Blog

Another hot day yesterday saw Jim Almond and myself battling through bogs and undergrowth to survey a private pool near Shrewsbury, but all was worth it when we saw Downy Emerald (left and below left)…

Tricky because female Blue-tailed Damselflies come in 5 colour forms. Two of these forms are immatures; form violacea with a purple thorax that we featured recently on the blog, and form rufescens. The latter is…

Jan Shields has had an amazing visit to Aston Locks where she saw up to 100 Four-spotted Chasers including emergent and teneral individuals and many on the wing- really great to hear of such numbers…

Well my garden pond has mostly birds chasing around it who are sadly clearing up most of the emergent damselflies in the process! Warwick Davies is having more luck, after a slow start to the year…

Paul Spear has been out in the heat of the day at Whixall Moss and has sent in some wonderful photos of White-faced Darters. A male (left) and female (below left) in flight and a…

Jim Almond has sent in these photos of a female Common Blue Damselfly which illustrate some of the useful diagnostic points to split these from other species. Broad antehumeral stripes are clearly visible on top…

A taste of sunshine has allowed 2 more species to emerge. Stephen Barlow saw this teneral male White-legged Damselfly on Marl Allotment at Whixall Moss, presumably having emerged from the nearby canal and now sheltering in the…

Paul Spear has sent in these great photos of Demoiselles emerging at Coalbrookdale. Pictured left is the mature larvae...though difficult to tell if Beautiful or Banded without a closer look...and both species were present. Below…

These lovely photos sent in by Jim Almond show us an immature female Blue-tailed Damselfly form violacea. Strictly speaking this is really an immature immature form violacea as even the purple coloration hasn't fully developed…

Jim Almond has sent further photos and some fascinating detail about the Broad-bodied Chaser emerging from his pond. The dragonfly emerged on 20th May just in time for 'biblical rains' which then ensued for a number…