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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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All ponds welcome…

Graham Wenman has sent in these photos of recently emerged Large Red Damselflies. He also found 3 exuviae proving they had succesfully bred in his pond...which is a repurposed dog bed! This is proof that…
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May 13, 2022
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Clubtails & Demoiselles in Shrewsbury…

The first Common Clubtails for this year have been seen emerging from the River Severn in Shrewsbury. Mike Ashton saw this individual sadly looking worse for wear near the main car park. It's worth keeping…
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May 12, 2022
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Close encounters of the Large Red kind…

Julian Cartwright has been enjoying good numbers of Large Red Damselflies at Boyne Water on Brown Clee Hill. As well as seeing over 30 individuals Julian took this wonderful close up photo. You can see…
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May 9, 2022
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Azure Damselfly on the wing…

Stephen Barlow has sent in the first photo of Azure Damselfly seen up at Whixall Moss. Here we see a teneral female already clearly showing the short dark line (coenagrion spur) on the side of…
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May 8, 2022
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Lizard’s Lunch!

Stephen Barlow recently noticed a White-faced Darter take it's maiden flight post emergence. He grabbed his camera to photograph the individual where it landed only to see a Common Lizard leap into the frame and…
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May 8, 2022
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Not all on the wing..

Jim Almond has sent in this rather strange photo of a recently emerged Large Red Damselfly that hasn't quite finished the job. So often we see individuals deformed by nearby obstacles, overcrowding or being battered…
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May 4, 2022
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Three more species on the wing…

Nothing like a sunny spell to get things underway! Jim Almond has seen Broad-bodied Chaser emerging from his pond near Shrewsbury (below right) and has also seen the far less common Variable Damselfly whilst surveying…
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April 30, 2022
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White-faced Darters emerging…

Stephen Barlow has sent in this lovely sequence of a White-faced Darter emerging at Whixall Moss. Thinking this may be the first he then saw a second individual with black and yellow coloration far more developed…
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April 30, 2022
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Four-spotted Chasers on the wing…

The sun shines on and Four-spotted Chasers are emerging at Whixall Moss alongside good numbers of Large Red Damselflies. Stephen Barlow has sent in this fabulous photo showing clearly the 4 black spots at the wing…
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April 21, 2022
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And they’re off…

Whixall Moss is so often where the earliest sightings for Shropshire are made and 2022 is no exception. Stephen Barlow saw 4 Large Red Damselflies on Saturday 16th April which means the flight season is underway! Stephen…
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April 19, 2022
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Spring in the air…

Somehow we are already rolling through March which means we are probably weeks away from the start of the Shropshire flight season! I'm busy finalising the dragonfly newsletter for last season before we start another…
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March 10, 2022
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Another day another record…

The latest ever resident Shropshire species record now sits with Common Darter - 2 individuals pictured here and seen by Stephen Barlow at Whixall Moss on 25th November....will they last to December?
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November 26, 2021
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Latest ever Shropshire records for 2 species

Stephen Barlow has sent in late records of both Common Hawker and Black Darter seen at Whixall Moss on 14th November- the latter pictured here. These sightings represented the latest ever Shropshire records for both…
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November 21, 2021
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Black Darter still on the wing..

As well as Common Darters Stephen Barlow spotted this female Black Darter at Whixall Moss on 4th November...still in good shape with the diagnostic black triangle clearly visible on top of the thorax and 2…
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November 5, 2021
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November records…

Following a markedly cooler night Stephen Barlow visited Whixall Moss on Tuesday and managed to find 3 Common Darters -an over mature female pictured left. The southwesterly winds meant sheltered basking sites were difficult to…
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November 3, 2021
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Great opportunity for late records..

Amazingly the mild weather continues as we hurtle towards the end of October. Stephen Barlow reports Common Darter and Common Hawker both being present on Whixall Moss on 25th October. The latest Shropshire record ever…
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October 26, 2021
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A mild mid-October…

Very mild temperatures mean a good few records are still coming in with Southern Hawker, Common Darter and Migrant Hawker all out and about. Jan Shields took these photos of a female Migrant Hawker ovipositing…
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October 14, 2021
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Not just any common-or-garden hawker…

Adrian Jones has sent in this lovely photo of a Common Hawker seen over a period of 2 days in his wildlife garden in Shrewsbury. Though named a Common Hawker this species is far from…
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October 7, 2021
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The wing beat goes on…

As we launch into October with sunny skies it will be interesting to see how the remaining dragonflies fare. Incoming records show a reasonable number of species still on the wing in the last couple…
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October 1, 2021

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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