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Provence, Jun 2014

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A.k.a. France 2014: Part 1.

We had no trip to France hunting Odos in 2013, other than a 1-day pause at the Marais Poitevin en route to Spain in early August. Last year’s miss was due mainly to my having a cataract operation that stole May and June. So in 2014 I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms and eagerly booked our normal 6-week trip spanning the last week of May and the first week of July.

Our 2014 French trip was not designed purely for Odos. Carol was keen to search for orchids, particularly on the causses  around Millau. So, with May drawing to a close, we spent 3 days heading south to Millau for our first major stop spending 5 days scouring the area for plant life. I enjoyed the change.

After what was deemed a pretty successful orchid hunt netting us about 20 species, we headed further east to Provence where I was keen to revisit the Peau de Meau in the early part of the season. Our one previous visit of the highly acclaimed Peau de Meau was in September so we should have missed a number of early-season species. In Provence we stayed once again at Camping les Romarins, the barrier controlled and very popular camping municipale in Maussane-les-Alpilles. We’re not sure quite why this campsite is quite so popular since it seems rather impersonal to us with neighbours rarely exchanging pleasantries, but it’s convenient being in the very pleasant small town, has inclusive wi-fi and is reasonably well equipped. Besides, we’ve yet to find a better option in the vicinity. Ah, maybe that’s why it’s so popular? We stayed for a week between 3rd and 10th June.

As well as the Peau de Meau, I was also interested to see what we’d come to know as the Maussane Ditch, in Maussane-les-Alpilles itself. This unassuming little oasis in town had done as well as its famous neighbour last time.

A swift aside to grumble about my being screwed by Google: RIP Google Maps, enter “New” Google Maps. Why do improvements usually result in a degradation? Does New Google Maps now do what I want? No, of course not. I can no longer embed a map into a web page like this in the way I’d like, i.e. zoomed in to the area I’m discussing. So, after much heartache, I’m trying something new in Mapbox. I don’t have quite the control I’d like over icons and text formatting but it’s one heck of a lot closer than Google’s latest autocratically enforced pathetic offering. [I used to really like Google.]

So, using Mapbox, here’s a map showing our visited locations in Provence. My old approach was to make the number within each icon the number of species found at that location. I don’t seem to be able to use personalized icons so the number now represents the location referred to in my text. Who knows, maybe that’s a better approach for this usage.

Mausanne-les-Alpilles Ditch [#1]

First stop, Maussane Ditch, almost literally right outside our chosen campsite.

J14_1107 Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis[16]I’m not sure whether this really is a ditch, as such, but there is a small water course running alongside the Avenue des Alpilles in front of the Salle Agora. In Amerispeak, we might say this is “one block north” of the D17 which is the main road running east-west through the middle of town. This “ditch” was a revelation during our original September 2011 visit notching up 10 species including the delightful Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and Spotted Darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum).

On this occasion we discovered that the “ditch” actually joins into a small stream, the Gaudre du Trible which flows south through town. Our ditch was looking a little too overgrown in places, suffering from a little neglect, perhaps. Doubtless that’s a delicate balance when it comes to Odos when too much attention would disturb the inhabitants. I don’t think it wants to become too congested, though. Fears somewhat allayed, after a slowish start, we did begin seeing our friends though it was the newly discovered Gaudre du Trible  that proved to be the main area of activity.

Here’s our combined list for this visit.

  • Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
  • Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis)
  • Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
  • Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii)
  • White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)
  • White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes)
  • Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
  • Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva)
  • Keeled Skimmer (Orhetrum coerulescens)
  • Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea)

The 10 species listed above take our total species tally at this modest location in the middle of town to an impressive 15.

Peau de Meau Reserve, Plain de la Crau [#2]

The Peau de Meau reserve in the Réserve Naturelle des Coussouls de Crau, just south of Saint-Martin-de-Crau, has an almost Mecca-like reputation among dragonfly enthusiasts.  The area of interest for Odo-nutters is a stream flowing along the north-western border of the reserve; it runs NE-SW just inside the entrance right beside the car park. Given its reputation, Our September visit in 2011 netted what I regarded as a pretty paltry 10 species; heck, I spotted that many in our ditch at Maussane-les-Alpilles. 🙂 I should note, though, that on my first visit to the Peau de Meau in 2011, I spent an awful lot of my time distracted by my very first encounter with the utterly captivating Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) that abound there.

J14_1168 Aeshna isoscelesThis time, once again armed with our necessary permits purchased (€3 each) from the Ecomusée de la Crau in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, we set off in hopes of significantly improving our count and improve it we did. This time we saw 14 species taking our total to 16; still not that impressive, to be honest, ‘cos I’ve logged 17 at my favourite farm campsite at Fanjeaux. Still, it was a good day because we snagged our first ever female Blue-eyed Hooktail (Onychogomphus uncatus). The biggest surprise of the day for me, though, was my first meeting in parts foreign with a couple of Norfolk Hawkers (Aeshna isoceles), much more appropriately called Green-eyed Hawkers in this neck of the woods, patrolling the stream and with not a single Water Soldier plant in sight.

  • Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
  • Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis)
  • Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale)
  • Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii)
  • White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes)
  • Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles)
  • Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
  • Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope)
  • Yellow Clubtail (Gomphus simillimus)
  • Blue-eyed Hooktail (Onychogomphus uncatus)
  • Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva)
  • Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
  • Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens)
  • Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

I still can’t get enough of those Copper Demoiselles, though. 🙂

Canal de la Vallée des Baux, D27  [#3]

Just a few kilometres south of Maussane-les-Alpilles lies this stretch of the Canal de la Vallée des Baux. It was an instant hit with me in September 2011 because it provided my first ever encounter with a Spotted Darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum). Access could best be described as less than terrific because the canal side is raised, rather like a dyke, and quite overgrown so you can’t get really close to the water. However, the vegetation on the side does provide good habitat for a lot of the Odos venturing a short distance from the water.

Our route to and from the Peau de Meau takes you past this site so J14_1218 Gomphus pulchellusI couldn’t resist calling in on our way back from the Peau de Meau to see what we might find.  We were there less than an hour. I’m very glad we did call in, though, because, although we spotted only six species this time around, one of them was the Green-eyed Hawker/Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles), along with a Western Clubtail (Gomphus pulchellus) that settled in the vegetation beside us.

  • Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
  • Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
  • Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii)
  • Orange Featherleg (Platycnemis acutipennis)
  • Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles)
  • Western Clubtail (Gomphus pulchellus)

Etang des Aulnes [#4]

J14_1226 Crocothemis erythraeaThe Etang des Aulnes itself is a large body of water that doesn’t look promising as Odo habitat, too much big open water, though it may be reasonable for birders. The main area of interest where Odos are concerned is a small collection of what I think are fishing ponds dug into the eastern side of the étang. This is where we concentrated our efforts. The weather was not at its best but we managed to notch up 11 species, which I suspect is not a great tally for this spot, in reality.

  • Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
  • Small red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum)
  • Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii)
  • White-legged damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)
  • Orange Featherleg (Platycnemis acutipennis)
  • Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
  • Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope)
  • Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva)
  • Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
  • White-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum albistylum)
  • Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea)

So, in summary, I was a little disappointed at not seeing any species new to me but our first female Onychogomphus was very welcome as was our first foreign encounter with Aeshna isoceles. And [I can hear my English master cringing] how bad can seeing Caloptery haemorrhoidalis be?

Technorati Tags: nature,wildlife,dragonflies,damselflies,odonata,travel,France

Posted in 2014, France, Trip reports

New Forest, May 2014

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We are fans of the New Forest in the south of England but, for one reason or another, we didn’t get to visit it in 2013. So, withdrawal symptoms were setting in. Hoping to get to France for June, we decided to head for the New Forest as our early spring destination. After all, the more southerly regions of the country get an earlier start to their Odonata season than other regions, so it might prove to be a good chance to see more early species than elsewhere. At least, that was my thinking. We went for two weeks and stayed at the Forestry Commission’s Setthorns campsite.

As I’m getting tired of saying when it comes to the UK, the weather was, frankly, pants, with a fair amount of wet and nearly always cool/cold. Quite unusually, though, the three days of our early May Bank Holiday weekend were the only real sunny days we had and the temperature staggered up to an almost acceptable 16°C/60°F. I arranged to meet a local fellow Odonata enthusiast, Paul Ritchie, who showed us a couple of spots that were new to us. His local knowledge proved extremely helpful and we racked up 10 species over the three day weekend. I’d consider that a very good haul for the first week of May in the UK. Here’s a bit more detail.

Pennington: 3 May 2014

J14_0599 Calopteryx virgo maleThis site is not general public access but Paul has permission to root around in it. A soon as we clambered over the gate we disturbed an Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) and a few Beautiful Demoiselles, sunning themselves on some sheltered bushes. We soon added a few more species to the list, including the season’s first Hairy Hawker (Brachytron pratense) which typically did not hang around for a photo call.

  • Calopteryx virgo (Beautiful Demoiselle)
  • Pyrrhossoma nymphula (Large Red Damselfly)
  • Coenagrion puella (Azure Damselfly)
  • Ischnura elegans (Blue-tailed Damselfly)
  • Erythromma najas (Red-eyed Damselfly)
  • Brachytron pratense (Hairy Hawker)

Hatchet Moor: 3 & 4 May, 2014

I had tried Hatchet Pond, a tourist magnet just outside Beaulieu, myself but to no avail. Hatchet Pond is quite large, only one end looking as though it is suitable Odonata habitat. However, Paul told me that there were a couple of smaller ponds just off the main pond’s southern tip and that I’d have better luck there. These smaller ponds are best accessed from the Hatchet Moor car park and are actually a site for Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea), which Paul was keen to try to find. So, after having our fill of Pennington, and of lunch, we headed to Hatchet Moor to hook up with yet another local enthusiast, Doug Overton.

_MG_3826Though I missed it whilst looking elsewhere, the gang did find a Downy Emerald. Fortunately, Carol saved our bacon and snagged a decent shot of it. 🙂 We got our first Broad-bodied Chasers (Libellula depressa) of the year, too.

  • Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Large Red Damselfly)
  • Ischnura elegans (Blue-tailed Damselfly)
  • Enallagma cyathigerum (Common Blue Damselfly)
  • Erythromma najas (Red-eyed Damselfly)
  • Cordulia aenea (Downy Emerald)
  • Libellula depressa (Broad-bodied Chaser)

Burbush Pond: 4 May, 2014

J14_0626 Libellula quadrimaculataI think this is the official name of this pond, just south of Burley, though we have our own pet name for it – we call it Pony Poo Pond because someone, mentioning no names Carol, once threw a lump of Pony Poo into some reeds trying to dislodge a hidden female Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). Here’s the three species we saw on this visit, the main one of interest being the Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata), our tenth species in the two days of sunshine.

  • Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Large Red Damselfly)
  • Libellula depressa (Broad-bodied Chaser)
  • Libellula quadrimaculata (Four-spotted Chaser)

Ramsdown Plantation: 5 May, 2014

This is a good site for Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) and is the site of my first ever encounter with this handsome little dragonfly, though not at this time of year, of course. Interested in extending my personal species list there, I was keen to return. I called Paul to see if he was interested but he was already out scrutinizing another location. He suggested it might be a little too windy on this day for Ramsdown Plantation and he was quite right. Access was was difficult, too, the pond being somewhat bigger after all the rain. Success was limited:

  • Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Large Red Damselfly)
  • Enallagma cyathigerum (Common Blue Damselfly)
  • Libellula quadrimaculata (Four-spotted Chaser)

The single teneral Four-spotted Chaser managed to get itself tangled up in some twigs and I moved in to rescue it. It sat a while, then took to the wing, apparently none the worse for its ordeal – or my rescue. 🙂

Posted in 2014, Trip reports, UK

Season Start at Sandhouse

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IMG_0165 First at SandhouseJust a brief diary note to say that, very nearly two weeks after Duck End NR (apparently always Bedfordshire’s first), I today found six freshly emerged Large Red Damsels (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) at my local Sandhouse Lane NR.

My first encounter with them at Sandhouse last year was May 12th but then, I had been languishing in Spain in early May – and much warmer it had been, too.

Posted in 2014, News

My First of 2014

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Now back and settled after returning from a wet week in the Lake District, where the start of the Odo season in Bedfordshire eluded me, today I set out on my own first sorties.

My initial target was to check my own local patch, Sandhouse Lane NR, where I drew a blank. In short, it seemed as quiet as a graveyard. Time to look elsewhere.

Trying to think of small ponds that might warm up sooner than others (thinking this might encourage earlier emergence), I headed for Eversholt and its small Millennium Pond. I drew another blank.

I decided to head a little further afield and set off for Flitton Moor but, part way over there and realising that it is but a spit away from Duck End NR (where Bedfordshire’s first had been spotted), I couldn’t resist switching destinations in the hope of seeing my first little darlings of the new season. There are four ponds at Duck End, one of which seemed to be roped off (looked like boardwalk problems). The first two of the remaining three ponds yielded nothing. I was a little surprised at the second because it gets good sun, when sun is available. I progressed to the third and last pond. Initially I fond nothing and started chasing some hoverflies. In doing so I disturbed my eagerly sought quarry and here the fine male specimen is.

J14_0359 First Large Red 2014

The morning was warming a little and I began disturbing others around the edge of this last pond. Final tally: 14 individuals. Once again, I’d broken my duck at Duck End.

Posted in 2014, News, UK

Bedfordshire Kick-off, 2014

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Just a quickie to note that today a couple of friends from the BNHS [Bedfordshire Natural History Society] snagged photographic evidence that our year’s first Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) had emerged at Duck End NR near Maulden. And there I was, languishing in a good deal of cold rain and when it wasn’t raining it was very grey. Darn it, I missed it! Duck End is usually our kick-off site, though I have a suspicion that’s because it gets watched so closely.

This is about three weeks earlier than kick-off, 2013.

Now that I’m back from the cold, wet Lake District, if it ever warms up enough, I’ll be out looking.

Posted in 2014, News, UK

Spain, Xmas 2013

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My first reasonably serious attempt at finding dragonflies in Spain was in August this year, when we drove to Jalón to help a friend clebrate his birthday in early August and to take in something of the summer heat and fiestas. I’d bumped into a few specimens in a later spring trip but this August had been my first brush with the height of the Odo season in Spain.

Having been invited to serve as house-and-dog-sitters once more, we arrived back at Jalón on December 19th for the seasonal festivities, a welcome escape from Christmas at home.


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Jalón: 22-23 Dec, 2013

J01_4574 Common Darters ovipJ01_4587 Common DarterI certainly didn’t arrive in Spain this late in the year expecting to see any Odos but, on December 22nd and 23rd with the sun shining on rock pools in the local Jalón river, I was pleasantly surprised to see a handful of darters, including some late season ovipositing. On closer inspection of my photographic evidence, they proved to be:

  • Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum)

Since colleagues had been spotting Common Darters active in Hampshire in early December this year, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by their being active this late this much further south, but I was – pleasantly so, of course.

This may be a report of a single species in a single location but, since it represents my latest ever date for Odos in Europe, I though it was definitely worth an honorable mention.

Most interesting, for me, anyway, was the fact that I had not spotted any Common Darters at this location in August. So, not only was tbhis a new species for this location but I’d have thought they would have been active in August, too. Curious.

Posted in 2013, Spain, Trip reports

Norfolk, Sep 2013

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Having fallen in love with Norfolk once again after an absence of more than 20 years, and my boss having run off back to Italy for a third week this year, this time in the company of her mother, I decided to return to Norfolk, just me and our caravan, Billy. I chose Norfolk not specifically for Odos – the Norfolk Hawkers (Aeshna isoceles), after all, were long gone – but more because it appeared to be the part of the country that would enjoy the best chance of settled weather during my visit.

The weather did turn out to be mostly sunny. Indeed, I enjoyed five days of mainly sunshine which was more than I could say for my Italian adventurers. Of course, with dry sunny conditions, I couldn’t resist seeing what dragonflies I could find but this late in the season I was really only ever expecting Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum) and Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta).


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How Hill NR: 27 Sep 2013

I had a very pleasant late afternoon walk beside the River Ant from Ludham Bridge and ended up at the staithe on the river front just outside the How Hill estate.

  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)

Alderfen: 28 Sep, 2013

J01_4261 Common DarterHaving enjoyed the peace and solitude of Alderfen NR so much back in June, I just had to return and see who was around. Once again, it was just me and the Odos: more Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum) than I could count and several Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta). This place really is a delight.

  • Aeshna mixta (Migrant Hawker)
  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)

Johnson Street Campsite: 29 Sep 2013

J01_4289 Migrant Hawker femaleI’d spotted a few individuals on the campsite back in June but, since they were less than a handful, I didn’t map them. Once again, I was in the company of Odos which added the the total species count so now I’ve included it.

  • Aeshna mixta (Migrant Hawker)
  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)

Winterton Dunes NNR: 29 Sep 2013

Wnterton Dunes has a reputation for rare wildlife, including Natterjack Toads, which we set of to see and failed to find during our June visit. In fact, we failed to find the correct area of the dunes themselves. In the Odonata line, my still-to-be-seen Small Bluetail/Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura pumilio) has apparently also been reported there. Of course, it was much too late in the year for that but I thought I’d make another visit anyway, just to try and find the correct location once and for all. I’m still not entirely sure I did, largely because my suspect pond had largely dried out. My trudge through the sandy dunes did disturb a few Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum), though.

  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)

Upton Fen NR: 29 Sep 2013

My return visit to Upton Broad and Marshes was curtailed by too many unpleasant clouds rolling in. Still, it added the now familiar two species to my location list.

  • Aeshna mixta (Migrant Hawker)
  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)
Posted in 2013, Trip reports, UK

Italy, Sep 2013

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A trip to Italy for the first half of September was primarily a walking holiday. However, there were a few days off to get a dose of culture in various cities. I don’t really do city culture but, looking at a map, I did spot a couple of water bodies that might have given me a little Odo interest. Time was very limited but I did find a few species in three locations.

Since I am not yet minded to make Italy a regular hunting ground, my Italy map and observations are likely to remain very limited. This may well be it. 😉


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Lucca: 11 Sep, 2013

P1030133 Lucca Walls_MG_6500 Common BluetailFor a city, Lucca is actually quite pleasant. It’s most impressive feature is undoubtedly its 4km wall, complete and in good repair, around which you can walk and/or cycle. Running just outside a considerable section of the wall is a small water course which I assumed to be some kind of drainage channel. It meanders, quite attractively, through a grassy surround. Here, we did find a couple of Odos. Of course, being on a walking holiday I was not correctly equipped to capture them well on pixels but we did our best with what photographic equipment we had.

  • Ischnura elegans (Common Bluetail/Blue-tailed Damselfly)
  • Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer)

Cinque Terre: 13 Sep, 2013

_MG_6578 Red-veined femaleNormally we really enjoy coastal walking but in the case of the very touristy coastal footpath that we encountered at the famous Cinque Terre, we’ll make an exception. Get us back to the sanity of the mountains and away from flip-flop clad sun-worshippers. My interest did increase when we spotted a dragonfly or two – hawkers of some kind – zooming about our starting village but I couldn’t identify them. Along the coastal path itself, however, we did spot a female Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and preserved it on pixels. At least I now knew this species to be happy at the coast and was no longer surprised to see it in such habitat.

  • Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter)

Florence: 20 Sep, 2013

This is the day I was dreading more than any other. Here I would be in a very large, bustling city, crawling with tourists and full of expensive shops, and me in the company of several women who regarded shopping as an Olympic sport. I studied the map again and found the Boboli Gardens which seemed to have a few water features which just might provide some respite. Unfortunately there was an entrance fee but I could stand no more and went in, accompanied by a couple of male companions with a similar allergy to shopping.

P1030296 Sterile habitatP1030292 Black-tailed SkimmerThe first water feature, classical statues around a circular concrete pond with no vegetation whatsoever, proved utterly sterile and unsurprisingly fruitless. Oddly, at the second water feature, which looked equally sterile with not a hint of any vegetation at all, I spotted not one but two Black-tailed Skimmers flying and occasionally perching on the concrete side wall. I still cannot think why they were there but I’m very glad they were.

  • Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer)
Posted in 2013, Italy, Trip reports

Spain, Aug 2013

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Other than a worrying warning light the shape of which resembled our engine block, we completed our 1200mls/1900kms road journey from Calais, over the Pyrenees and on to Jalón (near Calpe on the Costa Blanca) smoothly. It has to be said that driving to Spain is not particularly cost effective. The diesel alone costs about £500 and, on top of that, there’s the ferry (~£80) and recovery insurance (~£80), together with accommodation and meals (~£400) en route to take into account. The more rational way would be a low cost airline such as easyJet (~£300 the pair) plus a rental car to get independence of travel while at the Spanish end. I quite like long drives, though, and the journey was basically fun, despite a few traffic jams (Bordeaux was far and away the worst) and that worrying warning light.

The last 50kms or so driving down the autopista felt distressingly like coming home. Distressing because the house we were staying in belongs to someone else. 🙂 We’d been invited out to help friend Chris celebrate his birthday and to get a flavour of the Spanish fiestas but, this being our first visit to Spain in the height of summer, I was hoping for some decent Odo action.

I tried to do some research before leaving but it seemed rather difficult to get any detailed information about very many Odo sites. Previously, I’d had difficulty identifying sites myself using maps and good ol’ Google Earth so perhaps there really is a paucity of them. Alternatively and, I suspect, more likely, Spain is a rather under recorded country when it comes to Odonata. This was certainly the opinion expressed by a contact at UKDragonflies who visits Spain both regularly and frequently. Certainly, there aren’t many detailed dragonfly websites available. I did get one pointer to the area from one David Chelmick at Macromia Scientific which proved useful, especially so because I found a new (for me) species, though not the species that David had mentioned I might find.

Actually, we found two new species but one was not acting on information received.


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Las Salinas, Calpe: 7 Aug, 2013

J01_3711 Immature RVDBack in May, I had been a little surprised to find a pair of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) at this salt water lagoon. I was no longer surprised since I’d since learned that S. fonscolombii is often associated with coastal regions. I was keen to return to see firstly if this had been a fluke and secondly if anything else might be present. The answer to the first question was no, my May sighting was no fluke; now the side of the lagoon was playing home to many RVDs of both sexes. The answer to the second question was also no, I saw no other species.

  • Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter )

Riu Xaló-Gorgos, Jalón: 6/8 Aug, 2013

J01_3723 Epaulet Skimmer[BTW: Xaló is Valencianan for Jalón.]

The river that flows through Jalón is a little confusing in that there is usually water in the river bed at Jalón and much further downstream at Xavier but in between, round about Lliber, the river bed remains confusingly dry. The river, I’m told, disappears underground. Weird! Where there is usually water, I’d been a little surprised not to find any evidence of dragonflies back in May. This time I looked harder and in more places and found a decent haul including, most notably, a new species to me, the Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma). New species are always a thrill but also a little confusing so I verified my id with a contact familiar with Spanish dragonflies. Another species I was delighted to see here, particularly given the lighting conditions for photography, was the Violet Dropwing/Violet-marked Darter (Trithemis annulata).

  • J01_3689 Violet DropwingIschnura elegans (Common Bluetail/Blue-tailed Damselfly) 1
  • Anax imperator (Blue Emperor/Emperor Dragonfly)
  • Orthetrum chrysostigma (Epaulet Skimmer)
  • Sympetrum striolatum (Common Darter)
  • Crocothemis erythraea (Broad Scarlet/Scarlet Darter)
  • Trithemis annulata (Violet Dropwing)

Riu Xaló-Gorgos, Lliber: 9 Aug, 2013

Though the riverbed of the  Xaló-Gorgos seems utterly dry both above and below Lliber, we did wander and found a few sizable pools of water. Unfortunately, the sizable pools of water outnumbered the dragonflies considerably, there being only one species that I spotted.

  • Crocothemis erythraea (Scarlet Darter)

Pego-Oliva Marsh Nature Reserve: 10 Aug, 2013

One of my attempts at research prior to the trip was to contact a birder with the Jalón U3A. Though he did not have any specific dragonfly sites knowledge, he did point me at the Parque Natural de Marjal de Pego-Oliva, a mixture of marshes and rice paddies. I had actually tried it before but failed to find somewhere that I was happy to park for fear of infringing the law. My contact straightened me out and we tried again with much more success.

  • Ischnura elegans (Common Bluetail/Blue-tailed Damselfly 1
  • Erythromma viridulum (Small Red-eyed Damselfly)
  • Anax imperator (Emperor Dragonfly)
  • Anax parthenope (Lesser Emperor)
  • Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer)
  • Orthetrum chrysostigma (Epaulet Skimmer)
  • Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter)
  • Crocothemis erythraea (Scarlet Darter)

La Vall d’Ebo: 12 Aug, 2013

J01_3824 Southern SkimmerThis was quite an interesting find for us, not to mention quite an interesting drive. To get up to La Vall d’Ebo we drove up over the coastal range of hills/mountains round some classic hairpin bends. Our idea was to have a tapas lunch at a restaurant that had been recommended but there’s also a small river running beside the village. Our approach took us over a river bridge but the river’s bed looked bone dry, rather like the river at Lliber. However, we did find decent pools of water and a good haul of dragonflies. The star turn was undoubtedly one particularly cooperative make Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum).

I’m pretty sure we spotted a Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) flying about but it didn’t settle and I can’t be sure it wasn’t a Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) which has a similar blue saddle.

  • Erythromma lindenii (Goblet-marked Damselfly)
  • Platycnemis latipes (White Featherleg)
  • Anax imperator (Emperor Dragonfly)
  • Anax parthenope (Lesser Emperor) – ?
  • Orthetrum coerulescens (Keeled Skimmer)
  • Orthetrum brunneum (Southern Skimmer)
  • Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter)
  • Crocothemis erythraea (Scarlet Darter)

Aula Natura De La Marjal De Gandia

J01_3839 Long SkimmerThis was the reserve suggested to me by David Chelmick at Macromia Scientific. The site is apparently known for the Black Pennant (Selysiothemis nigra) which was the main reason for our visit but which, even though our timing looked good compared to its flight season, we did not find. However, the trip was very worthwhile because we did find a new species to add to our catalogue, the Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria). What a happy bunny!

  • Ischnura elegans (Common Bluetail/Blue-tailed Damselfly) 1
  • Erythromma viridulum (Small Red-eyed Damselfly)
  • Anax imperator (Emperor Dragonfly)
  • Orthetrum trinacria (Long Skimmer)
  • Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter)
  • Crocothemis erythraea (Scarlet Darter)
  • Trithemis annulata (Violet Dropwing)

[1] – There is an Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) whose recorded range theoretically overlaps here with the Common Bluetail (I. elegans) though here, the map shows it as something of an outpost. Separating these two painfully similar species requires either hand examination or a detailed photograph. My id of I. elegans is based upon my thinking I can see the upstanding edge of the pronotum on two of my suspects. It’s probably also more likely.

Here’s a spreadsheet of species by location:

Technorati Tags: travel,Spain,Jalon,nature,wildlife,odonata,dragonflies,damselflies,photography

Posted in 2013, Spain, Trip reports

Marais Poitevin, Aug 2013

Posted on by JC — No Comments ↓

August 2013 broke our mould in several respects. Firstly, we were straying away from home during the height of rugrat season. Secondly, we would be experiencing the height of summer in Spain, our ultimate destination, for the very first time. Thirdly, rather than flying, we were re-using  a missed ferry booking and driving the 1200 mls/1900 kms to Jalón, taking three days to complete the journey.

As we would otherwise be missing out on France this year, we took a slightly circuitous route down to Spain enabling us to call in at Arçais in the Marais Poitevin to visit friend Mike. We stayed two nights in a very frugally priced gîte (€20 each including breakfast) run by a former mayor and, on our full day there with him, Mike led us on one of his favourite walks through the marsh.


View Dragonfly Sites, France in a larger map

J01_3618 Platycnemis latipes tandemAs if it were needed, this visit really did stress the importance of visiting ones favourite haunts, of which this is most certainly one, at different times of the year. In a location that we have previously visited quite frequently, we added three new species to our list for this location. Most exciting of these for me was the addition of White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), since this seems to be the north-westernmost limit of its range. Hitherto, I had not realized that it could be found this far north.

The following is what we spotted this time around, rather than our complete hit list for Arçais.

  • Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca) – NEW
  • Blue-eye/Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii)
  • Blue Featherleg/White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)
  • White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes)  – NEW
  • Blue Emperor/Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)
  • Western Clubtail (Gomphus pulchellus)
  • Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
  • Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale) – NEW
Posted in 2013, France, Trip reports
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