Dragonfly Walk at Emberton Country Park, Bucks
Guided Dragonfly walk at Emberton Country Park, Bucks.
Meet at 10.30am for an 11am start, for a dragonfly walk that will run until 1-2pm.
An opportunity to see the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies, Small Red Damselflies and 16 other species that have made the Red River Valley Local Nature Reserve at Great Wheal Seton, Rosewarne Mill and Bell Lake Marsh their home.
An opportunity to see the newly discovered Southern Emerald Damselflies in Cornwall and to help explore & establish their range across the dune complex in this restricted access area. Moving on to other sites afterwards. Numbers limited to 20, booking essential.
Image: Female Lestes barbarus by Antonio A Goncalves
This 2.5 day intermediate Freshwater Invertebrates course will provide you with the surveying and identification skills you need to begin to survey freshwater habitats.
Freshwater invertebrates are those which spend at least part of their lifecycle in freshwater, and they are often used in freshwater ecology studies as indicators to assess the health of freshwater ecosystems. Knowing how to identify freshwater species is a key skill for any ecologists or conservationists working in freshwater habitats.
This course will include:
- Introduction to freshwater ecosystems
- Sampling techniques and water quality assessments
- Identification of species
- Bio-security, legislation, risk management and invasive species management
This beginner to intermediate course is designed to be a gentle introduction to surveying freshwater invertebrates for those that have had limited or no experience of identifying them.
You will use hand lenses, microscopes and identification keys to look at what makes a mayfly a mayfly, and how to tell apart the larvae of beetles and flies. Our tutor will guide you through a combination of classroom and field sessions to build up your knowledge, skills and confidence.
This course will include:
- An overview of the major groups of freshwater invertebrates in the UK.
- Sampling techniques including practical experience of pond sampling and river sampling.
- An introduction to using and understanding identification resources to identify freshwater invertebrates to both order and family level.
- A beginners guide to setting up and using microscopes to view freshwater invertebrates.
- Practical experience of using the Field Studies Council AIDGAP ‘Key to the major groups of British freshwater invertebrates‘ to identify invertebrates to order and family level using external morphological features.
Booking and information
Freshwater invertebrates are a diverse and vital part of aquatic ecosystems in the UK, inhabiting rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. These diverse animals include insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and leeches. They play a key role in food webs and are often used as indicators for water quality.
This self-led course equips participants with essential identification skills for studying freshwater invertebrates. Providing an introduction to the main taxonomic groups commonly found in the UK’s freshwater habitats, this Freshwater Invertebrates course will help you develop a deeper understanding of their diversity and ecological importance.
Full information and booking.
Joint meeting with Cleveland Field Naturalists. Due to popularity a return visit to explore this private rewilding project. To date 18 species have been recorded.
Leader – Keith Gittens
Image: Migrant Hawker by Dave Smallshire
Joint meeting with Freshwater Habitats Trust to explore the numerous ponds of the Military Training Area. An FHT Flagship Ponds site, to date 19 species of Odonata have been recorded. Distance 3 – 4 miles. Leaders – Keith Gittens, Anne Carter.
Image: Common Darter by Dave Smallshire
An opportunity to visit the Forestry Commission’s Beaver Project where dragonfly recording has occurred over the last five years. While the chance of seeing a Beaver is slim, you will be able to see the incredible work they have done along with the Odonata that inhabit the pools. To date 17 species have been recorded including Golden-ringed Dragonfly.
In the afternoon there should be the opportunity to go to Tranmire Bog for Keeled Skimmer.
Image: Keeled Skimmer by Dave Smallshire
Join us for a family nature day this July!
Activities include:
– Bug hotel building
– Pond dipping
– Butterfly & dragonfly counts
– Narrowboat trips along Chesterfield Canal
Everyone is welcome!