynech, Powys, SY22 47. Montgomeryshire1 Mark Walters 6PW. Phone: 01691 830207 Email:[email protected] 48. Merionethshire1 Allan Brandon 49. Caernarvonshire1 Allan Brandon Bryn Heilyn, Rowen, Conwy LL32 8YT. Phone 01492 651 066, 50. Denbighshire1 Allan Brandon E-mail: [email protected] 51. Flintshire1 Allan Brandon 52. Anglesey1 Allan Brandon 53. South Lincolnshire Position vacant Send records to Steve Prentice, Dragonflies in Focus Officer 54. North Lincolnshire Position vacant 55. Leicestershire 20 Ashford Road, Whiwick, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 5GD. Tel: 01530 Ian Merrill (with Rutland) 815886, E-mail: [email protected] 56. Nottinghamshire Dave Goddard 30 Cliffe Hill Avenue, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7HD; 57. Derbyshire Dave Goddard E-mail: [email protected] 84, Broken Cross, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8TZ. Tel: 01625 423249, 58. Cheshire David Kitching E-mail: [email protected]

59. South Lancashire Steve White/Graham Jones Tel: 077860 14522 Email: [email protected] 60. West Lancashire Steve White Email: [email protected] . Tel: 01519203769 (daytime). 61. South-east 4 St Aiden Close, Market Weighton, E.Yorks, YO43 3HE. Paul Ashton Yorkshire E-mail: vc61@erdragonflies.co.uk

62. North-east Newstead Cottage, Thirsk Road, Easingwold, North Yorks, YO61 3NH. Tel: Keith Gittens Yorkshire 01347 824480. E-mail: [email protected]

63. South-west 4 South View Terrace, Silsden, W.Yorks, BD20 0AS. Tel: 01535 678334, Tom Hubball Yorkshire Email: vc63dragonfl[email protected]

2 Cartmel Lane, Steeton, Keighley, West Yorks BD20 6QL. Tel: 01535 64. Mid-west Yorkshire Helen Dinsdale 653041. E-mail: [email protected] 65. North-west Tom Hubball See VC63 Yorkshire 66. Durham Harry Eales 11 Ennerdale Terrace, Low Westwood, Derwentside, Co. Durham NE17 67. S. Northumberland Harry Eales 7PN. Tel: 01207 560732, E-mail: [email protected] 68. N. Northumberland Harry Eales 69. Westmorland David Clarke Burnfoot, Cumwhitton, Brampton, Cumbria, CA8 9EX. Tel: 01228 560117, 70. Cumberland David Clarke E-mail: [email protected] 71. Isle of Man Position vacant Send records to Steve Prentice, Dragonflies in Focus Officer SCOTLAND

From 72. Dumfrieshire Kirnan Farm, Kilmichael Glen, Lochgilphead, Argyll, PA31 8QL. Tel: 01546 All records to Pat Batty to 112. Shetland Islands 605 316, E-mail: [email protected]

Clyne, Rue de la Ronde Cheminée, Castel, Guernsey, GY5 7GE. Tel: 113. Channel Isles Julian Medland 01481 255 411, Email: [email protected] NORTHERN Department of Zoology, National Museums Northern Ireland, Cultra, All records to Brian Nelson IRELAND and HOLYWOOD, Co Down BT18 0EU Email: [email protected] EIRE Migrant Dragonfly 10 Orchard Way, Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5BX. Tel: 01284 Adrian Parr Project 810 465. E-mail: [email protected]

1 a lot of changes have occurred in the names and mapped borders of Welsh counties in recent years. If you are unsure of which vice county you have records for please send them to Ian Smith (Monmouthshire) who will then forward them to the relevant recorder.

Any amendments or corrections to your contact details? Please contact Steve Prentice [email protected]

If you have any comments or suggestions on this new look Darter, please contact Claire Install by e-mail [email protected] or Tel: 0300 060 2338