Hi there, my name is Ruth. I’m studying Conservation Biology and Management and am currently doing a placement with Butterfly Conservation Scotland.
Last Friday I was lucky enough to take part in a dragonfly training day at Flanders Moss led by Daniele Muir, the Scotland Officer for British Dragonfly Society. Fifteen people of all ages turned up despite the dodgy forecast and their enthusiasm really made the day.
Last Friday I was lucky enough to take part in a dragonfly training day at Flanders Moss led by Daniele Muir, the Scotland Officer for British Dragonfly Society. Fifteen people of all ages turned up despite the dodgy forecast and their enthusiasm really made the day.
After some pond dipping for larvae, we managed to catch and identify several species of dragonflies and damselflies. We got a good look at an Emerald Damselfly, Black Darter and a Common Hawker. They are absolutely stunning creatures and I like to think of them as little flying lava lamps! Daniele taught us how to distinguish males from the females and gave us some useful tips to help identify them in the field.
To finish off the day we found three exuvia amongst some grass, which had probably emerged only a few hours before! The larvae look prehistoric and you can definitely tell they have been around for millions of years! The day was a success. The weather held up, everybody had a great time and we managed to see lots of gorgeous dragonflies, damselflies and other creatures. Overall, happy Friday. |