Lyveden New Bield

I find Small Red-eyes very addictive at this time of year! During today's 2pm summer finish, I went to Lyveden New Bield, which I rate in Northants top 5 best dragonfly sites. Here I saw hundreds of Small Red-eyes, many egg-laying. Also present were a handful of Four-spotted Chasers, 20+ Emperors, loads of Common Blues and Blue-tails too. A few Brown Hawkers, Ruddy Darters, Emeralds and Azures completed the tally for the afternoon.

Four-spotted Chaser

Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly

Ovipositing pair of Small Red-eyes

Ovipositing pair of Small Red-eyes

Ovipositing pair of Small Red-eyes

Ovipositing pair of Small Red-eyes

Resting Emperor

Ruddy Darter

Small Red-eye Bonanza

At the A14/A6 junction at Burton Latimer, a new warehouse complex is being built. Along with the road diversions and basic infrastructure, a new drainage pond has been built to take run-off. This is the only its second season and I finally made up my mind to visit and see what has colonised this new pond. The pond is accessible and is full of rigid hornwort - the Small Red-eye's favourite plant. Lo and behold, on the water I counted over 100 adults, including 1 emerging and many mating and ovipositing pairs. Water levels are quite low and you can get really close to them - probably the closest I've ever been to this species. There were also three Emperors, including an ovipositing female, a single Brown Hawker, a handful of Common Darters and and egg-laying pair. A couple of Black-tailed Skimmers were perched on the muddy margins with an egg-laying female. A single, old male Emerald Damselfly, small number of Common Blues and egg-laying Blue-tailed Damselflies made up the eight species seen. This is a great little pond, although as is usually the case it will inevitably overgrow over the next few years and change markedly. I was amazed how so many species found this pond, especially as it is so close to a very busy road and roundabout - it just goes to show how well dragonflies can colonise new sites.

Elsewhere in the UK, the rare Southern Migrant Hawker (see me blog on the Canvey Island trip) has invaded the country with records at many new sites in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and far away in Cornwall. It is therefore possible (and likely?) that some have at least flown over Northants. They like dried out ponds and ditches so if you know any like this it may be worth a look.

No Willow Emeralds at Finedon yet, although it wasn't until mid August that they appeared last year. 

Emperor with a wonky leg - present at least two days running

Small Red-eye bomb - three males fighting over a single female

Small Red-eye and friend (plus reflection)

Tandem pair of Small Red-eyes

Mating pair of Small Red-eyes

Mating pair of Small Red-eyes

Small Red-eyes

Our Small Red-eyed Damselflies are doing well so far, with colonies cropping at at new sites. The Weldon colony is growing, although thanks to the exploits of a family of House Sparrows, not quite as fast as expected. I sat watching engrossed as the Sparrows picked off the emergent Damselflies from the water's surface. Luckily I watched many take their maiden flights straight into the trees around the pond, and there were many adults at territory on the water, including an ovipositing pair.

House Sparrow with a beak full of Small Red-eyes

House Sparrow with a beak full of Small Red-eyes

Ovipositing pair of Small Red-eyes

Territorial male Small Red-eyed Damselfly

A trip to Canvey Island, Essex

I've been planning to go to Canvey Island to see the Scarce Emeralds and Southern Migrant Hawkers for several years and when Darryl contacted me with the suggestion that we go on 1 July I jumped at the idea, especially as the Mother-in law was due to visit for the day. We visited the ditch opposite the recycling centre and soon located two of our three target species - Scarce Emeralds and Southern Migrant Hawkers. Our third target species, the Southern Emerald remained elusive. We saw hundreds of the Scarce Emeralds including mating and egg-laying and about 25 Southern Migrants including one take its maiden flight. I collected three exuviae. A great day even though we didn't find the Southern Emeralds.

Southern Migrant Hawker

Male Scarce Emerald Damselfly

Southern Migrant Hawker

Scarce Emerald Damselfly

Tandem pair of Scarce Emerald Damselflies

Only one species to go now....

Once upon a time, the Migrant Hawker was reliably the last species to emerge in Northants. When the Small Red-eyed Damselfly appear, this changed with some years showing Small Red-eyes first and some years the Migrants. Now though, with the arrival of the Willow Emerald, Migrants are consistently last but one. This year, Mark Piper reported the first Migrant on 22 June, and James Underwood saw the first Small Red-eye at Weldon on 25 June.

Elsewhere, Barnwell Country Park is showing well with many Scarce Chasers, Black-tailed Skimmers and Emperors (especially ovipositing).

At Hanging Houghton, the Beautiful Demoiselles are still showing well.

Emerald Damselfly and Ruddy Darter numbers are building well, with plenty at Finedon, Norton and Yardley Chase.

I haven't receved any records from Boddington Reservoir fecently, so was pleased whrn Bee Jackson sent some to the facebook group, listing Common Blue Damselflies, Emperors and Black-tailed Skimmers among others.

Mating Black-tailed Skimmers, Old Sulehay quarry

Damaged male Southern Hawker, Yardley Chase

Female Southern Hawker, Yardley Chase

Recently emerged Emerald Damselfly, Yardley Chase

Male Ruddy Darter, Finedon

Ovipositing Emperor, Finedon

Broad-bodied Chaser, Finedon

Scarce Chasers on the move

It's always difficult to know which site to visit on an individual day - do I go and hunt for the Variables at Weldon, watch the Scarce Chasers at Wadenhoe or the Broad-bodied Chasers at Finedon? I chose Ditchford to look for ovipositing Hairys, and just as fate must have predicted, I found 4 male Scarce Chasers at territory around the first lake. Last year, John Showers reported an immature on the river, but further searches in June failed to find anymore. So, have they established themselves here or are these pioneering males? Stuart Page posted an image in our facebook group of a territorial male on the Nene between Ditchford and The Embankment at Wellingborough. The habitat here is suitable, but I wondered if the sewage treatment plant at Ditchford had an impact on their range - apparently not!. Keep your eyes peeled if you are in the area, in case they have established themselves here - also they should now be at Irthlingborough Lakes too.

Beautiful Demoiselles also appear to be on the move, with an adult found near Harper's Brook Lowick (Doug Goddard), on the Avon (Mark Piper) around Welford and around Norton and Long Buckby (Bee Jackson).

Mark Piper reports the first Emerald Damselflies at Welford and James Underwood saw the first Common Darters at Weldon.

An early morning pair of Banded Demoiselles, River Nene, Lilford

Banded Demiselle, River Nene Stanwick Lakes

Mating pair of Red-eyed Damselflies, photo-bombed by another male, Ditchford Lakes

Ovipositing Hairy Dragonfly, Ditchford Lakes

My first in-flight shot of 2018 - Red-eyed Damselfly, Ditchford Lakes

Peak time for Scarce Chasers

As the Scarce Chasers reach their peak over the next couple of weeks, 100s can be seen on the Nene, especially at Wadenhoe and Oundle where access to the water margins is good. I saw 100+ at Lilford, with 6 mating pairs, many sharing the same area and not interacting with each other - normally they are territorial, but can tolerate interlopers when numbers are high. Good numbers an be seen along the old railway line at Thrapston too, as well as Titchmarsh Nature Reserve.

Along the Brampton Valley Way, 100s of Beautiful Demoiselle flit along the trees and bushes as they mature before returning to the river. At Hanging Houghton I saw 26, and Darryl Sutcliffe saw many more further south.

Female Common Blue Damselfly, Stanwick Lakes

Rufescens form female Blue-tailed Damselfly, Stanwick Lakes

Male Beautiful Demoiselle, Brampton Valley Way Hanging Houghton

Scarce Chasers, River Nene Lilford

The Emperor has arrived

Bee Jackson spotted the first Emperor at the ponds in Norton, near Daventry (31 May) and since then they have been recorded at several other sites including Priors Hall during the Wildlife Trust BioBlitz on 2 June), and at Weldon by Darryl Sutcliffe.

James Underwood reports that the Variable Damselflies at Weldon are becoming harder to find, probably because they have moved to the water on territory, however James did find White-legged Damselflies along the stream here. The Weldon pond is becoming one of the best sites in the county, which is really weird considering it's a man-made pond (with a stream) that isn't particularly well vegetated.  

I found the first White-legged Damselflies on the River Ise at Burton Latimer on 24 May, and photographed more near Findon. The British Dragonfly Society are doing a special survey on this species, so please keep a look out and send me any sightings.

Finally, I saw 26 Scarce Chasers along the old railway line at Thrapston Town Lake, a mix or females and males at territory. Also, many Hairy Dragonflies and thousands on Common Blue Damselflies.

Male White-legged Damselfly, River Ise

Female White-legged Damselfly, River Ise

Scarce Chaser, Thrapston Town Lake

Immature Male Scarce Chaser, Thrapston Town Lake

Female Scarce Chaser, Thrapston Town Lake

   

Scarce Chaser Hunting

Early in their season, the best places to see Scarce Chasers are in woodland rides close to the river, and I have visited the woodlands at Achurch, across the river from Wadenhoe, several times and seen hundreds of maturing adults. With the weather hot and humid, I set off from the car park at Wadenhoe Mill. Several females were perched just before the path across the meadow to the bridge and posed nicely for photos. It's a fair walk to the woodland ride, but worth it when I found 30+ Chasers flying around and perched, often together in sunny areas. I also got three Hairy Dragonflies and many Banded Demoiselles. Only one male Chaser was developing the blue colouration, but he was too far in to get a shot.