Petra Sovic Davies of the London Wildlife Trust writes:
London Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce that the first guide to the capital’s dragonflies, titled Today I saw a demoiselle: Dragonflies and damselflies of London, is now available! This guide is a result of four years of surveys and data collection, a huge joint effort of the project team and enthusiastic volunteers. The guide celebrates and marks the completion of the Trust’s “Water for Wildlife” project. To find out more about the project, and to read the guide, see the London Wildlife Trust website. You can also download the guide here.
The guide introduces these magnificent but under-appreciated insects, providing fascinating information on their life cycle and ecology, and exploring 23 species of Odonata known to be present in London. These include Willow Emerald Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle, Emperor Dragonfly and Migrant Hawker. The guide also highlights some of the best sites in London to spot dragonflies, such as Victoria Park, Mile End Park, Woodberry Wetlands, Keston Common and Richmond Park, but many can be found in parks and gardens across the city.
Dragonfly surveys and creation of this guide was made possible by generous funding from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Thames Water. We hope you will enjoy reading the guide as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Header photo: Banded Demoiselle (Iain Leach)
