May Sightings and News

Total species recorded during the 2010 season is 15

31.5.10
A bit of Bank Holiday sun brought a crop of sightings from across Cheshire. At Vale Royal (67K SJ645709) Mat Bingham saw a female Broad-bodied Chaser and Rosey Moore found a pair of Banded Demoiselle at Paddington Meadows in Warrington (68J SJ632886). Seven species were seen by Paul Hill at Dairy House Meadow (67S SJ664757). These included Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, and Broad-bodied Chaser. Neil Friswell comments on the low numbers of damselflies seen at Churton on a warm day. This does seem to be the case on many sites this year.

30.5.10
First sighting of Beautiful Demoiselle in 2010 comes from Martin Pennell who saw a pair on the Wybunbury Brook (74V SJ703497).

28.5.10
Tony Parker found a male Hairy Dragonfly at Bickley Hall Farm (54I SJ528478) this morning, and in the afternoon at Moore Reserve (56S SJ5785) he saw Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. From the Weaver at Vale Royal (67K SJ641700) Peter Shaw reports Hairy Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Banded Demoiselle, and Red-eyed Damselfly.

Teneral female Black-tailed Skimmer at Rixton 27.5.10. Photo © Philip Corley 2010

27.5.10
At Rixton Claypits (69V SJ685907) today Philip Corley spotted a teneral female Black-tailed Skimmer, four Four-spotted Chaser and a single male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser at Rixton 27.5.10. Photo © Philip Corley 2010

Male Downy Emerald near Shemmy Moss 24.5.10. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2010

24.5.10
Today Bryan Roberts and I took a stroll around Newchurch Common (66E SJ602687) and towards Shemmy Moss (56Z SJ597689) in search of Downy Emerald. We were rewarded with seeing at least 12 of these insects along with Four-spotted Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. Later, at Tiverton (56F SJ537616) we saw masses of Blue-tailed Damselfly and a few Variable Damselfly and Azure Damselfly with a single teneral Four-spotted Chaser.

At Vale Royal (67K SJ641700) Peter Shaw spotted 2 male and one female Hairy Dragonfly on the anglers' pond.

23.5.10
A day out in west Cheshire led to Aldford (45E SJ415596) where we saw a dozen teneral Common Club-tail along with a couple of Hairy Dragonfly and also Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and Azure Damselfly. Moving on to Churton (45I SJ430565) we saw lots of Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser with plenty of Variable Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly.

Male Hairy Dragonfly at Churton 23.5.10. Photo © David Kitching 2010

22.5.10
Martin Pennell spotted Variable Damselfly and Red-eyed Damselfly at Marbury Big Mere (54M SJ557457) and Four-spotted Chaser, Red-eyed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly at Sound Common (64E SJ619480). Paul Brewster visited Churton (45I SJ430565) from where he reports seeing Variable Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, and Four-spotted Chaser.

21.5.10
Peter Shaw reports the first Banded Demoiselle of the season from Vale Royal (67K SJ641700).

Tandem Large Red Damselflies at Leftwich. Photo © Alan Redley 2010

20.5.10
At Aldford (45I SJ430573) today Neil Friswell found ovipositing Hairy Dragonfly and plenty of Red-eyed Damselfly.

Freshly emerged male Broad-bodied Chaser at Neston 19.5.10. Photo © Mark McLoughlin 2010

19.5.10
Broad bodied Chaser have been emerging from a pond at Neston (27Z SJ2878) since the 17th May reports Mike McLoughlin. Meanwhile Peter Shaw reports a single female Hairy Dragonfly at Vale Royal Locks (67K SJ641700). Bryan Roberts visited Churton (45I SJ430565) and found a few Variable Damselfly along with Four-spotted Chaser, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Large Red Damselfly. At Farndon (45B SJ410534) Neil Friswell found several teneral Common Club-tail.

Male Variable Damselfly at Churton 19.5.10. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2010

18.5.10
At Inner Marsh Farm (37B SJ314734) Neil Friswell reports sighting Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, and Four-spotted Chaser. Meanwhile at Aldford (46A SJ418600) Bill Furse spotted the first two Common Club-tail of the season along with a single Large Red Damselfly. Paul Hill also reports seeing Large Red Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly at Chester Zoo (47A SJ4170).

Teneral male Common Club-tail at Aldford 18.5.10. Photo © Bill Furse 2010

17.5.10
Pete Leicester was at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ649754) today and saw several Large Red Damselfly, a couple of Blue-tailed Damselfly and Four-spotted Chaser and just one Common Blue Damselfly.

Four-spotted Chaser at Anderton 17.5.10. Photo © Pete Leicester 2010

15.5.10 Bryan Roberts has sent a photograph of Large Red Damselfly shortly after emerging from his garden pond in Knutsford (77P SJ7479).

Teneral Large Red Damselfly at Knutsford 15.5.10. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2010

13.5.10 Whilst looking for butterflies at Shemmy Moss (56Z SJ594688) Alan Redley spotted a teneral male Downy Emerald.

Teneral male Downy Emerald at Shemmy Moss 13.5.10. Photo © Alan Redley 2010

9.5.10 There were four Large Red Damselfly seen by Martin Pennell at Marbury Big Mere (54M SJ557457).

8.5.10 When Mat Bingham called at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) today he found four Four-spotted Chaser and an early Emperor Dragonfly.

4.5.10
Bryan Roberts headed for the dragonfly pond at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) this morning, where he was rewarded with sighting several Large Red Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly along with a few Blue-tailed Damselfly. There were also at least five newly emerged Four-spotted Chaser.

Teneral Four-spotted Chaser at Anderton Nature Park 4.5.10. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2010

If you have made any Odonata observations in Cheshire and would like to share them with others or wish to take part in the recording scheme please email me. Good quality photographs of Cheshire Odonata for use on the news pages are also very welcome.

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