April - May Sightings and News

Total species recorded during the 2016 season is 14

Common Club-tail (Gomphus vulgatissimus)
Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense)
Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)
Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)
Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea)
Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)

30.5.16
At Dairy House Meadow (67S SJ663757) Paul Hill recorded ten species including Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Banded Demoiselle, and Red-eyed Damselfly.


Male Variable Damselfly at Churton 27.5.16. Photo © John Wright


Female Variable Damselfly at Churton 27.5.16. Photo © Pete Kinsella

27.4.16
Pete Kinsella and John Wright were both down on the Dee today and report Common Club-tail at Farndon (45B SJ411533) and Variable Damselfly with Hairy Dragonfly at Churton Marl Pits (45I SJ430565). Andrew Goodwin reports Red-eyed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly at a pond at Hollins Green (76H SJ738646).


Teneral male Common Clubtail at Aldford 24.5.16. Photo © John Wright


Teneral female Common Clubtail at Aldford 24.5.16. Photo © John Wright

24.5.16
Lots of people went to Aldford (45E SJ415595) yesterday and I have received reports of Common Club-tail there from Richard Gabb, Michael Read and John Wright. Also seen were Banded Demoiselle and Red-eyed Damselfly. Richard Gabb was also at Churton Marl Pits (45I SJ430565) where he saw Hairy Dragonfly and Variable Damselfly as did Lee Wilkinson.


Teneral female Hairy Dragonfly at Vale Royal 23.5.16. Photo © Peter Shaw

23.4.16
Pete Leicester found a couple of teneral Black-tailed Skimmer at Neumann's Flash (67S SJ664753) today. Meanwhile on the Weaver at Vale Royal (67K SJ641703) Peter Shaw saw a teneral female Hairy Dragonfly.


Male Banded Demoiselle at Middlewich 23.5.16. Photo © Steve Hind


Teneral Black-tailed Skimmer at Neumann's Flash 23.5.16. Photo © Pete Leicester

22.5.16
Again at Maw Green (75D SJ713574) Andrew Goodwin reports Broad-bodied Chaser and Red-eyed Damselfly. Tom Jones and Alan Sherlock found a single Banded Demoiselle at Elton Hall Flash (75J SJ724594).


Broad-bodied Chaser at Maw Green 22.5.16. Photo © Andrew Goodwin

20.5.16
On the pond at Maw Green (75D SJ713574) Andrew Goodwin saw Four-spotted Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. Moving on to Railway Flash (75E SJ717587) there were Red-eyed Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly.


Tandem Hairy Dragonfly at Churton marl pits 17.5.16. Photo © Pete Kinsella

17.5.16
From Churton Marl Pits (45I SJ430565) Pete Kinsella reports seeing eight Hairy Dragonfly along with Four-spotted Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. David George found a newly emerged Broad-bodied Chaser at a garden pond in Helsby (47X SJ496758).

16.5.16
At Tattenhall (45U SJ479593) saw a teneral Hairy Dragonfly and also a female Broad-bodied Chaser.


Four-spotted Chaser at Risley Moss 15.5.16. Photo © David Green


Teneral male Azure Damselfly at Winsford 15.5.16. Photo © Graham Bayliss

15.5.16
David Green reports Four-spotted Chaser, with plenty of Azure Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly at Risley Moss 69Q SJ666918(). At Winsford (66J SJ638682) Graham Bayliss found plenty of Azure Damselfly. Justine and Adam Gibson called at Doolittle () and saw three Four-spotted Chaser and a few Large Red Damselfly.


Female Azure Damselfly at Risley Moss 15.5.16. Photo © David Green

14.5.16
From Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) Susan Benbow reports several Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.


Teneral Four-spotted Chaser at Blakemere Moss 13.5.16. Photo © Janette Renshaw

13.5.16
Michael Read visited Churton Marl Pits (45I SJ430565) and saw Variable Damselfly and Hairy Dragonfly. Meanwhile Janette Renshaw was at Blakemere Moss (57K SJ554711) and Doolittle (57K SJ543714) where she observed plenty of Red-eyed Damselfly and a good number of emerging Four-spotted Chaser of which many were gobbled up by Nuthatches!

12.5.16
Large Red Damselfly was seen ovipositing at Jackson's Brickworks (98M SJ947845) by Richard Gabb and by Paul Brewster at Gull Pool (66E SJ602688) along with Common Blue Damselfly.


Tanded Large Red Damselfly ovipositing at Jackson's Brickworks 12.5.16. Photo © Richard Gabb

11.5.16
At Maw Green (75E SJ715581) Andrew Goodwin found a teneral Red-eyed Damselfly.

9.5.16
Janette Renshaw was out and about this morning and was rewarded by finding a couple of emerging male Downy Emerald at Gull Pool (66E SJ602688) along with plenty of Large Red Damselfly. There were lots of the latter species at Black Lake (57F SJ537709) too. At Wybunbury Moss (65V SJ696503) Pete Boardman found Four-spotted Chaser and Large Red Damselfly.


Teneral male Downy Emerald at Gull Pool 9.5.16. Photo © Janette Renshaw

8.5.16
At Leftwich (67Q SJ665710) Alan Redley found 10+ Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) at a garden pond.


Teneral male Large Red Damselfly at Leftwich 8.5.16. Photo © Alan Redley

5.5.16
A Large Red Damselfly was spotted at Handforth Fields (88R SJ872831) by Barry Shaw.

3.5.16
Susan Benbow found a Large Red Damselfly at Sunbank Wood (78V SJ799840).

23.4.16
A couple of teneral Large Red Damselfly are reported by Michael Whiteside from a garden pond at Burwardsley (55D SJ518567).

17.4.16
Rob McHale visited Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) today, and found a couple of teneral Large Red Damselfly.

 
 
© David Kitching 2016
Last updated 3.6.2016