June Sightings and News

Total species recorded during the 2011 season is 20

Common Club-tail (Gomphus vulgatissimus)
Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense)

Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)
Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis)

Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)
Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)
Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea)
Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)
White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)
Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)

27.6.11
Whilst out on Macclesfield Riverside Park (97D SJ903760) a male Banded Demoiselle was spotted heading down the Bollin. Meanwhile, a Brown Hawker was seen in the street at Broken Cross (87W SJ895736).

20.6.11
Searching for Beautiful Demoiselle on the Wych Brook (44X SJ484443) today, Richard Gabb found a single male of this species and also a Banded Demoiselle.

19.6.11
Mat Bingham was at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) and found three Common Darter, single Emperor Dragonfly, and Broad-bodied Chaser.

14.6.11
At Plumley Reserve (77C SJ709751) Bryan Roberts saw Large Red Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, and plenty of Black-tailed Skimmer. Meanwhile, Barry Shaw spotted an early Brown Hawker at Handforth Fields (88R SJ869831).


Black-tailed Skimmers at Plumley 14.6.11. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2011

10.6.11
Pete Leicester reports seven species flying at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651753). These were Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Four-spotted Chaser, and a couple of teneral Common Darter.


Teneral female Common Darter 10.6.11. Photo © P Leicester 2011

6.6.11
Around Delamere Forest a number of sites yielded plenty of Four-spotted Chaser flying and ovipositing. These included Black Lake (57F SJ537709) where there was also Large Red Damselfly, Linmer North (57K SJ546708) where there was also a teneral male Southern Hawker, Doolittle (57K SJ543714), and the mires north of Barns Bridge Gates (57G SJ536720). At Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) Mat Bingham spotted a single teneral Common Darter, the first of the season.

Over at Thurstaston Common (28M SJ243848) Michael Gardner saw Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly.


Male Blue-tailed Damselfly at Aldford 5.6.11. Photo © P Corley 2011

5.6.11
On a sunny but windy day a stroll around the marlpits near Church Minshull (66K SJ645615) found very large numbers of Azure Damselfly and a single Emperor Dragonfly. Helen Coan reports plenty of Blue-tailed Damselfly and an emerging Four-spotted Chaser at Walk Mill, Waverton (46W SJ485638).


Teneral Four-spotted Chasers at Rixton. Photo © Vicky Nall 2011

4.6.11
At Marbury Big Mere (54M SJ557457) Martin Pennell found Variable Damselfly flying with Red-eyed Damselfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Azure Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly. Moving on to Sound Common (64E SJ619480) there were Red-eyed Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

3.6.11
On the Dee at Aldford (45E SJ415596) Vicky Nall found a single White-legged Damselfly with plenty of Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, and Red-eyed Damselfly along with few Large Red Damselfly. Meanwhile on Tatton Mere (78K SJ753809) Chris Storey found Four-spotted Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly.


Female White-legged Damselfly at Farndon 2.5.11. Photo © David Kitching 2011

2.6.11
Bryan Roberts headed for Vale Royal on the Weaver (67F SJ639703) today. Flying were Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly. He also saw four male Hairy Dragonfly. Meanwhile I headed for the Dee with Richard Gabb and we found a few Red-eyed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and plenty of Banded Demoiselle at Aldford (45E SJ415596). Moving on to Farndon (45B SJ411533) we saw a couple of Common Club-tail, lots of Banded Demoiselle and a couple of White-legged Damselfly after a long search. Final stop was a marl pit at Caldecott Green (45G SJ437520) which turned out to be a new site for Variable Damselfly which was present along with Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, and a single male Four-spotted Chaser.

There were still Downy Emerald around at Newchurch Common (66E SJ602687) when Vicky Nall visited. On the Basin Mire LM09 at Delamere Forest (57F SJ537711) Colin Hayes found a female Black-tailed Skimmer.


Female Blue-tailed Damselfly at Vale Royal 2.5.11. Photo © Bryan Roberts 2011


Spot the difference. Male Variable Damselfly (top) and male Azure Damselfly (lower) at Caldecott Green 2.5.11. Photo © Richard Gabb 2011

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.

April 2011 Sightings and News Received
May 2011 Sightings and News Received
June 2011 Sightings and News Received
July 2011 Sightings and News Received
August 2011 Sightings and News Received
September 2011 Sightings and News Received
October/November 2011 Sightings and News Received

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© David Kitching 2011

Last updated 27.6.2011