Dragonfly Week is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on some of the most fascinating creatures found across our WWT Washington Wetland Centre.
While recent weather conditions have made surveying difficult, our Reserve Warden Michael has been taking every opportunity to get out onto the reserve and monitor the dragonflies and damselflies that call our wetlands home.
Michael has been leading this season's surveys, recording species, tracking population numbers and helping us better understand how dragonflies are responding to changes in our wetland habitats. Following a recent sighting of a Small Red-eyed Damselfly, the season is already proving to be an exciting one, with 11 species and 311 individual dragonflies and damselflies recorded during just five surveys since the end of May.
Why we're expanding our dragonfly monitoring
Dragonflies are more than just beautiful insects. They are important indicators of wetland health and can tell us a great deal about how our habitats are responding to environmental change.
In recent years, prolonged dry periods and hotter summers have caused some ponds to dry out more frequently and remain dry for longer. This poses a significant challenge for species that rely on year-round water sources.
Dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater as larvae, often for two years or more before emerging as adults. If ponds dry out before they complete their development, eggs and larvae can be lost, potentially affecting local populations.
Michael has expanded the survey work this year to collect more detailed data, helping build a clearer picture of which species are present on site and whether they are successfully breeding and emerging.
The work has become even more important following several exciting sightings in recent years, including the reserve's first-ever Lesser Emperor and breeding Willow Emerald Damselflies. Just a few years ago, Willow Emerald Damselflies were rarely recorded in significant numbers in the North East, making their appearance and successful breeding on site particularly noteworthy.
Dragonflies have been steadily moving northwards, with new species appearing and established species becoming more widespread across the region. Once considered a local rarity, the striking Banded Demoiselle is now a much more familiar sight on nature reserves throughout the North East.