Late summer visitor sets pulses racing

By Mike Russell

Conservation Advisor

Woods Mill is always a great place to look for wildlife, but every now and again something special turns up that sets the heart of any naturalist racing, which is what has happened this week.

Intrepid dragonfly seeker Dave Sadler had a hunch that the reserve had all the qualities for a damselfly that is colonising the UK from the continent. So on Tuesday, his inclination and then through thorough determination, he was rewarded with a sight of his quarry. There on the edge of the lake drenched in late summer sun and with a convenient overhanging willow he saw a willow emerald damselfly (chalcolestes viridis), the metallic emerald thorax gleaming in the light, the wings hanging at a 45 degree angle and almost gingery prominent psterostigma (dark area on the wing) confirming that indeed this was the species he was looking at.

Dave came back on Wednesday and this time with some excited Sussex Wildlife Trust staff at his side, it was relocated and we were all able to enjoy wonderful close views.

As far as we know, this is only the third record for Sussex, the first in 1979, the second 2004. It has long been thought that this species would eventually move up from the continent to colonise the UK, but it is only in the last few years that it has now become established, initially in the East Anglia but has now spread southwards to Kent and hopefully in time it will become a resident of this county.

This late burst of summer sun has been a bit of a boon for dragon and damselflies in what has been a pretty grim year for them on the whole, so a sighting of such a rarity has given a real boost at the end of the season for dragonfly watchers.

This photograph from Bob Foreman shows the very prominent psterostigma markings on the wings.

They fly until about October time so it may be that this fine spell of weather may be the last opportunity to get out and look for this lovely little damselfly, so if you are lucky enough to find one please report it to the Sussex Branch of the British Dragonfly Society on their sightings page.