Southern Damselflies found at new sites in Pembrokeshire
A £19,000 grant from Natural Resources Wales has resulted in the enhancement of over 100 sites in Pembrokeshire. Following habitat management work, surveyors identified Southern Damselflies (Coenagrion mercuriale) at seven news sites including Blaencleddau, Dolau Isaf and Waun Isaf. As the Southern Damselfly is currently categorised as endangered these results have massive implications for the … Continued
Ambitious project to create 40 miles of welsh bog
Cors Caron National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Cors Fochno (part of the Dyfi NNR) in Ceredigion have been selected for the LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs Project. The raised bogs will undergo habitat restoration which will involve re-wetting the drying peatlands, raising the ground water levels. This will encourage the development of bog pools for aquatic … Continued
Most of England’s rivers polluted, reports EA
According to the most recent figures from the Environment Agency 86% of rivers in England are failing to meet ecological standards. While conditions have improved since the 1990s the report reveals that we are completely off track to meet the 2027 target of having 100% healthy waters. The three main culprits behind our polluted rivers … Continued
Dragonfly named after BDS County Dragonfly Recorder Bill Budd
Megalogomphus buddi: a Bornean species that breeds in fast flowing forest streams. Until recently it was treated as one and the same as Megalogomphus sumatranus; however, a recent taxonomic review by Dow and Price (2020)1 M. buddi as a novel species based on variations in accessory genitalia. This new species is named after Bill Budd, in … Continued
Our Rarest Damselfly Triples its Population !
The Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum), which for the last ten years has existed only in a small colony on the Isle of Sheppey, has been discovered in large numbers at a private site at the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. Dainty Damselfly is rather local throughout its range, occurring in France, northern Iberia … Continued
A Pond in Every Prison
The Ministry of Justice Ecology Team are running a scheme to get a pond in every prison to help you enhance the sites for wildlife. A wildlife pond is one of the single best features for attracting new wildlife to a prison. By creating ponds and wetland areas – no matter how small – you’re … Continued
BDS membership reaches 1800- thank you for your support!
If you are a British Dragonfly Society member you are now part of a community of 1800 certified dragonfly fans! With so many supporters we have to power to make real change in the UK, for the benefit of dragonflies and their wetland ecosystems. Your membership supports core BDS activities, such as running the national … Continued
BDS supports ban on upland peat burning- sign the petition now!
Along with 24 other NGOs, including the Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, the BDS has signed the RSPB’s letter to Alok Sharma asking for an immediate ban on the annual burning of upland peatlands. As well as being rich in biodiversity peatlands are one of our greatest tools in fighting climate changes as they store … Continued
New Dragonfly Database
In many way Dragonflies are amazingly diverse insects, from their habitat to their hunting behaviour. But why do these differences exist? To help researches explore variations in dragonfly traits and develop hypotheses a new dragonfly database has been created which categorises dragonfly species based on traits such as breed habitat features. This will also be … Continued
Paxton Pits Nature Reserve Designated as Dragonfly Hotspot
Paxton Pits Nature Reserve near St Neots has become the latest Dragonfly Hotspot The British Dragonfly Society has designated the local St Neots nature reserve a Hotspot and will be launched ‘virtually’ on Saturday July 18th 2020. Paxton Pits Nature Reserve is a rich mosaic of wildlife … Continued