Dragonfly volunteers needed at RSPB Conwy!
This year RSPB Conwy is being designated a Dragonfly Hotspot! We will be launching RSPB Conwy as a Dragonfly Hotspot on Saturday 13 July- join us for a day of guided walks, craft activities and pond dipping. Work is underway to create more dragonfly habitat on site and experienced volunteers are needed to monitor resident…
Calling on you MP to support a ban on urban pesticides
The dangers that pesticides pose to both human health and the environment are well known. The commonly used pesticide glyphosate is not only harmful to dragonflies and other insects, but larger animals too, including birds and amphibians. Research is also increasingly linking the chemical to Parkinson’s. Following a campaign by the Pesticide Collaboration, Caroline Lucas…
Willow Emerald Watch 2023 update
The BDS has been tracking the range expansion of Willow Emerald Damselfly since it colonised England in 2009. Learn more on the Willow Emerald Watch Project page. Project lead, Adrian Parr, provides an update from the 2023 recording season. . . Willow Emeralds had another relatively good season in 2023, and it was pleasing to…
BDS joins The Pesticide Collaboration
The area of land treated by pesticides has increased by 63% since 1990 and the evidence of the harm caused by pesticides to human health and the natural world is also increasing. The BDS has joined The Pesticide Collaboration- a partnership of 81 organisations, farmers and academics. Together we will work to in influencing UK…
Triangle of Confusion by John Curd
My title stems from two documented concepts. In photography, the circle of confusion is used to determine the depth of field, that part of an image which is acceptably sharp. In linguistics, the triangle of meaning is a model of how linguistic symbols relate to the objects they represent. Both triangle and confusion seem particularly…
Membership News 2024
A Note from the Membership Office As we look forward to the new dragonfly season, it is also the time of year for your membership renewal of the BDS. BDS subscription fees have remained constant for over a decade. However, due to the increasing costs, adjustments are now necessary in order for us to continue…
Study finds pollution from flea treatment in the New Forest pools
A study has found that a the common insecticide used in ‘spot-on’ flea treatments, imidacloprid, was detected at four waterbody locations where dogs have access. At one site the levels were nearly double the internationally agreed toxicity threshold for aquatic invertebrates. Previous research have shown that prolonged exposure to imidaclopridthese chemicals can negatively impact dragonfly…
Norfolk Hawker makes headlines
The Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) made headlines this week; the species has undergone impressive range expansion since 1990 – good news for a species which was categorised as Endangered in the 2008 Red List. Read the full article on BBC News Image: Ouwesok, flickr
Volunteers needed in Shropshire Hills
If you live near the Shropshire Hills join the Stepping Stones Project volunteer team! We need volunteers to assist in locating dragonfly habitat, monitoring local populations, and assisting in habitat management. The Stepping Stones is a landscape-scale nature conservation project aimed at restoring the natural habitats of the Shropshire Hills. Watch this introductory video to…
A study on pond management for Northern Damselfly (Coenagrion hastulatum)
Stephen Corcoran, County Dragonfly Recorder for Moray, carried out a surveys of ponds that have been created and managed for Northern Damselfly (Coenagrion hastulatum) with the aim of assessing the work, and make further recommendations. Executive summary: All 12 ponds where management work was undertaken and the 11 new ponds that were built in 2022…