Damselflies and Dragonflies

17 species of Dragonfly and Damselfly (Odonata) have been recorded in the area as of 2016, with historic records from 1835-7 and 1897 of an additional one - the Emerald Damselfly - from Wanstead Park.

The River Roding by the Exchange Lands hosts a colony of Banded Demoiselles, which are occasionally also sighted in Wanstead Park and the City of London Cemetery, although these may be individuals straying from the Roding. In all parts of the area, Common Blue damselflies and Azure damselflies are common, albeit a bit difficult to tell apart unless looked at closely. Similarly common is the Blue-tailed damselfly, which is happily much more readily identifiable as well as being a particularly attractive species.The earliest damselfly species usually seen is the Large Red damselfly, which breeds annually in a small garden pond in Capel Road as well as elsewhere. Red-eyed damselflies are not as common as the blues, but there are populations particularly in Wanstead Park. The Small Red-eyed damselfly was first observed in this area on Alexandra Lake in July 2007, but has increased rapidly since then and is now quite common on many lakes and ponds. In September 2015 the first Willow Emerald known in East London was spotted in a garden in Aldersbrook, and another was seen and photographed by Kathy H. by the Heronry Pond in Wanstead Park on 15th October 2017. In September 2018, a couple of weeks after Kathy had spotted another at the west end of Heronry Pond, 10 pairs were seen coupled in approximately the same location. One coupled pair and at least 5 individuals were seen on 26th September by Alexandra Lake, all on willow at the south edge of the lake. The first in my garden was on 12th August 2022.

Of the dragonflies, the Common Darter, Broad-bodied Chaser and the Black-tailed Skimmer are perhaps our most common species, and these may be seen easily in Wanstead Park and on the Flats, plus other locations such as the City of London Cemetery. The Four-spotted Chaser has only seen twice, and bothtimes by Heronry Pond in Wanstead Park on 3rd July 2010 and 13th July 2013. The Ruddy Darter is another less-than-common species; it has been seen in Wanstead Park, although numbers were seen by the smaller of the Hollow Ponds on Leyton Flats in August 2012.The Emperor, may be seen in all the aforementioned locations, as well as the River Roding adjacent to Aldersbrook Exchange Lands. Brown Hawkers, Southern Hawkers and Migrant Hawkers are all seen in Wanstead Park, though the latter two may be under-recorded because the species are less readily distinguished.

The list below is presented in Natural Order (as presented in E. Brittanica), damselflies first, then dragonflies

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