My OperaFirst ever Southern Emerald Damselfly in Essex
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:37:53 PM
Last Thursday (22/7/10) I had one of those days that an amatuer naturalist stroke wildlife photographer dreams of, although I didn't realise until last night, or know for sure until a few minutes ago! It all started on an early morning walk at Wat Tyler Country Park when I headed up a path that was good for butterflies the day before and I came to a small clearing that the rangers keep clear in the hawthorn scrub. Here while trying to photograph a meadow brown butterfly I flushed a damselfly which then perched on some hawthorn.
Something about it struck me as different from the emerald and scarce emeralds I had been photographing in the weeks before. So with the knowledge of the willow emeralds in Suffolk and NE Essex (EWT Fingeringhoe Wick) I set about getting plenty of photos, just in case.
Head and thorax close up.
Clasper close ups (they are important for IDs with emerald and scarce emeralds).
As I was weeks behind with photo editing, these photos just got put on the hard drive. I figured it was probably just an over mature specimen of one of the 2 emerald species and spent the Friday night preparing for my trip to Thursley Common, rather ironically to go find some 'decent' dragonflies!
While there I had a discussion with one of my group (Jules) who works for the RSPB in North Kent and she had been told by an expert to 'check emeralds closely' after the Southern emeralds had turned up at RSPB Cliff Pools (which is almost directly the other side of the Thames to Wat Tyler CP!)
I ended up wondering all yesterday at work what the damselfly was so after catching up some other editing I had a look. With the best photos on my screen I had a look on the british dragonfly society site and the emerald and scarce emerald didn't really match, so I looked with excitment at the willow emerald, only to be disappointed when I saw it lacked the "diagnostic 'spur' marking" on the side of the thorax.
But then I looked at the southern emerald damselfly page and got rather excited by the "The pterostigma is bi-coloured" in the description and the similarities between the photos.
So I emailed the county recorder Ted Benton (who has been brilliant) and after sending the above photos he has confirmed that (as far as he knows) this is the first Essex record for the species.
Im rather happy as you can imagine
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Anonymous # Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:04:05 PM
Anonymous # Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:04:13 PM
Andy WilsonDudley # Wednesday, July 28, 2010 2:41:50 AM
RobinRobinL # Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:13:57 AM
A beautiful Damsel. Those eyes!!
ERWINWulpen # Wednesday, July 28, 2010 8:17:20 AM
Anonymous # Wednesday, July 28, 2010 8:42:18 AM
Anonymous # Wednesday, July 28, 2010 3:14:51 PM
Anonymous # Friday, July 30, 2010 4:13:53 PM
NeilUkwildlife # Friday, July 30, 2010 7:10:15 PM
The best direction I could give would be:
From the centre follow the path South along the road towards the marina, until you reach the building near the marina car park, turn right (West) up towards a building with concrete slab patio out front. Dont walk over the patio but take the path that goes past (the middle path of 3 possible routes). This will take you up a path enclosed on both side by hawthorn scrub. Head up the path (west) past the small path on your right until you reach a small clearing on the right with long grass and it was in this spot I found the Southern emerald. I have had no luck relocating the damselfly there but another good place to look might be the ditches that run between the perimeter path (the one that runs along the creek) and the saltmarsh.
Happy hunting and do let me know (and the county recorder) if you find anything!
Anonymous # Friday, July 30, 2010 7:18:37 PM
Anonymous # Tuesday, August 3, 2010 5:31:08 AM
Anonymous # Tuesday, August 3, 2010 12:03:35 PM