Willow Emeralds in 2009


A Summary of 2009 records of Willow Emerald Damselflies from the Felixstowe Peninsula.



The only record on the Felixstowe Peninsula for this superb Damselfly prior to 2009 was of a single at Sleighton Hill (Grid ref TM256374) near Loompit Lake found by Will Brame on the 17th August 2007. This record was the first thoroughly documentented sighting of an adult for Britain up to that time (per Adrian Parr) though others have been claimed from Herfordshire and Hastings, Sussex. It now seems incredible that there were no records in 2008, especially considering the events that unfolded during the early autumn of 2009 when a obvious established colony of these insects was found at Candlet Farm with lesser numbers found in other suitable habitats nearby. One can only presume that this species was missed during 2008 and the only reason the core population of the area at Candlet Farm was found was because Mike James decided that it was worth while bird watching there as it is a little watched area. Its not called 'The Wilderness' for nothing.


Didgys by Will Brame and Eddie Marsh.

Dates and Locations

The following lists the site locations and  the first dates that Willow Emeralds were seen. Also other relevant dates.

Trimley Marshes       The first insect of the year was found at Trimley Marshes near the Information Hut by Will Brame on the 1st August with another male noted along 'The Bund on the 29th August. Approx grid refs are TM257353 and TM258353.

Candlet Farm           The established colony and core population for the area was found by Mike James on the 27th August. Considering that all counts have been from the the north/south footpath that boarders the site numbers present here must be considerably more than the maximum count of c50 individuals recorded on the 30th August. Grid Ref TM293367.

Wilderness Wood Pond     At least eight individuals found by Paul Holmes and myself on the 29th August. One pair noted copulating. Grid Ref TM297378.

BT Adastral Park    Singles noted on the 7th and 16th September by D.Adelson. Grid Ref TM248447.

Landguard Bird Observatory    One found by Dave Langlois on 14th September. Presumed wanderer from the core population.

Fingerbread Hill Ponds   Two found here on the 15th September. Grid Ref TM268364.

Foxes Farm, Nacton.   Singles seen here on both the 16th and 21st September by Mark Piotrowski. Grid Ref TM205406 approx. Private estate.

Ladywoods Ponds. Nacton.   One found by Mark Piotrowski on the 21st September. Grid Ref TM218398.

Waldringfield    Five noted at a site near the village by N.Mason on the 21st September.

Cowpasture Farm Pond    A few found by Will Brame on the 27th September. Grid Ref TM297362.

Loompit Lake    Eight around a pond at the northern arm of the Lake on the 1st October. Seen by Mark Piotrowski. Grid Ref TM254381.

Newbourne Springs   A couple noted on the 24th October seen by Mark Piotrowski. Grid Ref  TM26-27 43 approx.


Didgys by Mike James and Eddie Marsh.

This map shows the core population location for the Peninsula at Candlet Farm and the two other nearby sites at the Wilderness Wood Pond and Cowpasture Farm Pond. Pairs copulating were noted at both the core site at Candlet Farm and at the Widerness Wood Pond. The recorded flight times recorded this year has been from the 1st August through to at least the 24th October though it would be reasonable to suggest that these insects were on the wing a lot earlier due to the fact that first record of the year was from Trimley Marshes SWT Reserve and was one of only two for that well watched site during 2009. It can therefore be presumed that this was a wanderer from the core site that was not discovered until the 27th August. In Denmark where this species was first recorded in 2005 though in much lesser numbers and at fewer sites compared with the South-east Suffolk population the flight period recorded has been from the 29th July (in 2007) to the 28th October (in 2005) with the majority of records noted in September (51%). This is a good comparison with our local population though it is interesting to note that September was when small numbers of these insects were found at out sites away from the core population, ie; Landguard, Fingerbread Hill Ponds and around Nacton, indicating dispersal from the core site (or was it because people were looking...?).

Other nearby populations within South-east Suffolk include those at Staverton Lake which were found by Steve Goddard a few days after the first Trimley individual. The maximum count seen at the site was of c30. Grid ref TM359515. Also large numbers were to be seen along the River Deben near Wickham Market with c150 indivduals recorded by M.Farrow et al. Unfortunatley it is now too late to be able to identify for certain the first true core population for this species or to have any real idea of when they were first established/colonised but because of numbers present both at Candlet Farm and at Wickham Market it would be plausible to state that these populations have been in existance for a couple of years at least.

It will be interesting to see what more extensive field work in 2010 will produce.

Further Reading    The Britsh Dragonfly Societys information page on Willow Emerald Damselfly  Please click here.
Wild about Denmark page on Willow Emeralds.
Acknowledgements.
My thanks to Will Brame, Mike James, Eddie Marsh and Paul Holmes for either sending me records or allowing me to use their didgys and to Steve Piotrowski for forewarding Marks records as well as others My thanks also to Adrian Parr for additional information regarding the previous status of Willow Emeralds in Britain and his useful comments regarding the first draft of this page.