The family odo-roadtrip - the dragonfly trip report

Ophiogomphus cecilia - without a doubt one of the highlights of the trip was my first ever encounter with this species on the Örtze river in Germany. Just have to see one in northern Sweden now...

Finally got round to writing up the trip report for our three-week summer tour of western Europe looking for dragonflies. We managed to see an amazing 55 species, of which seven species were new for me, and some of those high on my most-wanted list!

Trip locations and species recorded can be found on this link. We were very lucky with the weather throughout, experiencing ideal flying conditions at all the sites visited. We missed two of our target species; Platycnemis acutipennis (too late?) and Sympetrum depressisculum at De Plateaux (although the first of the season was found on the same day by another observer at the site...). A successful trip and we are looking forward to a planned southern Spain trip next year.

Gomphus simillimus - another new gomphid, this one was scarce at the excellent Les Tourbières de Vendoire reserve in France. This site produced the most species of any we visited during our journey.

Sympecma paedisca - another much-wanted species finally tracked down in The Netherlands at Lozedijk. This species only has a few records in Sweden, all from Gotland and all by the same observer, I will try and get over there next year for another look.

Aeshna grandis

It was not all dragonflies though, this Titania's fritillary was a surprise tick for me at Riedenersee in Austria.

Coenagrion hylas proved hard to find at Riedenersee, eventually we picked up this single male. Males of this species engage in remarkably robust and rather butch patrolling reminiscent of Anisoptera.

Somatochlora alpestris - another tick in Austria at Sonnenkopf, found hawking over small wet flushes and pools in the mountains. We took a cable car stuffed with cuddly toys up to the resort area and did not have to walk far for dragonflies. A great place for kids. Aeshna caerulea was here too but not so obliging.

Somatochlora alpestris perched.

Crocothemis erythraea

Onychogaster forcipatus

Sympetrum meridionale, we found good numbers of these along the coast of Îl de Ré this year, some (like this one) carrying huge mite burdens. 

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Lestes barbarus, common as usual on Îl de Ré but not seen elsewhere.

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Aeshna affinis - another common species on Îl de Ré.

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Oxygastra curtisii - long extinct in the UK and my most-wanted dragonfly. Not anymore! We had several encounters on two rivers in France. Just need to go back to get better photos...

lovely longhorns

 Took this shot believing it to be a longhorn but it is actually a chrysomelid - one of the reed beetles Donacia marginata. Thanks to Mark Telfer for the id.

 My rapidly increasing passion for invertebrates is turning up some really interesting species groups for me. Hoverflies have been a huge hit and I will try and post some photos soon. Another great group is the longhorn beetles which are just mega!

 Rutpela maculata - it might be common and widespread but it looks good. This was taken today on a walk around Blickling Lake in Norfolk.

Strangalia quadrifasciata - a BK longhorn spotted around Killeröd last month.

Stenurella melanura in BK at Frestensfälla last month.

Aeshna viridis in Denmark

A small Stratiotes-choked pond at Ølsted Nordstrand in Denmark provided a splendid spot for me to get familiar with a new dragonfly, the spectacular Aeshna viridis.

Back in southern Sweden viridis is a scarce species because the essential component of it's habitat (the aquatic plant water-soldier Stratiotes aloides) is also scarce. By comparison nearby Denmark has numerous Stratiotes sites and these hold viridis, seem a bit unfair really!

There must have been 40+ egg-laying females at the pond at Ølsted, flying short distances and then landing and backing down the Stratiotes to oviposit into the plant. viridis only egg-lays into this one plant species in our area.

You can see my photo of a flying male in a previous post.

Fandens Hul

My first chance to photograph perched Somatochlora flavomaculata came during our recent visit to Fandens Hul (Tegelstrup Hegn) near Helsingør in Denmark.

During our recent trip to the Danish Nehalennia site we failed to locate any sprites despite walking the area thoroughly for an hour. A huge disappointment considering there were records either side of our visit. The habitat was a carbon-copy of the site I visited last year in Sweden, where I also struggled to locate this species, eventually securing a female. Consolation came in the form of some nice encounters with Somatochlora flavomaculata and Lestes virens.

Newly-minted Lestes virens were skulking around the edges of the wetland at Fandens Hul.

Hawker hunter

 A quick trip to Denmark with the team secured a new dragonfly for me this week - the splendid Aeshna serrata. Males were patrolling frenetically over the Stratiotes-choked waterbody at Ølsted and the vegetation rustled with the wings of tens of ovipositing females. They may be local but they are numerous at the right location!

Next stop on our hawker odyssey was Han Vejle, a reedbed boardwalk on the edge a glorious reed-fringed lake on the Jammerbugten. A hot late afternoon here produced plenty of encounters with patrolling male Aeshna serrata but no sign of any females. I have only seen one serrata in Sweden so this was a great day as well.

A return trip at midday the following day produced a lot of Aeshna grandis but only a few serrata, perhaps they timeshare? We did see a female serrata briefly but no photos sadly.