Hot News!

Apologies and acknowledgements.

2008-03-24T11:03:00.004+01:00

Due to a combination of ill health and the renovation of my house, last year very little got done to the blog. Brian Stone proved as trustworthy as ever, and continued to post reports and pictures. Roy Norris deserves a special mention, because he continued to send in pictures to me, none of which I posted. This was unforgivable and I apologise unreservedly. I still have these photos, and will make time soon to go through them and get some posted! I do hope that Kevin du Rose will contribute more in future, as his knowledgeable input and high quality photos are very much appreciated. It really goes without saying that my local super expert Steve Dudley, whose very good book has just been published, is welcome to contribute anything at any time! There are other local birders whom I know have an interest in, and take photos of, dragonflys; all of your input is welcome!
I intend to make a few more changes to the blog this year, which I hope will help all concerned.
For now, good hunting
Max

Lesser Emperor 'colony'

2007-08-08T16:29:00.000+01:00

Some fantastic news just in from Kevin Du Rose. See his blog at this address for full details
http://www.kevindurose.co.uk/
Max

Small Red-eyed Damsel fly - Farcet Fen

2007-07-09T09:22:00.000+01:00

Steve Dudley has just reported discovery of Small Red-eyed Damsels on Farcet Fen. This is terrific news! See photo on Reports page.
For full details see his site at http://toadsnatcher.blogspot.com/
Max

Updating of this blog

2007-06-21T18:00:00.000+01:00

Hardly hot news but, I would just like to say to anyone who may have taken an interest in the blog, that I haven't forgotten it! It's very unfortunate that the first full year of the blog is coinciding with the modenisation of my home. As a consequence, all my time at the moment is spent in relation to this project. All I can do is say please keep sending in photos and particularly reports. The reports can be very short and to the point and don't have to be accompanied by photos. Just stating what has been seen; numbers and where, is sufficient. I will endeavour to post reports immediately, but photos may take longer. And just to reiterate at this point that it is only sightings in Cambridgeshire that are required here. I am always happy to correspond with anyone who shares the interest, although my replies may be brief at the moment!
Max

First for 2007

2007-04-13T12:17:00.000+01:00

Steve Dudley posted the following on Peterbirder on 11th of March.

I wasn't totally surprised to see a couple of Large

Red Dams(one male,one teneral) over the warm Easter

weekend (Mon 09/04)out here but as temps here

reached a barmy 21 degrees (shade)today, a lunchtime

wander found a lone Hairy Dragonfly patrolling one

of the fen drains. I suspect the dykes and drains

here were already warmer than normal for this time

of year (judging by the emergent plants and the

amount of aquatic inverts already active) and they

would have been warmed further since late last week

due to recent days welcome sunshine.


Both these dates are my earliest ever

(the Hairy be some margin).

More new photos

2006-11-10T13:16:00.000+01:00

I have just added two new photos of a Migrant Hawker female by Winnie Fowler.

New photos!

2006-09-24T16:44:00.000+01:00

Some more photos have been added today to the Species List. These were supplied by Katie and there are more to come - many thanks! Have a look at Broad-bodied Chaser and some cracking shots of Banded Demoiselle.

Small Red-eyed Damselflies

2006-09-11T10:20:00.000+01:00

I'm aware that this isn't exactly hot news, but I think it's well worth mentioning here that Brian - the Natural Stone - was first to discover this species in the Peterborough area. For those who aren't aware it was near the Boathouse pub in Longthorpe, Peterborough on 28.7.06. He had worked out that this was where it well might appear, and bingo he was right! I think this is a great feather in the cap for one of our most diligent local naturalists and, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's he who finds the next new species for this area.

Red Veined Darter exuvia

2006-09-06T17:51:00.000+01:00

I have just posted a photograph sent in by Kevin du Rose of an exuvia he photographed last night, of Red Veined Darter. Have a look, and hope this is the start of something good!

Red Veined Darters breeding in Cambridgeshire!!

2006-09-04T12:45:00.000+01:00

Kevin du Rose has had confirmation that 3 exuviae he collected last night, from the private site of Etton pits, are Red Veined Darter! My initial checks show that this is possibly the first recorded breeding of this species in Cambridgeshire. This is terrific news and we can only hope that this 'population' remains stable and isn't lost. All of you hunters out there get looking! I will of course post any updates to this story as they come in.
Max