Hampshire dragonflies (3 Viewers)

[pdwinter]

Southampton Common 2/7/9

Now three Red-veined Darters flying aorund the boating lake on Southampton Common.

 

[pdwinter]

Sotton Common 3/7/9

Now three Red-veined Darters flying aorund the boating lake on Southampton Common.

Still three males there today and Andy Collins saw what was probably a female also. Two Golden-ringed today - one along the path/stream just east of the boating lake and another on the east of the Avenue (although possibly the same insect!)

 

[pdwinter]

That section of the brook (near the Ashley Walk crossing) was totally dry last weekend. Southerns are not far away on the Latchmore Brook so I wondered if they might be here. Perhaps not.

Yes, it's surprising that Southerns haven't hopped over from Latchmore. Perhaps there are scrub areas they won't cross or no suitable habitat within a km. I've been told that Southern Damselflies are on Broadlands estate (Romsey) and we're hoping that they get to my local patch - Lower Test. The latter has been surveyed and the ditch systems are suitable but as yet no sign.

 

[pdwinter]

Latchmore Brook 2/7/9

I went with Tim Parmenter to the Latchmore Brook today. When it became overcast and rained we thought we'd made a big mistake but eventually it became a fine afternoon

Species seen

Beautiful Demoiselle
Emerald Damselfly 5
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly 7 inc aurantiaca female
Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Southern Damselfly c.50 the most common blue
Large Red Damselfly
Small Red Damselfly
Emperor Dragonfly 2
Golden-ringed Dragonfly 5
Four-spotted Chaser 6
Broad-bodied Chaser 2
Keeled Skimmer 100s

We called at Slufters on the way back and added two species

Black-tailed Skimmer
Black Darter (imm Male)

I've now seen 4 Red-veined Darters and a Black Darter but no Common Darter this year!

Regards, Paul

 

[pdwinter]

Badminston GP 5/7/9

A good few hours at Badminston today produced 13 species.

Blue-tailed Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly 1
Red-eyed Damselfly 1
Small Red-eyed Damselfly 1
Large Red Damselfly
Emperor Dragonfly 5
Golden-ringed Dragonfly 1
Four-spotted Chaser 1
Black-tailed Skimmer 10+
Keeled Skimmer 3 (2m,f)
Red-veined Darter 8 (7m,f)
Common Darter 6 (tenerals)

Unsurprisingly a Hobby appeared!



Paul

 

[pdwinter]

Southampton Common 9/7/9

There was one Red-veined Darter in the rough grass north of the boating lake at lunchtime - sheltering from the wind until I disturbed it and then unfortunately disappearing again just before Andy Collins arrived.

To the east of the boating lake is a narrow ditch with a path alongside and an area of thistles. When the sun came out in this sheltered area we saw one (poss 2) Golden-ringed, two Emperors and a Southern Hawker which had a deformed abdomen with the last few segments at a right angle to the rest. Good for butterflies too.

 

[pdwinter]

Emer Bog 10/7/9

In an hour's visit at lunchtime around the pond I saw

Emerald Damselfly 1
Blue-tailed Damselfly 3
Azure Damselfly 100s
Large Red Damselfly pr
Emperor 1
Golden-ringed 1
Broad-bodied chaser male
Ruddy Darter 4 mature males

The bog was relatively dry.

Paul

 

[pdwinter]

Sightings 25/7

Managed to see a Common Hawker hunting along the trees on the Burley old railway west of the Holmesley tea rooms at lunchtime. I then walked around Holmesley bog and saw little in the gloom and rain! The best part came at the end of the walk back by the stream at the beginning of the railway with several Goldenrings and a Southern Damselfly. (The latter probably only 50m from the car after a 5 mile walk!)

 

[pdwinter]

Keyhaven 14/8

Twelve species of dragonfly on a nice sunny (but a bit windy) day.

Highlights were a small Red-eyed Damselfly, nine Ruddy Darters and three immature male Red-veined Darters. The latter were unfortunately in a private area although I'll look again around the upper balancing pond (aka Iley Lake) on Wednesday.

 

[pdwinter]

Large Red Damselfly

There was a Large Red Damselfly in the car park at Pig Bush this afternoon (19/04) - my earliest ever although I'm normally away the third week of April.

 

[John P]

There was a Large Red Damselfly in the car park at Pig Bush this afternoon (19/04)

Had three on my pond this morning, first I've seen anywhere so far this year.

Checked a couple of ponds while out this birding this afternoon, one of them was prolific last year and the other was an unknown (to me) but no Damsels or Dragons seen.

 

[pdwinter]

Sightings 22/5 and update

The last few days have helped things pick up a bit.

At Lower Test (before 11am) there were

Downy Emerald 2
Azure Damselfly 20+
Large Red Damselfly 4
Blue-tailed Damselfly 1
Banded Demoiselle 30+

and there were a couple of Broad-bodied chasers on Alder Gully Pond at Testwood Lakes around noon.

In the afternoon Blue-tails have started to emerge along the Fishtail Lagoon ditch at Keyhaven but I didn't see any Hairys or Four-spots.

At Crockford last Wednesday (10:50-14:30) I could only find

Beautiful Demoiselle 1 teneral male (Lower Crockford)
Azure Damselfly 1 male
Large Red Damselfly 22
Four-spotted Chaser 1 (Two Bridges Bottom)
Broad-bodied Chaser 3

Today looks good|=)|

 

[John P]

I've had to go to work rather too frequently recently and so have not been out much.

I did manage a couple of snaps of a Grey Wagtail at Blashford recently helping itself to damsels, some of them didn't live very long!

 

[Kits]

Nice capture, John.

 

[John P]

2011

Don't know what species, but I had a Dragonfly go through my scope view a couple of times at the back of Keyhaven Lagoon this afternoon.

 

[pdwinter]

2011

Don't know what species, but I had a Dragonfly go through my scope view a couple of times at the back of Keyhaven Lagoon this afternoon.

Perhaps the Vagrant Emperor invasion has started ;-)

I'm hoping to get down to Pennington/Keyhaven on Wednesday as the weather should be pretty warm so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

 

[pdwinter]

Didn't find very much today (20/4) at Pennington - just 9 Large Red and 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies. I called in at Crockford on my way back and a male Hairy Dragonfly was patrolling one of the pools within the wooded area.

 

[pdwinter]

Drew a blank on new species for the year at Slufters Pond yesterday (22nd) although there were good numbers of Large Red. Looking at HantsBirdsNews I managed to time the visit so that I was too late for the Black Stork's flight over Slufters and had my head down looking for dragonflies while it soared over Milkham behind me !
Had a text to say there was an Azure Damselfly at the Lower Test and Andy Collins saw a Downy Emerald at Hatchett Pond.

 

[John P]

Large Reds in Holmsley enclosure on 19th, checked out Markway Ponds yesterday afternoon and very briefly Holmsley Gravel pit and nothing at all at either location.

I keep on missing the Black Stork too.

 

[pdwinter]

Excellent morning at Badminston GP today (23rd) with Blue-tailed Damselfly 1, Common Blue Damselfly 1, Azure Damselfly 3, Large Red Damselfly 9, Emperor Dragonfly 1, Hairy Dragonfly 2.

Then this afternoon at Cadnam Common there were more Large Reds and 13 Broad-bodied Chasers.