The National Dragonfly Atlas Project will be launched in April 2008. The aim of this project is to update the known distribution of British dragonfly and damselfly species over the next 5 years, culminating in the publication of a new national atlas in 2013.
A new national atlas is urgently required. Climate change is contributing to increasingly earlier spring emergence and change in the range of a number of our species. In addition, new species are becoming established in Britain, as demonstrated by the recent rapid spread of Small Red-eyed Damselfly. We are living through a dynamic change in our dragonfly fauna and need to record this information, thereby providing evidence for future assessment of the impact climate change and other environmental factors are having on our dragonfly fauna.
Can you help with recording the dragonflies and damselflies in Suffolk?
Recording
The minimum effort required for the atlas would be to get at least a complete species list for a 10km square, based on several visits through the flying season. Three visits per site will be needed to cover all the possible species with one visit early season for Large Red Damselfly etc, one late season when resident Darters and Migrant Hawkers are on the wing and one mid-season to pick up the main species.
The maximum effort would be a detailed look at each individual water body in the10 km grid square. The key sites should be covered at the 1km level if possible. Although most surveys will probably fall towards the minimum effort end of the spectrum, a good general strategy would be to ensure that all key species (RDB species plus local scarcities) in a 10 km square are identified and recorded.
The visits should take place between 1100 and 1400 with the air temperature in the shade above 17ºC and cloud cover not exceeding 50%. Wind should not exceed force 4 on the Beaufort scale (leaves and branches moving).
For basic recording we need Species
Location (Grid Ref)
Date
Number observed
Recorder Name
Please send records to Dorothy Casey
c/o Suffolk Dragonfly Group Suffolk Wildlife Trust
email: dorothy.casey@suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Tel: 01473 890089