DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF CALDERDALE

Dec. 10th 2023

Having just bought the excellent "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland" by Brooks and Lewington I was inspired to trawl through my own photos to see if I could identify any Odonata retrospectively. 

Now I have the resource I am hoping to pay more attention to these masterful fliers and thereby expand and improve this page!

CALOPTERYGIDAE - the demoiselles

Banded Demoiselle, one of three males flying around and landing on vegetation in the canal at Moderna, Mytholmroyd on June 21st 2024.

Banded Demoiselle, another one of the three mentioned above.

COENAGRIONIDAE - the red or blue damselflies

Large Red Damselfly by the garden pond in July 1996.

Azure Damselfly at the dipping ponds at Cromwell Bottom on July 5th 2018. I was actually trying to photograph the Purple Hairstreak when the damselfly fortuitously photo bombed the shot.

Blue-tailed Damselfly a female of the form rufescens at Hollas Lane nature reserve on May 29th 2019.

LIBELLULIDAE - The chasers, skimmers and darters

Broad-bodied Chaser at Tag meadow, Cromwell Bottom on June 24th 2020.

Black Darter at Hollas Lane nature reserve, Copley on Sept. 13th 2019.