June Sightings and News

Total species recorded during the 2016 season is 22

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)
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

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)


Female Common Darter at Marbury Park 27.6.16. Photo © Pete Leicester

27.6.16
At Marbury Park (67N SJ655761) Pete Leicester found plenty of Common Darter and Ruddy Darter. Also present was a single Emperor Dragonfly and lots of Emerald Damselfly. Over at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651751) he found a male Black-tailed Skimmer.


Female Broad-bodied Chaser at Warmingham Flash 26.6.16. Photo © Andrew Goodwin

26.6.16
There were Brown Hawker flying at Shemmy Moss (56Z SJ598688) today reports Paul Brewster. Andrew Goodwin reports from Warmingham Flash (76B SJ715632) where he saw a single Emperor Dragonfly and a female Broad-bodied Chaser with Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

23.6.16
Paul Brewster was at Newchurch Common (66E SJ605688) and saw Downy Emerald and Black-tailed Skimmer ovipositing and a teneral Common Darter. Moving on to Abbots Moss (56Z SJ594689) he recorded Emperor Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser.


Teneral female Emerald Damselfly at Marbury Park 22.6.16. Photo © Pete Leicester

22.6.16
The scrape at Marbury Park (67N SJ655761) was very active with odonata today when Pete Leicester visited. He saw Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Darter and lots of Emerald Damselfly.

21.6.16
In Gawsworth (86Z SJ890689) Steve Hind found a male Broad-bodied Chaser along with Azure Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.


Teneral male Black Darter at Delamere Forest 17.6.16. Photo © David Kitching

17.6.16
A visit to Delamere Forest yielded Large Red Damselfly and Azure Damselfly with a single exuvia of Southern Hawker at Doolittle (57K SJ543714), and a single teneral male Black Darter at Pearson's (57K SJ546715). This latter sighting is the earliest ever Cheshire record for an adult Black Darter.

15.6.16
The first Southern Hawker of the year was a female feeding at Middlewood (98M SJ947847) this afternoon.

9.6.16
At Hatchmere (57L SJ552720) Brian Baird found plenty of Variable Damselfly. Also present were Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, and Red-eyed Damselfly. The last four were also present at Maw Green (75D SJ713574) reports Andrew Goodwin. He also saw Broad-bodied Chaser on a pond at Moss End (86B SJ804621).


Male Banded Demoiselle at Sankey Brook 8.6.16. Photo © Brian Baird

8.6.16
Neil Friswell was in the Wybunbury area and soon discovered several Beautiful Demoiselle on the Forge Brook (74E SJ704487). The lake on the nearby flooded quarry at The Cliffe (74E SJ707492) yielded Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Azure Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly. Along the Sankey Brook (58V SJ588916) Brian Baird found plenty of Banded Demoiselle.

7.6.16
Andrew Goodwin saw Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Red-eyed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, and Blue-tailed Damselfly at Railway Flash (75E SJ717587).


Female Common Club-tail at Crewe-by-Farndon 7.6.16. Photo © Dylan Edwards

6.6.16
On the Dee at Crewe-by-Farndon (45G SJ420525) Dylan Edwards found a female Common Club-tail and managed a rare photograph of a mature specimen of this insect. He also saw Banded Demoiselle and Azure Damselfly.


Teneral male Black-tailed Skimmer at Norton Priory 5.6.16. Photo © Paul Quigley

5.6.16
Around Anderton and Marbury, Pete Leicester located Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser at Marbury Park (67N SJ655761) and also at Dairy House Meadow (67S SJ663757). Paul Quigley spotted a teneral male Black-tailed Skimmer at Norton Priory (58L SJ550835).


Male Emperor Dragonfly at Churton 5.6.16. Photo © Lee Wilkinson

3.6.16
A tandem pair of Azure Damselfly were at a garden pond in Poynton (98L SJ944838) today. Steve Hind ventured along the River Bollin west of Prestbury (87Z SJ890791) and found plenty of Banded Demoiselle.


Male Downy Emerald at Newchurch Common 2.6.16. Photo © Lee Wilkinson

2.6.16
Neil Friswell was at Crewe-by-Farndon (45G SJ420525) and found several Common Club-tail and a single male White-legged Damselfly. Over at Newchurch Common (66E SJ605688) Lee Wilkinson saw Downy Emerald whilst Paul Brewster also saw lots of Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. At Aldford (45E SJ415595) there were lots of Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly when Brian Baird visited.

Just over the border into Trafford at Dunham Park (78I SJ735870), Susan Benbow found Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly,Red-eyed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly.


 
 
© David Kitching 2016
Last updated 14.7.2016