April-May Sightings and News

Total species recorded during the 2012 season is 14

Female Broad-bodied Chaser at Barnston Dale 29.5.12. Photo © C Millington

Four-spotted Chaser at Lindow Common 29.5.12. Photo © C Storey

30-5-12
At Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651753), Pete Leicester reports Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, and Large Red Damselfly.

29-5-12
Colin Millington reports four Broad-bodied Chaser flying over a meadow at Barnston Dale (28X SJ284840) today. At Barnton (67M SJ642751) Pete Leicester spotted a male Hairy Dragonfly flying by the canal. Meanwhile at Lindow Common (88F SJ836812) Chris Storey found three Four-spotted Chaser, with plenty of Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly.

Teneral male Broad-bodied Chaser at Callands 27.5.12. Photo © K Cross

27.5.12
A fine Sunday with lots of Odonata action across the county. M Read reports twelve Downy Emerald on Gull Pool (56Z SJ599689) and the nearby forest rides. At Vale Royal (66P SJ643698) Mat Bingham returned to find several Banded Demoiselle, a few Red-eyed Damselfly, and a single Large Red Damselfly. Meanwhile at Callands in Warrington (58Z SJ599887) Ken Cross spotted a teneral male Broad-bodied Chaser with Azure Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly. At Aldford (45E SJ415596) Phil Corley spotted a couple of early White-legged Damselfly.

Male Hairy Dragonfly eating a Red-eyed Damselfly at Churton 26.5.12. Photo © Paul S Hill

26.5.12
At Vale Royal (66P SJ643698) Mat Bingham found more Hairy Dragonfly flying and at Churton (45I SJ430565) Paul S Hill photographed a male of the same species devouring a Red-eyed Damselfly.

Female Large Red Damselfly at Churton 25.5.12. Photo © D Kitching

Male Four-spotted Chaser at Churton 25.5.12. Photo © D Kitching

25.5.12
Another fine day and a trip to Aldford (45E SJ415596) yielded three teneral Common Club-tail, a few Banded Demoiselle, several Blue-tailed Damselfly and Azure Damselfly, and a couple of Hairy Dragonfly. Moving on to Churton (45I SJ430565) there were several more Hairy Dragonfly, with Four-spotted Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, and Variable Damselfly. From old river at Vale Royal (66P SJ643698) Peter Shaw reports a couple of male Hairy Dragonfly with Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly. Meanwhile at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651753) Vicky Nall counted five Emperor Dragonfly exuviae whilst flying were two Four-spotted Chaser and plenty of Large Red Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly.

Teneral male Variable Damselfly at Churton 25.5.12. Photo © D Kitching

Male Hairy Dragonfly at Churton 25.5.12. Photo © D Kitching

24.5.12
Down on the Dee at Aldford (45E SJ415596) Bill Furse found the first four Common Club-tail of the season and a single Broad-bodied Chaser and Banded Demoiselle. Neil Friswell also visited the same place and found Common Club-tail and Red-eyed Damselfly.

Teneral male Common Club-tail at Aldford 24.5.12. Photo © W Furse

Teneral female Common Club-tail at Aldford 24.5.12. Photo © N Friswell

23.5.12
At Bickley Hall Farm (54I SJ535479) Vicky Nall found a male Hairy Dragonfly and several Red-eyed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, and a couple of Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Male Hairy Dragonfly at Bar Mere 23.5.12. Photo © V Nall

22.5.12
In lovely warm sunshine, Peter Shaw looked on the old river at Vale Royal (66P SJ643698) and soon spotted a male Hairy Dragonfly and several Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly.

Male Azure Damselfly at Anderton Nature Park 21.5.12. Photo © P Leicester

21.5.12
When the sun finally appeared it wasn't long before the sightings started to be made. Barry Shaw went to Saltersley Moss (88A SJ819806) where he saw a single Four-spotted Chaser and lots of Large Red Damselfly. Another Four-spotted Chaser was seen by Pat Brown at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651753) and Pete Leicester reports Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly from the same location.

17.5.12
Vicky Nall found a cold and weakly flying Banded Demoiselle on the Shropshire Union Canal at Bate's Mill Bridge (56F SJ532602) today.

16.5.12
After a search along the old river at Vale Royal (66P SJ643698) Peter Shaw found a single teneral Azure Damselfly.

14.5.12
Mel Bellingham found several Large Red Damselfly at Newchurch Common (66E SJ603689) along with a single male Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Male Blue-tailed Damselfly at Newchurch Common 14.5.12. Photo © M Bellingham

12.5.12
At Vale Royal (67K SJ640703) Mat Bingham searched hard but only found a single teneral Large Red Damselfly.

9.5.12
I took a stroll across Danes Moss (97A SJ907706) this morning and found just a single teneral Large Red Damselfly.

2.5.12
The cold and damp weather continues to hold back the season and the first record for May comes from the Warrington area where Ken Cross found several Large Red Damselfly emerging at a garden pond at Callands (58Z SJ5988). On the same day at Thurstaston Common (28M SJ243848) Michael Gardner found two more recently emerged Large Red Damselfly.

15.4.12
The first sighting of the 2012 season is a Large Red Damselfly seen at Burwardsley (88G SJ518567) by Michael Whiteside. Pete Leicester also spotted a single teneral of the same species at Anderton Nature Park (67M SJ651753).

Teneral Large Red Damselfly. Photo © R Buxton

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