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Shropshire Dragonfly Watch BlogKeeping an eye on the dragonflies flying in Shropshire

Common Darter male

The purpose of this blog is to keep dragonfly enthusiasts up to date with dragonfly activity throughout the season. This way we should all know first hand what’s on the wing in Shropshire.

 

All are very welcome to be part of this seasonal diary. Get in touch via the  contact form with sightings and photographs so I can post them on the blog. Even if you’re new to dragonflies and not sure what you have photographed please send it in and get involved in the 2025 Shropshire Dragonfly Watch.

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First sighting of Common Hawker for 2015

S. Barlow has been back at Whixall Moss where a good number of species are active. It seems to be one of those weeks where everything is catching up and Common Hawker Aeshna juncea has…
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July 1, 2015
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Up close emergence

W. Davies has been in touch with photos of Southern Hawker emerging from his pond near Oswestry. The photos below show some great detail of the head and anal appendages and highlight the huge change…
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June 30, 2015
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First records of late summer species!

A strange season which has taken so long to get going and yet I have recently received reports from S. Barlow of Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum and Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa at Whixall Moss. No…
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June 30, 2015
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Summer at last!

A hot day found me racing off from work to stroll along the canal between Blakemere and Colmere. Numerous White-legged Damselflies were a highlight on the canal and large numbers of Black-tailed Skimmer present at…
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June 30, 2015
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White-legged Damselflies at Whixall

Good to hear Whixall is busy with dragon and damselflies now that we've had some convincing summer weather! K.Lugg was still observing good numbers of White-faced Darters Leucorrhinia dubia last week as well as Large…
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June 29, 2015
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Skimmers and Brown Hawker on the wing!

Great to get some sunshine yesterday and to be surrounded on the Long mynd by numerous Four-spotted Chaser doing everything at 100 miles an hour! Records have started to come in for Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum…
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June 24, 2015
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The joy of exuviae!

More reports of Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea emerging as M.Cousins found 10 exuviae around her pond near All Stretton on 14th June along with 2 older Broad Bodied Chaser Libellula depressa exuviae. It's always great…
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June 17, 2015
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Emperors and Southern Hawkers take flight!

No photos, but good news that 2 of our larger Shropshire based species have joined the scene. Having just suggested the chance of Emperors this morning I heard from J.Groom with a suspected sighting last…
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June 15, 2015
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Whixall Moss update

After a very soggy Saturday, Sunday was a big improvement and P. Hopwood reports a number of species seen at Whixall and better still some great photos:Four- spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata  Female Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma…
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June 15, 2015
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Downy Emeralds on the wing!

A much better day today involved checking a private site east of Shrewsbury where Downy Emerald Dragonfly Cordulia aenea has been spotted for the last few years and the good news is it is still…
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June 10, 2015
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Four more species on the wing!

Well it sounds like I was surrounded by dragons and damsels, but I had to work hard to find them! I ventured off to 2 privately owned meres near Shrewsbury today, and on my arrival…
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June 9, 2015
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Broad-bodied Chasers on the wing

Frustratingly things are still taking a while to get going! Records are drifting in of Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Beautiful and Banded Demoiselles and Large Red Damselfly as seen below photographed by P. Roberts near…
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June 8, 2015
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On the wing at Whixall..

Good to hear news from Whixall Moss where Barrie Smith saw Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata, Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia dubia all this morning.  Barrie's photos below show the mature male White-faced…
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May 27, 2015
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Azures aloft

Delaying work this morning I took a stroll around Radbrook and was pleased to see my first Azure Damselflies of the season.This is the female green form with extensive black on the abdomen. A closer…
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May 27, 2015
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Climbing the walls…

I often spend time scouring emergent vegetation looking for dragonfly and damselfly exuviae but this record of Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata from Peter Roberts in Woore (NE Shropshire) is a great reminder to check everywhere!Larvae…
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May 27, 2015
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Beautiful sight near Morville

Fabulous to enjoy a bit of sunshine today and whilst visiting Pam's Pools near Mor Brook I was greeted by a good number of Beautiful Demoiselles Calopteryx virgo. Great to see both males and females in…
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May 26, 2015
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Free lunch!

Having received an email from David Williams entitled 'free lunch' I could never have imagined it meant the following.....Dragonfly recording on  the River Severn at Hampton Loade David came across the following Common Club-tail disaster:The…
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May 26, 2015
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Two more species finally on the wing!

Just when I was starting to wonder what was happening welcome news arrives from Roger Littleover that Common Club-tail Gomphus vulgatissimus has been seen over near Quatt. Roger's photo below shows the stocky straight sided…
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May 18, 2015
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Damselfly records increasing..

Large Red Damselfly records are starting to pick up across the county with Warwick Davies spotting a few adults at his pond near Oswestry and Peta Sams recording an adult basking in the sun in…
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April 26, 2015
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And they’re off!

Well a fabulous stretch of spring sunshine has finally got the dragonflies underway with the first reported sighting in Shropshire of a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula. This teneral female was seen by Joena Scott…
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April 22, 2015
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Watching and waiting….

The great weather is here so I thought I better emerge before our first Large Red Damselflies put in an appearance! Last year we had many early sightings with the first Large Red Damselfly recorded on…
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April 8, 2015

Species recorded in 2025…

Large Red Damselfly

5th April

Common Blue Damselfly

22nd April

White-faced Darter

24th April

Four-spotted Chaser

24th April

Broad-bodied Chaser

27th April

Azure Damselfly

28th April

Blue-tailed Damselfly

28th April

Beautiful Demoiselle

28th April

Common Clubtail

5th May

Banded Demoiselle

6th May

Red-eyed Damselfly

16th May

White-legged Damselfly

16th May

Emperor Dragonfly

16th May

Black-tailed Skimmer

19th May

Norfolk Hawker

21st May

Variable Damselfly

21st May

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

29th May

Emerald Damselfly

30th May

Downy Emerald Dragonfly

31st May

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

4th June

Common Darter

6th June

Black Darter

11th June

Common Hawker

13th June

Ruddy Darter

14th June

Keeled Skimmer

14th June

Brown Hawker

15th June

Southern Hawker

28th June

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

29th June

Migrant Hawker

24th July

Willow Emerald Damselfly 

30th July

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