Our dexterity and speed of movement was put to the test during the summer as Allen and Mellon staff went out in search of dragonflies and damselflies. The project was managed by CEDaR / NMNI and the main objective was to obtain data on the status of the Irish damselfly Coenagrion lunulatum and Scarce bluetailed-damselfly Ischnura pumilio at regular and former sites. The Irish damselfy is our only protected species of odonata and so a licence was required for use of the net during the surveys.
The survey was not designed to be comprehensive as the main objective was to survey sites for which there was no recent data or the previous survey in 2012 had recommended should be re-visited. We found Irish damselfly at 11 sites, including several where they had not been recorded for many years. Four sites also proved positive for scarce blue-tail.
In addition to this targeted work a selection of sites within commercial forestry such as fire dams, old quarries or natural ponds were also surveyed. This provided useful information on species such as black darter Sympetrum danae which were found at a number of these sites.
Irish damselfly, Cloghcor Lough, County Tyrone