The Dragonflies of Strensall and Foxglove Covert Freshwater Keith Gittens Habitats Trust and Anne Carter Contents Forward 3 Strensall 4 Foxglove Covert 7 General features of dragonflies and damselflies 9 Life cycle of dragonflies and damselflies 10 Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) 11 Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) 12 Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) 13 Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) 14 Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) 15 Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) 16 Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) 17 Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum) 18 Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea) 19 Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) 20 Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) 21 Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis) 22 Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) 23 Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) 24 Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) 25 Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) 26 Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) 27 Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) 28 Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) 29 Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) 30 Author’s note 31 Acknowledgments Freshwater Habitats Trust would like to thank Defence Estates, Forestry England and Natural England who provided support and permitted access to these sites during the Flagship Ponds project. Their management of Strensall Common and Foxglove Covert has consistently sought to minimise impacts on the dragonfly populations and other freshwater wildlife of these sites and where possible to enhance them for biodiversity. We must also thank Ken Crick, a dragonfly recorder at Bramshill SSSI in Hampshire, who first developed the concept of a Flagship Ponds Dragonfly booklet, and whose notes on species identification we have used for this publication. Cover/back cover images: Keith Gittens, Paul Ashton, Chris Abbott, Bob Crick. Copyright of the photographs and diagrams in this publication remain the property of the author unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the copyright holder. 2 Forward Strensall and Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve are Freshwater Habitats Trust Flagship Pond Sites. Part of a network of the very best of Britain’s ponds; sites of exceptional importance for freshwater wildlife and some of our finest freshwater habitats. The Flagship sites can be a single special pond, or more commonly group of ponds, selected because they support rich, often irreplaceable, communities and species at risk of extinction. They represent some of the least impacted, most diverse pond habitats remaining in the country. Keith Gittens Keith Many of our nation’s most beautiful and biodiverse waterbodies Southern Hawker have degraded irrevocably, and it’s critically important that the remaining sites are well protected and well managed. In 2015, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Freshwater Habitats Trust launched the Flagship Ponds project, working with land managers and community groups to ensure that the most critical pond sites in Britain were protected for the long term. This book has been published with the aim of enabling people Gittens Keith visiting these, immensely important Flagship Pond Sites in Emperor Dragonfly North Yorkshire, to identify the dragonflies and damselflies they encounter - by reference to a simple text and photographs. It should also inform those visiting the site of the location of the majority of freshwater habitats. Please help to protect Strensall and Foxglove Covert for dragonflies and damselflies and other wildlife by following these three simple rules: 1. Ensure your footwear is cleaned and disinfected before visiting this protected area; 2. Enjoy the network of ponds from a safe distance remaining on Gittens Keith established tracks and paths and avoid entering the water; Golden-ringed Dragonfly 3. Always keep your dog’s under control and out of the water (and on a lead between March 1st and August 31st during the bird nesting season). Following these simples instructions will prevent disturbance to wildlife and reduce the spread of non-native invasive plants and wildlife diseases. More information on the Flagship Pond project, access restrictions to these sites, and data on the damselflies of Strensall and Foxglove Covert can be found here: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/flagship 3 Strensall Close to the City of York, in North Yorkshire, Strensall is a 579 hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is one of only two extensive areas of open heathland remaining in the Vale of York and represents 1% of the national habitat resource. In recognition of this importance, the site is notified as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). he heathland is dominated by iconic As well a supporting an array of rare and Tspecies; Cross-leaved Heath Erica threatened species, the site also supports tetralix and Purple Moor-grass Molinia a rich assemblage of Odonata including caerulea are common on wetter ground, eleven dragonfly and eight damselfly whilst Ling Heather Calluna vulgaris species. predominates on the drier areas. The site The most accessible pond is located close also consists of a mosaic of other habitats to the car park off Lords Moor Lane. This including acid grassland, woodland, and sheltered pond is well worth a visit as many a network of wetlands including mires, of the more common dragonfly species ditches, ponds and winter wet trackway can be seen. Early in the season Large Red pools. These smaller ponds and pools are Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Four- some of the most ecologically interesting spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata habitats on the site, supporting national are notable. Later on, all three darter rarities like Pillwort Pilularia globulifera, species can be seen, while Common Hawker Pond Mud Snail Omphiscola glabra, Marsh Aeshna juncea males patrol the margins Stitchwort Stellaria palustris and Tubular and Emerald Damselflies Lestes sponsa Water-dropwort Oenanthe fistulosa. perch amongst the rushes. In total thirteen Increasingly scarce species such as Lesser species are regularly recorded. Water-Plantain Baldellia ranunculoides, One of the oldest and largest ponds on Slender Sedge Carex lasiocarpa, Great the site, Kidney Pond, has been in existence Crested Newt Triturus cristatus, and since at least the 1890’s. Currently, only Common Toad Bufo bufo can also be found around 5% of the original pond area is on the site. visible as a crescent shaped area of open The majority of the site, which is known water, whilst the majority of the basin is as Strensall Military Training Area, is now occupied by possibly the best and most owned and managed by the Ministry of extensive example of floating fen habitat Defence, and it’s purchase by the War in lowland England. A variety of Dragonfly Office in 1884 has almost certainly ensured species including Southern Hawker Aeshna its survival and protected it from ploughing cyanea, Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis and and conifer plantations. The period of Ruddy Darter Sympertrum sanguineum can military occupation has also helped to be found around the pond. create many of the ponds, including several World’s End, to the East of Strensall excavated in recent years for conservation Military Training Area, is a Site of purposes. Some of the oldest however, Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), probably originated as peat cuttings and and is considered to be one of the most clay pits, creating more permanent ponds important non-statutory wildlife sites in the alongside the many winter wet pools which City of York. Managed by Forestry England, are a natural feature of heathland habitats. the 42 hectare site consists of a mosaic of Gittens Keith 4 5 Strensall Dragonflies: Damselflies Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Gittens Keith Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas fen meadow, wet grassland, heathland and Small Red-eye Damselfly Erythromma viridulum pond and ditch habitats. It is particularly well known for dragonflies. In 1985, the Dragonflies area which now includes the ponds, was Common Hawker Aeshna juncea planted with Corsican Pine. The pines were Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta felled between 2003 and 2005, and as part Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea of the heathland restoration project, the Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis ponds were dug to increase the diversity of habitats available on the site and to link with Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator the nearby ponds on Strensall MTA. As well Four-Spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata as the five common species of damselfly, Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa both Red eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum and Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum viridulum breed here, making this one of the Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum most northerly breeding sites in the UK for Black Darter Sympetrum danae these species. 6 Foxglove Covert Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve is he Friends of Foxglove Covert, a Tvoluntary group started in August owned and managed by the Ministry of 2004, carry out much of the management Defence and covers 40 hectares of moorland work on the reserve, helping to maintain the wildlife habitats and operate the Field at the edge of Catterick Garrison, North Centre. Yorkshire. In April 2001 the area was The reserve